As publishers Transworld and Puffin launch a new shared universe ofDiscworldadaptations, fans ofTerry Pratchett’s satirical fantasy worldare elated at having a new way to enjoy the late author’s beloved work. Kicking off June 02, 2025 withThief of Time- followed byMonstrous RegimentandThe Wee Free Men- the project is clearly calculated to bring in new fans with visually impressive, standalone stories… but what’s next?
Here are the 10 Discworld novels thatthe “Discworld Graphic Novel Universe"should adapt next. We’re nominating our inclusions based on both general quality and their suitability for comic adaptation, with impressive visuals a major plus.Be sure to vote in our end-of-article pollfor the entry YOU most want to see adapted, or comment your personal choice if it doesn’t appear on our list.
10The Last Hero
Terry Pratchett and Paul Kidby’s Pastiche of Conan the Barbarian
The Last Herois alreadykind ofa graphic novel thanks to gorgeous illustrations by Paul Kidby (whose work appears throughout this list.) However, it still has a huge amount of potential with full sequential art. The book tells the story of Cohen the Barbarian (a tongue-in-cheek parody of Robert E. Howard’s pulp hero) as he embarks on one last quest to blow up the home of the gods, Cori Celesti. GivenConan the Barbarian’s long history in comics, there is endless potential for visual callbacks and gags, and the story offers up some serious opportunities for visual grandeur.
Last Heroalsoincludes recurring Discworld charactersCarrot Ironfoundersson, Rincewind and Leonard of Quirm,giving the new graphic novel universe a chance to introduce these charactersahead of their own stories.
9The Truth
Terry Pratchett’s Tribute to Journalism
The twenty-fifth Discworld book,The Truthfollows the staff of theAnkh-Morpork Timesas they attempt to get a newspaper up and running following the invention of movable type.The story includes two of Discworld’s most intriguing villains in Mr. Pin and Mr. Tulip, as well as starring the Machiavelli-inspired ruler of Ank-Morpork, Lord Havelock Vetinari.Terry Pratchett’s empathy and humanismare on full display as the novel deals with the idea of black-ribbon vampires - members of the undead who have sworn never to drink human blood but are still ostracized by humanity.
The press waited. It looked now like a great big beast. Soon he’d throw a lot of words into it. And in a few hours it would be hungry again, as if those words had never happened. You could feed it, but you could never fill it up.
- The Truth, Terry Pratchett
Starring William de Worde and Sacharissa Cripslock,The Truthis a standalone adventure very much in the same vein asMonstrous Regiment, making it an ideal entry point for new fans - and thus a great second-round pick for the new shared universe. It’s alsothe perfect way to introduce the gritty, crime-ridden city of Ankh-Morporkand beloved side character Gaspode the Wonder Dog.
In a perfectly Terry Pratchett twist, Gaspode the Wonder Dog is a talking dog who can influence humans because it’s easier for most people to perceive his comments as their own thoughts than to admit they heard a dog speak.
8The Short Stories
Many Fans Missed ‘The Sea and Little Fishes’ and ‘Theatre of Cruelty’
While Discworld is known for its novels, there are also several short stories originally published across various fantasy anthologies. While these aren’t long adventures,collecting them in a graphic novel could bring even longtime fans stories they may not have seen before, while also introducing some beloved characters like Granny Weatherwax and the Watch. Stories like ‘Death and What Comes Next,’ ‘Theatre of Cruelty,’ ‘The Sea and Little Fishes’ and ‘A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices’ could make up a great anthology, or even just act as bonus stories in other adaptations, while also including great character moments and bite-size mysteries.
7Small Gods
Pratchett Takes Aim at Organized Religion with the Great God Om
Discworld isn’t exactly known for going easy on organized religion, and Pratchett’sSmall Godstakes the subject to task. The story sees a formerly mighty deity forced to depend on its last true believer, as the Great God Om takes physical form as a regular turtle. Over the course of the novel, Om attempts to regain his former power and influence while his follower Brutha gradually realizes that his faith may be misplaced. The story has plenty of opportunities for impressive visuals with the sprawling desert of Omnia and the world of Discworld’s gods, including the grim concept of formerly powerful deities fading into nothingness.
