1984. i absolutely love that book. it's one of those books that i've only read through maybe 3 times, but i always, contantly, pick it up and read a couple chapters at a time; in random order.

and douglas adams; in case you haven't noticed i am obsessed with his books.
i have re-read all his stuff, dozens of times; the Guide, the Dirk Gently books, Last Chance to See, the Salmon of Doubt *sniff*, and of course, The Meaning of Liff, as it is a dictionary after all.

Antgeth, if you can find it, try reading the script for the Dr.Who story, "Shada". Huge chunks were re-cycled into Dirk Gently, but like "Life, The Universe and Everything" it is interesting to see the Dr. Who origins.

Or better yet, watch the animation of it.

Really? I prefer the script to the animation. I am not a great fan of flash animation (except Weebl of course). Go here if you want to see.
I preferred the Tom Baker video even though it was incomplete. Perhaps it is Paul McGann and not the Flash that puts me off.

Curse you BK! I am going to have to re-watch it to find out why I don't like it!

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My computer beat me at chess, but I won at kickboxing

It's Paul McGann.

I see Terry Pratchet (spelling?) is mentioned alot on the boards, and I would love to pick one up and see what it's about...but I'm a stickler for order and I would like to start at the "first" book or "first published book"...However the bookself in the bookstore is stacked with his books...and I can't even begin to try to figure out which one came first..much less what order they are suppose to be read in...

could anyone help me there?
I need something inbetween Fforde and.....(gee since the potter books are going to end and artimis fowl doesn't seem to have another one)...Fforde I guess.

There's no real order for most of Terry Pratchett's books--there are particular threads that deal with particular characters; for instance, Sam Vimes: Guards, Guards! is first, then Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, Jingo, The Fifth Elephant, Night Watch, and Thud.

Other major ones, let's see:
The witches: Equal Rites (though that deals with a very different Granny Weatherwax than her later incarnation), Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade, and Carpe Jugulum (also the Tiffany Aching books: The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, and Wintersmith)
Rincewind: The Color of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcery, Eric, Interesting Times, The Last Continent

I suppose the books dealing with Death and his family could be read in order, but I didn't and didn't suffer for it: Mort, Reaper Man (truly stands on its own, actually), Soul Music, Hogfather, Thief of Time

Since Pterry's next book is going to continue with the character Moist von Lipwig, you'd want to read Going Postal first.

Most of the others stand on their own, and those are often the ones I like best, particularly Small Gods and Reaper Man. But you can really get away with reading just about any of his books in any order, especially since (in my opinion) his later books are much better than the first.

MS is correct, as usual. I would strongly recommend following the series as she has listed them,

If you insist on reading them in order, the very first Discworld book was "The Colour of Magic" and the Second was "The Light Fantastic" but these are not really representative of his writing nowadays.

Before either of them he wrote a science fiction spoof of Ringworld also set on a disk-shaped world. This book, "Strata", has nothing to do with the Discworld series.

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My computer beat me at chess, but I won at kickboxing

you know I have played the video game though....isn't that strange... maybe I can start there.

SkidMarks Wrote:
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> This book, "Strata", has nothing to do with
> the Discworld series.

How sure are you about that? The introduction of these mysterious "devices" in Thud! seemed pretty suspicious to me.

Incidentally, I would not recommend to start with the very first Discworld novels. There was a real leap in quality around the time he wrote Moving Pictures, in my opinion.

Oh, and the Corgi paperbacks at least have a list of all novels in their order of publication.

Dont worry too much about reading The Color of Magic, The Light Fantastic- read them after you have read the other Wizards books. They only really introduce Rincewind, Cohen and Twoflower to the audience. Pterry has said that he doesn't really think of them as discworld books anymore (proto-discworld?). Fun to watch the characters evolution though.

That said, they aren't bad books. They just aren't as discworldly as they could be!

