If you’ve ever looked at the massive 41-book Discworld series and immediately felt overwhelmed, you’re definitely not alone!
It’s natural to think you should just start with book one, but longtime Terry Pratchett fans will probably tell you the opposite:
Skipping book one is the best way to start!
Discworld isn’t one long, linear story where every book has to be read in order. Instead, it’s all connected with multiple storylines, recurring characters, and plenty of entry points. Just think of it as a vibrant universe with multiple front doors.
Keep on reading to discover the seven Discworld sub-series, all 41 audiobooks in order, and exactly where you should start listening.
Let’s find your starting line: Match your craving to Terry Pratchett’s books
The trick isn’t even finding the “right” Discworld reading order, but rather finding the best entry point that matches your interests:
- I love mysteries and crime dramas → City Watch
- I love folklores and strong women leads → Witches
- I have a lot of existential dread → Death
- I want to test the water before committing → Small Gods
- I enjoy coming-of-age stories → Tiffany Aching
- I love an absurd, unconventional hero → Rincewind
- I enjoy workplace comedies and satires → Industrial Revolution
Looking to dive into Discworld in order? Check out the complete Discworld publication order to start your journey.
Love crime dramas? Start with City Watch
For fans of Line of Duty, The Wire, Rivers of London, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Sam Vimes is one of Discworld’s biggest fan-favorite characters. He is a classic noir detective who’s gritty, stubborn, but fights hard for justice. The City Watch books are police procedurals set in a fantasy city, tackling corruption, messy politics, and class struggles.
Guards! Guards!
Sam Vimes speaks with a grounded, gruff Northern English accent, which Jon Culshaw brings to life with a gritty, wise blend of Sean Bean and Philip Glenister. A Discworld experience is incomplete without footnotes—and these audiobooks recreate them seamlessly through Bill Nighy’s voice. Whenever a footnote pops up, you’ll hear a chime, Bill Nighy steps in, and with another quick chime, you’re dropped right back into the story.
View the audiobookIf you get hooked, here is the full 8-book City Watch order:
Enjoy folklores, fairy tales, and stories with a strong woman lead? The Witches are waiting
For fans of Wicked, Good Omens, A Discovery of Witches
Granny Weatherwax doesn’t suffer fools, and neither do these books. The Witches sub-series is all about power, secret knowledge, and three women who are the smartest people in the room. These stories are packed with hilarious fairytales and theatrical parodies. Wyrd Sisters is a riff on Macbeth, Maskerade lovingly roasts The Phantom of the Opera and over-the-top theater tropes, and Carpe Jugulum pokes fun at vampire stereotypes—turns out, vampires happily devour the garlic!
Wyrd Sisters
These audiobooks live for theatrical banter. Indira Varma captures the hilariously chaotic dynamic between Granny, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat Garlick perfectly. Listening to the three of them bicker feels like sitting front row at a stage comedy.
View the audiobookIf you love sharp-tongued women who never explain themselves, here is the full six-book Witches order:
And if you enjoy The Witches, you may also like the Tiffany Aching sub-series.
Look for existential dread wrapped in laughter? Meet Death
For fans of The Good Place, Sandman, Douglas Adams
Mort is possibly one of the best first Discworld books to start. It follows Death, a seven-foot skeleton in a black robe, who is fascinated by humanity. He wants to quit his job and experience ordinary human life, such as trying spicy curry and getting drunk for the first time. The premise isn’t about death itself, but Death trying to understand what it means to be alive. Death also appears throughout many Discworld books whenever a character is near death.
Mort
What elevates the audiobook is Peter Serafinowicz as Death. In the books, Death speaks exclusively in ALL CAPS; here, Serafinowicz matches it with a distinctive vocal treatment that anchors the whole series in exactly the right register.
View the audiobookIf you are ready to ponder the meaning of life while giggling to yourself, here is the full five-book Death order, all narrated by Sian Clifford:
Want a standalone with no commitment? Start with Small Gods
For fans of philosophical fiction and Kurt Vonnegut
If a massive series feels intimidating, you can start with a completely standalone Discworld audiobook. Small Gods is about faith, doubt, and a powerful god who accidentally gets stuck in the body of a regular garden tortoise. It’s widely considered as the best standalone Discworld novel.
Small Gods
The narrator Andy Serkis is an expert at voices and captures the story’s witty, satirical vibe perfectly. It’s self-contained, beautifully paced, and a total blast to listen to.
