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Snuff

Snuff

FantasyHigh Fantasy
Pages
512
Published
2011
Language
English

Synopsis

Sam Vimes is on a forced holiday in the country with Lady Sybil and their son. He is not good at holidays. When he discovers that goblins — a species considered vermin under Ankh-Morpork law — are being used as slave labour and killed with impunity, Vimes is drawn into an investigation far from his jurisdiction but entirely within his conscience. The eighth and final Sam Vimes Watch novel, examining the outer limits of what the law can do and cannot do.

Prose complexity
5/10

Vibe

FunnySatiricalGrittyThought-Provoking
Anti-HeroMorally GreyReluctant HeroSurvival

Genres

Fantasy High Fantasy Comic Fiction Humor

About the author

T
Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett (1948–2015) was an English author best known for the Discworld series, a sequence of forty-one comic fantasy novels set on a flat world carried through space on the backs of four elephants standing on a giant turtle. Across four decades, the Discworld grew from a parody of sword-and-sorcery fantasy into one of the most sustained works of social satire in English literature, examining politics, religion, science, gender, race, capitalism, and the nature of stories themselves. Pra...

Characters

Sam VimesProtagonist

On holiday against his will, and discovering that a policeman who is truly committed to justice has no off switch.

Lady Sybil VimesSupporting

Sam's wife — her knowledge of the country and its gentry proves essential, and her patience with Sam's inability to relax is considerable.

WillikinsSupporting

The Vimes family butler — who turns out to have a considerably more violent past than his position suggests.

Havelock VetinariSupporting
Sybil Deidre Olgivanna RamkinSupporting
All characters in Snuff

Frequently asked questions

  • What is snuff by Terry Pratchett about?

    Snuff by Terry Pratchett is about Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. He takes a holiday in the countryside, where he investigates a murder. The case takes him far from his usual city environment.

  • Is snuff the last Sam Vimes book?

    Snuff is not the last book featuring Sam Vimes. He appears in Raising Steam, which was published after Snuff.

  • When was Snuff published?

    First published on 11 October 2011 by Doubleday. It is the thirty-ninth Discworld novel and the eighth (and final) City Watch book.

  • Do I need to read other Discworld books before Snuff?

    While Snuff is part of the Discworld series, it can be enjoyed as a standalone story. It focuses on Commander Vimes and the City Watch, and while recurring characters appear, the plot is self-contained.

  • What group does Snuff focus on?

    Goblins — a species that has been treated as vermin and non-persons under Ankh-Morpork law. Pratchett uses them to examine how the definition of 'person' has been used throughout history to justify exploitation.

  • Does Snuff have any real-world inspirations?

    Terry Pratchett drew inspiration from various real-world social issues and historical events for the themes explored in Snuff, particularly concerning class, justice, and the treatment of marginalized groups. The narrative often reflects on societal structures and prejudices.

  • Is Snuff considered one of the stronger Watch novels?

    Reader opinion varies. Some consider it a worthy conclusion to Vimes's arc; others find the country setting less vivid than the city environment that defines the Watch books. The goblin storyline is broadly praised for its emotional directness.

  • How does Snuff compare to other City Watch novels?

    Snuff continues the evolution of Commander Vimes's character, placing him in an unfamiliar rural setting which provides a fresh perspective on his investigative methods and moral compass. It delves deeper into the political and social commentary often present in the City Watch sub-series.

  • What is the 'goblins as persons' question about?

    Snuff is an extended meditation on the relationship between legal personhood and actual personhood — how societies define who counts as a 'person' worthy of rights, and what happens when that definition is used as a tool of economic convenience.

  • Does Snuff work as a standalone novel?

    It works better with the Watch context — the relationship between Vimes, Sybil, and the Watch is enriched by the previous eight books. New readers are better served starting with Guards! Guards!.

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