Day 21. Hero

"But our guest, whose name is legend, must tell us truly: What is it that a man may call the greatest things in life?"

The guest paused in the middle of another unsuccessful attempt to light up.

"What shay? he said, toothlessly.

"I said: What is it that a man may call the greatest things in life?"

The warriors leaned closer. This should be worth hearing.

The guest thought long and hard and then said, with deliberation: "Hot water, good dentishtry and shoft lavatory paper.

#inkoctober2026 #inktober #terrypratchett #discworld

Crivens!!!!

Being Scottish I pick up most of the references made about the Nac Mac Feegles. Most Scottish Discworld fans likely know that the Feegle’s bard is referred to as *The Gonagall* because of Dundee’s famous (and famously terrible) resident poet William Topaz McGonagall. However today I was listening to *Wee Free Men* and something was oddly familiar - then I realised that the battle poetry used by Wee-er-Than-Medium-Jock-But-Bigger-Than-Wee-Jock-Jock (a trainee Gonagall) is a beat perfect lampoon of William McGonagall’s 1879 commemorative poem *The Tay Bridge Disaster* (you can read it for yourself here: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Tay_Bridge_Disaster ) 

As someone who reads a lot of Shakespeare I’ve always been impressed with Hwel’s grasp of iambic pentameter and the beautiful and realistically Renaissance verse of the small snippets we are given of his plays. But it was very pleasing to discover that Terry Pratchett is equally good at creating accurately the truly terrible verses of McGonagall. 

Picture this, your favorite protagonist arrives home. They maybe take a short nap or rest. When they return to the room they wete previously in they find a note that wasn't there earlier that reads

"I'm hiding somewhere in your house"

How utterly, colossally screwed is our would be Ghostface?

Like seriously all of them cut off Sessifet cause people are afraid of blue boobs

I think I might have found a remnant of future ideas of the grand master.
That’s from the Discworld bestiary. I can’t recall that Moist von Lipwig ever had been put in charge of the sewers. So this remark might have been an indication for some planned Moisture von Lipwig book.
I wouldn’t be too surprised if he was meant to be in charge of the Ankh-Morpork underground system

So I know there are special cases for visits like with witches et al but otherwise what warrants a personal visit from him?

I don't usually comment during voting, as not to influence the results, but I want to point out that Hogfather is by a large margin my LEAST favorite Discworld book. However, it looks like I'm in the minority here, so continue on!

Everyone is represented so far except the Wizards and Tiffany Aching. Will we have a new arc represented next or our first repeat? Let's find out!

Just a reminder, we're making a (not so) definitive list of the Discworld books in order from best to worst.. The top rated comment gets added to the list next.

Also, before you make a top level comment suggesting a book, check to see if it's already been suggested. If it is, you're better off upvoting it and, if you want, replying to it with your reasoning for voting for it. But making a second (or third, or fourth) top level comment with a book that's already been suggested means your vote won't get counted! I only count the top upvoted comment!

1. Night Watch

2. Small Gods

3. Monstrous Regiment

4. Going Postal

5. Witches Abroad

6. Hogfather

\------

Remaining books:

The Colour of Magic

The Light Fantastic

Equal Rites

Mort

Sourcery

Wyrd Sisters

Pyramids

Guards! Guards!

Eric

Moving Pictures

Reaper Man

Lords and Ladies

Men at Arms

Soul Music

Interesting Times

Maskerade

Feet of Clay

Jingo

The Last Continent

Carpe Jugulum

The Fifth Elephant

The Truth

Thief of Time

The Last Hero

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

The Wee Free Men

A Hat Full of Sky

Thud!

Wintersmith

Making Money

Unseen Academicals

I Shall Wear Midnight

Snuff

Raising Steam

The Shepherd's Crown

I’m re-reading the witch series for Halloween, and there’s a line on pg 73 of my paperback copy of Wyrd Sisters that must mean something, but it’s beyond me. Referring to the taxman who tried, and failed, to collect from the witches: “Lord Felmet’s fascination was to him what a pin is to a Purple Emperor.” Thank you, sharper brains than mine, in advance!

