Floyd Hyatt Does the Disc

Now we come to my favorite "light" fantasy series: Terry Pratchett's Discworld!

Let's hear what F. A. Hyatt has to say about it.

DISCWORLD Series

(Over thirty titles to date, including The Color of Magic, Equal Rites, Guards! Guards!, Soul Music, Interesting Times, The Truth, Night Watch, Going Postal, Thud!, many others.) Harper Collins pub.

Author: Terry Pratchett

Very much in the vein of Douglas Adams, The Disc World series is pure British Humor set to fantasy. Three of his books have been produced as multipart films for English television, and at least one reinterpreted as a video game. A few drawing table graphic picture books are also marketed.

Having developed a flat earth carried through space on the backs of elephants and run by magic, Pratchett moves his cast of odd characters through a series of  novels, each focused on some aspect of the discworld, as seen through one or two lead character's perspective. The foibles of human nature, institutions, and beliefs are logically examined and ground fine under the acerbic and unstoppable wit of Pratchett. Known for his sub-text gags, colorful writing and thoughtful plots, his work in this series has been compared with Geoffrey Chaucer's.

The books in this series need not, and benefit only little, by being read in any particular order. They are chronologically written, but all revolve around a stable of about seven major characters who walk in and out of the various stories, each of which tries to "star" one of his majors. There are several new character introductions during the progression of the series, but, once introduced, they remain to haunt future volumes as cast members.

Witty, well-crafted, belly-laugh-producing adventure-style fantasy, there is no attempt to "Cliff-Hang" or produce multi-volume-spanning plots. Each work in the series stands on its own.

Excellent, singular fantasy, and superb humor.

Agreed, on all counts, although Pratchett's books have become less humorous and more "realistic", like his most recent, SNUFF, in which The Dark in Sam Vimes casts a noir pall over everything, and the book's running gag — and I use the word advisedly — is Young Sam's devotion to the study of poo.

WRITING PROMPT: Someone known for being funny loses the comic view of life.

MA