Small Godsincludes a small but crucial link to Lu-Tze and the History Monks, who are the focus ofThief of Time- an easy way to give the second wave of Discworld adaptations clear links to the first without necessarily diving into full recurring protagonist territory.
6Going Postal
The Starting Point for Recurring Hero Moist von Lipwig
Going Postalfollows the attempts of conman Moist von Lipwig to fix Ankh-Morpork’s postal service, under death sentence from Lord Vetinari if he fails. It’s a classic rebel-turns-hero story, as Moist goes from self-selving criminal to sincere public servant.The book includes the rare inclusion of a banshee character in the villainous Mr. Gryle, who is hired to stop Moist’s efforts. Mostly, the Discworld flips monsters into mundane but fun characters… but not in the case of Mr. Gryle.
Your actions have taken money from those who had little enough to begin with. In a myriad small ways you have hastened the deaths of many. You do not know them. You did not see them bleed. But you snatched bread from their mouths and tore clothes from their backs. For sport, Mr. Lipvig. For sport. For the joy of the game.
- Going Postal, Terry Pratchett
Moist’s story continues inMaking MoneyandRaising Steam, as Vetinari exploits the conman’s instincts to give Ankh-Morpork’s public services a fighting chance in a hostile world.Moist’s adventures take in a lot of the Discworld, from the streets of Ankh-Morpork to the Transylvania-esque Überwald and far-flung Genua, potentially helping to acclimatize new fans to the settings of future stories.Going Postalreceived a two-part TV adaptation in 2010, but failed to capture the lived-in aesthetic of Pratchett’s world… although Mr. Gryle was suitably terrifying.
5Men at Arms
The City Watch Are a Huge Part of Discworld
Sam Vimes and the Ankh-Morpork City Watch - including troll Detritus, werewolf Angua, secret king-in-waiting Carrot, dwarf Cheery and comic relief Nobby and Colon - areperhaps the most popular aspect of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, with a host of novels to their name. Their story technically starts inGuards! Guards!, which sees the watch take on a dragon thanks to the heroism of Carrot. However, this early novel isn’t one of Pratchett’s best, and with the Watch novels quickly refocusing on Vimes rather than Carrot, it can be treated as backstory rather than needing its own adaptation.
Pratchett’s Watch novels deal with themes of inclusivity and diversity, as the rapid industrialization of Ankh-Morpork leads to unexpected species finding their own place among the city’s populace and within the Watch itself. A cynical alcoholic who despises authority but insists on basic dignity for everyone, Vimes is often used to comment on class and race. In fact, the character’s theory about cheap boots actually costing more than expensive boots (because they wear out quicker and need to be bought multiple times)inspired the Vimes Boots Index in the UK- a real-life price index which tracks the rising prices of daily essentials.
Men at Armssees assassin Edward d’Eath try to restore Ankh-Morpork’s forgotten monarchy, bringing him into conflict with the Watch, and introducing the demonic ‘gonne’ to the Discworld - a malevolent firearm that has plans of its own. The new Discworld shared universehasto give fans the Watch, andlongtime fans of Pratchett will wantFeet of ClayandThe Fifth Elephantas soon as possible. However, it’s going to be much harder for the comics to go backward than forward, making it sensible to start early and build up to these more beloved stories.
BBC America’sThe Watchattempted to adapt Sam Vimes' team to television in 2021, but was widely panned by fans as having little to do with the author’s creations.
4Hogfather
The Perfect Follow-Up to Thief of Time
InHogfather, the fearsome winter god Hogfather (Discworld’s answer to Santa Claus) is targeted by an inventive assassin, forcing Pratchett’s recurring character Death to take over the role - a task for which he’sreallynot suited.Death has a cameo in almost every Discworld novel, butHogfatheris his story, while also following his granddaughter Susan Sto Helit. With a great villain in the disarmingly cheerful assassin Mr. Teatime,Hogfatheris one of Pratchett’s most beloved novels and a great standalone story.
