If not Terry Pritchett, then who...?

[BlackAlys]

Posting here for sheer traffic.

I am a desperate woman. I know there's a HUGE fan base here so please please help.

I read and listen to TP Discworld audio books almost constantly - when cooking, cleaning, walking and driving to work.

I'll always be his No.1 fan but I wouldn't mind branching out.

I've read Neil Gaiman.
Have tried to get into The Red Rising series (recommended by a friend) and I simply can't resonate with it at all). And that's the issue - Sir T was just an incredible observer and iconic writer of human traits and falling in love with his characters has truly stunted me from exploring others.

What can I move on to?!

Help!

@YoureAllABunchOfBastards

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch.

He is a huge Pratchett fan and so if nothing else you'll love the throwaway references

I love the ROL series (I even have a Nightingale inspired tattoo) but I'm finding the latest one, False Values, a real slog to get through. I'm so disappointed by it.

David Gemmell was brilliant, so much so that they ran fantasy awards in his name for the decade after his death.

I'd recommend starting with Drenai series but they're all excellent.

Otherwise give Terry Brooks and his Shannara books a whirl, they're really enjoyable too.

@4amWitchingHour

Shamelessly digging for info - which audiobooks / narrators have you gone for for TP? I have an audible subscription and can't find a narrator I like...

This is crucial, I agree.

The narrator Stephen Briggs is excellent - particularly with any Vimes books.

Nigel Planer is great as well.

Sorry Tony. I can't abide any of the audio books narrated by Tony Robinson. He sounds whiney and complaining throughout.

There's also a woman who narrates some of the earlier witches books - can't abide them, despite the Witches being amongst my favourites.

Seconding recommendation for Jasper Fforde, Tom Holt and Douglas Adams

Thanks tons everyone - I'll investigate each suggestion.

I particularly like these threads just to get a gander at the TP user names.

BlackAlice was taken so I've put a Welsh spin on the spelling - I'm sure Sir T wouldn't mind

Epic strikeout fail

I was going to say Jasper Fforde but see others have beaten me to it :) "The City and The City" by China Mieville is very good - and builds a very interesting world. I know he has written other books but havent read them. Continuing the fantasy/SF them what about Ursula le Guin?
If you like books that contain excellent character obervations then you could try Jane Austin, George Elliot etc. Obviously they are a completely different genre, so if its not your thing then fair enough, but like TP they were both very good at observing character and conveying it with a light touch.

@MedusasBadHairDay

Seconding recommendation for Jasper Fforde, Tom Holt and Douglas Adams

Agree with Douglas Adam's except for Mostly Harmless, which I have decided to pretend does not exist (it is just very, needlessly depressing)

Have you tried the ‘True Blood’ series, a great alternative world.

OP I and my older-teens loved the Lockwood and Co books - wizards and secrets and mysteries.

Loved RoL, sad that the latest seems disappointing.

I'm going to check out the Slough House books -look great.

Stephen King's Black Tower series.

The first book is a slog and to me didn't make much sense at the time but once you get past that the rest of the books are amazing.
I'm not keen on many of his books but Black Tower stands out above most anything apart from PTerry.

I also have a huge Pratchett shaped hole in my life.
I don’t think there is anyone out there who can do what he did.
I was going to recommend GRRRM, but I can see from you user name that you probably already like the asoiaf series.
I keep on trying to get into The Witcher series but it hasn’t pulled me in yet.
It might seem a bit obvious but Philip Pullman and his dark materials ?
Watching in interest for other recommendations.

Agree the reader makes all the difference on audiobooks. I’ve enjoyed the True Blood books and the Discovery of Witches trilogy on audio as the narrators were so good but couldn’t get into reading them. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith reading ROL is amazing! Although I’ve struggled with the last one, been listening on and off for about 6 months...!

