The Last Continent (Discworld #22)
This is the Discworld's last continent, a completely separate creation.
It's hot. It's dry . . . very dry. There was this thing once called The Wet, which no one now believes in. Practically everything that's not poisonous is venomous. But it's the best bloody place in the world, all right?
And it'll die in a few days, except . . .
Who is this hero striding across the red des...more
It's hot. It's dry . . . very dry. There was this thing once called The Wet, which no one now believes in. Practically everything that's not poisonous is venomous. But it's the best bloody place in the world, all right?
And it'll die in a few days, except . . .
Who is this hero striding across the red des...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
May 1st 1998
by Doubleday
(first published 1998)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
This is the Discworld's last continent, a completely separate creation.
It's hot. It's dry...very dry. There was this thing once called The Wet, which no one believes in. Practically everything that's not poisonous is venomous. But it's the best bloody place in the world, all right?
And it'll die in a few days, except...Who is this hero striding across the red desert? Champion sheep shearer, horse rider, road warrior, beer drinker, bush ranger and someone who'll even eat a Meat Pie Floater when
Oh gosh, this Discworld has lots of academia jokes, which I love.[return][return]"I shall endeavor to make study of any primitive grass-skirted peoples hereabouts," added the Dean, with a lawnmower look in his eyes.[return][return]I've decided that Rincewind, the missing wizard, is another favorite character. He reminds me so much of Bill Bryson, author of In a Sunburned Country and many other wonderful books.[return][return]Ponder Stibbons, another of my favorite Discworld characters because he...more
“Terry Pratchett's 22nd Discworld novel, The Last Continent, is a lighthearted tour of the fantasy land of Fourecks, a very Australian sort of place, with brief courses in theoretical physics and evolution thrown in for good measure. Pratchett returns to his first Discworld protagonist, the inept and cowardly wizard Rincewind, who habitually runs into trouble as fast as he flees. Rincewind's arrival in Fourecks has distorted the space-time continuum, and he has to sort it out before the whole pl...more
Originally published on my blog here in March 2000.
In a note at the beginning of The Last Continent, Terry Pratchett says that it is not about Australia, just about somewhere "which happens to be, here and there, a bit ... Australian". In fact, the novel is set in a place which is an exaggerated stereotype of Australianness, with references to films such as Mad Max, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Crocodile Dundee as well as lager drinking, hats with corks, dangerous spiders, aboriginal art, S...more
In a note at the beginning of The Last Continent, Terry Pratchett says that it is not about Australia, just about somewhere "which happens to be, here and there, a bit ... Australian". In fact, the novel is set in a place which is an exaggerated stereotype of Australianness, with references to films such as Mad Max, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Crocodile Dundee as well as lager drinking, hats with corks, dangerous spiders, aboriginal art, S...more
May 11, 2012
Amanda
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2012,
discworld
The Rincewind arc is my least favorite beat in Discworld, in spite of my burning love for the Luggage and the Librarian. It's cute, but more often than not the novels are like an overblown joke and it gets tiring. I don't get most of the Australian references anyway! :)) The drop-bears are precious, though.
Time travel: pretty meh. Pratchett writes a better closed-loop (though in this case it's more of a Trousers of Time thing) story when he comes up with Night Watch. Still, Ponder and the Archch...more
Time travel: pretty meh. Pratchett writes a better closed-loop (though in this case it's more of a Trousers of Time thing) story when he comes up with Night Watch. Still, Ponder and the Archch...more
Como podrán apreciar nuestros lectores, me hallo enfrascado con la integral de la obra de Terry Pratchett [TP], o al menos la serie completa de Mundodisco. En esta ocasión, el protagonista es el mago Rincewind, que aparece de repente en XXXX¹, un continente muy cercano al borde del disco y con un sorprendente parecido a Australia. El resto de las magos de la Universidad Invisible salen en su busca, corriendo innumerables (ℵ1) aventuras.
En el libro hay varios episodios gloriosos. Rincewind se enc...more
En el libro hay varios episodios gloriosos. Rincewind se enc...more
When it comes to Discworld books, I'm not normally much of a Rincewind fan. I find him bland; not unimaginative, because the concept of a character who is so outrageously cowardly that he is in fact often mistaken for a hero strikes my funny bone.
