The Carpet People

"This is Terry Pratchett’s first novel: astoundingly, he wrote it when he was seventeen. In the Author’s Note, Pratchett says of his younger self, “I thought fantasy was all battles and kings. Now I’m inclined to think that the real concerns of fantasy ought to be about not having battles, and doing without kings.” So when this book was reprinted after the success of Discworld , he did some re-writing – opening his Note with the intriguing announcement, “This book had two authors, and they were both the same person.” I don’t think so. It would be interesting to compare it with the original. This version is very Pratchett and really charming. The central conceit is that a whole civilisation lives in the carpet. The people are miniscule: for a sense of scale, a one penny piece has formed a vast unscalable bronze edifice from which they mine all the metal used in the world. Great hairs grow everywhere, a part of their world as natural as trees, and fluff forms the other major landscape feature. Geography is defined by furnishings and changes in the carpet. If you have a patterned carpet to stare at, this book will stick with you. Within this world, there are multiple peoples. Most are part of something very like the Roman Empire . Some others are loveable non-conformists. Some are very un lovable non-conformists, and they are the enemy to be battled. And there’s a wise elder race who see the future, although in true Pratchett fashion, this group are also gently mocked. Loosely, yes. Don’t expect any great tactical shenanigans, though. It’s mostly a jaunt through the carpet with some fun characters, enjoying the invention of the world along the way. And a chance to see where it all began for Pratchett ."