Podcasts
Podcasts are episodic audio programs distributed digitally, usually via an RSS feed. Most people listen to them through "podcatcher" software, and there are several directories which catalogue active podcasts.
The first Terry Pratchett-related podcast was the no longer active The Pratchett Podcast in 2011. Since Terry's death, and particularly in the last few years, several shows have appeared where the hosts read and comment on the Discworld books, usually in chronological order. This is an adaptation of the popular "TV recap" podcast format. Such podcasts are sometimes described as "fancasts".
We used to try and cross-reference podcasts and books in a large table, but it grew unwieldy. If you would like to find all the episodes about a book, or find all the podcasts indexed in one place, see our cousin wiki, the Guild of Recappers & Podcasters.
Discworld Podcasts
Podcasts below are categorised as Complete, Active or Inactive, and listed in each category in chronological order, based on launch date. Some also cover other works by Pratchett, though most only do so occasionally and are focussed on the forty-one Discworld novels, and sometimes the film and television adaptations.
Complete Podcasts
These shows have read through all forty-one Discworld books, or otherwise officially ended.
Radio Morpork
Official site: radiomorpork.wordpress.com
Launched August 2015; finished June 2021.
Irish hosts Colm and Steve (and sometimes Rose) read each Discworld book in order, creating a ranked list of their favourites and a few other lists as well. Now complete, with an episode for every Discworld book - the first of the read-through podcasts to achieve this milestone! - and a couple of extras.
The Death of Podcasts
Official site: aalgarcom
Launched November 2018; finished January 2022.
Hosted by married American couple Amanda Smith and Ron “AAlgar” Watt. Describes itself as "a comprehensive review of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series." Also on Tumblr.
Wyrd Sisters
Official site: wyrdsisters.podbean.com
Launched January 2019; finished September 2022.
A monthly Discworld re-read podcast, hosted by Americans Dani, Manning and Liz. Also has a Tumblr.
Desert Island Discworld
Official site: desertislanddiscworld.com
Launched November 2019; finished 2023.
A Discworld interview podcast. Scottish host Al Kennedy (best known for his comics podcast House to Astonish) interviews a variety of guests about their favourite Terry Pratchett book. On the 40th anniversary of Discworld, and it’s own fourth anniversary, ended after seven full seasons with a two-episode mini-season covering the last books it hadn’t already discussed, Eric (with guests from three other Pratchett podcasts) and The Shepherd's Crown (in which Marc Burrows guest hosted and interviewed Al).
Active Podcasts
These podcasts are in active production.
Pratchat
Official site: pratchatpodcast.com
Launched November 2017, released on the 7Ath of each month.
Australian hosts Elizabeth Flux (writer) and Ben McKenzie (comedian) read and discuss every Pratchett book (not just the Discworld), each with a special guest. Not following strict chronological order, and also now incorporating Pratchett's short stories. Also has a supporter only bonus podcast, Ook Club.
The Truth Shall Make Ye Fret
Official site: thetruthshallmakeyefret.com
Launched November 2019; released weekly.
A weekly Discworld podcast. Hosts Joanna Hagan-Young and Francine Carrel read, recap and discuss every Discworld book, in chronological order. Three episodes for each book with a week off in between (often filled with recaps/discussions of related media).
The Compleat Discography
Official site: compleatdiscography.page
Launched January 2020; released fortnightly, at least at launch.
“Four nerds” (later three, often with a guest) do a book club style read-through of the Discworld novels and related works, in publication order. Finished the run of all 41 novels in June 2023, but in December 2023 started a second season that is meant to cover the other Discworld books, starting with Tiffany Aching’s Guide to Being a Witch.
Who Watches the Watch
Official site: pinecast.co
Launched May 2020; released roughly monthly, with 2-3 episodes per book discussed
A collection of Terry Pratchett fans - Chaz, Lucy, Janos and George - began to re-read the Watch novels in anticipation of The Watch, planning to compare the two versions. They ended up pivoting to reading the Discworld books in order of release, with two or three episodes per book and lots of digressions. Refer to themselves as the ‘bad boys’ of Discworld podcasting, and now make many other podcasts as well, under the banner of “Good Episode Productions”. These include Immortal Incantations: Heartspell, which started as a look into self-published fiction on Amazon and became instead a chronicle of the writing and publication of their own series of young adult novels, “Immortal Incantations”.
