Unfinished works by 'Discworld' author Terry Pratchett to be completed, published

(AFP PHOTO/Ian Nicholson/POOL)

A novel and two short stories begun by Terry Pratchett in 1986 are due to see the light of day, announced publisher Transworld on June 14. The never-published stories focus on Pratchett's vision of The Long Earth, in which the Earth is "but one chain of parallel worlds."

Pratchett wrote the as-yet-untitled "Long Earth" works - to be published in two separate books - shortly after having completed Equal Rights, the third title in his hugely successful comic/fantasy series Discworld. In that series, which began with 1983's The Colour of Magic, Pratchett imagines a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants that, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle.

The Discworld novels helped Pratchett become the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s; between the series and his additional novels and children's books, Pratchett's titles have sold well over 55 million copies worldwide and been translated into 36 languages.

Pratchett will complete his Long Earth works in collaboration with Stephen Baxter, author of hard science fiction novels including Flood and Ark and the Time's Tapestry and Destiny's Children series.

Pratchett described the Long Earth concept as such:

"Our Earth is but one of a chain of parallel worlds, each differing from its neighbours by a little (or a lot) in an infinite landscape of infinite possibilities. And you can just step from one world to the next..."

The first Long Earth novel will be published by Doubleday in spring 2012.

Terry Pratchett's additional forthcoming titles include the recently completed I Shall Wear Midnight, the fourth installment in the his Tiffany Aching series, due out in September. He is also currently at work on his next Discworld novel, set for publication in fall 2011.