The Light Fantastic [Paperback]

Terry Pratchett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1988

This is part of a set of gift-sized editions of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. Discworld is a flat planet, supported on the backs of four elephants, who in turn stand on the back of the great turtle A'Tuin as it swims majestically through space.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“One of the best and one of the funniest English authors alive.”
—Independent --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From the Publisher

The Funniest And Most Unorthodox Fantasy In This Or Any Other Galaxy

A sequel to The Colour of Magic

"Unalloyed delight" - Guardian

"Marvellous sequel to The Colour of Magic pure fantastic delight" - Time Out

"Dropping off the edge of their world does not seem to have done Rincewind, Twoflower or Luggage any harm ... Excellent" - SFF Books

"Good fun is had by all in one of the most hilarious romps in ages" - Erg --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 255 pages
• Publisher: A Signet Book (March 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451162412
• ISBN-13: 978-0451162410
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (138 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,012,070 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Terry Pratchett sold his first story when he was fifteen, which earned him enough money to buy a second-hand typewriter. His first novel, a humorous fantasy entitled The Carpet People, appeared in 1971 from the publisher Colin Smythe. Terry worked for many years as a journalist and press officer, writing in his spare time and publishing a number of novels, including his first Discworld novel, The Color of Magic, in 1983. In 1987 he turned to writing full time, and has not looked back since. To date there are a total of 36 books in the Discworld series, of which four (so far) are written for children. The first of these children's books, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, won the Carnegie Medal. A non-Discworld book, Good Omens, his 1990 collaboration with Neil Gaiman, has been a longtime bestseller, and was reissued in hardcover by William Morrow in early 2006 (it is also available as a mass market paperback (Harper Torch, 2006) and trade paperback (Harper Paperbacks, 2006). Terry's latest book, Nation, a non-Discworld standalone YA novel was published in October of 2008 and was an instant New York Times and London Times bestseller. Regarded as one of the most significant contemporary English-language satirists, Pratchett has won numerous literary awards, was named an Officer of the British Empire "for services to literature" in 1998, and has received four honorary doctorates from the Universities of Warwick, Portsmouth, Bath, and Bristol. His acclaimed novels have sold more than 55 million copies (give or take a few million) and have been translated into 36 languages. Terry Pratchett lives in England with his family, and spends too much time at his word processor.  Some of Terry's accolades include: The Carnegie Medal, Locus Awards, the Mythopoetic Award, ALA Notable Books for Children, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, Book Sense 76 Pick, Prometheus Award and the British Fantasy Award.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humor and magic, June 29, 2004

By 

Eileen Rieback (Coral Springs, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Light Fantastic (Mass Market Paperback)

"The Light Fantastic," the second book in the Discworld series, starts where the first book left off, almost to the second. Bumbling wizard college dropout Rincewind, along with his tourist companion Twoflower, get a reprieve from their fall through the void of space. In the meanwhile, Discworld is moving steadily towards collision with an ominous red star that threatens the existence of life, the universe, and everything. Only the eight great magic spells can save the world, and since one of those spells is lodged in Rincewind's mind, he reluctantly must play an important role in the race to save Discworld.

Even funnier than the first in the series, this book introduces Cohen the barbarian, a geriatric anti-Rambo hero who is far fiercer than he looks. The reader is treated to the Keystone Kops antics of the senior wizards as they try to track down Rincewind and save the universe. There is a hilarious scene where Twoflower teaches Death how to play bridge. The story is full of gnomes, dwarves, trolls, and talking trees, as well as a gingerbread cottage. The reader is enlightened on the power of persuasion and the danger of flowery metaphors, and even gets a peek into the mind of the great turtle A'Tuin to learn its current destination.

Slapstick, parody, biting satire, word play, and philosophy are all here to enjoy. The plot is neatly tied up at the end, so at this point you can move forward to another book in the wizardry series, or switch to one of the other Discworld tracks. But in either case, there is much more to explore in the wacky and magical world of Terry Pratchett.

Eileen Rieback

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brings the Discworld into sharp focus, August 17, 2002

By 

Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Light Fantastic (Mass Market Paperback)

The Light Fantastic is the second book in Terry Pratchett's brilliantly funny Discworld series, continuing the tale related in the first book The Colour of Magic. The last we knew, Rincewind and Discworld's first tourist Twoflower had fallen off the rim of the world, which is an especially dangerous happenstance on a world that is totally flat and carried on the backs of four elephants who in turn stand atop the great cosmic turtle Great A'Tuin. While Rincewind is Discworld's most incompetent wizard and all-around unlucky fellow, he manages to evade the clutches of Death (although he does bump into him fairly often) time and again (27 times by Twoflower's count at the midpoint of this novel). Why this is so is, we discover, is because Rincewind carries one of the eight most powerful spells from the magical Octavo. Reality keeps having to reshape itself in order to keep rescuing the wizard. Although Rincewind, the eternally optimistic Twoflower, and the magical Luggage of sapient pearwood are once again on the disc, they face a number of obstacles in getting home to Ankh-Morpork. They are fortunate enough to join forces with Disworld's greatest hero Cohen the Barbarian; Cohen is an old man now, but he doesn't let that stop him from rescuing maidens, stealing treasures, and doing other heroic things. At this particular time, the Discworld itself is in danger, threatened with an imminent collision with a giant red star heading its way. The wizards of Unseen University believe that all eight powerful spells from the Octavo must be read in order to save the Discworld, so the missing Rincewind must be found in order to release the necessary eighth spell locked inside his brain. A series of adventures and misadventures ensue for our motley crew of characters, including a stopover at a vacated witch's house made of candy, a wild ride on a broomstick, a collision with a druid-steered cloud, and a trip to the home of Death himself before Rincewind manages to return home. Whether he can actually make use of the eighth spell and somehow manage to avert the Discworld's total destruction by the onrushing red star is, as is typical for this inept failed wizard, questionable at best.

