Pratchett has great fun, from the beginning to the end of the Discworld series, in depicting modern “firsts” on his flat continent. But in this fantasy world, Cohen is the premier barbarian-simply one who is a little past his presumed expiration date.Īppears in: The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Interesting Times In this case, he took the fur-clad barbarian template and asked “What would happen if that same character was 90 years old and still happened to be adventuring?” Who you end up with is Cohen, the man Pratchett says introduced the Discworld to the concept of “wholesale destruction.” He’s a major player in several of the earlier Discworld novels, intriguing for how simultaneously dangerous (because of his experience) and vulnerable (because of his frailty and senility) he can be in the course of a single encounter. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian) into his own inside joke. In celebration of the great fantasy comedian’s life, here are the 10 best Discworld recurring characters, in my humble estimation.Īppears in: The Light Fantastic, Interesting Times, The Last Hero, JingoĬohen is an ideal example of how Pratchett enjoyed transforming his reverence for classical fantasy fiction (in the style of Robert E. You could say that Pratchett was a master of quirk-each central character possesses an attribute or attitude to help them stand out from a crowd.
Pratchett had a knack for imbuing all of his characters with unique bits of pathos, even the most minor players who appeared in the background from time to time.
One of the leading factors that makes the 40-some Discworld books so wonderful is the recurring characters. Those novels, coupled with his 1990 co-authorship of Good Omens with Neil Gaiman, earned Pratchett a permanent place in my heart. I read his Discworld books voraciously, amazed by the way he was able to keep the series going while still generating compelling stories that never bogged down into mediocrity. It’s now been a few years since the last time I picked up a book in his seminal Discworld series, but for perhaps a five-year stretch, I wouldn’t have hesitated in calling the British fantasist my favorite author. Thursday afternoon’s news of fantasy author Terry Pratchett’s passing hit me hard-very hard, as few author obituaries have in some time. Note: This piece was originally published in 2015, following the passing of prolific fantasy author Terry Pratchett.
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