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Terry Pratchett's The Light
Fantastic
Author Terry Pratchett is relatively unknown in America outside of fantasy and sci-fi
circles. In his native Great Britain, it's a whole different story. Terry Pratchett sold
more books in the UK than any other author during the 1990's, and has only been outsold by
J. K. Rowling since the year 2000. The Light Fantastic is
the classic second novel in Pratchett's Discworld series.
The Light Fantastic is a delightful parody on, among many
other things, the mythical Armageddon and the religious fanaticism it engenders in people.
In Pratchett's Discworld, this fanaticism naturally leads to book burning, lynch mobs, and
entranced, mindless throngs.
The main character throughout the book is an aspiring but totally inept wizard named
Rincewind, whose main talent is survival-by-running-away from anything that seems even
remotely threatening, which includes just about everything.
That is, everything except for the one thing that has got everyone else in a state of
panic: The Red Star appearing in the sky that keeps growing brighter and hotter by the
hour. Other than Rincewind, the only other person unconcerned about the new celestial
threat is his friend Twoflower, who says of Rincewind: "If there was anything at
all to be frightened about, he'd be frightened. But he's not. The star is just about the
only thing I've ever seen him not frightened of. If he's not worried, then take if it from
me, there's nothing to worry about."
And of course, in the end, Twoflower turns out to be right in assessing the fate of the
world by taking the pulse on Rincewind, the Discworld's premiere expert on knowing when
and when not to panic.
Throughout it all, we follow Rincewind and Twoflower as they spend time with friendly rock
trolls, visit the netherworlds, travel the Universe in a magic shop, rescue an
unappreciative sacrificial virgin, do not talk to trees, and fly on a magic
druid-propelled rock concealed within a cloud: All things which are possible only on the
Discworld.
But what the story really boils down to is a powerful magic spell that's hiding in
Rincewind's brain, biding its time and waiting for the Red Star to appear, at which time
it plans to reunite with seven other ancient spells that are to be read together for the
purpose of turning the path of Great A'Tuin away from the menacing Red Star.
Great A'Tuin, needless to say, is the enormous sea turtle carrying the Discworld on its
back through the Universe. Just in case you were of the mistaken impression that all
planets were spherical and revolved around stars.
The Light Fantastic is British humor at its very best.
Even those who normally don't like British humor would likely be hard pressed to not laugh
out loud while immersed in this novel.
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