They’re about people.
And stories.
And everyone loves a good story.
65
The Secret of Discworld’s Success
SO, IN THE INTRODUCTION I said I was doing the research for this book because I wanted to figure out just how Terry Pratchett could take an idea as absurd as Discworld and turn it into a series of novels that sold millions of copies and became an international phenomenon. Here we are at the end, and you may well be asking, “So, did you figure it out or not?”
Very clever, but now ask yourself another question: If I had figured it out, would I tell you?
After all, we can’t all write fantasy series that sell millions, and if I’ve figured out how it’s done, I don’t want you lot cashing in on it before I do!
But I’ll take pity on you, and tell you part of the secret of Discworld’s success—or really, four parts.
First, Mr. Pratchett writes about people, not things. I already knew that part; in fact, I’d called it the First Law of Fantasy in an article I wrote back in 1989, which you could find on my webpage192 if you wanted to look it up. Magic spells and enchanted swords are all very well, but it’s the people wielding them who hold the reader’s interest.
Second, Mr. Pratchett doesn’t just steal from Tolkien, the way some fantasy writers do; he steals from everywhere. Books, songs, TV, movies, history, news, anything and everything. If you steal from one source, it’s plagiarism; if you steal from a dozen, it’s research. The more sources you draw on, the better. And Discworld draws on a lot.
Third, Mr. Pratchett doesn’t just write stories, he writes about stories. Too often in fiction the characters never seem to have heard any stories in their lives; the idiots in horror movies, for example, have no idea what’s going to happen if they split up to cover more ground, or when they go down into the basement. The people of Discworld, though—they know. And they react accordingly. Which makes them look less stupid, and more like real people, than many writers’ characters ever manage.
One could argue that that’s the natural result of combining the first two, and shouldn’t be listed separately, but hey, it’s my book, and I’m listing it separately. So there.
And that brings us to the very last point I’m going to mention—the last part of the secret I’m going to tell you: Fourth, and finally, Terry Pratchett wears a cool hat.
I can’t tell you why that’s important, but I’m sure it is. So I’ve bought myself a cool hat, too. Bestseller lists, here I come!
PART SEVEN
References
Bibliography
NOTE: For the actual Discworld™ books, I have listed the first edition, with ISBN, in case anyone wants to track it down, and have then listed the edition(s) I actually used while writing this book. In a very few cases, these are the same and there’s only one entry.
Bensen, D.R.:
The Unknown 5, New York: Pyramid Books, 1964
Brunner, John:
The Traveler in Black, New York: Ace Books, 1971
Davidson, Avram:
“Or All the Sea With Oysters,” Galaxy, May 1958
Fforde, Jasper:
The Eyre Affair, New York: Viking Penguin, 2002
Lost in A Good Book, London: New English Library, 2002
The Well of Lost Plots, New York: Viking Penguin, 2004
Something Rotten, New York: Viking Penguin, 2004
Frazer, Sir James George:
The Golden Bough, New York: Touchstone Books, 1995
Grahame, Kenneth:
The Wind in the Willows, New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1933
Henry, O.:
“The Ransom of Red Chief,” Whirligigs, New York: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1910
Howard, Robert E.:
The Coming of Conan, New York: Del Rey Books, 2005
The Bloody Crown of Conan, New York: Del Rey Books, 2004
The Conquering Sword of Conan, New York: Del Rey Books, 2005
Hughes, Thomas:
Tom Brown’s School Days, Cleveland: World Syndicate Publishing, 1916?
