Small Gods
by Terry Pratchett, Ray Friesen · first published 1992
66% recommend34% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Self-contained Discworld novel, so a good entry point that needs no other books. Funny and sharp on religion and belief, with more depth than the early gags; suits newcomers and fans of satirical fantasy.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was: "Hey, you!" For Brutha the novice is the Chosen One. He wants peace and justice and brotherly love. He also wants the Inquisition to stop torturing him now, please...
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"Yes. I know. He's Vorbis," said Brutha. "Vorbis changed people. Sometimes he changed them into dead people. But he always changed them. That was his triumph." -- (Terry Pratchett, Small Gods) I love this book, Small Gods, one of my favorite books by any author. I think the same could be said of Terry Pratchett, he changed people through his books (and as a bonus generally left them alive).…
on “Sir Terry Pratchett has died” ↗> makes it seem like there's some dice game being played by the gods for the human race. Have you ever read Small Gods by Terry Pratchett? Great book. Your comment reminded me of it because it includes the gods of that world dicing over a war of their followers
on “Japan’s ‘killing stone’ splits in two” ↗Small Gods. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34484.Small_Gods It's the 13th book of Terry Pratchett's superb Discworld series, but it's the perfect entry point for anyone who hasn't read any of them because…
on “Ask HN: Which book have you re-read recently?” ↗…of Thrones combined with a bit of MacBeth. The rise and fall of two shogunate families, and an analysis of the tragic flaws of character that brought their fall about. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo. Small Gods - Terry Pratchett. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad. The Guide - R. K. Narayan. Evidence - Mary Oliver. All of Us - The Collected Poetry of Raymond Carver. Silence - Shusaku Endo. The Great Gatsby…
on “Ask HN: What books have made the biggest impact on your mental models?” ↗It’s from Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. From this and other similar works such as Terry Pratchett’s Small Gods or Neil Gaiman’s Ameeican Gods, deities pop into existence from the pure belief of people. It’s a great literary conceit.
on “The fifth hyperfactorial: 5⁵ × 4⁴ × 3³ × 2² × 1¹ milliseconds is exactly 1 day” ↗I binge-read Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. If you're looking for something religious-y, start with the brilliant Small Gods.
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite books? I'm bored” ↗That is great if you're planning to read the whole series. But he didn't hit his stride for a few books, and there are many sub-series to read. For a good stand alone, my favorite is Small Gods. You could also read Equal Rites or Mort. Another great story arc starts with Guards! Guards!
on “Novels with giant, possibly magical, libraries” ↗I've been maintaining a list of books I've read over the past years at https://explog.in/books/list.html; some that come to mind – 1. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett (this might actually be more than 10 years ago, but I'll still list it) I really like this one because it emphasizes the value of caring about the _core_ of anything instead of the _trappings_…
on “Ask HN: Best books you read in the past decade?” ↗I liked Small Gods, I didn't feel like I was missing anything by reading that first. I haven't read most of them.
on “Ask HN: Where to Start with Discworld?” ↗I always tell people to start with Guards! Guards! because I'm a huge City Watch fanboy. But depending on the person I might recommend Small Gods or Monstrous Regiment instead. After reddit's hostility towards users became clear, I started reading Discworld books again. I think my all time favourite will always be Thud!
on “Royal Mail to Issue “Terry Pratchett’s Discworld” Stamps” ↗If you are having difficulty imagining that, just read _Small Gods_, by Terry Pratchett. Maybe also read it if you are not having difficulty. The premise of that story, exploring the difference between followers and believers can be mapped directly to... well, quite…
on “The Radical Humaneness of Norway’s Halden Prison” ↗The Night Watch by Sir Terry Pratchett. I have always liked his Discworld series, though two books had a bigger place in my heart : The Small Gods and The Night Watch. The first book was given to me as a young teenager, looking through his way to live and I am pretty sure that it took a huge part of my religious beliefs later(not exactly atheism,…
on “Ask HN: What's your favorite novel? Why?” ↗Well there's a thing. You are of course correct but for a decent discussion of the issues around religion, I'll direct you to "Small Gods" by Sir Terry Pratchett. I don't think it is considered a classic by fans but for me I think it is close to being one of the great critiques about religion. If nothing else it is a damn good page turner.
on “The fifth hyperfactorial: 5⁵ × 4⁴ × 3³ × 2² × 1¹ milliseconds is exactly 1 day” ↗…lessons from the book on why the world is like it is and how we can only nudge it slowly.... You can read it here: http://designsciencelab.com/resources/OperatingManual_BF.pdf Edit to also mention; Small Gods by Terry Pratchett (as well as basically every other book he ever wrote).
on “Ask HN: What's one book that changed your life?” ↗I wish I'd read "Small Gods" by Pratchett as a kid for its humor and perspective on religion
on “Ash HN: Book you wish you read as a kid?” ↗