Anybody who has read the illustrated versions of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series will be familiar with the work of the artist and illustrator Stephen Player. As well as the ‘definitive’ versions of the first two Discworld maps, he has produced illustrations for Discworld calendars, The Colour of Magic, The Illustrated Wee Free Men, and The Light Fantastic. A talented, prolific and inventive artist, during the last two decades he has illustrated over a hundred books, ranging from children’s books to historical and fantasy novels, including the Ladybird Expert series, several Shakespeare adaptations like Hamlet and Macbeth, Pinocchio, Celtic Myths, and Clive Barker’s The Thief of Always.

Player grew up in the English town of Hertford, and having always loved art he studied Illustration at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts in London from 1982 to 1985. In 1990 he moved to Chester near the Welsh border, and having visited the USA he moved permanently to San Francisco in 2001. As well as his illustration work he teaches at the San Francisco Academy of Art University.

While many will be familiar with Stephen Player’s fantasy art, a smaller but highly appreciative group know of his extensive homoerotic portfolio, reflecting his involvement in the gay movement. From November 2006 to July 2025 he showcased his homoerotic art at the Playermen.com website, which though no longer active can be accessed by the internet’s Wayback Machine.

Stephen Player’s website, where you can see a wide selection of his work, is here, and his Facebook page here.

We are very grateful to our Russian friend Yuri for suggestion the inclusion of this artist, and for supplying many of the images.