Dealing withseveral of the same characters asThief of Time,Hogfatherwould be a great follow-up to the original slate of Discworld graphic novels, and is an obvious Christmas release winner.
Hogfatherwas adapted for TV in 2006. While the resultant two-episode special had some enjoyable elements, it lacked the budget to really match the novel’s ambition, though seeing Death in live action was worth the price of admission for many fans.
3Carpe Jugulum
The Lancre Witches Are Another Must for Adaptation
If the Watch aren’t Discworld’s most beloved characters then the Lancre witches are. These pastoral wise women include the straight-laced Magrat Garlick, theater kid Agnes Nitt and the bawdy Nanny Ogg (who has her own real-world cookbook.) However,the star of the show is easily Granny Weatherwax. Considered by many to be Pratchett’s best character, Weatherwax is a stubborn, officious magical powerhouse constantly hovering on the line between light and dark, and always choosing the former. While she’s powerful when need be, Granny Weatherwax’s main weapon is ‘headology’ - a nascent form of psychology derived from her years serving the community.
There’s no greys, only white that’s got grubby. I’m surprised you don’t know that. And sin, young man, is when you treat people as things. Including yourself. That’s what sin is.
- Terry Pratchett, Carpe Jugulum
From parasitic elves to Granny Weatherwax’s fairy godmother sister, the Lancre witches have plenty of worthy foes, but none reach the heights ofCarpe Jugulum’sCount Magpyr - a vampiric aristocrat who takes over Lancre and treats its residents as cattle. Count Magpyr is the perfect villain to showcase what makes Pratchett’s heroes so beloved by fans, exposingthe foundational Discworld beliefthat empathy and decency are the core of heroism.
2A Hat Full of Sky
Continuing Tiffany Aching’s Story Just Makes Sense
The direct sequel toThe Wee Free Men,A Hat Full of Skysees young witch Tiffany Aching facing an ethereal monster known as a Hiver. With a cameo from Granny Weatherwax.A Hat Full of Skysees Tiffany coming into her own as a hero and establishes the role of the brutish fairies known as the Nac Mac Feegle in her life now that they’re not the focus of the story. The Tiffany Aching series is aimed at middle-grade readers, and it just makes sense to continue the story in the second wave of Discworld adaptations, especially becauseTerry Pratchett’s daugher Rhianna Pratchettis heading theWee Free Menadaptation.
1Night Watch
Terry Pratchett’s Best Novel Will Tear Your Heart Out
In a pantheon of amazing books,Night Watchstands above them all. The book follows the Watch’s Sam Vimes as he’s thrown back through time while arresting the chilling murderer Carcer. Sam and Carcer arrive thirty years in the past, where Carcer promptly murders Vimes' old mentor John Keel. In response, Sam is forced to take Keel’s place, acting as a mentor to his younger self andwitnessing a bloody revolution that he knows will kill many of his old friends and colleagues.
What would run through the streets soon enough wouldn’t be a revolution or a riot. It’d be people who were frightened and panicking. It was what happened when the machinery of city life faltered, the wheels stopped turning and all the little rules broke down. And when that happened, humans were worse than sheep. Sheep just ran; they didn’t try to bite the sheep next to them.
- Terry Pratchett, Night Watch
The story takes place as Sam is about to become a father, andthe story acts as an exploration of the loss of innocenceboth on a personal and societal level, and the tendency of history to valorize conflict and narrativize the mass loss of life, leading to a cycle where humanity never actually learns from its darkest moments. While Discworld is full of books about the Watch,Night Watchis the definitive standalone story about Sam Vimes, and the bittersweet story deserves to exist in as many forms as possible. What’s more, this is another story with a cameo from Lu-Tze, making it a smart follow-up toThief of Time.
Those are our picks for the 10 best Discworld novels that need to be adapted in the newDiscworld Graphic Novel Universe- remember to vote below for the adaptation you most want to see, and be sure to comment your own favorite and why it needs its own comic.