Johnson, June:
838 Ways to Amuse A Child, New York: Gramercy Publishing Co., 1960
Langford, David:
The Unseen University Challenge: A Terry Pratchett™ Discworld™ Quizbook, London: Gollancz, 1996
The Wyrdest Link: A Terry Pratchett™ Discworld™ Quizbook, London: Gollancz, 2002
Le Guin, Ursula K.:
A Wizard of Earthsea, New York: Bantam Books, 1984
Leiber, Fritz, Jr.:
Swords and Deviltry, New York: Ace Books, 1970
Swords Against Death, New York: Ace Books, 1970
Swords in the Mist, New York: Ace Books, 1968
Swords Against Wizardry, New York: Ace Books, 1968
The Swords of Lankhmar, New York: Ace Books, 1968
Swords and Ice Magic, New York: Ace Books, 1977
Leroux, Gaston:
The Phantom of the Opera, New York: Harper Perennial, 1988
Lewis, C.S.:
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, New York: The MacMillan Company,
1950
Prince Caspian, New York: MacMillan Publishing, 1951
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, New York: MacMillan Publishing, 1952
The Silver Chair, New York: MacMillan Publishing, 1953
The Horse and His Boy, New York: MacMillan Publishing, 1954
The Magician’s Nephew, New York: MacMillan Publishing, 1955
The Last Battle, New York: MacMillan Publishing, 1956
Lovecraft, H.P.:
The Colour Out of Space and Others, New York: Lancer Books, 1967
At the Mountains of Madness and Other Tales of Terror, New York: Ballantine Books, 1981
The Doom That Came to Sarnath and Other Stories, New York: Ballantine Books, 1971
The Lurking Fear and Other Stories, New York: Ballantine Books, 1971
MacDonald, George:
The Princess and the Goblin, Philadelphia: David McKay Co., 1920
Machiavelli, Niccolo:
The Prince, London: The Folio Society, 1972
McCaffrey, Anne:
Dragonflight, New York: Ballantine Books, 1968
Dragonquest, New York: Ballantine Books, 1971
Moore, John:
Bad Prince Charlie, New York: Ace Books, 2006
Pratchett, Terry:
The Colour of Magic, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire: Colin Smythe,
November 1983, ISBN 0-86140-089-5
New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1983
The Light Fantastic, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire: Colin Smythe, June 1986, ISBN 0-86140-203-0
Equal Rites, London: Victor Gollancz “in association with Colin Smythe,”
January 1987, ISBN 0-575-03950-7
New York: New American Library/Signet, Sept. 1988, ISBN 0-451-15704-4
Mort, London: Victor Gollancz “in association with Colin Smythe,”
November 1987, ISBN 0-575-04171-4
New York: New American Library/Signet, April 1989
Sourcery, London: Victor Gollancz “in association with Colin Smythe,”
May 1988, ISBN 0-575-04217-6
New York: New American Library/Signet, December 1989, ISBN 0-451- 16233-1
Wyrd Sisters, London: Victor Gollancz, November 1988, ISBN 0-575-04363-6 New York: Roc Books, 1990
Pyramids, London: Victor Gollancz, May 1989, ISBN 0-575-04463-2 New York: Roc Books, 1990
Guards! Guards!, London: Victor Gollancz, November 1989, ISBN 0-575- 04606-6
New York: Roc Books, 1991
Eric, London: Victor Gollancz, August 1990, ISBN 0-575-04636-8
New York: Roc Books, 1995
Moving Pictures, London: Victor Gollancz, November 1990, ISBN 0-575- 04763-1
New York: Roc Books, 1992
Reaper Man, London: Victor Gollancz, May 1991, ISBN 0-575-04979-8
New York: Roc Books, 1992
Witches Abroad, London:
Victor Gollancz, November 1991, ISBN 0-575-
04980-4
London: Corgi, 1992
New York: HarperTorch, 2002
Small Gods, London: Victor Gollancz, May 1992, ISBN 0-575-05222-8
London: Corgi, 1993
Lords and Ladies, London: Victor Gollancz, November 1992, ISBN 0-575-
05223-6
New York: HarperPrism, 1996
Men At Arms, London: Victor Gollancz, November 1993, ISBN 0-575-
05503-0
New York: HarperPrism, 1997
Soul Music, London: Victor Gollancz, May 1994, ISBN 0-575-05504-9 New York: HarperPrism, 1995
Interesting Times, London: Victor Gollancz, November 1994, ISBN 0-575-
05800-5
New York: Harper Torch, June 2000
Maskerade, London: Victor Gollancz, November 1995, ISBN 0-575-05808-0
New York: HarperPrism, 1997
Feet of Clay, London: Victor Gollancz, May 1996, ISBN 0-575-05900-1
New York: HarperPrism, 1996
Hogfather, London: Victor Gollancz, November 1996, ISBN 0-575-06403-X
New York: HarperPrism, 1998
Jingo, London: Victor Gollancz, November 1997, ISBN 0-575-06540-0
New York: HarperPrism, 1998
The Last Continent, London: Doubleday, May 1998, ISBN 0-385-40989-3
