A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories – Pratchett Terry (2023)

Far away and long ago, when dragons still existed and the only arcade game was black-and-white ping-pong, a wizard cautiously entered a smoky tavern in the evil, ancient, foggy city of Morpork. This beautifully illustrated collection brings together twenty rediscovered early short stories by Sir Terry Pratchett, written under a pseudonym for newspapers during the 1970s and 1980s, each accompanied by an original woodcut illustration. Although none is set in Discworld, the stories hint at the world Pratchett would later create, filled with his trademark wit, satirical wisdom and fantastic imagination. Meet Og the inventor, the first caveman to cultivate fire, as he discovers the highs and lows of progress; haunt the Ministry of Nuisances with the defiant evicted ghosts of Pilgarlic Towers; visit Blackbury, a small market town with strange weather and an otherworldly visitor; and join hero Kron on a dangerous quest through time and space that begins in the ancient city of Morpork. The collection also includes praise for Pratchett from A. S. Byatt, the Independent, the Evening Standard, The Times and Frank Cottrell Boyce.