The Light Fantastic (Discworld, #2; Rincewind, #2) in Building a SciFi/Fantasy Library

Jan 17, 2012 Harold Ogle rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, humor

The Light Fantastic is another Discworld novel. The books tend to be "about" one set of characters or another that Pratchett likes to return to again and again - this follows that mold, though to be fair, I should point out that, at this point in the series (the second book) none of the other sets of characters existed. So this is another Rincewind novel. Like all the Discworld novels, it is in no way necessary to read the novels in any particular order, but The Light Fantastic does pick up abou The Light Fantastic is another Discworld novel. The books tend to be "about" one set of characters or another that Pratchett likes to return to again and again - this follows that mold, though to be fair, I should point out that, at this point in the series (the second book) none of the other sets of characters existed. So this is another Rincewind novel. Like all the Discworld novels, it is in no way necessary to read the novels in any particular order, but The Light Fantastic does pick up about where The Colour of Magic ended. This is in keeping with the nature of the Rincewind stories: they're all comic action, like a slapstick serial (think Tarzan or Indiana Jones movies with a lot more silliness), so the literal cliffhanger of the first book is almost required. Swashes are buckled, escapes narrowly made, derring is done, and sticks are slapped aplenty in this book. Reading the Discworld novels are interesting, because you can really see the progression of the author over time. The Rincewind stories - particularly these early ones - have a young man's enthusiasm for dramatic action and physical humor, unlike the much more sedate comedies he's written in more recent years.

Basically, the set-up is this: Rincewind was a student at Unseen University, where he snuck into the vault holding the Octavo (the Dread Tome containing the Eight Elder Spells). While there, one of the spells snuck into his brain and hid there. Interestingly, this is pretty much the same premise as the later and vastly inferior "Keys to the Kingdom" series I've reviewed elsewhere (Mister Monday). The effect of the renegade spell here is to both make Rincewind incapable of doing any magic (all lesser magic is scared of the Big Spell) and to make him the target for pretty much everyone on the Disc with any interest in magic. So the book is pretty much one big chase scene. While everyone is chasing Rincewind and his companion Twoflower (the fabulously wealthy tourist with the sapient pearwood Luggage), the Great A'Tuin (the giant turtle on whose back stand the four colossal elephants who bear the Discworld on their backs) is swimming purposefully through the void toward a glowing red object outside of the galaxy. As the story unfolds, the Discworld draws closer and closer to the red star, and the world population panics more and more. A number of recurring characters are introduced, including Cohen the Barbarian (the octogenarian terror) and the Unseen University Librarian (who is transformed into an orangutan just before we first meet him). Also, a number of recurring concepts are given a fair amount of attention here: the Dungeon Dimensions (home of Cthulhu Mythos-style abominations intent on the destruction of the universe), and the Great A'Tuin (at this point, Pratchett is still plumbing the planetary turtle idea for comedy, which he essentially abandons in later books when the focus of his stories is less on absurdity and more on lightly comic character studies). In the end, Rincewind saves the world by saying the spells, which result in eight Great A'Tuin hatchlings following the Discworld back to the galaxy. Rincewind is able to do magic again, Twoflower leaves for home and gives the Luggage to Rincewind.

In the 80s there was a definite glut of comic fantasy: the Myth Adventures books by Robert Asprin, the Xanth books by Piers Anthony, most of the Warlock books by Christopher Stasheff, the Garrett P.I. books by Glen Cook, several series by Craig Shaw Gardner. Pratchett's early work like The Light Fantastic fits right in with those, though there has always been less sexually suggestive content in his work than either Asprin's or Anthony's. What's interesting and somewhat unique about Pratchett is that his works show a much clearer evolution of style over time than any of those other authors. The earliest Rincewind books are generally very funny and quite exciting, whereas later Discworld novels are often funny and inspiring, with a focus much less on the grand scale fantastic elements of the setting and more on interpersonal character interactions, often focussed on satirizing one particular aspect of society. All of the Discworld novels are good, but this progression is the only legitimate reason to attempt to read the novels in order.

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Mar 01, 2009 Sarah Sammis rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2010, fantasy, pc, scifi, roob-2010

I can remember standing in the duty free shop before the start of the Alaskan cruise. There was a spinning rack of science fiction and fantasy paperbacks. I had the money for one book. It came down to two: The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic. As I was in a hurry I didn't even notice that they were books one and two in the then new Discworld series. I chose The Colour of Magic because I liked the title best.

I promptly forgot about The Light Fantastic until nearly twenty years had passed. I can remember standing in the duty free shop before the start of the Alaskan cruise. There was a spinning rack of science fiction and fantasy paperbacks. I had the money for one book. It came down to two: The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic. As I was in a hurry I didn't even notice that they were books one and two in the then new Discworld series. I chose The Colour of Magic because I liked the title best.

I promptly forgot about The Light Fantastic until nearly twenty years had passed. In fact, I forgot about Terry Pratchett except for remembering that I had loved The Colour of Magic until my husband discovered my old copy. He is a more avid reader of series than I am and promptly went on a Discworld binge. In 2002 while on a business trip to Vancouver he picked up a bunch of the early Discworld books, including The Light Fantastic. He brought them home, read them and put them on our bookshelves before I even noticed that we had them.

In the meantime, I'd taken to reading the more recent Discworld books. When I was doing a shelf purge for the Friends of the Library I found our copy of The Light Fantastic and realized I had never read it, even though I knew the basic plot both from my husband describing the book to me and from watching the The Colour of Magic miniseries which combines the first two books. I read the book during down times at my Census enumerator training back in April.

Anyway, the book starts off where Colour of Magic ends. Rincewind, Twoflower and his luggage have fallen off the disc. They are saved by a very powerful spell with a mind of its own. Meanwhile, the entire world seems to be swimming towards certain doom in the form of a bright red star. If the wizards of Unseen University can stop fighting amongst themselves they might be able to put things to right.

When I talk to other Pratchett fans about The Light Fantastic the general consensus seems to be that the second book is better than the first. Here I have to buck with popular opinion and choose The Colour of Magic. There's something so delicious absurd about a tourist who acts like someone from any generic metropolis here on Earth going on vacation in a city built up of fantasy tropes such as Ankh-Moorpork. I think part of the magic for me is that I was playing tourist while reading the book.

With The Light Fantastic Pratchett expands his focus from Ankh-Moorpork to the disc as a whole, including the great Atun and the four elephants, to explain how the world works and all the other fantastic creatures and magical places. It's fun and all but it seems like too much jumping around from location to location for such a short book.

That being said, my favorite version of The Light Fantastic has to be The Colour of Magic miniseries. It's worth seeing if you haven't had the chance. ...more

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May 13, 2010 Bryan457 rated it liked it

Shelves: own-it, fantasy, funny, wizards-n-magicians

Books 1 & 2 really should have been one book. This finishes Rincewind's story and ties up all the loose ends.
The story and protagonist in this are just so so, but the writing is hysterically funny. ...more

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May 18, 2018 Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: magic

The completion of the first Discworld book. This one is less funny than the first book. I find Rincewind to be a better supporting character than a main one.

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Sep 05, 2007 Tracey rated it liked it

Shelves: owned-etext, re-read

previously read prior to 2003

Rincewind and TwoFlower embark on yet another adventure: the end of the Discworld is drawing near, but Rincewind with the assistance the 8th Great Spell that lodged itself in Rincewind's brain (thereby scaring off any other spell, making him the least competent wizard ever) may just be able to save the day.

While I think Pratchett's later Discworld novels are a great improvement over the earlier, more parody-based stories, it was still a fun read and a book I'll prob ...more

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