May not be exactly your thing, but I like The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and the follow-up The Lost Future of Pepperharrow. Not such obviously fantasy novels as they're set in basically real, albeit slightly skewed, worlds (19th-C London and Japan), but they come to mind as they share something of the wit, wryness, humanity and observational nous of Pratchett. I don't think they're as overtly funny – they're not meant to be– but they're kind of in the ballpark. And they're a great read in their own right anyway.

Terry Pratchett is irreplaceable. You know this already but you’re in denial.

Sorry for the unhelpful post. I could have asked the same question a few years ago myself.

As others have said the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch is extremely good. I also enjoy David Eddings books, well worth a read.

@ElspethFlashman

That Slough House series sounds fun, am definitely gonna check those out.

The Chronicles of St Mary's left me cold somehow. It wasn't as much fun as I expected. I think I was expecting a time travelling romp and it was a lot more serious than that.

Wierdly though, my favourite fantasy series far an away is proper blood 'n guts' n magic fantasy - The First Law Series by Joe Abercrombie.

Basically the characterisation is absolutely amazing - these are characters who really stay with you. All really different and you end up rooting for them, when when they're Baddies.

And he's highly prolific so gets out a book every couple of years. Love that most of all, after being badly burnt on some other fantasy writers who leave you waiting forever!

Oh good shout on Joe Abercrombie, I'd forgotten him. And Steven Pacey truly is the man of a thousand voices!

I didn't take to the St Mary's books either. Too glib.

Oh another possible would be the Gentleman Bastards series by Scott Lynch. Although the audiobook narration isn't up to much. And after three books the most recent published in 2013 -- there's a bit of an increasing gap while the author's been dealing with (I think) some personal issues.

Another vote for Jasper Fforde here.

Do make sure you read Pterrys non discworld books too!

Jasper Fforde and Jody Taylor definitely

Also Robert Asprin - Myth Inc and Phules company for light hearted reading

If you like Neil Gaimen have a look at his graphic novels, Sandman, am also reading the Lucifer and Hellboy ones again

My dd asked for Stephen Fry's Mythos for Christmas. She has just started it and read some passages aloud. They had a very similar vibe to TP.

Now I just have to get her to actually read TP. It is SO DEFINITELY her style, drives me mad that she won't try it.

I'll try not to repeat any names but I would also recommend many of the names already given.

To try and give you some more alternatives, I would also suggest Mark Hayden and the book The 13th Witch, the first in a series of books which have a lot of similar elements to the Rivers of London books by Ben Aaronovitch.

Also, Janny Wurts - especially the Empire series (starting with Daughter of the Empire) that she wrote with Raymond Feist.

I would definitely recommend Robin Hobb - fantastic writer of characters. Plus there are loads of books in the series and they are all of a decent length. I also like Naomi Novik's Temeraire series.

@badacorn

Terry Pratchett is irreplaceable. You know this already but you’re in denial.

Sorry for the unhelpful post. I could have asked the same question a few years ago myself.

You are, of course, 100%.

He is, and always will be, the undisputed best.

I agree wholeheartedly with the Rivers of London and Chronicles of St Mary's books. And of course Douglas Adams. Highly recommend Robert Rankin, my other great love. YY also to Tom Holt and Craig Shaw Gardener.

Yes to rivers of London. Excellent narrator as well. And I really rate Joe Abercrombie though it’s v bloody.
For fun pulp I like the Jodi Taylor and I also like the Genevieve Cogman invisible library series.
Ok it’s kids books, but Rick Riordan Percy Jackson / Magnus chase / etc are all v funny and my son who loves the Tiffany aching “entry drug” pratchetts loves them too. I was way more impressed than I was expecting to be.
On a different track - have you read anything by Nina stibbe? I only mention it because she is on the next shelf along from my pratchetts. totally different but v well observed and funny. Love Nina is the first.
And i recently re-listened to all the James Herriot books. Loved them.
I did also read a series of books called The Unhappy Medium. T J Brown. V much billed as “for fans of pratchett and Douglas adams” - so not at all as good, but quite funny.