A Stroke of the Pen is a lovely collection of previously undiscovered Terry Pratchett short stories. Originally published in the 1970s and 80s under a handful of pseudonyms, these stories show off some of Pratchett’s earliest fiction writing. And you can immediately see some of the hallmarks of his later writing. His humor, his gift for worldbuilding, and even some of his political commentary. None of these stories are Discworld-adjacent, necessarily. But a lot of them lay the groundwork for much of Pratchett’s later work. 

Even if you’re not super familiar with his later work, though, this is a delightful collection of short stories in its own right. The tales are quick, breezy, fun reads. Full of magic and aliens and general weirdness. It’s the literary equivalent of wrapping up in a warm blanket with a cup of soup. Some personal highlights are “The Fossil Beach”, “How Scrooge Saw the Spectral Light”, “The New Father Christmas”, “The Haunted Steamroller”, “The Blackburry Thing”, and “The Quest for the Keys”

Overall, A Stroke of the Pen is a delightful read from start to finish, perfect for longtime fans of Pratchett’s work and those wholly new to his writing. 

4.5 out of 5 wands.

Disclaimer: a review copy was provided by the publisher and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own.