[andrew.v.spencer]

It's a good point. Ankh-Morpork bears more than a pasing resemblance to Dickens' wretched London.

(According to the blue plaques, Dickens stayed in every third building in London.)

Hmm Pratchett as the new Dickens, with more magic, humour and less description.

I've also read of Stephen King being described as the modern day Dickens. In that it's high quality writing about ordinary folk, in extraordinary situations that the population at large enjoys.