Unseen Academicals

First published on 1 October 2009 by Doubleday. It is the thirty-seventh Discworld novel.

The novel is a parody of association football (soccer) — its culture, its fans, the Premier League model, the way the sport has been transformed from a working-class pastime into a global entertainment product, and the figures who profit from it.

Largely yes, though it features Ankh-Morpork and many familiar background figures. Mr Nutt and Glenda are entirely new characters and the novel works without prior Discworld knowledge.

Glenda is notable as one of Pratchett's most grounded, capable working-class female protagonists. She has no special powers or hidden destiny — she is simply excellent at her job, perceptive about people, and eventually the most effective person in the novel.

The Finnish translation, FC Akateemiset, won the 2015 Tähtifantasia Award for the best foreign fantasy book published in Finland. The novel was also a finalist for the 2010 Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel, which went to China Miéville's The City & The City.