The definitive Discworld reading order

The Discworld series is a masterpiece of storytelling created by one of the world’s greatest authors, Sir Terence David John Pratchett OBE, better known as Terry Pratchett to those who have read or admired his books.

Terry Pratchett created one of the most visually engaging franchises when he wrote the first Discworld novel, spawning a series of covers that I actively look out for and collect every time I’m in a used book store. The stories themselves are also brilliant, with touching emotional moments, fantastic comedy, and sprawling arcs that go beyond the books themselves and into reality. But the series is so vast and vibrant that it can be difficult to know what order you should read the books in.

What order should you read the Discworld books in?

The definitive Discworld reading order is the order in which each book was released. Reading the books chronologically affords you the chance to see Discworld evolve as Terry Pratchett built it. However, the first few books are definitely some of the best. Below, I’ve outlined the chronological order through which you should read the main series and the books that are considered companions to the Discworld novels.

All Discworld novels in chronological reading order

Below, I’ve listed every Discworld novel in chronological order. This is the order in which they were released, which I would say is the order you should read them in because it’s how the universe was spawned and grew in the first place.

1. The Colour of Magic
2. The Light Fantastic
3. Equal Rites
4. Mort
5. Sourcery
6. Wyrd Sisters
7. Pyramids
8. Guards! Guards!
9. Faust Eric
10. Moving Pictures
11. Reaper Man
12. Witches Abroad
13. Small Gods
14. Lords and Ladies
15. Men at Arms
16. Soul Music
17. Interesting Times
18. Maskerade
19. Feet of Clay
20. Hogfather
21. Jingo
22. The Last Continent
23. Carpe Jugulum
24. The Fifth Elephant
25. The Truth
26. Thief of Time
27. The Last Hero
28. The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents
29. Night Watch
30. The Wee Free Men
31. Monstrous Regiment
32. A Hat Full of Sky
33. Going Postal
34. Thud!
35. Wintersmith
36. Making Money
37. Unseen Academicals
38. I Shall Wear Midnight
39. Snuff
40. Raising Steam
41. The Shepherd’s Crown

All Discworld companion novels

The following books are considered companions to the main Discworld series, but are well worth reading if you’re the kind of fan who has devoured every other book they can get their hands on.

• The Streets of Ankh Morpork – Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
• Mrs Bradshaw’s Handbook – The Discworld Emporium
• The Nac Mac Feegle’s Big Wee Alphabet Books – The Discworld Emporium
• Small Gods – A Graphic Novel
• Death’s Domain – Terry Pratchett & Paul Kidby
• The Folklore of Discworld – Terry Pratchett & Jacqueline Simpson
• A Tourist Guide to Lancre – Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
• The Science of The Discworld – Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen
• The Science of the Discworld II: The Globe – Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen
• The Science of the Discworld III: Darwin’s Watch – Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen
• The Science of the Discworld IV: Judgement Day – Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen
• The Ankh-Morpork Archives: Volume One
• The Ankh-Morpork Archives: Volume Two
• The Discworld Mapp – Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
• The Compleat Ankh Morpork – The Discworld Emporium
• Terry Pratchett: Hisworld – The Official Exhibition Companion
• The Compleat Discworld Atlas – The Discworld Emporium
• A Blink of the Screen: Collected Shorter Fiction
• Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Colouring Book – Paul Kidby
• Turtle Recall: The Discworld Companion …So Far – Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
• A Slip of the Keyboard: Collected Non-Fiction
• Nanny Ogg’s Cook Book
• The Wit And Wisdom of Discworld – Terry Pratchett & Stephen Briggs
• Terry Pratchett: Hisworld – Little Blue Book
• The World of Poo – The Discworld Emporium
• Seriously Funny: The Endlessly Quotable Terry Pratchett
• The Ultimate Discworld Companion – Terry Pratchett, Stephen Briggs & Paul Kidby
• Where’s My Cow? – Terry Pratchett & Melvyn Grant
• The Discworld Graphic Novels: The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic
• Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes – Rob Wilkins
• Guards! Guards! – A Graphic Novel

Do you have to read all the Discworld books?

No, you definitely don’t need to read every Discworld novel if you don’t have the time or don’t want to. I recommend you read The Colour of Magic, at the very least, to get an idea for the series and to see if it’s something you might enjoy.

Just because this is the first book in the series, it doesn’t mean you have to read all the others. It’s a great baseline for the humor and fantasy of the universe you could dive into if you enjoy it, though. There’s no better place to start than at the beginning, after all.

Is the Discworld series complete?

Yes, Terry Pratchett’s entries and contributions to the Discworld series are complete. However, his daughter, Rhianna Pratchett, is still writing books that are part of the wider Discworld universe. For example, Tiffany Aching’s Guide to Being a Witch is a practical guide to being a witch in Discworld, but Terry Pratchett had nothing to do with it.

I can’t speak for how Rhianna Pratchett views her book and future books, but I’d certainly say they’re very much part of Discworld. After all, few people knew her father better than she did, and I like to think that the torch of Discworld‘s narrative was passed to her upon his death, meaning every book she published is still canon and advances our understanding of it.