Subject: What is Discworld, you say?
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Posted on: 2012-07-09 03:35:00 UTC

Somewhere deep in space, in an entirely different universe, a disc of land is borne through space by the Great A'Tuin, the space turtle. On its shell stands four massive elephants, who carry the Discworld on their backs. A sun and a moon orbit the entire system as the elephants move round and round like the hands of a clock, giving the Disc a spin.

Now on the Discworld itself, there are many different story arcs you can follow. You can visit Ankh-Morpork, the oldest and grubbiest of cities (cut in half by the River Ankh which is so polluted one does not drown in it; one suffocates to death) and follow the City Watch as they crack down on crime in the city. The wizards at the Unseen Univesity also have their own stories, as well as arch-swindler Moist von Lipwig.

Rincewind the cowardly wizzard (yes, it is spelled that way) also has his own (unwanted) adventures, accompanied by a homicidal trunk known as the Luggage. Made of sapient pearwood, it is completely loyal to its master and will not hesitate to violently attack all those which it perceives as a threat to its owner.

If there are wizards, there must be witches too. They don't use magic in the same way as wizards do, instead choosing to rely on common sense to get things done. I haven't read their stories yet, but they feature Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg as well as Tiffany Aching.

If you're considering picking up Discworld, I'd like to suggest Guards! Guards! as a starting point. It is the first novel in the Watch series and gives a good introduction to the Disc. I'd follow it up with The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic, the two first Rincewind novels.

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