A Fan-Favorite Character Returns For An All-New Discworld Book This November

Published Oct 15, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

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Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld is returning to bookstores this November with a new illustrated guide to the fantastical creatures that inhabit its wonderfully absurd universe. Titled The Discworld Bestiary, the hardcover from Ten Speed Press arrives on November 3, 2026, featuring artwork by Paul Kidby, the longtime illustrator associated with Pratchett’s beloved fantasy series.

Among the book’s biggest attractions is the return of Rincewind, the perpetually reluctant wizard whose talent for surviving disasters has made him a fan favorite. Rather than simply revisiting familiar characters and creatures, the new book from Penguin Random House places Rincewind in an unexpected academic position, giving readers another opportunity to enjoy his unique and charming perspective on the dangerous, bizarre, and frequently ridiculous inhabitants of Discworld.

Rincewind Takes On an Unusual Academic Assignment

Discworld Emporium

Rincewind’s involvement gives the collection a particularly fitting guide through Discworld’s bestiary. Long known for his lack of enthusiasm for danger and tendency to flee before asking questions, he is hardly the obvious choice to catalogue lethal wildlife. That mismatch is part of the joke, because as Unseen University’s adjunct professor of Perplexing Beasts, he can offer advice that is less authoritative than urgently practical.

The book also appoints Rincewind curator of Unseen University’s curiobiological museum, giving the guide an in-world framework rather than presenting its creatures as a detached encyclopedia. Readers can expect the wizard’s reluctant commentary alongside observations from Discworld’s more respected minds, creating a familiar Pratchett-style clash between official expertise and absurd reality, with Rincewind’s skepticism complicating the museum’s lofty ambitions.

The premise of the upcoming Discworld release suits a series that often uses fantasy conventions to poke fun at real-world institutions and assumptions. A creature guide narrated partly by an easily alarmed wizard allows mundane questions, such as what a beast eats or whether it should be approached, to become punchlines. The humor comes from treating impossible animals with the seriousness of field research while letting Rincewind question whether studying them is worthwhile.

The Discworld Bestiary Explores Pratchett’s Strangest Creatures

Among the entries are the Terrible Man-Eating Sloth of Clup, the Ambiguous Puzuma, and the ominous ducks whose apparent involvement in cosmic affairs deserves investigation. These examples show the book’s range, moving beyond familiar fantasy monsters toward the strangely specific creatures that make Pratchett’s setting so unpredictable and beloved. Each offers another opportunity to explore the author’s enjoyable combination of absurdity, satire, and imaginative worldbuilding.

Paul Kidby’s illustrations are another major attraction, particularly for readers who appreciate the visual side of Discworld. The longtime Pratchett collaborator has contributed new artwork to the fully illustrated volume, bringing its unusual inhabitants to life. Kidby began working with Pratchett in 1993 and subsequently became closely associated with the series’ visuals and artistry, making him a natural choice to revisit its extraordinary menagerie.

Published by Ten Speed Press, The Discworld Bestiary is scheduled to arrive in the United States on November 3, 2026. The hardcover edition costs $35 USD and contains 160 pages. Although the release is a reference-style companion rather than a new Discworld novel, Rincewind’s involvement and Kidby’s artwork offer longtime readers a fresh way to explore Pratchett’s enduring fantasy universe that fans will not want to miss.

Discworld