Terry Pratchett: 1999 A new Discworld novel from Terry
Pratchett is always a major publishing event. The series shows no sign of
faltering as its 24th novel, The Fifth Elephant, heads for the bookshops and – as
always – the bestseller lists. This time Samuel Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City
Watch visits sinister Uberwald (Discworld’s version of Transylvania) on a
diplomatic mission among scheming vampires, murderous werewolves, and
hot-headed dwarfs whose most sacred relic, the Scone of Stone, has just been
stolen…. For Amazon.co.uk, Terry Pratchett talked to David Langford about his
latest book – and others in the pipeline.

• Which aspect of The Fifth Elephant are you most pleased with?

Terry Pratchett: There’s always an element of surprise for
the author when a complex character moves through the plot. I liked the way
Vimes reacted to Uberwald and the way he’s desperate to work within the
framework of…