A beautifully packaged, illustrated collection of twenty rediscovered early short stories by award-winning and bestselling author, Sir Terry Pratchett.

These are rediscovered tales that Pratchett wrote under a pseudonym for newspapers during the 1970s and 1980s. Whilst none are set in the Discworld, they hint towards the world he would go on to create, containing all of his trademark wit, satirical wisdom and fantastic imagination.

Meet Og the inventor, the first caveman to cultivate fire, as he discovers the highs and lows of progress; haunt the Ministry of Nuisances with the defiant evicted ghosts of Pilgarlic Towers; visit Blackbury, a small market town with weird weather and an otherworldly visitor; and go on a dangerous quest through time and space with hero Kron, which begins in the ancient city of Morpork...

A Stroke of the Pen is a must-have collection for fans of all ages.

"In the beginning, there was nothing but endless flatness. Then came the Carpet." That’s the old story everyone knows. But now a new story is in the making. The story of Fray, sweeping a trail of destruction across the Carpet—and of two brothers on an adventure to end all adventures.

First published in 1971, this novel marked the debut of Sir Terry Pratchett. Years later, Sir Terry revised the work.

This edition includes the updated text, his original illustrations, and the short story that is the forerunner to The Carpet People.

'Cracking dialogue, compelling illogic and unchained whimsy' Sunday Times The Discworld is very much like our own - if our own were to consist of a flat planet balanced on the back of four elephants which stand on the back of a giant turtle, that is . . . Death comes to us all. When he came to Mort, he offered him a job. Death is the Grim Reaper of the Discworld, a black-robed skeleton carrying a scythe who must collect a minimum number of souls in order to keep the momentum of dying, well . . . alive. He is also fond of cats and endlessly baffled by humanity. Soon Death is yearning to experience what humanity really has to offer . . . but to do that, he'll need to hire some help. It's an offer Mort can't refuse. As Death's apprentice he'll have free board, use of the company horse - and being dead isn't compulsory. It's a dream job - until Mort falls in love with Death's daughter, Ysabell, and discovers that your boss can be a killer on your love life . . . ________________ The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Mort is the first book in the Death series.

Far away and long ago, when dragons still existed and the only arcade game was ping-pong in black and white, a wizard cautiously entered a smoky tavern in the evil, ancient, foggy city of Morpork... A truly unmissable, beautifully illustrated collection of unearthed stories from the pen of Sir Terry Pratchett: award-winning and bestselling author, and creator of the phenomenally successful Discworld series. Twenty early short stories by one of the world's best loved authors, each accompanied by exquisite original woodcut illustrations. These are rediscovered tales that Pratchett wrote under a pseudonym for newspapers during the 1970s and 1980s. Whilst none are set in the Discworld, they hint towards the world he would go on to create, containing all of his trademark wit, satirical wisdom and fantastic imagination. Meet Og the inventor, the first caveman to cultivate fire, as he discovers the highs and lows of progress; haunt the Ministry of Nuisances with the defiant evicted ghosts of Pilgarlic Towers; visit Blackbury, a small market town with weird weather and an otherworldly visitor; and go on a dangerous quest through time and space with hero Kron, which begins in the ancient city of Morpork... A STROKE OF THE PEN is a must-have collection for fans of all ages. Praise for Terry Pratchett 'Pratchett is a master storyteller' - A. S. Byatt, Guardian 'The Discworld novels have always been among the most serious of comedies, the most relevant and real of fantasies' - Independent 'Compulsively readable, fantastically inventive, surprisingly serious exploration in story form of just about any aspect of our world . . . There's never been anything quite like it' - Evening Standard 'Like most true originals, Pratchett defies categorisation' - The Times 'Pratchett found something better than literature' - Frank Cottrell Boyce, Guardian

