Book · 1990
Good Omens
by Terry Pratchett
An angel and a demon who've grown fond of Earth team up to stop the apocalypse because neither wants their side to actually win.
What does Reddit think of Good Omens?
Good Omens turns up somewhere unexpected: r/RomanceBooks nominates it for a bantering-duo "feel" thread (↑612), which isn't where you'd expect a Pratchett-Gaiman collaboration to land. r/Fantasy's contribution is closer to eulogy than review; one comment (↑480) is a signed-copy memory of Pratchett at conventions, RIP GNU attached. Another (↑588) credits the footnotes specifically as Pratchett's fingerprint, quoting the Corporal Nobbs line as evidence. r/suggestmeabook adds a smaller, specific claim: good cadence for reading aloud (↑436). The complication is Gaiman himself. One r/Fantasy commenter (↑556) says they've wanted to read Good Omens or American Gods for years but now probably won't, over news unrelated to the books' quality. A planned sequel, per the same thread (↑778), never got written together before Pratchett died, so the TV continuation is working from notes, not a finished manuscript.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · The footnotes as Pratchett's identifiable signature inside a co-written book
- · An unlikely crossover pick for readers who don't normally read fantasy
- · Pratchett's death treated as personal loss, not just author trivia
- · Gaiman's off-page controversy now shadowing whether people pick this up at all
Common praise
- + r/RomanceBooks nominates it for a specific banter-and-warmth vibe thread (↑612), a genre crossover the book apparently earns on its own terms.
- + One reader (↑588) points straight at the footnotes, quoting the Corporal Nobbs exchange as unmistakably Pratchett's voice inside a joint book.
- + Gets singled out specifically for reading well aloud (↑436), a narrower and more specific compliment than generic praise.
Common criticism
- − One commenter (↑556) says years of wanting to read this or American Gods has curdled into probably skipping both, over Gaiman news that has nothing to do with the writing itself.
- − The planned sequel never got finished together (↑778): Pratchett died before he and Gaiman could write it, so what exists past the original book is notes, not a completed story.
- − Most of the highest-upvoted excerpts here are about the author and the adaptation rather than the text, which makes it hard to isolate opinions on the book alone from this sample.
Who it's for
Come at this sideways if fantasy isn't usually your shelf; r/RomanceBooks reaches for it for a specific tone, not a specific genre. Reading it aloud to someone is apparently a real use case, per one specific compliment about its cadence. If your interest is the show, know going in that a full sequel was planned but never actually written together before Pratchett's death, so later material is working from notes rather than a second finished novel. And if Gaiman's off-page conduct is a dealbreaker for you the way it was for one commenter here, that's a decision this sample shows people already making.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for Good Omens?
The most relevant excerpts across the subreddits where this book is mentioned — opinionated, argued takes first, then top-upvoted mentions. Click through to read the full thread.
“That’s great, I really enjoyed the first season. For those who might be worried, Neil has said he and Terry planned out a sequel to the book, but never got to write it together obviously. So if this is a way to get that story out there, then I’m optimistic. They’ve got a hell of a team. From the a…
“I nominate {Good omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman } for this feel.
“>“Corporal Nobbs,” he rasped, “why are you kicking people when they're down?” >“Safest way, sir,” said Nobby. That, and all of the footnotes from *Good Omens*, which were really obviously Pratchett at work. "Shadwell hated all Southerners, and was, by inference, at the North Pole."
“Protagonist/antagonist status of the characters could be debated but Good Omens by Pratchett and Gaiman might be a good fit.
“For the longest time, I wanted to get around to a Neil Gaiman book (either Good Omens or American Gods) because of the praise I've heard about him. Due to news unrelated to the books themselves, I will probably not bother reading them regardless of quality
“It depends on the situation. In the case of Wheel of Time (the series was almost over, and Jordan had already written chunks of the final books and left copious notes before passing), it makes sense. He wanted the series to have an ending, and there was an author working for the same publisher who…
“Good Omens? I think it has nice cadences for reading aloud
“Good Omens -- by far the funniest book I've ever read, and at the same time has some great social commentary, the whole 'nature vs. nurture' good v. evil thing, and a satisfying ending all round.
“Whenever I read or hear the words 'dark and stormy night', I can't help but think of Good Omens. "It wasn't a dark and stormy night. It should have been, but that’s the weather for you."
“Given that you have neither Pratchett nor Gaiman, I'd suggest getting Good Omens. It's a standalone that serves as an introduction to both authors and it's prominent right now because of the Amazon/BBC adaptation.
““Good Omens” by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman had me in stitches. The humor is just so clever and the characters are hilariously well-written. Another one is “Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams – it’s a classic, and the absurdity is top notch
“I’ve been grappling with this. I love just about everything he’s written—Sandman, American Gods, Stardust, Neverwhere, Good Omens, Coraline, Graveyard Book, Anansi Boys, Marvel 1602, Ocean at the End of the Lane, his short story collections, so, so many things. A year ago, if you asked me my favorit…
“Aziraphale and Crowley from Good Omens! Edit: Omg guys! Thanks for all the upvotes.. I thought I was the only one watching/reading Good Omens!
“**Good Omens** by Sir Terry Pratchett and Miss Neil Gaiman:) *incidentally - one of the best books ever written. It has an Amazon TV series now, and second one incoming, so there's also that.*
“Ohh, a good problem to have for certain! I enjoyed "Neverwhere" immensely, and it's a delight, but if you're looking for lighter "Good Omens" is the best (more comedic) next book.
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Readers also mention
All books like Good Omens →Books that share discussion threads with Good Omens — counted from the comments, not curated.
Good Omens — frequently asked
Does the controversy around Neil Gaiman affect how people talk about Good Omens on Reddit?+
Yes, at least for some readers. One r/Fantasy comment (↑556) says they'd wanted to read Good Omens or American Gods for a long time but will probably skip both now, specifically because of news unrelated to the books' quality. That's a stated reason to avoid it, not a review of the text.
Is there a real, finished sequel to Good Omens?+
No. A displayed r/Fantasy comment (↑778) says Gaiman has stated he and Pratchett planned a sequel but never got to write it together before Pratchett's death. Anything past the original book, including TV continuations, is built from notes rather than a completed manuscript.
What makes Good Omens feel like Terry Pratchett's writing specifically, according to Reddit?+
The footnotes, according to one r/Fantasy comment (↑588), which calls them out by name and quotes the Corporal Nobbs joke as an example. That reader treats the footnote style as identifiably Pratchett's contribution within a co-written book.
Is Good Omens only for people who already read fantasy?+
Not based on this data. r/RomanceBooks nominates it in a specific thread for a bantering-pair feel (↑612), and r/suggestmeabook separately praises its cadence for reading aloud (↑436), both outside the fantasy-reader framing the title usually gets.