The Auditors of Reality are the ultimate villains because they represent pure, sterile logic. They cannot understand why humans do things that don't make sense. Why give gifts to strangers? Why pretend a fat man slides down chimneys? Why believe in something you can’t prove?
This is the thesis of Hogfather . The great abstractions that hold civilization together—justice, fairness, mercy—are not physical objects. They are stories . They are beliefs. We have to practice believing in small, impossible things (like a flying reindeer) to maintain the muscle memory required to believe in humanity. Hogfather
The story begins on Discworld, a flat planet balanced on the backs of four elephants standing on a giant turtle. It is the night of Hogswatch (their winter solstice celebration). Children are hanging up their stockings, hoping the Hogfather will bring them presents. The Auditors of Reality are the ultimate villains
If Hogfather were just a funny version of Miracle on 34th Street with skeletons, it would have been forgotten years ago. What elevates the novel (and the brilliant 2006 Sky One miniseries) is its philosophical core. Why pretend a fat man slides down chimneys