Authors by volume

[Croft_No.5]

Ah Brookmyre is great, currently on the new Parlabane novel.

I was introduced to Banks via Radio 4's a Book at Bedtime which very oddly featured The Wasp Factory.

[Puja]

I adore Christopher Brookmyre! I'm a few behind on him, as I prefer the humour/crime combos to the plain crime ones that he's done lately (his sci-fi book is very readable as well), but the like of Not The End Of The World and The Sacred Art of Stealing were formative texts for a teenage Puja. Just started a reread of his stuff actually.

Puja

[BaldiePete]

Ah Brookmyre is great, currently on the new Parlabane novel.

I was introduced to Banks via Radio 4's a Book at Bedtime which very oddly featured The Wasp Factory.

That would have been a very weird experience. I’m not sure how it would help you get to sleep. I have the paperback version which opens with some of the reviews, including bad ones that it got on first release, such as this from the Irish Times.


“It is a sick, sick world when the confidence and investment of an astute firm of publishers is justified by a work of unparallelled depravity. There is no denying the bizarre fertility of the author’s imagination: his brilliant dialogue, his cruel humour, his repellent inventiveness. The majority of the literate public, however, will be relieved that only reviewers are obliged to look at any of it.”

[switchskier]

Great to see Ian/Iain (M) Banks on folks lists. Still holding back his last Iain M Banks novel to read when I have time to do it justice (then back t the start again!!).

The only one I haven't read is the crow road. I've two copies, I just can't bring myself to make it all be over.

[BaldiePete]

Great to see Ian/Iain (M) Banks on folks lists. Still holding back his last Iain M Banks novel to read when I have time to do it justice (then back t the start again!!).

The only one I haven't read is the crow road. I've two copies, I just can't bring myself to make it all be over.

Read it! It’s my personal favourite of his, a simply wonderful book with the best first line ever. I couldn’t not continue with the book after that line. Crow Road is a real street in Glasgow although here it’s used as a metaphor for death. I like the non-linear structure, a literary device he also uses in my favourite Iain M. Banks book, Use of Weapons.

[Son of Mathonwy]

First 2 are shit, yes; anything with Rincewind is a bit shit (and he's STP's favourite character in those early books). Even STP himself suggested skipping the first 3 (but buy them anyway)

But then, his writing evolves, the humour and characters develop, and he starts adding in so many other facets. I'd say he's most loved for those other facets, once he's grown as an author and not just trying to write comedic fantasy.
Everyone's going to have their personal favourite eras of his, but I'd say it starts getting properly good at around Witches Abroad, and even then they can be hit and miss, if you're not in love with his world and writing style.

Of course, it may just not be for you, which is absolutely fine.
If you're thinking that, but still want to give him one last go, then I'd suggest one of:
A] Taking a break from the Discworld, and read Nation (first chapter is NOT representative of the book as a whole)
B] Hitting some of his high points as stand-alone books - Small Gods, The Truth, Monstrous Regiment
C] Fast-track the city watch storyline - and go with Men At Arms, Jingo, 5th Element, Night Watch

Of course, if you average 2-3 books per week, then these quick-read books probably won't take you more than a day anyway, so even reading all 40-odd of them isn't a huge investment of time / energy.

For anyone starting Pratchett, the main advice is NOT to read in publication order; but to read through the storylines (eg from above - the City Watch books - Guards Guards, Men At Arms, Feet Of Clay, Jingo, Fifth Elephant, Night Watch, Thud, Snuff)

As a huge Sir Terry fan I've got to agree with all of this. Don't start chronologically, he grew as a writer and satirist until the end when the Alzheimer's started to take its toll.

My favourites, like so many people's, are the guards books. I think it's because we all want to see a bit of ourselves in Vimes. I particularly love Jingo, though that may be because it was one of the first that I read.

My recommendation to start would be to read The Truth. It works as a standalone but also gives a nice intro to Ankh Morpock. Small Gods and Soul Music would be my other suggestions. The other non discworld option would be Good Omens which was co-written with Neil Gaiman (who's sadly turning out to be a bit of a twit) and which is one of my all-time favourites.

Finally, don't skip the footnotes. Some of the best bits.

Just finished Small Gods. I think I'm going to have to admit defeat on this author, he's just not for me (at least not in whimsical mode).

I can see that the story looked good at the planning stage, plenty of nice ideas there, Pratchett's does Athens vs the Inquisition, lots of potentially funny and interesting things. But something in the execution just doesn't work for me. There's no charm in it (for me), I just find he's trying too hard to be clever or funny and the delivery just isn't there. I can see the humanity, he's clearly on the side of the angels but I just don't enjoy it.

I did enjoy the straight sci-fi he wrote with Stephen Baxter, The Long Earth, for what it's worth, although who knows how they split up the work - it reads as a Baxter book to me.

[Which Tyler]

Sometimes, an author just doesn't fit with a reader, for whatever reason.
Time to call it quits.

But read Nation anyway (not a discworld book)