The first Discworld novel, revamped for a new generation of readers.
Somewhere on the frontier between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a parallel time and place which might sound and smell very much like our own, but which looks completely different. It plays by different rules. Certainly it refuses to succumb to the quaint notion that universes are ruled by pure logic and the harmony of numbers.
But just because the Disc is different doesn't mean that some things don't stay the same. Its very existence is about to be threatened by a strange new blight: the arrival of the first tourist, upon whose survival rests the peace and prosperity of the land. But if the person charged with maintaining that survival in the face of robbers, mercenaries and, well, Death is a spectacularly inept wizard, a little logic might turn out to be a very good idea.
" "
The Colour of Magic""is the first novel in Terry Pratchett's acclaimed Discworld series, of which some 20 million copies have been sold. This special hardcover edition is reissued to commemorate the twenty-first anniversary of its first publication by Colin Smythe Limited in 1983. Since then the Discworld has spawned a further thirty-one titles and become one of the most popular and celebrated sequences in English literature.

A flat planet traveling through space carried by four elephants balancing on the back of a giant turtle; a world populated by (mostly inept) wizards, dwarfs, despots, policemen, assassins, aged barbarians, vampires, thieves, witches, and civil servants; a place where technology, per se, is nonexistent but magic works . . . except when it doesn't.

Gleaned from more than two decades' worth of Discworld tales, here is an essential compendium of insightful musings, witty commentary, and sagacious observations by "New York Times" bestselling author Terry Pratchett, compiled by Pratchett expert Stephen Briggs.

Even wizards produce leftovers.

But a wizard’s rubbish is laced with magic, and for the rats that forage this rubbish, the magic has changed them – they can speak and read, and have rather grand ambitions for a comfortable retirement.

Which is perfect for a con-cat like Maurice. He has his own magical talents, and wants to get rich quick. Together with the rats, and young (rather simple) Keith, the ‘piper’, they work the towns to create their very own plague of rats - then lure them away for cash.

But in the run-down town Bad Blintz, this little con goes wrong, and suddenly these educated rodents aren’t playing to the piper’s tune . . .

'Incredibly funny, compulsively readable' The Times The Discworld is very much like our own - if our own were to consist of a flat planet balanced on the back of four elephants which stand on the back of a giant turtle, that is . . 'What shall we do?' said Twoflower. 'Panic?' said Rincewind hopefully. He always held that panic was the best means of survival. As it moves towards a seemingly inevitable collision with a malevolent red star, the Discworld could do with a hero. What it doesn't need is a singularly inept and cowardly wizard, still recovering from the trauma of falling off the edge of the world, or a well-meaning tourist and his luggage which has a mind (and legs) of its own. Which is a shame, because that's all there is . . . ____________________ The Discworld novels can be read in any order but The Light Fantastic is the second book in the Wizards series.

Pratchett's perceptive and laugh-out-loud Discworld series is a literary phenomenon. And in The Last Hero, one aging hero with a grudge decides enough is enough. Beautifully illustrated throughout by Paul Kidby. 'An enduring, endearing presence in comic literature' Guardian It stars the legendary Cohen the Barbarian, a legend in his own lifetime. Cohen can remember when a hero didn't have to worry about fences and lawyers and civilisation, and when people didn't tell you off for killing dragons. But he can't always remember, these days, where he put his teeth... So now, with his ancient sword and his new walking stick and his old friends - and they're very old friends - Cohen the Barbarian is going on one final quest. He's going to climb the highest mountain in the Discworld and meet his gods. The last hero in the world is going to return what the first hero stole. With a vengeance. That'll mean the end of the world, if no one stops him in time. Readers love The Last Hero: 'Made me chuckle almost non-stop and even burst out laughing loudly in public places' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'The late great Sir Terry's Conan tribute to Robert E Howard - what happens to super men when they get old & their teeth fall out . . . But it's the extra special illustrations that give this book that WOW!' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'Pratchett's witty humour finds its perfect target - a group of aging heroes, a Dark Lord, and a group of misfit heroes trying to stop them from ending the world' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

The eighth Discworld novel - After this, dragons will never be the same again! This is where the dragons went. They lie . . . not dead, not asleep, but . . . dormant. And although the space they occupy isn't like normal space, nevertheless they are packed in tightly. They could put you in mind of a can of sardines, if you thought sardines were huge and scaly. And presumably, somewhere, there's a key . . .

