Howard’s Conan the Barbarian) into his own inside joke. In celebration of the great fantasy comedian’s life, here are the 10 best Discworld recurring characters, in my humble estimation.Īppears in: The Light Fantastic, Interesting Times, The Last Hero, JingoĬohen is an ideal example of how Pratchett enjoyed transforming his reverence for classical fantasy fiction (in the style of Robert E. You could say that Pratchett was a master of quirk-each central character possesses an attribute or attitude to help them stand out from a crowd.

Pratchett had a knack for imbuing all of his characters with unique bits of pathos, even the most minor players who appeared in the background from time to time. One of the leading factors that makes the 40-some Discworld books so wonderful is the recurring characters. Those novels, coupled with his 1990 co-authorship of Good Omens with Neil Gaiman, earned Pratchett a permanent place in my heart. I read his Discworld books voraciously, amazed by the way he was able to keep the series going while still generating compelling stories that never bogged down into mediocrity.

It’s now been a few years since the last time I picked up a book in his seminal Discworld series, but for perhaps a five-year stretch, I wouldn’t have hesitated in calling the British fantasist my favorite author. Thursday afternoon’s news of fantasy author Terry Pratchett’s passing hit me hard-very hard, as few author obituaries have in some time. While they can’t keep complete order in the city, they try their best.Note: This piece was originally published in 2015, following the passing of prolific fantasy author Terry Pratchett. They would follow Vimes to the end of the Earth, and sometimes they very well do. Crossbow, and Nobby Nobbs, who is well, Nobby Nobbs. We have Angua, a werewolf lieutenant that stays far away from silver, Detritus the troll who hasn’t quite mastered Mr. The Watch, of course, has more leaders than Vimes and Carrot. They learn to work together Carrot reminds Vimes why he became a policeman in the first place, and Vimes grounds Carrot to adjust to the city’s morally grey area. Vimes decides to take charge before Carrot gets in trouble arresting the Thieves Guild, and when a dragon attempts to usurp Patrician Vetinari, the leader of the city. He planned for Carrot Ironfoundersson, a human foundling raised by dwarves, to enter the city, rescue the citizens from the dragon, and take over the story. Terry Pratchett didn’t expect Sam Vimes to rise to the occasion.

Where's My Cow? by Terry Pratchett