Terry Pratchetts discworld series

I have been reading Terry Pratchetts discworld series since the mid 80's, given that they started in the early 80's this must make me a long term fan.

The premise goes a bit like this, in an infinite universe, or indeed an infinite multi-verse anything is possible. In those bell shaped probability curves something needs to be the pointed end of the graph.

The discworld is one of these pointed ends. The great A'tuin is a star turtle, upon whose back are four elephants upon whose backs is a world - flat like a pancake, or more accurately, a pizza (cause that has knobbly bits and stringy cheese). And upon thise world Terry writes satire and parody of nearly every myth and fable and legend knowen to man. And has done so over around 37 books.

A few months ago I decided to re-read these books, from the beginning. While each book - generally - can be read independent of the others there are various threads of the same characters, as so it is useful to read in order. (at least this captain of pedanticism thinks so).

Rincewind the failed wizard, the three witches, the city guard, Death (yes the anthropromorphic personification is a real character, with a real black cloak, a real scythe and a real white horse [named binky]).

Along with the adventure, satire, parody Terry pops in, now and again, great witticisms.

Such as...

Perdita thought that not obeying rules was somehow *cool*. Agnes thought that rules like "Don' t fall into this huge pit of spikes" were there for a purpose.

Or...

The whole of life is just like watching a film. Only it's as though you always get in ten minutes after the big picture has started, and no-one will tell you the plot, so you have to work it out all yourself from the clues.

Also brilliant turns of phrase such as...

The night was as black as the inside of a cat. It was the kind of night, you could believe, on which gods moved men as though they were pawns on the chessboard of fate. In the middle of this elemental storm a fire gleamed among the dripping furze bushes like the madness in a weasel's eye. It illuminated three hunched figures. As the cauldron bubbled an eldritch voice shrieked: "When shall we three meet again?"

There was a pause.

Finally another voice said, in far more ordinary tones: "Well, I can do next Tuesday."

Anyway if by some chance you had never heard of Terry, do a google, find a library, get a book out (doesn't matter which at this point) and start some reading. Later you can worry about collecting the set.