Terry Pratchett died last week at the age of 66, after a lengthy and public struggle with early-onset Alzheimer’s. He left behind an astonishing body of work—including a whole hilarious, complicated world. This is an introduction to that world—Discworld—as well as to some of his standalone projects, for readers who haven’t yet had the pleasure […]

I’m not sure what percentage of Monopoly games end in bloodshed or tears, but that number is about to go up: a Game of Thrones Monopoly set is coming out this year. There is that common theme of violence and tragedy, but in some ways it seems like a weird fit—how do you translate “Life Insurance […]

For a good time, call Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. The books have been the pinnacle of creative fantasy since The Colour of Magic was released in 1983. Legions of fans sprouted in subsequent decades, gobbling down every word in more than 40 novels, tie-in books, comics, and video games. The invented environment has grown so elaborate, there’s […]

Warbands offer a unique opportunity for fantasy authors. For one, it’s easy to illustrate the morality (or lack thereof) of a group of characters by having them talk about the orders they’re willing to follow, or the money they’re getting, or why they do their jobs. They also provide an opportunity to gets a bunch of […]

HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE. – Death (Hogfather, by Terry Pratchett) A veritable publishing institution, a British national treasure, beloved the world over, and a foundational fantasy writer of the modern era (if he wasn’t the giant turtle, he was for sure […]