I would like to gift my cousin a book for Christmas.

She is in her 40s, has a literature phd and is Catholic.

Please help.

Day 20. Lounge

Under the table, Greebo sat and washed himself. Occasionally he burped.
Vampires have risen from the dead, the grave and the crypt, but never managed it from the cat.

Terry Pratchett, Witches Abroad

#inkoctober2026 #inktober #terrypratchett #discworld

This book was a lot of fun to read. I got another hardback from my library and it had pictures of the stamps in it.
This book felt a lot lighter than that past couple I’ve read even though it dealt with darker themes like corporations treating people as disposable and the golem's slavery and independence movement. 
Moist is a really fun character, and I really liked the overarching romance subplot with Adora Belle. 
The movie references were funny. Mr. Pump never sleeps, never eats and never stops, like Imotep in the Mummy. Stanley listing the uses for cabbages like Bubba in Forest Gump, The fiery eye on the omniscope like in Lord of the Rings. I’m sure there were others I missed. 
It was Stanley who was “going postal” with his “little moments” right? 
This is the 96th book I’ve read this year and only this one and Blood Meridian have had the play by play before the chapter. 
One of my favorite lines that is still very relevant: What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter.
Next I’m onto Thud!

Death, the Wizards, and Tiffany Aching are not yet represented! Will we have a new arc represented next or our first repeat? Let's find out!

Just a reminder, we're making a (not so) definitive list of the Discworld books in order from best to worst.. The top rated comment gets added to the list next.

Also, before you make a top level comment suggesting a book, check to see if it's already been suggested. If it is, you're better off upvoting it and, if you want, replying to it with your reasoning for voting for it. But making a second (or third, or fourth) top level comment with a book that's already been suggested means your vote won't get counted! I only count the top upvoted comment!

1. Night Watch

2. Small Gods

3. Monstrous Regiment

4. Going Postal

5. Witches Abroad

------

Remaining books:

The Colour of Magic

The Light Fantastic

Equal Rites

Mort

Sourcery

Wyrd Sisters

Pyramids

Guards! Guards!

Eric

Moving Pictures

Reaper Man

Lords and Ladies

Men at Arms

Soul Music

Interesting Times

Maskerade

Feet of Clay

Hogfather

Jingo

The Last Continent

Carpe Jugulum

The Fifth Elephant

The Truth

Thief of Time

The Last Hero

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

The Wee Free Men

A Hat Full of Sky

Thud!

Wintersmith

Making Money

Unseen Academicals

I Shall Wear Midnight

Snuff

Raising Steam

The Shepherd's Crown

Dreamworld Gold Coast Australia…

And before you ask: this here is the main account. I posted the tat already in r/DiscworldTattoos yesterday, but couldn't crosspost.

There's a part of the book with a character named Tehol I swear must be Pratchett inspired. It's really kind of out of line with much of the rest of book. Pretty funny stuff.

Day 18. Confused

Somewhere amongst the cases a voice reached the end of its tether.

'What organic damn elephant? Where is the elephant?'
‘There is no elephant!'
'How can there be a sign, then?'
‘It is a-'

... and once again the little choke, and the vanishing scream. And then... running footsteps.

Terry Pratchett, Thief of Time

#inkoctober2026 #inktober #terrypratchett #discworld

So I was today years old when I realised that the ancient city that built the first golems is called Um because the oldest, or one of the oldest I haven’t double checked, known human cities, certainly the famous one, is Ur, which sounds like err.

I refuse to believe this could be an accident.

I love horror and HAD to squeeze in the Discworld book, where Pratchett parodies horror, vampires, and gothic media. But when I picked it up, I just kinda thought it was MEH. The sense of humor didn't land for me. The social commentary was amazing, and the characters were amazing (Agnes Nitt was a favorite of mine) But other than that it was okay

I thought Guards! Guards! was an amazing book but this took everything about that and made it even better.

Carrot is such a fantastic character and he really shone in this one.

I don't know why it's taken me this long to continue with the City Watch series but I can't wait to read the rest now.

I don't yet own Feet of Clay though so I'll probably wait instead of jumping into Jingo.

Which route would you recommend?