The Disc-Course
Official site: acast.com
Launched July 2020; released fortnightly in seasons of roughly 20 episodes
American and English Discworld fans, Holly and Julie, discuss the series with two new readers, Americans Mark and Jess. Reading the books in order, but slowly - each book is covered over between two and six fortnightly episodes. As of 2022, they’ve completed two seasons taking them up to Reaper Man.
Disc Coverers
Official site: anchor.fm
Launched November 2020; released roughly monthly
Another in-order Discworld novel podcast, "reading, reviewing and objectively ranking all 41 Discworld novels, chronologically". Hosted by four trans-femmes - Iris Jay, Grace Lovelace, Balina Mahigan, and Juniper Theory - with various levels of familiarity with the books.
Unseen Academicals
Official site: sounder.fm
Launched March 2021; released roughly monthly
Originally two Australian academics, Josh and Alice, but now just Josh; he analyses the Discworld books from an academic perspective, beginning with Unseen Academicals. May feature guests in future.
Nanny Ogg's Book Club
Official site: fireside.fm
Launched September 2021; released fortnightly
A read-through of all 41 Discworld books - though not, initially, in publication order - with American Tessa (of the Monkey Off My Backlog podcast) and Irish Nigel (of Hyperfixations and other podcasts).
I've Never Read Discworld
Official site: anchor.fm
Launched September 2022; released monthly
Two Irish friends read and chat about all 41 Discworld books: "experienced wizard" P J Hart (a fan who's read them all before), and "tourist" Andy Luke (the "I" of the title).
The Turtle Reads
Official site: captivate.fm
Launched December 2022; released monthly
New York comedian Melissa Diaz has a casual chat with her friend Clay Foreman about anything and everything, including a nominated Discworld book or adaptation each episode. Since late 2023 have stopped covering Discworld books and started on the works of other authors, including Ursula K Le Guin, Neil Gaiman and Steven King.
Inactive Podcasts
The Turtle Moves
Launched in 2008 and released sporadically until December 2014
The earliest Pratchett podcast by a large margin. A solo podcast hosted by Alex Gilmour. There's a Tumblr page for the original version at turtlemoves.tumblr.com, though only the last couple of original episodes were posted there. No longer available as the RSS feed was repurposed for Pterry Ptalk (see below).
The Pratchett Podcast
Launched October 2011; released monthly or bi-monthly for 61 episodes through to October 2018.
A sometimes monthly news, discussion and review podcast, mostly about the Discworld. Hosted by Graeme Sheridan and sometimes Rhys Parton. Most recent thirty episodes available here; the first fifteen episodes here.
Ankh-Morpork Public Radio
Official site: shoutengine.com
Launched in September 2016, and released monthly to November 2016.
A Discworld re-read podcast hosted by Discworld newcomer Trevor and long time Pratchett fan Jodhi Doyle. Only two episodes appear to have been made (The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic).
Pterry Ptalk
Official site: podbean.com
Launched in February 2021; only one episode released
A re-launch of The Turtle Moves (see above) using the old RSS feed, making the earlier podcast no longer available.
Tales From the Drum
Official site: mindkindle.net
Launched April 2019; released frequently until November 2021
A roughly weekly Discworld discussion podcast. Hosted by "the Medieval Gnome", an American fantasy fan, who describes this podcast as "a portal between that fantasy world called the Discworld and Roundworld, what we call reality". Also released ten "The Portal's Pratchett Passages", bonus episodes of excerpts from the books, and more than 75 "Pratchips", 3-minute mini episodes. It changed names several times - it was originally called The Discworld Portal until September 2020, when it seems it may have been asked to change the name by the Pratchett estate. It was then briefly The Mystery Portal, then Ponder's Wizardly Portal and The Witches and Wizard's Portal until October 2021, when it adopted the final name. No longer available, aside from a few episodes on its YouTube channel.