New York: HarperPrism, 1999
Carpe Jugulum, London: Doubleday, November 1998, ISBN 0-385-40992-3
New York: HarperPrism, 1999
The Fifth Elephant, London: Doubleday, November 1999, ISBN 0-385-
40995-8
New York: HarperPrism, 2000
The Truth, London: Doubleday, November 2000, ISBN 0-385-60102-6
New York: HarperCollins, 2000
Thief of Time, London: Doubleday, April 2001, ISBN 0-385-60188-3
New York: HarperCollins, 2001
The Last Hero (profusely illustrated by Paul Kidby), London: Gollancz,
October 2001, ISBN 0-575-06885-X
New York: HarperCollins, 2001
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents, London: Doubleday,
October 2001, ISBN 0-385-60123-9
New York: HarperCollins, 2001
Night Watch, London: Doubleday, November 2002, ISBN 0-385-60264-2
New York: HarperCollins, 2002
The Wee Free Men™, London: Doubleday, May 2003, ISBN 0-385-60533-1
New York: HarperCollins, 2003
Monstrous Regiment, London: Doubleday, October 2003, ISBN 0-385-60340-1
New York: HarperCollins, 2003
A Hat Full of Sky, London: Doubleday, May 2004, ISBN 0-385-60736-9
New York: HarperCollins, 2004
Once More* *with footnotes [collected short works], Framingham MA:
NESFA Press, September 2004, ISBN 1-886778-57-4 [Third printing]
Going Postal, London: Doubleday, October 2004, ISBN 0-385-60342-8
New York: HarperCollins, 2004
Thud!, London: Doubleday, October 2005, ISBN 0-385-60867-5
New York: HarperCollins, 2005
Wintersmith, London: Doubleday, September 2006, ISBN 978-0385609845
New York: Harper Tempest, 2006
Making Money, London: Doubleday, September 2007, ISBN 978-0385611015
New York: Harper, 2007
Pratchett, Terry & Briggs, Stephen:
The Streets of Ankh Morpork [guidebook and map], London: Corgi, 1993
The Discworld™ Mapp [guidebook and map], London: Corgi, 1995
A Tourist Guide to Lancre [guidebook and map], London: Corgi 1998
Nanny Ogg’s Cookbook, London: Corgi, 1999
The New Discworld™ Companion [encyclopedia], London: Gollancz, 2003
Pratchett, Terry (text), & Grant, Melvyn (art):
Where’s My Cow?, London: Doubleday, October 2005, ISBN 0-385-60937-X
New York: HarperCollins, 2005
Pratchett, Terry (text), & Kidby, Paul (art):
The Pratchett Portfolio, London: Gollancz, 1996
Death’s Domain [map], London: Corgi, 1999
The Art of Discworld, London: Gollancz, 2004
Pratchett, Terry & Stewart, Ian & Cohen, Jack:
The Science of Discworld™, London: Ebury Press, 1999 Revised edition, London: Ebury Press, 2002
The Science of Discworld™ II: the Globe, London: Ebury Press, 2002
The Science of Discworld™ III: Darwin’s Watch, London: Ebury Press, 2005
Pratchett, Terry & Young, Jim:
Interview: “Terry Pratchett™ on the origins of Discworld™, his Order of the British Empire and everything in between,” Science Fiction Weekly, Issue 449
Rowling,J.K.:
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1997
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1998
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 1999
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2000
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2003
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2005
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2007
Smith, Clark Ashton:
Xiccarph, New York: Ballantine Books, 1972
Sun Tzu:
The Art of War, Jackson TN: Running Press, 2003
Tolkien, J.R.R.:
The Hobbit, Boston: Houghton Mifflin 1966
The Lord of the Rings, 2nd edition, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1965
The Silmarillion, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1977
White, T.H.:
Mistress Masham’s Repose, New York: Berkley Books, 1979
The Once and Future King, New York: Ace Books, 1987
Wolfe, Gene:
The Shadow of the Torturer, New York: Pocket Books, 1981
The Claw of the Conciliator, New York: Pocket Books, 1982
The Sword of the Lictor, New York: Pocket Books, 1982
The Citadel of the Autarch, New York: Pocket Books, 1983
Wouk, Herman:
The Caine Mutiny, New York: Pocket Books, 1983
APPENDIX 1
Other Discworld™ Books
(Virtually all of these are unpublished in the United States, but are or were at one time available in Britain. I don’t have them, nor do I have complete bibliographic information; I merely report their existence for those who want to try to track them down. I am not listing calendars, of which there are several.)
