Imaginary Interviewer: What's up next for the reading list?
Me: Next up is 'Small Gods' by Terry Pratchett.
II: What should we know about Pratchett?
Me: Well, he's best known for the Discworld series. He published a couple of books a year and (per Wikipedia) the UK's best selling author of the 90's. The Discworld series consists of 41 different novels, of which our book, 'Small Gods' is one of them.
II: Tell me about the Discworld.
Me: Discworld is a flat earth style planet. It is on the back of a gigantic, cosmic turtle. It is a world with different lands and different cultures. Magic works there and gods exist. Also, the personification of Death appears in most every story, including this one.
II: Is it a 3S book?
Me: It most certainly is. 3S (for any that don't know) stands for Swords Sorcery and Series. The Discworld books fit all three qualifications. On the plus side, my understanding is that most of the books can be read by themselves. In other words you can dip in and out and not feel like picking one up commits you to the other 40 titles.
II: Have you read any others in the series?
Me: A very long time ago I read 'Mort', which deals with Death. I don't remember any of the specifics but I enjoyed it. I also read 'Good Omens' which isn't a Discworld book but was written by Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Enjoyed that as well.
II: How would you describe the style?
Me: Pratchett is a very witty writer. Not quite on Douglas Adams' level but close. You'll frequently crack a smile while reading his books and might laugh out loud a couple of times. One other thing you should know, he doesn't write in traditional chapters. If you say to yourself "I'll just finish this chapter up", you'll be there until the end of the book. In short, enjoyable and hard to put down.