And he said to me
Official site: none, but it appears to be on most podcast platforms.
Launched December 2019, two episodes released by April 2020
Artist and author Bernard Pearson, longtime friend of Terry's and owner of the Discworld Emporium, shares stories about Pratchett in conversation with his other friends. Only two episodes were released: one with Rob Wilkins and another with Pearson’s wife Isobel. They have been removed from the podcast host and are no longer available.
Ook!
Official site: anchor.fm
Launched April 2021; planned fortnightly release
Young Australians Kayleigh Love and River Lewis read one Discworld book every episode and discuss it. Only one episode released.
Klatschianischer Kaffee
Official site: podigee.io
Launched November 2021; episodes released frequently until March 2022
A German language podcast discussing the audiobook version of Total verhext, i.e. Wyrd Sisters, "chapter by chapter" (we assume the audiobook has chapters).
PTerrylog
Official site: klatschianischerkaffee.de
Launched December 2021; episodes released monthly until April 2022
A German language podcast discussing the audiobook version of Total verhext, i.e. Wyrd Sisters, "chapter by chapter" (we assume the audiobook has chapters). From the episode descriptions, didn't appear to reach the end of the book when it stopped putting out new episodes.
Hubward Bound
Official site: podbean.com
Launched May 2022; released fortnightly until June 2022
A read-through of all 41 Discworld books, taking multiple episodes per book, with Quinn and Ludo. Has stalled after two episodes, but might return.
Other Podcasts with Regular Discworld Content
These shows are broader fiction podcasts which regularly produce Discworld-themed episodes. They also read a lot of books by authors from the recommendations list.
- Dragon Babies (dragonbabiespodcast.com) - launched September 2016. Discussion of young adult fantasy (like some other American shows, they treat all of Discworld as YA). Has covered Good Omens and four Discworld books so far.
- Stuck on Arrakis (buzzsprout.com) - launched September 2018. Discussion of intimidating speculative fiction series; started with The Wheel of Time, with Discworld episodes added for season two, in October 2020. Currently inactive.
- Teaching My Cat to Read (wordpress.com) - launched September 2020. Four British friends turn their lockdown Zoom book club, which was always gatecrashed by a cat, into a podcast. Mostly classics and fantasy, but intend to include as many Pratchett books as possible.
- Fiction Fans (fictionfanspodcast.com) - launched February 2021. General book podcast with a preference for fantasy; has a regular "Journey to the Centre of the Discworld" segment, in which the hosts read the Discworld books in order. These later become whole episodes of the show. Of note: have interviewed Rhianna Pratchett about her book Campaigns & Companions.
- Beyond the Bindings (buzzsprout.com) - launched March 2021. A solo, weekly fiction podcast primarily discussing fantasy; did the first five Discworld novels in consecutive order, now returning to the series about every few months.
- Northern Winds Fantasy Podcast (spotify.com) - launched September 2021. General fantasy fiction. Small Gods was their first Pratchet; they now seem to be going through the Discworld in order, around other books.
- Books are Magical (buzzsprout.com) - launched September 2022. General book podcast; only featured a couple of Pratchett books so far.
- Just Dads Reading Books (redcircle.com) - launched January 2023. YA books from parents’ perspective (another one that treats the Discworld as YA); have covered a couple of the books so far.
Good Omens Podcasts
Recap podcasts are more popular for television shows, so several popped up to discuss the first season of Good Omens. None are currently active, though some may return for the second season.
- Welcome to the End Times (anchor.fm) - launched March 2019. Also covered the book.
- The Fangirl Zone: Good Omens (castos.com) - launched May 2019.
- Good Omens Podcast (tvpodcastindustries.com) - launched May 2019.
- The Good Omens Podcast (afterbuzztv.com) - launched June 2019.
- Good Omens Recap - launched June 2019. No longer available.