The ethereal realm of Discworld, a creation born from the prodigious mind of Sir Terry Pratchett, now finds itself clashing with the terrestrial considerations of the present day.
Discworld, a fantastical universe teetering atop four mammoth elephants, who in turn are poised upon the carapace of a cosmic turtle, has been issued a content warning by its publisher, Penguin Random House.
As reported by The Telegraph, the caution is confined to the audiobooks and seeks to provide context, stating, “The first book in the Discworld series – The Colour of Magic – was published in 1983. Some elements of the Discworld universe may reflect this.”
With the commencement of the Discworld series dating back to 1983, the delightful mix of characters and landscapes authored by Sir Terry has since flourished to encompass over 40 books.
The publisher’s sudden imposition of the warning perplexed and agitated fans. However, Penguin Random House delineated that the notice should not be misconstrued as a trigger warning, but rather a note meant to situate the reader in the timeframe of the book’s origins.
This cautionary footnote by Penguin Random House draws a parallel to a prior episode where the publishing house amended Roald Dahl’s books, an act that instigated international dismay. It is important to note that this development in the context of the Discworld series has not been a result of similar modifications to the text itself.
