History Literature / TheCarpetPeople

* ToServeMan: One of the reasons the Mouls take prisoners. Also implied to be [[RewardedAsATraitorDeserves the fate of a traitor who worked for them]].

* TheCrocIsTicking: The termagant's body is draped in bangles and ornaments by its long-ago worshipers - presumably blindfolded ones - that jingle as it moves, allowing Snibril to track its movements without looking at it.

* TragicMonster: The termagant, which is the LastOfHisKind and seems to have no idea that it's turning people into stone; it just thinks that they're rudely "freezing up" just when it wants to greet them. It even [[spoiler:dies when it sees its reflection in the mirror, not because its DeadlyGaze backfired, but because it was so happy to see another living termagant]].

* TragicMonster: The termagant, which is the LastOfHisKind and seems to have no idea that it's turning people into stone; it just thinks that they're rudely "freezing up" just when it wants to greet them.

* BackhandedApology: Pismire got sentenced to death for one.

The story follows the journey of a tribe called the Munrungs, across a world known as the Carpet. Instead of trees, the landscape is a forest of hairs, littered with large grains of dust. Below the surface is the Underlay, riddled with caves, and below that the Floor. The Munrungs cross the carpet to find a new home after their village is destroyed by the powerful and mysterious natural force known as Fray. The origins of Fray are never explained in the book, but it is described in a way to suggest sweeping or vacuuming. (Or possibly a human stepping across the carpet? Pismire does say the incidents all lie in a straight line, and it's described in terms of pressure downwards...)

* StrategySchmategy: Frequently, the heroes reason that being outnumbered just means you have your pick of enemies; a bigger enemy means you have a choice of targets. The Deftmenes lead by Brocando don't go in for planning much beyond "charge", unlike the methodical techniques of the Dumii under Bane. Brocando later makes good use of this when he trains Ware's women to fight with spears--they're all amateurs, which means they'll do just about anything with the weapon.

* TragicMonster: The termagant, which is the LastOfHisKind and seems to have no idea that it's turning people into stone--it just thinks that they're rudely "freezing up" just when it wants to greet them.

* OurWightsAreDifferent: Very different indeed - more like OurElvesAreBetter with a different name, even. Given that 'Wight' simply means 'person' in Old English, this is another case of a tribe name meaning [[ArcWords 'The People' or 'The True Human Beings']]

* TakenForGranite: The termagant's victims.

A novel by Creator/TerryPratchett which was originally published in 1971, but was later [[OldShame re-written]] by the author when his work became more widespread and well-known. ''The Carpet People'' contains much of the humour and some of the concepts which later became a major part of the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' series, as well as parodies of everyday objects from our world. Before creating the Discworld, Terry Pratchett wrote about two different flat worlds, in this novel, and ''Strata''.

----
This book contains examples of the following tropes:

* TrojanPrisoner: Attempted.

* ThrowingYourSwordAlwaysWorks: Subverted: Before the climactic battle one of the heroes throws a sword to kill a bad guy. It works. Seconds later, enemy forces attack and he asks whether anybody can lend him a spare one...

* CallASmeerpARabbit: "Horses", which are said to have compound eyes.

* MoreDakka: This is the Dummii's approach to ranged warfare, focusing on just having regimented squads of archers sending a continuous hail of arrows at the enemy. It negates the need to aim, and seems to be rather effective.

* CargoCult: Kind of, with examples like "the fire-worshipers of Rug", who worship the great fire in the sky, and the Vortgorns: living on a dropped penny, referred to as the High Gate Land because a British penny has a portcullis inscribed on it, and their battle cry is ''On Epen Ny'' (i.e. "ONE PENNY") and they have also found words on the other side reading "...Izabethii" (i.e. "ELIZABETH II").

* FollowTheLeader: The original book was essentially ''TheLordOfTheRings'' [[AC:[[RecycledInSpace IN A CARPET!]]]] The rewrite makes it more uniquely Pratchettian.

* LoadBearingHero: Glurk.

* OldShame: So much so that the older Pratchett re-edited and re-released it.

* [[IAmAHumanitarian We Are Humanitarians]]
----

* ShorterMeansSmarter: Glurk and Snibril.

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: The Mouls look like this, although the Chief Moul later is treated like WorthyOpponent.
* ArcWords: "[[ConservationOfNinjitsu Always choose a bigger enemy. It makes him easier to hit.]]"

* {{Lilliputians}}
* MeaningfulName: Pismire's name is an antiquated word meaning "ant" (specifically, Myrmicinae, a subfamily of ants of whom some species retain a functional sting; note that the present day Swedish word for said subfamily is pissmyra).

* NonLinearCharacter: The wights, who can 'remember what's going to happen'--effectively they already know the script for their entire life and see time deterministically. When destiny really ''does'' change, they are traumatised and see it like being blind, and it takes time for them to start 'remembering' the new history instead.

* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The Deftmenes

* ProudWarriorRaceGuy

''"This book had two authors, and they were both the same person"'': A novel by Creator/TerryPratchett which was originally published in 1971, but was later [[OldShame re-written]] by the author when his work became more widespread and well-known. ''The Carpet People'' contains much of the humour and some of the concepts which later became a major part of the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' series, as well as parodies of everyday objects from our world. Before creating the Discworld, Terry Pratchett wrote about two different flat worlds, in this novel, and ''Strata''.