'Persistently amusing, good-hearted and shrewd' The Sunday Times The Discworld is very much like our own - if our own were to consist of a flat planet balanced on the back of four elephants which stand on the back of a giant turtle, that is . . . They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not half so bad as a lot of ignorance. The last thing the wizard Drum Billet did, before Death laid a bony hand on his shoulder, was to pass on his staff of power to the eighth son of an eighth son. Unfortunately for his colleagues in the chauvinistic (not to say misogynistic) world of magic, he failed to check that the baby in question was a son. Everybody knows that there's no such thing as a female wizard. But now it's gone and happened, there's nothing much anyone can do about it. Let the battle of the sexes begin . . . ____________________ The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Equal Rites is the first book in the Witches series.

'The world lives between those who say it cannot be done and those who say that it can . . . it's just a matter of thinking creatively.' Moist von Lipwig is a con man turned civil servant. As head of the Royal Bank and Post Office of Ankh-Morpork, he doesn't really want or need another job. But when the Patrician Lord Vetinari gives you a task, you do it or suffer the consequences. In Moist's case, death. A brand-new invention has come to the city: a steam locomotive named Iron Girder, to be precise. With the railway's introduction and rapid expansion, Vetinari enlists Moist to represent the government and keep things on track. But as with all new technology, some people have objections, and Moist will have to use every trick in his arsenal to keep the trains running . . . 'The most serious of comedies, the most relevant and real of fantasies' Independent Raising Steam is the third and final book in the Moist von Lipwig series, but the Discworld novels can be read in any order.

'HOLY WOOD IS A DIFFERENT SORT OF PLACE . . . HERE, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO BE IMPORTANT.' A new phenomenon is taking over the Discworld: moving pictures. Created by the alchemists of Ankh-Morpork, the growing 'clicks' industry moves to the sandy land of Holy Wood, attracted by the light of the sun and some strange calling no one can quite put their finger on... Also drawn to Holy Wood are aspiring young stars Victor Tugelbend, a wizarding student dropout, and Theda 'Ginger' Withel, a small-town girl with big dreams. But behind the glitz and glamour of the clicks, a sinister presence lurks. Because belief is powerful in the Discworld, and sometimes downright dangerous... The magic of movies might just unravel reality itself. 'Funny, delightfully inventive, and refuses to lie down in its genre' - Observer The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Moving Pictures is a standalone.

'A lie can run round the world before the truth can get its boots on.' William de Worde has somehow found himself editor of Ankh-Morpork's first newspaper. Well, with a name like that . . . Launched into the world of investigative journalism, alongside reporter Sacharissa Cripslock, William soon learns that the news is a risky business. For a start, his colleagues include a band of axe-wielding dwarfs and a recovering vampire with a life-threatening passion for flash photography. It's a big news week: the most powerful man in the city has been arrested, leaving Ankh-Morpork without a leader. And a dangerous criminal organisation will do anything to control the story . . . 'An unmitigated delight . . . very, very funny' The Times The Discworld novels can be read in any order but The Truth is a standalone.

'It's vital to remember who you really are . . . it isn't a good idea to rely on other people or things to do it for you, you see. They always get it wrong.' An eighth son of an eighth son is born, a wizard squared, a source of magic. A sourcerer. Unseen University, the Discworld's most magical establishment, has finally got its wish: the emergence of a wizard more powerful than ever before. You'd think they would have been a little more careful what they wished for . . . As the sourcerer takes over the University and sets his sights on the rest of the world, only one wizard manages to escape his influence. Unfortunately for everyone, it's Rincewind. Once again the cowardly wizard must embark on a quest: to deliver a precious artefact - the very embodiment of magic itself - halfway across the Disc to safety. If he doesn't make it, the death of all wizardry is at hand. And the end of the world, depending on who you listen to. 'One of our greatest fantasists, and beyond a doubt the funniest' George R.R. Martin 'May well be considered his masterpiece . . . Humour such as his is an endangered species' The Times Sourcery is the third book in the Wizards series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order.