View the audiobookIf you want more standalone novels from Terry Pratchett, check these audiobooks out next:
Pyramids
By Terry Pratchett • Narrated by Alfred Enoch, Bill Nighy & Peter Serafinowicz
The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
By Terry Pratchett • Narrated by Rob Wilkins, Ariyon Bakare, Peter Serafinowicz & Bill Nighy
Young readers or young at heart? Tiffany Aching is your way in
For fans of His Dark Materials, Howl’s Moving Castle, or parents looking for a great family listen
This series follows Tiffany Aching, a young shepherd’s daughter who trains to be a witch using a frying pan and pure common sense. She’s backed up by the Nac Mac Feegle—six-inch, kilt-wearing Scottish fairy warriors who love drinking and brawling. It’s shelved as YA, but it features some of Terry Pratchett’s most heartfelt writing about growing up and doing what’s right.
The Wee Free Men
Indira Varma voices the protagonist, young witch Tiffany Aching, and anchors the story beautifully, but Steven Cree really steals the show as the voices of the tiny blue warriors. His hilarious Scottish accent will have you chuckling out loud.
View the audiobookYou can follow Tiffany’s full journey across all five audiobooks in this order:
And if you enjoy Tiffany Aching, you may also like The Witch sub-series.
Love classic fantasy and absurdist comedy? Rincewind might be your perfect match
For fans of Hitchhiker’s Guide, Monty Python, classic D&D comedy
Warning: Rincewind is the opposite of a typical fantasy hero. He’s the Discworld’s worst wizard, who can’t cast a single spell, and survives mostly through luck. But that’s exactly what makes him so human. Just like any normal person, if Rincewind sees a dragon…he runs.
He also has one of Discworld’s funniest companions: The Luggage, a magical living suitcase that follows him everywhere and happily eats anyone who threatens Rincewind.
Sourcery
Even though The Colour of Magic was Pratchett’s very first book, and it’s a bit rough around the edges compared to his later works. Dive in here if you want to see where the entire universe started, otherwise, just skip ahead to Sourcery (book three) if you want to jump right into a much smoother, funnier story.
View the audiobookIf you find yourself rooting for the Discworld’s most useless hero, here is the order to follow Rincewind’s chaotic adventures:
Enjoy corporate satires and social commentary? Go for the Industrial Revolution series
For fans of Catch-22, The Office, Succession, Office Space
Even if you’ve never read any books from the Industrial Revolution sub-series, you might’ve watched the TV adaptation, starring Richard Coyle, David Suchet, Charles Dance, and Claire Foy. Moist von Lipwig is a con artist who gets caught and is forced to revive the city’s broken Post Office. These are Terry Pratchett’s sharpest takes on bureaucracy, capitalism, innovation, and the people who game every system.
Going Postal
Richard Coyle actually starred in the live-action TV adaptation of this book, so he knows Moist inside and out. His narration makes it the perfect audiobook to listen to if you want a fast-paced, witty ride.
View the audiobookHere is the Industrial Revolution core trilogy in order:
The complete Discworld publication order
What booksellers love about the Discworld audiobooks
There is a reason our bookselling partners are constantly pushing these audiobooks into the hands (and ears) of customers:
Men At Arms
“Love anything by Pratchett but particularly the Guard series. Some of my favourite characters are introduced and the old ones are even better.”
— Kelsey, The Highland Bookshop
View the audiobook
Pyramids
“The seventh outing of Sir Terry’s wonderful Discworld takes us from the alleys of Ankh-Morpork and into Djelibeybi (say it out loud), the Disc’s smallest and Egyptianest micro-kingdom. As always with Pratchett, a racing plot with real nasty villains and high stakes is threaded through with comic-philosophical asides on religion, geometry, classical history, politics, and seagulls. It is funny, gripping, and more intellectual than any of the writers in the Non-Fantasy section would care to admit.”
— Tom, Otherland
View the audiobook
Soul Music
“The first Discworld novel I ever read and still a favourite. Pratchett is masterful.”
— B., Murderous Ink
View the audiobook
Going Postal
“The first in Terry Pratchett’s Moist von Lipwig series, Going Postal is the hilarious story of an ex-con man who is given a second chance at freedom. From secret societies to golem parole officers, Pratchett’s novel is fun, fast-paced, and guaranteed to be your next favorite fantasy read.”
— Maggie, Carpe Librum
View the audiobook
Monstrous Regiment
“A warm hug of a book. Delightful is so many ways that it’s impossible to list them all. Biting social commentary that remains disappointingly relevant two decades later. A great entry point into Discworld.”
— Chelsea, The Lakewood Bookstore
View the audiobookPick a door and start listening, all while supporting your local bookshop
Remember, with a universe this big, there is no wrong way in, only your way in. So pick a door that matches your cravings, grab your headphones, and start listening!
Best of all, you can dive into Discworld while supporting your local bookshops. With Libro.fm, your audiobooks always support the independent bookshop of your choice—whether you’re buying them via a monthly membership, picking up credit bundles, or just shopping à la carte.
We partner with more than 4,000 indies across the globe. You get to immerse yourself in Discworld, and your favorite neighborhood bookshop gets the love.
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