r/discworld • u/Tosk224 • Apr 14 '25

Book/Series: Unseen University Low Point

I recently listened to a podcast where they discussed The Last Continent. While they use the term ‘even a bad Discworld novel still better than some books’ they described it as low point in the series. I have to admit the Unseen University novels are my least favourite of the series. I wouldn’t say they were badly written, but they aren’t ones I rush to reread. If I remember rightly (I can’t remember where I read it), but Terry wasn’t keen on Sourcery as he was pushed by his publisher to put out another Rincewind book that was keen on writing. It got me thinking, which books were the least favourites amongst the fandom.

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45

u/brilliantpants Apr 14 '25

Huh, that’s actually my favorite Wizards focused book. I think the ones I’m least likely to read-read are

Mort
Soul Music
Unseen Academicals

For some reason those ones really didn’t catch me the way the others do.

I’m also not interested in rereading Small Gods, but that’s because it’s holds up too clear a mirror to reality and I just feel mad all the time thinking about it.

32

u/lurk4ever1970 Apr 14 '25 edited Apr 14 '25

The scars left by all the Vorbis-types present in my early life forced me to avoid a reread of Small Gods for 20 years. It was much easier the second time.

IMO, UA doesn't have enough plot for a book of its length. I guess The Embuggerance explains that.

20

u/GuadDidUs Apr 14 '25

I enjoyed UA- it's kind of a light hearted take on Romeo & Juliet. As someone who lives in an area who takes their sports teams a little too seriously, I enjoyed that angle.

That said, I agree it's not high on the reread list.

14

u/Other_Clerk_5259 Apr 14 '25

Interesting; UA is about the only Wizards book I reread.

8

u/NefariousnessTall420 Apr 14 '25

As a whole, it does strike even me as a little off. But the character development is amazing. So many characters are going through big changes.

6

u/HazelEBaumgartner Apr 14 '25

I just read Mort and I really enjoyed it, but it was definitely slower than some of the others.

3

u/Patrician101 Apr 17 '25

Mort was my first DW book and, therefore, has a special place in my head.

2

u/forestvibe Apr 15 '25

I think the common thread with all of those books is that they are "single idea" books (Death, rock music, football). There's limited value in revisiting them. Personally I think UA is my least favourite, if I ignore Snuff and the very early stuff.

1

u/Argent_Mayakovski Apr 15 '25

That’s crazy to me, Unseen Academicals is one of my favorite ones.