'Always push your luck because no one else would push it for you.' Imprisoned in Ankh-Morpork, con artist Moist von Lipwig is offered a choice: to be executed or to accept a job as the city's Postmaster General. It's a tough decision, but he's already survived one hanging and isn't in the mood to try it again. The Post Office is down on its luck: beset by mountains of undelivered mail, eccentric employees, and a dangerous secret order. To save his skin, Moist will need to restore the postal service to its former glory, with the help of tough talking activist Adora Belle Dearheart. Who happens to be very attractive, in an 'entire womanful of anger' kind of way. But there's new technology to compete against and an evil chairman who will stop at nothing to delay Ankh-Morpork's post for good . . . 'One of the best expressions of his unstoppable flow of comic invention' The Times Going Postal is the first book in the Moist von Lipwig series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order.

'Whoever said you can't fool an honest man wasn't one.' The Royal Bank of Ankh-Morpork is facing a crisis and needs a shake-up in management. Cue Moist von Lipwig, Postmaster General and former con artist. If anyone can rescue the city's ailing financial institution, it's him. He doesn't really want the job, but the thing is, he doesn't have a choice. Moist has many problems to solve as part of his new role: the chief cashier is almost certainly a vampire, the chairman needs his daily walkies, there's something strange happening in the cellar, and the Royal Mint is running at a loss. Moist begins making some ambitious changes . . . and some dangerous enemies. Because money is power and certain stakeholders will do anything to keep a firm grip on both . . . 'As bright and shiny as a newly minted coin; clever, engaging and laugh-out-loud funny' The Times Making Money is the second book in the Moist von Lipwig series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order.

____________________ The book behind the Amazon Prime and BBC Series starring David Tennant, Michael Sheen, Jon Hamm and Benedict Cumberbatch 'Ridiculously inventive and gloriously funny' Guardian ____________________ What if, for once, the predictions are right, and the Apocalypse really is due to arrive next Saturday, just after tea? It's a predicament that Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a fast-living demon, now find themselves in. They've been living amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and, truth be told, have grown rather fond of the lifestyle and, in all honesty, are not actually looking forward to the coming Apocalypse. And then there's the small matter that someone appears to have misplaced the Antichrist . . . What readers are saying about Good Omens: ***** 'A superb recipe for disaster. I didn't stop grinning from beginning to end.' ***** 'Both Gaiman and Pratchett are great authors and they complement each other brilliantly' ***** 'Superbly enjoyable read. Seamlessly co-written.'

NAMED AS ONE OF THE BBC'S 100 MOST INSPIRING NOVELS 'It was octarine, the colour of magic. It was alive and glowing and vibrant and it was the undisputed pigment of the imagination . . .' Somewhere between thought and reality exists the Discworld, a magical world not totally unlike our own. Except for the fact that it travels through space on the shoulders of four giant elephants who in turn stand on the shell of an astronomically huge star turtle, of course. Rincewind is the world's worst wizard who has just been handed a very important job: to look after the world's first tourist, upon whose survival rests the peace and prosperity of the land. Unfortunately, their journey across the Disc includes facing robbers, monsters, mercenaries, and Death himself. And the whole thing's just a game of the gods that might send them over the edge . . . 'If you've never read a Discworld novel, what's the matter with you?' Guardian 'Pratchett uses his other world to hold up a distorting mirror to our own' The Times The Colour of Magic is the first book in the Wizards series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order.

