hardback

This book is an invaluable Must Have for all tourists of the Discworld. ( )

An encyclopedic guide to the people, places, things, and ideas depicted or mentioned in Terry Pratchett's Discworld books.

This kind of reference companion is generally useful for fans who want to win arguments with other fans, write their own fanfiction, or just spend a little extra time soaking in the details of their favorite fictional universe. This book is no exception; it seems pretty thoroughly researched, and several of the more significant entries actually have multi-page essays, to which Pratchett himself has apparently contributed. Or, rather, it would be no exception, if it weren't for the fact that it was published in 1997. (At least, the edition I have is from 1997. There do seem to have been earlier versions, but I don't know if there have been any later ones or not.) This is a problem, since 1997 was many, many Discworld novels ago, and the fact that this volume doesn't feature them means its value as a reference source is unfortunately limited.

It is, however, still fun to read through, mainly because, unlike other works of its kind, it's funny. Admittedly, much of the humor is undoubtedly lifted from the novels themselves, but since it had been so long since I'd read most of the books in question, it felt fresh and funny to me all over again. It also made me really want to go back and re-read those early Discworld stories, if only by reminding me how much of them I'd forgotten.

I'm rating this one 3.5 out of 4 stars, but if this were still 1997, it would easily earn four. ( )