Discworld

This article is about the novels. For the fictional world itself, see Discworld (world). For the video game, see Discworld (video game). For the magazine on the Apple Macintosh, see Diskworld.
Not to be confused with Ringworld.

Discworld
Cover of the first edition of The Colour of Magic; art by Alan Smith
AuthorTerry Pratchett
Cover artistJosh Kirby (1983–2001)
Paul Kidby (2001–2015)
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
GenreComic fantasy
PublisherTransworld Publishers
Doubleday
Random House
Published1983–2015
Media typePrint: Hardback, paperback
No. of books41 novels (List of books)
Websitediscworld.com

Discworld is a comic fantasy[1] book series written by the English author Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat planet balanced on the backs of four elephants which in turn stand on the back of a giant turtle. The series began in 1983 with The Colour of Magic and continued until the final novel The Shepherd's Crown, which was published in 2015, following Pratchett's death. The books frequently parody or take inspiration from classic works, usually fantasy or science fiction, as well as mythology, folklore and fairy tales, and often use them for satirical parallels with cultural, political and scientific issues.

Forty-one Discworld novels were published. Apart from the first novel in the series, The Colour of Magic, the original British editions of the first 26 novels, up to Thief of Time (2001), had cover art by Josh Kirby. After Kirby's death in 2001, the covers were designed by Paul Kidby. The American editions, published by HarperCollins, used their own cover art. Companion publications include eleven short stories (some only loosely related to the Discworld), four popular science books, and a number of supplementary books and reference guides. The series has been adapted for graphic novels, theatre, computer and board games, and television.

Discworld books regularly topped Sunday Times best-sellers list, making Pratchett the UK's best-selling author in the 1990s. Discworld novels have also won awards such as the Prometheus Award and the Carnegie Medal. In the BBC's Big Read, four Discworld novels were in the top 100, and a total of fourteen in the top 200. More than 80 million Discworld books have been sold in 37 languages.[2][3]

  1. ^ "Humorous Fantasy" in David Pringle, ed., The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy (pp.31-33). London, Carlton,2006. ISBN 1-84442-110-4
  2. ^ "Sir Terry Pratchett". Amazon. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Terry and Rob". Twitter. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2013.