The irreverant, hilarious, touching and philosophical caper about the end of the world. 'Still makes me laugh 25 years later' Ben Aaronovitch There is a hint of Armageddon in the air. According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (recorded, thankfully, in 1655, before she blew up her entire village and all its inhabitants, who had gathered to watch her burn), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. So the Armies of Good and Evil are massing, the four Bikers of the Apocalypse are revving up their mighty hogs and hitting the road, and the world's last two remaining witchfinders are getting ready to Fight the Good Fight. Atlantis is rising. Frogs are falling. Tempers are flaring, and everything appears to be going to Divine Plan. Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not particularly looking forward to the coming Rapture. They've lived amongst Humanity for millennia, and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle. So if Crowley and Aziraphale are going to stop it from happening, they've got to find and kill the AntiChrist (which is a shame, really, as he's a nice kid). There's just one glitch: someone seems to have misplaced him. Readers can't get enough of Good Omens: 'This is actually a profound philosophical and theological treatise, exploring good and evil, nature versus nurture, free will, war, pollution, and organised religion . . . The writing is so like Douglas Adams that it could be mistaken for a missing volume of Hitchhiker's' Goodreads reviewer, 'Good Omens is a hysterically funny book . . . It is also a love letter to humanity and to the power of free will and choice in a world desperate to wrench it away. You should read it' Goodreads reviewer, 'If I were to pick a setting for a comedy, I'm not sure it would be Armageddon. However, in the talented minds of Pratchett and Gaiman, it's the perfect setting . . . just the right mix of clever, deadpan, sarcasm, innuendo, and self-deprecation' Goodreads reviewer, 'Has got to be one of the funniest satires I've ever read . . . This book is funny, irreverent, and at times surprisingly insightful' Goodreads reviewer, 'No getting around it, it IS funny! . . . The book is loaded with great characters, there's even a cute little dog, The Hound from Hell morphed into a cat chasing mongrel' Goodreads reviewer,

“Be a MAN in the City Watch! The City Watch needs MEN!” And they need all the help they can get, because they only have twenty-four hours to clean up the town and this is Ankh-Morpork we’re talking about . . .

'Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.' 'Twas the night before Hogswatch and all through the house . . . something was missing. Superstition makes things work in the Discworld and undermining it can have consequences. When Death realizes that belief in the Hogfather is dangerously low, he decides to take on the job. But it's just not right to find a seven-foot skeleton creeping down your chimney and trying to say 'ho, ho, ho'. It's the last night of the year, the time is turning, and if Susan, gothic governess and Death's granddaughter, doesn't sort everything out by morning, there won't be a morning. Ever again . . . 'Has the energy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the inventiveness of Alice in Wonderland' Sunday Times Hogfather is the fourth book in the Death series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order.

*The book that inspired the big-hit new film starring Emilia Clarke, Himesh Patel, David Tennant, Hugh Laurie and Joe Sugg, coming 16th December. Read before you see! With amazing content, from scripts to film art* Even wizards produce leftovers. But a wizard's rubbish is laced with magic, and for the rats that forage this rubbish, the magic has changed them - they can speak and read, and have rather grand ambitions for a comfortable retirement. Which is perfect for a con-cat like Maurice. He has his own magical talents, and wants to get rich quick. Together with the rats, and young Keith, the 'piper', they work the towns to create their very own plague of rats - then lure them away for cash. But in the run-down town Bad Blintz, this little con goes wrong, and suddenly these educated rodents aren't playing to the piper's tune . . . 'An astonishing novel' Financial Times

Third book of the original and best CITY WATCH series, now reinterpreted in BBC's The Watch 'The work of a prolific humorist at his best' Observer The Discworld is very much like our own - if our own were to consist of a flat planet balanced on the back of four elephants which stand on the back of a giant turtle, that is . . . ____________________ 'Sorry?' said Carrot. If it's just a thing, how can it commit murder? A sword is a thing' - he drew his own sword; it made an almost silken sound - 'and of course you can't blame a sword if someone thrust it at you, sir.' For Commander Vimes, Head of Ankh-Morpork City Watch, life consists of troubling times, linked together by...well, more troubling times. Right now, it's the latter. There's a werewolf with pre-lunar tension in the city, and a dwarf with attitude and a golem who's begun to think for itself, but that's just ordinary trouble. The real problem is more puzzling - people are being murdered, but there's no trace of anything alive having been at the crime scene. So Vimes not only has to find out whodunit, but howdunit too. He's not even sure what they dun. But soon as he knows what the questions are, he's going to want some answers.