However, the other characters who appear in Rincewind books can often be quite entertaining. While The Last Continent doesn't have Cohen the Barbarian (one of my favorite Discworld characters), it does have the staff of Unseen University, and Ponder St...more
However, the other characters who appear in Rincewind books can often be quite entertaining. While The Last Continent doesn't have Cohen the Barbarian (one of my favorite Discworld characters), it does have the staff of Unseen University, and Ponder St...more
Time travel. Bleh. At least at some point, Mustrum Ridcully, the UU's pragmatic Archchancellor, sets us all straight, at last:
"I can't help thinking, thought, that we may have...tinkered with the past, Archchancellor," said teh Senior Wrangler....more
"I don't see how," said Ridcully. "After all, the past happened before we got here."
"Ye [sic], but now we're here, we've changed it."
"Then we changed it before."
And that, they felt, pretty well summed it up. It is very easy to get ridiculously confused abo
Quick - what do you know about Australia?
I reckon if you live in Australia, you probably know quite a lot. If you've known someone from Australia or perhaps have visited there, you might know a few things. If your experience is limited to a few "Crocodile Dundee" movies and the Crocodile Hunter, then you could probably stand to know a little more. No matter what your level of Australiana is, though, you probably know at least enough to get a lot of enjoyment out of this book, Terry Pratchett's h...more
I reckon if you live in Australia, you probably know quite a lot. If you've known someone from Australia or perhaps have visited there, you might know a few things. If your experience is limited to a few "Crocodile Dundee" movies and the Crocodile Hunter, then you could probably stand to know a little more. No matter what your level of Australiana is, though, you probably know at least enough to get a lot of enjoyment out of this book, Terry Pratchett's h...more
This was the first Terry Pratchett book I ever read. Formerly, as I have described in my review of Good Omens, I believed that Gaiman was the funny one and all of the good bits in Good Omens came from him. Then I stopped in Fred Meyer one day to buy a few things before flying home for Thanksgiving, and I saw The Last Continent. What the hell, I figured. I picked it up, expecting to confirm my belief that all of the good bits in Good Omens came from Gaiman. And how wrong I was!
I read this the nex...more
I read this the nex...more
22 tomes ! ca fait déja 22 tomes que Pratchett écrit à propos de son monde en forme d’assiette à soupe ?
Eh ben dites donc, le temps passe vite.
Hélas, avec le temps viennent les habitudes, et c’est peut-être ce qui a fait que, même si j’ai beaucoup souri, je n’ai pas ri tant que ça. Parce qu’après tout, l’humour de Pratchett, je commence à bien connaître. Et même si j’apprécie toujours autant, on peut penser que je commence à y être salement habitué, et du coup ses blagues diverses et variées me...more
Eh ben dites donc, le temps passe vite.
Hélas, avec le temps viennent les habitudes, et c’est peut-être ce qui a fait que, même si j’ai beaucoup souri, je n’ai pas ri tant que ça. Parce qu’après tout, l’humour de Pratchett, je commence à bien connaître. Et même si j’apprécie toujours autant, on peut penser que je commence à y être salement habitué, et du coup ses blagues diverses et variées me...more
Apr 27, 2013
Manny
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People in search of bad jokes about Australia
Recommended to Manny by:
The Wikipedia article on drop bears
"Are we all here?" said Archancellor Ridcully as he surveyed the assembled wizards. "Good. Now let's get our brainstorming session started."
"Ook?" said the Librarian in an uncertain tone. The Archancellor glared at him. "Come on, come on, shouldn't be difficult! We need to reset parameters. Push the envelope. Think out of the box."
"What box?" asked the Dean timidly. The Archancellor gave him a withering look.
"For those who somehow missed yesterday's briefing session," he continued, enunciating e...more
"Ook?" said the Librarian in an uncertain tone. The Archancellor glared at him. "Come on, come on, shouldn't be difficult! We need to reset parameters. Push the envelope. Think out of the box."
"What box?" asked the Dean timidly. The Archancellor gave him a withering look.
