Terry Pratchett’sDiscworldis one of the most popular, critically-acclaimed fantasy sagas ever, and nowthe franchise is expanding with a series of graphic novel adaptations of classic books from the series, starting with:Thief of Time,Monstrous Regiment, andThe Wee Free Men. In their official announcement, the Pratchett Estate explained why they started with these titles.
it was revealed thatThief of Timewill be available in April of next year.
Monstrous Regiment, meanwhile, will follow in the fall, andThe Wee Free Mencoming in early 2027, written by Terry Pratchett’s daughter. Beyond that, fans eager for new versions of Pratchett’s work should expect more.
“Discworld” Is Expanding Into Graphic Novels With Three Adaptations; Terry Pratchett’s Estate Explains Their Choices
Thief of TimeGraphic Novel Adaptation: Written By Gary Chudleigh; Art By Rachel Stott; Available Jun 20, 2025 From Transworld
Calling themselves “firm champions of ‘starting in the wrong place’,“Pratchett’s Estate acknowledged these novels might be unexpected starting points for their roster ofDiscworldgraphic novels. At least, according to some readers. There are over fortynovels in theDiscworldseries, and every fan has their favorites, the stories they’d like to experience in a different medium the most.
The creators behind theDiscworldGraphic Novel Universe have made an important decision, which is to start with Terry Pratchett’s later work.
It is important to note thatDiscworldis not a contiguous storyline, but rather a series of standalone novels. Characters reappear, plots interweave, and themes repeat, but the main thing is that they share the Discworld universe. So, the franchise isn’t likeGame of Thrones, orLord of the Rings, in which the books must be adapted in chronological order.
Thief of Time, which is the grand debut ofDiscworldin graphic novel form, is the twenty-sixth novel in the series.The Wee Free MenandMonstrous Regiment, meanwhile, were published thirtieth and thirty-first. So, the creators behind theDiscworldGraphic Novel Universe have made an important decision, which is to start with Terry Pratchett’s later work.
There are several reasons this makes strong logistical sense. Moreover, though, itshould tellDiscworldfans something crucial: that there is an ambitious plan for the future of the franchise, befitting Pratchett’s reputation as an ambitious and expansive author. This definitely includes further graphic novel adaptations of theDiscworldbooks, and perhaps more.
Here’s Why The “Discworld” Graphic Novel Universe Starting With Later Books Makes Sense
Monstrous RegimentGraphic Novel Adaptation; Creative Team And Release Date TBA
One advantage to adapting laterDiscworldnovels first, which springs to mind, is that these books were set in a more fully-realized version of Pratchett’s sprawling fictional world.The earlyDiscworldnovels were necessarily formative, with Pratchett developing the setting as he went. ByThief of Time’s2001 publication, Pratchett had been writingDiscworldbooks for nearly two decades.
That is to say, these were Pratchett’s more mature works, set in a well-established, fully immersive world. What does that mean for adaptation? It is possible, at least, that this will allow the authors and artists working on theDiscworldgraphic novels to follow Pratchett’s vision more closely, to hew to what was on the page without taking too many liberties.
This is, necessarily, the peril of adaptation when it comes to a series as iconic asDiscworld. For example, look no further than the BBC seriesThe Watch, a one-season series that was intended as a looseadaptation of certain elements ofDiscworld. Unfortunately, by the time it aired,The Watch’sconnection to its source materialhad become far too loose.
This isn’t something that should be a problem for theDiscworldGraphic Novel Universe, which is being closely overseen by Terry Pratchett’s estate. Further,The Wee Free Menis being adapted by Rhianna Pratchett, the late author’s daughter, who is understandably as invested in preserving her father’s workin this new medium as anyone could get.
The Wee Free MenGraphic Novel Adaptation; Written By Rhianna Pratchett; Artist And Release Date TBA
As Rhianna Pratchett herself explained:
I’m delighted to be adapting The Wee Free Men, which is one of my favourite books by my father. Growing up in Wiltshire, England’s ‘Chalk Country’, and having a shepherdess grandmother makes it a very personal book for me, as well as being the gateway into the superb Tiffany Aching series.
As she points out,The Wee Free Menmight be a laterDiscworldentry, but it is a “gateway,” to a certain corner of her father’s vast fictional universe. The book introducedTiffany Aching, who went on to play a central roleas a protagonist in five subsequent novels. Further, Rhianna Pratchett has experience writing Tiffany.
Pratchett wrote 2023’sTiffany Aching’s Guide to Being a Witch, and now her comic adaptation ofThe Wee Free Menbuilds on that.Monstrous Regiment, meanwhile, involves the fan-favorite City Watch, andThief of Timeis narrated by Death, one of the franchise’s most pivotal characters. Each of these storiesfunction as effective “gateways” toDiscworld.
WithThe Wee Free Menscheduled for the early part of 2027, the question then, is what adaptations will follow from there, and the Pratchett Estate has turned that question back on fans, writing:
And what ones next? We’d love to hear where you’d like to journey next on the Discworld. There are certainly many roads to be taken…
In other words, readers can have a voice in the decision in which novel is turned into a graphic novel next.
The Estate also promised it will be “inviting readers behind the scenes of all the graphic novels” in progress, promising creative interviews, and the opportunity for fans to continue sharing their input. “A core belief of Terry’s was that reading should be for everyone,” they wrote, and asa new era ofDiscworldbegins, its future belongs to the fans as much as anyone.