The Light Fantastic builds upon the story of The Colour of Magic and breathes more life into the unique Discworld of Terry Pratchett's imaginative construction. More areas of the world are revealed to the reader, and we for the first time get a decent look at what goes on in the school of wizardry. Not only do we meet Cohen the Barbarian, we are also introduced to the ape librarian of Unseen University, who will become a significant character in later novels. You should certainly read the previous novel before this one because the two are closely connected in terms of plot, characterization, etc. It will also help you to recognize just how much more vibrant and real Pratchett's Discworld seems by the end of The Light Fantastic. The comedy quotient of both novels is about equal, but the storyline seems much stronger and flows much more naturally in this one. Pratchett was honing his already sharp scythe of quick wit and nascent satire in these first two Discworld novels, building a compellingly unique little world and populating it with unforgettable characters. This is high-brow comedy of the highest order, and we readers are privileged to be able to say we were there from the start with Rincewind, Twoflower, and the Luggage.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stop the world, I want to get back on!!!, May 20, 2005

By 

Leonard Fleisig "Len" (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Light Fantastic (Mass Market Paperback)

Terry Pratchett's Light Fantastic is the second in his acclaimed Discworld series. However, I have not read the series in chronological fashion but in a rather haphazard manner which probably serves as some sort of model for chaos theory. There are disadvantages to such a chaotic approach. I have, for example, covered much of Commander Vimes' career in reverse order. On the other hand, reading the Discworld series in something like a reverse chronological order has its benefits. It is the literary equivalent of an archeological dig in which you start in the present and dig your way back to first causes. In many respects this is my Discworld version of Richard Dawkins' The Ancestor's Tale, as this represents my journey to the dawn of Discworld. Unlike the earth, there is evidence of intelligent design behind the evolution of Discworld. That design falls squarely in the deft comedic and thoughtful writing of Terry Pratchett.

Light Fantastic begins with a real cliffhanger. Actually, Light Fantastic begins where "The Colour of Magic" left off, with our two unlikely heroes, the rather cowardly, lapsed wizard Rincewind and the incredulous tourist Twoflower tumbling in space somewhere off the edge of Discworld. The story is rather simple. Discworld is on a collision course with a giant red star. Discworld can be saved but it requires a combination of eight spells, seven of which are safely ensconced in the Octavo, the book of spells left by Discworld's creator. As to the critical eighth spell, Rincewind appears to have accidentally absorbed the spell into his subconscious during a `visit' with the great book. In order for the world to be saved, Rincewind will have to come to the Octavo or the Octavo will have to come to Rincewind.

As with any Discworld book the joy is to be found not in the ending but in the journey. Twoflower and Rincewind are not what one would call perfectly matched yet they embark on a journey together (without really knowing it is a journey) and quickly develop a certain way of getting along with each other while appearing to be entirely dysfunctional. The two reminded me of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in one of their "Road" movies. We run into a toothless Cohen the Barbarian and a young lady who becomes his love in hilarious fashion. DEATH and his stepdaughter make an appearance and DEATH evidences his immortal, dry wit in a fashion worthy of the prince of darkness. The librarian of Unseen University also appears. Last but not least we have the wizards. One wizard, in particular stands out, the seemingly unassuming Trymon. But as unassuming as he seems his thirst for power is evident. He achieves power that seems very reminiscent of Stalin's rise in the early years of the USSR.

As the red star approaches Discworld is engulfed in panic. The nearer it gets the more bizarre the behavior of the people of Discworld, the wizards and assorted trolls and dwarves. The ending is very satisfying. In some small way the acts performed by Rincewind struck me as similar to those performed by the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz. He had to look inside himself at the end of the book and I think it clear that Pratchett had him find (or try to find) more than just the eighth spell.

Light Fantastic was a fun read. Having read Discworld in something like a reverse order I think it fair to say that this early story has more humor than philosophy. The combination of the two is one of the enjoyable benefits of reading Discworld. My archeological dig into this strange and funny universe reveals that the "philosophy of Discworld" was subject to an evolutionary process. Unlike the evolution of our species on Earth, the evolution of Discworld has been nothing but positive.

Light Fantastic is a funny, thoughtful book that will be enjoyed by any Pratchett fan or anyone looking to spend a few hours lost in a wacky, wonderful parallel universe.