The Carpet People is a comic fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett. First published in 1971 and written when Pratchett was 17 years old, it was later re-written by the author when his work became more widespread and well-known. In the Author's Note of the revised edition, published in 1992, Pratchett wrote: "This book had two authors, and they were both the same person."
The Carpet People contains a similar mix of humour and serious topics like war, death and religion, which later became a major part of the Discworld series. Before creating the Discworld, Pratchett wrote about two different flat worlds, first in this novel, and then in the novel Strata.
Development Pratchett claimed to have originated the term "carpet people" during an exchange at a pub. The phrase "The Carpet People" appears in one of his school notebooks in 1964. On 8 November 1965 while working at the Bucks Free Press he wrote a story featuring carpet people for their Children's Circle section. It was later republished with some modifications in Dragons at Crumbling Castle.
Pratchett showed a book length version of carpet people to its eventual publishers in December 1968 and a contract to publish was agreed 9 January 1969. Publication was delayed while Pratchett performed further polishing with 3000 copies of the book being released 16 November 1971. These took a bit over a decade to sell out. A German version titled Alarm im Teppichreich was published by Verlag Sauerländer.
A sequel was considered but Pratchett abandoned the idea in 1973.
Characters
Glurk, chief of the Munrungs Snibril, Glurk's younger brother Pismire, the wise man of the Munrung tribe Bane, a Dumii general Brocando, King of the Deftmenes Fray, a natural phenomenon wreaking havoc on the Carpet Mouls, a power-hungry species Wights, who remember the future Camus Cadmes
Themes The book explores the conflict between traditions and innovation. There is an established civilization, complete with bureaucrats, taxation, and permits; there are people who resent the establishment; there is a need for both groups to find common ground in order to save their collective civilization.
References
External links The Carpet People at The L-Space Web