Ah, that's really good to know. I'd heard so much about Discworld and wanted to start, so began with The Colour of Magic but found it somewhat flat. I read it again a year later with the same result and wondered if I'd missed something. (Part of me was secretly glad to be disappointed because I feared bankruptcy if I had to buy all of Pratchett's books...now I'm very grateful that my brother-in-law is a huge fan and keeps offering to loan me everything.)

House

Ah House I wish I had such luck, I'm the only real reader in my family...Got my cousin to read Douglas Adams though...I'm so proud of that one achivement. Still trying to get him to read Fforde...might try the crimes one first, he is still only 16, a male lead might get him to read it more than Thurday would.

I love The 13 and a Half Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers.
A huge book and there is always something I missed.

I love all the zany ideas that Moers creates.


One of the more memorable parts:
A description of Multidimensional Space.
It is really quite easy to picture a square yard of multidimensional space - provided you have seven brains.
Simply picture a train travelling through a blak hole with a candle on its roof while you yourself, with a candle on your head, are standing on Mars and winding a clock precisely one yard in diameter, and while an owl, which also has a candle on its head and is travelling in the opposite direction to the train at the speed of light, is flying through a tunnel in the process of being swallowed by another black hole which likewise has a candle on its head (if you can imagine a black hole with a candle on its head, though for that you will need at least four brains). Join up the four points at which the candles are burning, using a coloured pencil, and you'll have one square yard of multidimensional space. You will also, coincidentally, be able to tell the time on Mars by the clock, even in the dark, because - of course - you've got a candle on your head.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/2007 03:26PM by cheerydeb.

Cool.

One of the most succinct descriptions yet.

I read a heck of a lot more than everyone in my family. (sadness)

__________________________________
'We're all mad here. I'm mad, you're mad." [said the Cat.]
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "Or you wouldn't have come here."
- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland

Thank you MS! I too looked at the Pratchett shelf/ves and 'most had a heart attack wondering where to start...after I devour FAS next Tuesday, the Discworld indoctrination shall begin!

MartinB I feel for you. I am blessed with a family of readers. As a result we are none of us rich but we sure have a fantastic lot of bookshelves, b'gosh. It can frighten potential mates, though...

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I was born foolish, and every day in every way I am getting foolisher and foolisher.

That sounds like a book i'll have to get now, cheery!

I'd list:
Jasper, Pratchett, Neil Gaiman (Neverwhere & Good Omens), The Dark Lord of Derkholm, A book titled Sabriel, SUSANNA CLARKE!!!!! her book titled: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Little Big by John Crowley- perhaps, Do Androids dream of electronic sheep by Philip K Dick- this book was the one Bladerunner was made out of, Douglas Addams books, Frankenstein, URSULA LE GUIN- the wizard of earthsea quartet & most of her other writings.
Books are good! ^_^

lots of new books and authors to try out here. that's good.

I can reread Pratchett...there is a comforting familiarity about certain Pratchett books now, I've read them so many times. Yet every now and then you spot that ever so subtle joke that you missed the previous times. I love that.

Also Pride and Prejudice, Sense and sensibility, Prejudice (the best Austen book), and Emma all by Jane Austen....I don't like the other 2 of her books much though.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunne is one of my favourite books. I just like the whole concept of the book and think it is really cleverly done. Great for anyone who loves playing with language and words. If I ever had time to join a book group this would be top of my list for discussion as there is so much in it!

The narnia books I re-read once in a while and if I want something completely sugary, heart warming and unoffensive I will reread the Anne books by LM Montgomery. ISorry, but it's my guilty pleasure ;-)

aside from that there seem to be far too many new ones to read and too littel time to read in..... the pile on my shelf keeps growing all the time.

My books are too numerous *not really* (not even a up to 200 fiction yet) I pile them up in stacks above my head and they occasionally fall on me in the night!
Have you tried reading Susan Cooper? The dark is rising sequence? good stuff, and some is set in Wales.
^_^
I'll agree with you opion of the Austen books ! They my favourites of hers.