I like Pratchett’s zombies. Where the force of will of the soul of the person is so strong that they refuse to dis-inhabit their body. But since the subconscious did so many things on autopilot, they now are forced to do every function of their body deliberately. That’s why they move so stiffly and strangely.
You know what? Go read Reaper Man. It’s great. And Windle Poons was never so alive until after he died
What is your interests? Sir Terry was a consummate satirist, able to reach the heart without being too serious. Here’s what I’d recommend off the top of my head:
Pure entertainment: Moving Pictures - an alchemist invents Film, and suddenly everyone is moving to Holy Wood. But as Moving Pictures blur the line between fantasy and reality, something Else wants to see reality as well
It Makes You Think: Small Gods - What is faith? What happens when people replace belief in their god with the institution that surrounds the god? What if the god in question is a bastard? What is worse, the god, or the holy wars that will be made by the next “prophet”? Religion and philosophy clash with the sound of lightening hitting a copper roof
You’ll think, but with wordplay: The Truth - Dwarves have learned how to turn lead into gold. The hard way. The printing press has come to Anhk Morpork, and with it, the Press. A commentary on truth, journalism, and politics, with a healthy dose of classism and privilege
For the Feels: Feet of Clay - (this one drops you in the middle of the Watch series, but you won’t be in the weeds for long. If you don’t want mild spoilers from earlier in the series, save this for later) A priest and a baker are murdered, and the Tyrant of the city has been poisoned. It’s up to Sam Vimes to find out what’s at the bottom of this mystery. And he could probably do so if it weren’t for all of the damned clues. And what do the Golems, those silent machines who toil in the worst places, have to do with any of this? When the servant class isn’t considered living, who cares what happens to them?
More Feels: Reaper Man - Death has been fired. But he has been given a retirement gift: The Time of his Life. There’s not much of it, because when the next Death is chosen the Reaper Man’s time will have run out. A reflection on mortality, time, and the obligation of the Reaper to respect the Harvest. And who will care for the harvest, if not for the Reaper Man?
Monstrous Regiment is I think a pretty good entry point. It’s relatively new but it stands alone quite nicely and doesn’t need much background knowledge.
If you’d prefer something more early in his writing then Small Gods is a good one. It outlines a lot of how the world works, but again isn’t deeply connected.
Wyrd Sisters, Guards! Guards!, and Mort are also good entry points and are the start of the Witches, City Watch, and Death subseries respectively.
Most libraries will have copies of Pratchett. I can’t promise they’ll have audiobooks, but mine does on Libby and there are options that will let out of state (or country?) people sign up for memberships.
I like Pratchett’s zombies. Where the force of will of the soul of the person is so strong that they refuse to dis-inhabit their body. But since the subconscious did so many things on autopilot, they now are forced to do every function of their body deliberately. That’s why they move so stiffly and strangely.
You know what? Go read Reaper Man. It’s great. And Windle Poons was never so alive until after he died
Gnu Sir Terry Pratchett ❤️
Any recommendations for a Pratchett audiobook? I’ve got like 6 audible credits I need to use.
What is your interests? Sir Terry was a consummate satirist, able to reach the heart without being too serious. Here’s what I’d recommend off the top of my head:
Pure entertainment: Moving Pictures - an alchemist invents Film, and suddenly everyone is moving to Holy Wood. But as Moving Pictures blur the line between fantasy and reality, something Else wants to see reality as well
It Makes You Think: Small Gods - What is faith? What happens when people replace belief in their god with the institution that surrounds the god? What if the god in question is a bastard? What is worse, the god, or the holy wars that will be made by the next “prophet”? Religion and philosophy clash with the sound of lightening hitting a copper roof
You’ll think, but with wordplay: The Truth - Dwarves have learned how to turn lead into gold. The hard way. The printing press has come to Anhk Morpork, and with it, the Press. A commentary on truth, journalism, and politics, with a healthy dose of classism and privilege
For the Feels: Feet of Clay - (this one drops you in the middle of the Watch series, but you won’t be in the weeds for long. If you don’t want mild spoilers from earlier in the series, save this for later) A priest and a baker are murdered, and the Tyrant of the city has been poisoned. It’s up to Sam Vimes to find out what’s at the bottom of this mystery. And he could probably do so if it weren’t for all of the damned clues. And what do the Golems, those silent machines who toil in the worst places, have to do with any of this? When the servant class isn’t considered living, who cares what happens to them?
More Feels: Reaper Man - Death has been fired. But he has been given a retirement gift: The Time of his Life. There’s not much of it, because when the next Death is chosen the Reaper Man’s time will have run out. A reflection on mortality, time, and the obligation of the Reaper to respect the Harvest. And who will care for the harvest, if not for the Reaper Man?
Do you want to spend one credit or several?
Just one atm
Monstrous Regiment is I think a pretty good entry point. It’s relatively new but it stands alone quite nicely and doesn’t need much background knowledge.
If you’d prefer something more early in his writing then Small Gods is a good one. It outlines a lot of how the world works, but again isn’t deeply connected.
Wyrd Sisters, Guards! Guards!, and Mort are also good entry points and are the start of the Witches, City Watch, and Death subseries respectively.
Most libraries will have copies of Pratchett. I can’t promise they’ll have audiobooks, but mine does on Libby and there are options that will let out of state (or country?) people sign up for memberships.