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The Light Fantastic (Mass Market Paperback)

by Terry Pratchett (Author) "This sun rose slowly, as if it wasn't sure it was worth all the effort..." (more)
Key Phrases: Terry Pratchett, Great A'Tuin, Unseen University (more...)

4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (123 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From The Washington Post
"For lighthearted escape with a thoughtful center, you can't do better than...Any...Discworld novel."

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"Unadulterated fun...Witty, frequently hilarious." -- San Francisco Chronicle

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Product Details

Mass Market Paperback: 241 pages
Publisher: HarperTorch (February 2, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061020702
ISBN-13: 978-0061020704
Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (123 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,798 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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This is item 2 in The Discworld Series.

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
This sun rose slowly, as if it wasn't sure it was worth all the effort. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Terry Pratchett, Great A'Tuin, Unseen University, Old Grandad, Circle Sea, Tower of Art, Dungeon Dimensions, Galder Weatherwax, Vortex Plains, Cori Celesti, Greyhald Spold, Jiglad Wert, Great Hall, Cohen the Barbarian, Pyramid of Tsort, Ice Giants, Light Fantastic

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 30 books:

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett in Front Matter, and Back Matter
Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett in Front Matter, and Back Matter
Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett in Front Matter, and Back Matter
Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett in Front Matter, and Back Matter

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39 books cite this book:

Sourcery by Terry Pratchett in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Mort by Terry Pratchett in Front Matter, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Youth Cultures: Texts, Images, and Identities by Kerry Mallan on page 171, page 175, and page 181

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Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Mort by Terry Pratchett

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Sourcery by Terry Pratchett

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Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

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The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett

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	5% buy Equal Rites 4.0 out of 5 stars (110) $7.99

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Customer Reviews

123 Reviews

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27 of 27 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 (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

"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

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10 of 10 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 (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

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.

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12 of 13 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 (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

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.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A fun continuation but lacks the depth of the later books
At the Unseen University, the wizards are disturbed by the sudden appearance of a blood-red star in the sky, which is getting slowly bigger. Read more

Published 4 days ago by A. Whitehead

5.0 out of 5 stars What a GREAT read!
Terry Pratchett is a phenomenal writer! I'll tell you that any of his books, especially the Disc World series are well worth picking up! Read more

Published 1 month ago by Amanda Converse

4.0 out of 5 stars Light hearted, but clever
The Light Fantastic, Prachett's 2nd Discworld novel, picks up almost immediately where the first, The Color of Magic ended. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Hilarie

4.0 out of 5 stars A Majorly Funny and Interesting Read!!
The Light Fantastic is fantasy lover's comical paradise. It is about an inept wizard, Rincewind, who is forced to save Discworld, the world, with the one thing he has never been... Read more

Published 3 months ago by R. Stevens

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Terry Pratchett's books are always great fun to listen to. His humor makes me laugh out loud at the most inopportune moments...

Published 6 months ago by Elizabeth W. Allgood

5.0 out of 5 stars Lets hear it for the Luggage!
'The Light Fantastic' is a new offering (I stand corrected, a re-issue) of the 'Discworld' novels by Terry Prachett. Read more

Published 6 months ago by R. Nicholson

5.0 out of 5 stars IT WAS DIFFICULT TO PUT THIS ONE DOWN
This was one of those works that I found difficult to put down once I read the first couple pages. The Light Fantastic is the second offering in Pratchett's Discworld Series and... Read more

Published 7 months ago by D. Blankenship

4.0 out of 5 stars good book
i read this book while i was in colledge i loved it best book ever

Published 8 months ago by K. D. Weaver

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick and lots of fun
'The Light Fantastic' is the second in the 'Discworld' series. It is a direct sequel to 'The Colour of Magic'. Read more

Published 9 months ago by Michael Dea

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than the previous one
I loved this book as much as I did The color of magic. Since these two, I started reading everything I can get from the author and never got disapointed. Read more

Published 10 months ago by Maria Burgue�o

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