The Terry Pratchett Franchise Tracker covers the complete Pratchett universe in print and on screen — from his 1971 debut novel through the posthumous adaptations and the Amazon Good Omens series. That means 102 entries: 59 books, 40 television and film adaptations, 1 audio drama, and 1 short. The reading time alone is well over 400 hours — one of the largest single-author universes tracked here.
Terry Pratchett was one of the most prolific writers in fantasy, best known for the 41-novel Discworld series published between 1983 and 2015. The Discworld is a flat world carried on the backs of four elephants standing on the back of a giant turtle (the Great A'Tuin) — a premise that produced five decades of satirical fantasy exploring religion, politics, war, death, gender, and the nature of narrative itself.
Terry Pratchett Reading and Watch Order: Discworld and Beyond
Pratchett's bibliography is large but navigable. The tracker organises content by sub-series within the Discworld.
- Discworld entry points: You don't need to start with Book 1 (The Colour of Magic). Recommended entry points for new readers: Guards! Guards! (Watch sub-series, Book 8), Equal Rites (Witches sub-series, Book 3), or Mort (Death sub-series, Book 4). These introduce distinct character groups and tones.
- Sub-series within Discworld: The tracker separates Discworld into its major character threads — Rincewind, the Watch/Guards, the Witches, Death, Moist von Lipwig, and the standalone novels. Reading within a sub-series first is often recommended for newcomers.
- Non-Discworld: The tracker also includes Pratchett's non-Discworld work — Good Omens (co-written with Neil Gaiman), The Bromeliad Trilogy, The Johnny Maxwell trilogy, and others. These are standalone and can be read at any point.
- Adaptations: The TV and film adaptations (40 entries) include Good Omens (Amazon, 2019–2023), the Sky One Discworld films, animated versions, and BBC productions. They can be watched independently of reading the novels.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What order should I read the Discworld novels?
- You don't have to start at the beginning. Many readers recommend starting with a sub-series: Guards! Guards! for the Watch novels, Mort for the Death novels, or Equal Rites for the Witches. The early novels (The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic) are fun but are the least representative of the mature Discworld style.
- How many Discworld books are there?
- There are 41 Discworld novels, published between 1983 and 2015. Terry Pratchett was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's in 2007 and continued writing until shortly before his death in 2015. The final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, was published posthumously in August 2015.
- Is Good Omens part of Discworld?
- No. Good Omens (1990), co-written with Neil Gaiman, is a standalone novel set in a universe distinct from Discworld. It shares Pratchett's satirical humour but is its own story. The Amazon Prime Video adaptation (2 seasons, 2019–2023) closely follows and extends the novel.
- Do the TV adaptations capture Pratchett's voice?
- Results vary. The Good Omens Amazon series is widely considered an excellent adaptation — Gaiman oversaw it closely. The Sky One Discworld adaptations (Hogfather, Going Postal, The Colour of Magic) are mixed but appreciated by fans. Pratchett was involved in several of the earlier ones.
- Where should a Pratchett beginner start?
- Most fans recommend starting with one of these: Guards! Guards! (the first Watch novel — comic crime in a fantasy city), Mort (Death takes an apprentice — a good standalone entry), or Small Gods (standalone, often cited as the best Discworld novel for non-fantasy readers). Avoid starting with Book 1 unless you want the full chronological experience.