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Questions tagged [discworld]

For questions about Discworld, a series of comic fantasy books by Terry Pratchett.

138 votes
4 answers
22k views

Why doesn't the Discworld run out of water?

It's mentioned many times in the Discworld novels that the oceans continually flow over the edge of the disc in great waterfalls, turning into mist. But where does the water go after that, and, more ...
N. Virgo's user avatar
  • 6,061
77 votes
5 answers
46k views

What order should I be reading the Discworld books in?

I've read some of the Discworld books, and they were referencing each other in an order different than what I've been reading. If I wanted to maintain chronology, and get all of the back references, ...
blueberryfields's user avatar
70 votes
2 answers
21k views

What term is being referred to with "reflected-sound-of-underground-spirits"?

In The Colour of Magic, on page 46 of my copy, Twoflower says this word: “Reflected-sound-of-underground-spirits?” What term is being referred to above? It seems to be like “in-sewer-ants-policy”,...
Stormblessed's user avatar
  • 11.4k
63 votes
4 answers
14k views

What's the pyramid joke?

In The Light Fantastic, after talking about the dimensions of the Pyramid of Tsort, it says All in all, it was a lot of effort to go through just to sharpen a razor. What's the joke here?
Antheloth's user avatar
  • 6,112
60 votes
1 answer
11k views

Did Terry Pratchett ever explain the inspiration behind the Luggage?

The Luggage is one of the iconic Discworld characters, but did Terry Pratchett ever explain where the inspiration came from for the sociopathic walking trunk with internals that seem to act like the ...
Richard C's user avatar
  • 19.5k
54 votes
1 answer
7k views

Pratchett Quote about Research and Development

I'm looking for a quote by Terry Pratchett. I'm pretty sure that the patrician was speaking about Leonard of Quirm and giving funds to Research and Development. It was something along the lines of: ...
Jonathan's user avatar
  • 817
50 votes
7 answers
4k views

Originator of the "Gods Require Belief" Trope

Terry Pratchett (and Neil Gaiman afterwards) seems to have popularized the idea of gods as supernatural beings that require belief in them to exist. But is this idea truly original to him? Or are ...
System Down's user avatar
  • 44.1k
50 votes
1 answer
7k views

What does Pratchett's "poets notwithstanding" joke mean?

In Terry Pratchett's Equal Rites, he writes the following passage: Esk, in fact, moved through the fair more like an arsonist moves through a hayfield or a neutron bounces through a reactor, poets ...
Korosia's user avatar
  • 949
46 votes
4 answers
7k views

How does The Fools Guild make its money?

In the Discworld series, the city of Ankh-Morpork has numerous professions (including criminal professions) managed and regulated by guilds. For most of these it's pretty easy to work out their income ...
AJFaraday's user avatar
  • 2,162
40 votes
1 answer
4k views

What line from the Discworld books did Neil Gaiman put into Sandman?

I saw this in an interview (about Good Omens) that Neil Gaiman posted on his tumblr. TP: “In fact, people that have read a lot of the ‘Discworld’ books and a lot of the ‘Sandman’ comics will ...
NiceOrc's user avatar
  • 4,674
38 votes
3 answers
10k views

Who are these Discworld wizards from this picture?

I haven't read many of the novels about wizards yet and would like to know who they are. [Image by Paul Kidby]
sid's user avatar
  • 381
37 votes
1 answer
5k views

Discworld's Death letting Granny Weatherwax win in a card game over a child's life

I once read that in one of the Discworld novels, Granny Weatherwax is playing cards against Death over the life of a small child, and Death deliberately let her win. If I recall correctly she says: &...
Triceratops's user avatar
  • 3,189
35 votes
1 answer
7k views

Who said "One person, one vote. I just happened to be the person voting"?

This quote is probably misquoted, but I remember this as a Blake's 7 quote from Servalan. However, I have also read elsewhere a similar quote from Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Is there a quote like ...
DafyddNZ's user avatar
  • 1,225
35 votes
1 answer
4k views

What does this quote in Small Gods refer to?

In Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett, the following quote appears: It was something he shared with tortoises. Watch any tortoise walking, and periodically it will stop while it files away the ...
warvan's user avatar
  • 353
34 votes
6 answers
11k views

Terry Pratchett's Discworld: is there an inconsistency in the treatment of magic?

In The Colour of Magic, we learn that: "Can't tell you. Don't really want to talk about it. But frankly," he sighed , "no spells are much good. It takes three months to commit even a simple one ...
Pierre's user avatar
  • 459

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