I have been a fan of Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels for a very long time now, as have many millions of readers around the world. It always delights me to find the new and interesting and subversive things that he is accomplishing in his work: I never cease to be amused by the band names in Soul Music, and the Vietnam War-movie references in Monstrous Regiment (plus just the title and historical references of the entire book) make me giddy with joy.
Tansy Rayner Roberts’ essays on Pratchett’s Women were another revelation when, several years ago, she published them over a series of months. When I mentioned this journal to her, and she almost off-handedly mentioned her notes for a series of essays on Pratchett’s Men, I absolutely made grabby hands. I think I managed to say “gimme” in a more professional manner, but it was a close-run thing. And so, today’s essay is the first in a series from Tansy, looking at how Pratchett portrays some of his men, and how they relate to the women in the books. We start with a witches book…