Thud!

“Thud!” by Terry Pratchett is one of my favorite novels in his expansive ‘Discworld’ series. It follows the head of the city Watch (like this universe’s police force) Samuel Vimes as he embarks on his first duty as ambassador to another country.

“Thud!” is a mixture of fantasy, science fiction and detective story as Vimes unravels a conspiracy between the warring races of Dwarves and Trolls, discovering secrets about both as the story continues.

This is one of Pratchett’s newer novels (he is very prolific, with a new book out ever year or two), and by this point it’s very evident that he knows his characters very well. Of his dozens of books, Vimes has made only a handful of appearances as a leading character but each book reveals new aspects of his personality. In “Thud!”, he is taking on a new role as a nobleman after marrying a noblewoman, and has yet to strike harmony between this and his position of Watch Commander. When the plot takes a turn for the worst during his diplomatic duties, Vimes needs to realize he can use both aspects of his new life and set things right in ways he couldn’t before.

One of my favorite things about the Discworld novels is their very casual form of continuity. “Thud!” is enjoyable on it’s own, but read as part of the 30+ book series, you really understand the characters and the existing backstory and can appreciate the in-jokes and dry wit of Pratchett. I’ve only read a few of the books, but it’s very clear that they interlock in ways that are very enjoyable and rewarding as a “loyal” reader.

Pratchett has a knack for creating very strong, interesting character that can hold the reader’s attention for multiple books. He writes books focused on certain groups of recurring characters, like witches, the Watch, or the city’s mailroom. It’s very convenient for the reader because if they like a certain set of characters more than others, they can seek out those novels without disrupting their understanding of what’s going on.

Discworld has grown to become a massive franchise (at least in the UK), sporting the impressive book series, a board game, two animated movies, and three live-action mini-series. Terry Pratchett, in my opinion, is comparable to a modern-day Tolkien in terms of world-building stories. If you are familiar with his work, then the amount of time Pratchett has invested in the characters, the cities, countries, customs and pantheon is remarkable. It is faintly reminiscent of the way Tolkien built up the different characters and their settings in any of his novels, and I think that Pratchett comes closest to capturing the same expansive fantasy feel.