The late great Terry Pratchett left an extraordinary reading legacy behind. His legendary fantasy stories have been casting spells over young readers for years and years...
Whether you’re totally new to his imaginative works, or you’re already a devout Pratchett fan looking for your next adventure, this handy guide will help set you on your next epic reading quest. It’s never too late to start exploring the wonderful world of Terry Pratchett.
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Unbelievably and unfortunately, a giant wave has swallowed Mau’s family and entire nation in one single strike, leaving him totally alone. That is until he finds Daphne, the daughter of a colonial Governor and shipwreck survivor. It’s your typical boy-meets-girl story: Mau believes Daphne is a ghost; Daphne tries to shoot Mau; Mau takes the pistol assuming it’s a fire-making device. Initial introductions over, Mau and Daphne realise they have to work together to form a new civilisation. Albeit a slightly odd one that includes milking pigs, chewing meat for old ladies with no teeth and spitting into beer. But their new adventure takes a turn when other survivors arrive on the island… |
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Everyone who is nobody knows Dodger and anyone who is anyone doesn’t. Dodger is a tosher; a scavenger of the sewers. But Dodger’s star soon begins to rise out of the darkest depths of London, after he rescues a young girl from her powerful husband. Suddenly, everyone wants to know the name ‘Dodger’. And just like that, dark plans and even darker deeds begin. From encounters with the murderous barber Sweeney Todd to an unlikely friendship with Charles Dickens aka Mister Charlie, Dodger has to use every ounce of his quick wit and street smarts to save the day in this tale of the unlikeliest of heroes. |
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The Johnny Maxwell Trilogy (Only You Can Save Mankind, Johnny & The Dead, Johnny & The Bomb) Join Johnny Maxwell, an ordinary boy with extraordinary abilities, on his journey through adolescence |
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in this fantastically funny trilogy. Readers first meet Johnny in Only You Can Save Mankind where he becomes lost in a video game and has to help the alien ScreeWee Empire get home. Next, he’s helping the local dead on Halloween (who turn out to be quite a mischievous bunch) before taking a trip back in time to the Second World War via shopping trolley. There’s never a dull moment when Johnny’s around.
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The Carpet People is the perfect read to get anyone acquainted with Pratchett’s truly unique style of storytelling. This epic fantasy follows a tribe called The Munrungs, across their world known as the Carpet. The Munrungs believe that in the beginning, there was nothing but endless flatness. Then came the Carpet… That’s the old story everyone knows and loves. But now there’s another story in the making – the much darker story of Fray, which is sweeping a trail of destruction across the Carpet. An exciting, adventurous journey that shows just how far Pratchett’s imagination could really stretch. |
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The Bromeliad Trilogy (Truckers, Diggers, Wings) To all the teeny-tiny nomes living under the floorboards of a large Department Store words like ‘Day’, ‘Night’, ‘Sun’ and ‘Rain’ are just urban legends. The world Outside is completely foreign to them. But the nomes soon discover the truth about the world beyond the Department Store when they learn it is to be torn down. And so, their magnificent journey into the BIG, bad world of human beings – as well as a few small hurdles like dragons, geese, planes and walking sandwiches – begins. All the nomes want is to go home. They don’t mean to cause enough trouble to jam-pack three books… Join the nomes on their epic journey in this magnificent, extraordinary trilogy oozing with the perfect mix of fantasy, adventure and comedy. |
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Dive into the magic of Discworld
| The enchanting Discworld – a flat planet held up on the backs of four elephants standing on the back of a giant turtle – was the setting for many of Pratchett’s incredible fantasy stories over the years. It’s the perfect destination to begin your Pratchett journey if you’re new to his world. Consider these next two recommendations as your travel guides to Discworld… |
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The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Clever cat Maurice is a pretty tough, smart cat who’s always thought that rats are pretty dumb. Or, he did. Maurice soon discovers that there’s a new kind of rat in town – rats that have been munching on wizards’ rubbish; magical rubbish that allows them to read, talk and PLOT! With this new kind of rat on the block and a stupid-looking kid playing the flute in his sites, this con-cat plots the perfect money-making plan – well, at least until he brings his con to the rundown town of Bad Blintz. A brilliantly bonkers adaptation of the German fairy tale about the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Always expect the unusual on Discworld… |
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Tiffany Aching Sequence (The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, I Shall Wear Midnight, The Shepherd’s Crown) Another character gem from his Discworld series is Tiffany Aching, a young witch in training. Across these five books, readers will watch Tiffany grow up and live every inch of her magical world alongside her. You’ll meet Tiffany at nine-years-old and soon learn that all she wants is to be a witch when she grows up (a proper one; one that can fly and has a really pointy hat). Her epic adventure begins in The Wee Free Men when the nightmares get into Tiffany’s previously protected land and take her brother. Don’t worry, we’ll be nice and spoiler-free about Tiffany’s future in the next few books, but what we will say is that this series is GUARANTEED to cast a serious spell over Pratchett fans new and old. |
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If you like your fantasy tales with a side of bonkers, look no further than Dragons at Crumbling Castle. This book is made up of 14 short stories bursting with time travel, tortoise monsters and frankly, unfiltered MAYHEM. Dragons have invaded King Arthur’s Crumbling Castle and none of his knights |
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Another 14 fantastically funny stories await your imagination in The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner. This is the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of Pratchett and his extraordinary style through a selection of stories that draw upon every inch of the realms of fantasy. From magic to wizards, to time travel, to food fights, to magical pigeons, to pirates and bouncing rabbits – oh, and a witch riding around on a magical, flying vacuum cleaner, of course – expect the unexpected and get ready for your sides to split at least 14 times! |
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Get into the Christmas spirit – Pratchett-style – all year round with this collection of uniquely festive short tales that will have you chuckling your Christmas stockings off. If you’ve ever wanted Christmas to be a little bit different – less turkey, carols, presents and crackers, more a huge exploding mince pie, a pet abominable snowman and a thieving Santa – then this is the perfect Pratchett present for you. You’ll never, EVER see Christmas the same way after reading these twisted tales. |
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are around to get rid of them! Luckily, there’s a spare suit of armour and a small boy named Ralph willing to suit up and save the day. Together with Fortnight the Friday knight and Fossfiddle the wizard, Ralph sets out to defeat the fire breathers. But there’s a small surprise in store for him…
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Terry Pratchett was born in 1948 and had his first story published when he was just thirteen. After leaving school at seventeen to become a journalist he continued writing, publishing his first novel, The Carpet People, in 1971 and going on to produce the phenomenally successful Discworld series. Terry proved early critics wrong and became one of the UK’s most successful authors, receiving a knighthood in 2009 and seeing many of his books adapted for the screen. He died in March 2015 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. |