Omnibi: The Witches Trilogy [omnibus collecting Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, and Witches Abroad]
The Death Trilogy [omnibus collecting Mort, Reaper Man, and Soul Music]
The First Discworld™ Novels [omnibus collecting The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic]
The City Watch Trilogy [omnibus collecting Guards! Guards!, Men At Arms, and Feet of Clay]
The Gods Trilogy [omnibus collecting Pyramids, Small Gods, and Hogfather]
The Rincewind Trilogy [omnibus collecting Sourcery, Eric, and Interesting Times]
Rincewind the Wizzard [U.S. book club omnibus collecting The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcery, and Eric]
Tales of Discworld [U.S. book club omnibus collecting Pyramids, Moving Pictures, and Small Gods]
Graphic novels: Terry Pratchett’s The Colour of Magic—The Graphic Novel
Terry Pratchett’s The Light Fantastic—The Graphic Novel
Mort: A Discworld™ Big Comic
Guards! Guards!
The Discworld Graphic Novels [omnibus of The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic]
Gaming books: Terry Pratchett’s Discworld™—The Official Strategy Guide, by Glenn Edridge
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld™ II—Missing Presumed . . . !?: The Official Strategy Guide, by Paul Kidd
GURPS Discworld™ a.k.a. Discworld™ Role-Playing Game, by Terry
Pratchett and Phil Masters
GURPS Discworld™ Also, by Terry Pratchett and Phil Masters
Quiz books: Unseen University Challenge, by David Langford
The Wyrdest Link, by David Langford
Miscellaneous: Soul Music: The Illustrated Screenplay
Wyrd Sisters: The Illustrated Screenplay
Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather: the Illustrated Screenplay
Terry Pratchett™: Pocket Essential Guide, by Andrew M. Butler
Terry Pratchett™: Guilty of Literature [essays]
The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld [quotes from the series]
Diaries: Discworld™ Unseen University Diary 1998, by “C.M.O.T. Briggs,” Terry Pratchett, & Paul Kidby)
Discworld™’s Ankh-Morpork City Watch Diary 1999
Discworld™’s Assassins’ Guild Diary 2000
Discworld™ Fools’ Guild Yearbook and Diary 2001
Discworld™ Thieves’ Guild Yearbook and Diary 2002
Discworld™ (Reformed) Vampyres’ Diary 2003
The Celebrated Discworld™ Almanak for the Year of the Prawn, by Terry Pratchett & Bernard Pearson
The Ankh-Morpork Post Office Handbook & Diary 2007, by Terry Pratchett, Stephen Briggs, & Paul Kidby
Lu-Tse’s Yearbook of Enlightenment 2008, by Terry Pratchett, Stephen Briggs, & Paul Kidby
Dramatisations (all by Stephen Briggs except where noted): Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Sisters—The Play
Terry Pratchett’s Mort—The Play
Terry Pratchett’s Guards! Guards!—The Play
Terry Pratchett’s Men at Arms—The Play
Terry Pratchett’s Maskerade—The Play
Terry Pratchett’s Carpe Jugulum—The Play
Terry Pratchett’s Lords & Ladies—The Play (adapted by Irana Brown)
Terry Pratchett’s The Amazing Maurice—The Play
The Fifth Elephant—Stage Adaptation
The Truth—Stage Adaptation
The Turtle Moves! Page 22
