“Football, food, fashion and wizards collide in Pratchett’s affectionate satire on the foibles of sports and sports fans. . . . The prose crackles with wit and charm, and the sendups of league football, academic posturing, Romeo and Juliet and cheesy sports dramas are razor sharp and hilarious but never cruel. At its heart, this is an intelligent, cheeky love letter to football, its fans and the unifying power of sports.” —Publishers Weekly
Football (aka soccer) comes to the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork, upending the wizards of Unseen University—and dividing Discworld—in this wonderfully funny novel in Sir Terry Pratchett’s internationally bestselling series.
The wizards at Ankh-Morpork’s Unseen University are renowned for many things—wisdom, magic, teatime—but athletics, not so much. When Lord Vetinari, the city’s benevolent tyrant, strongly suggests to Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully that the university revive its sports program and field a football team composed of faculty, students, and staff—or lose the funding that pays for their nine daily meals—the wizards of UU find themselves in a quandary. First, they have to understand what makes foot-the-ball so popular with Ankh-Morporkians. Then they have to learn how to play it—and win—without using magic.
Of course, the thing about football is that it is never just about football.
The Discworld novels can be read in any order but Unseen Academicals is the seventh and final book in the Wizards collection (and 37th Discworld book). The other books in the Wizards collection include:
- The Color of Magic
- The Light Fantastic
- Sourcery
- Eric
- Interesting Times
- The Last Continent
Industry Reviews
"It's a triumphant effort"--"The Independent on Sunday" It s a triumphant effort --"The Independent on Sunday"" -It's a triumphant effort---The Independent on Sunday -Thirty-seven books in and ... Discworld is still going strong...and doing so with undimmed, triumphant exuberance. ---The Guardian -This account of Unseen University's entry into the world of soccer (or, as they occasionally call it, -foot-the-ball-) pushes past the usual conventions of satire to offer equal parts absurdist philosophy and heartwarming romance....A witty addition to the long-running fantasy series---Kirkus Reviews -At its heart, this is an intelligent, cheeky love letter to football, its fans and the unifying power of sports.--Publishers Weekly -In short, this is as busy and as daft as any other Discworld yarn, which means it is the quintessence of daft. Nobody writes fantasy funnier than Pratchett.---Booklist "It's a triumphant effort"--The Independent on Sunday "Thirty-seven books in and ... Discworld is still going strong...and doing so with undimmed, triumphant exuberance. "--The Guardian "This account of Unseen University's entry into the world of soccer (or, as they occasionally call it, "foot-the-ball") pushes past the usual conventions of satire to offer equal parts absurdist philosophy and heartwarming romance....A witty addition to the long-running fantasy series"--Kirkus Reviews "At its heart, this is an intelligent, cheeky love letter to football, its fans and the unifying power of sports.--Publishers Weekly "In short, this is as busy and as daft as any other Discworld yarn, which means it is the quintessence of daft. Nobody writes fantasy funnier than Pratchett."--Booklist It s a triumphant effort --The Independent on Sunday" Thirty-seven books in and ... Discworld is still going strong...and doing so with undimmed, triumphant exuberance. --The Guardian" This account of Unseen University s entry into the world of soccer (or, as they occasionally call it, foot-the-ball ) pushes past the usual conventions of satire to offer equal parts absurdist philosophy and heartwarming romance....A witty addition to the long-running fantasy series --Kirkus Reviews" At its heart, this is an intelligent, cheeky love letter to football, its fans and the unifying power of sports.--Publishers Weekly" In short, this is as busy and as daft as any other Discworld yarn, which means it is the quintessence of daft. Nobody writes fantasy funnier than Pratchett. --Booklist"