"For those who somehow missed yesterday's briefing session," he continued, enunciating e...more
This book was a real disappointment. I've read a few Discworld books, not in any particular order, and I'd been looking forward to reading this for a very long time because they usually have me in stitches and reading bits out loud to the family. Not this one, though. It started out promisingly when it became clear that most of it was set in a thinly-disguised Australia; plenty of room for humour there. Yes, there were humourous references to drop bears, Waltzing Matilda and even Rolf Harris was...more
My quest to read all of the Discworld books continues, once more wildly out of order. In The Last Continent the wizards of Unseen University are once more bumbling through history and time, mucking things up. Rincewind is also in the thick of it, stuck on XXXX, the last continent created.
Pratchett's trade-mark humor is very much in evidence, though there are a few anachronistic references that are jarring in the book and which his later books lack. Rincewind is one of my least favorite characte...more
Pratchett's trade-mark humor is very much in evidence, though there are a few anachronistic references that are jarring in the book and which his later books lack. Rincewind is one of my least favorite characte...more
I still, after however-many-books featuring him, don't really know how I feel about Rincewind. But he comes as a job lot with the Luggage (or, as it shall now be known, Trunkie) so even if I'm not sure about him, his plotlines are usually entertaining.
What I do know is that I absolutely love the Librarian. Even when he's a deckchair.
In this book you not only get quite a lot of Rincewind, and a shape-changing Librarian, you also get a lot more than usual of the senior staff of Unseen University,...more
What I do know is that I absolutely love the Librarian. Even when he's a deckchair.
In this book you not only get quite a lot of Rincewind, and a shape-changing Librarian, you also get a lot more than usual of the senior staff of Unseen University,...more
At the end of Interesting Times, the wizards of the Unseen university return the barking dog to the Agetean empire, but, by some strange perchance, Rincewind is not reutned in it's place. instead, he gets moved to a thrid point on the disc, while something from there is moved onto the UU. Rincewind has been transported to the land of XXXX, the last continent. it is strange place, where the rain doesn't come and kangeroos roam the red desert. Rincewind survives by finding plates of sandwiches und...more
Terrific! Pratchett has all the strengths of the Discworld series working at full in this 22nd book. The Last Continent (called EcksEcksEcksEcks) is not Australia, but it is a bit...Australian. The lovable inept Rincewind arrives via magic. At the same time, the wizards enter through a magic window to the same place seeking Rincewind's help in curing his co-worker, the ailing orangutan librarian...only they are several thousand years early. These events have stirred up time and space into a soup...more
Mar 22, 2011
Paul (formerly known as Current)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011
Although definitely not based on Australia and in fact, explicitly stated as not being related to Australia, The Last Continent seems to cry out to many, perhaps in particular those who have never visited Australia, as requiring some kind of comparison to Australia. You will not find that happening here. Australia will not be mentioned, neither in contrast nor in juxtaposition, not in similarity or in difference. In fact, every care will be taken not to mention Australia at all as this may lead...more
Another hilarious Pratchett novel -- exactly what's needed when reality is getting a bit too serious. This one is full of jokes about Australia (such as a town called Dijabringabeeralong, and the SPIDERS....), academics trying to avoid the Archchancellor's dynamic management techniques ("Wasn't it a basic principle never to let your employer know what it is you actually do all day?"), and of course the wildly incompetent Rincewind. "He wasn't any good at magic, that he knew. The only curses of h...more
I've been rereading all of the Discworld books in order ever since I got my Kobo ereader, since I've only ever read whichever ones I could get hold of over the years, and I wasn't sure if I'd even read them all. The Last Continent is definitely my favourite Rincewind book so far, far outstripping the previous ones that focused on his character, in my opinion. The Rincewind books aren't my favourite ones out of the series, generally speaking, as I'm a huge Vimes fangirl.
But this book is fun and...more
But this book is fun and...more
I really like the Discworld books, but this one just didn't make the cut. While it has some great moments, and lots of bad Pratchett puns, it just doesn't have the flow of most of his D'world novels. It just felt like he had some ideas about Australia that he wanted to play with, but that he couldn't really come up with a good plot to work those ideas into. And the end just seemed rushed, as if the different threads had gotten away from him and he was at a loss as to how to bring them together....more
This is my favorite of the Rincewind novels so far. The jokes and running gags that include Rincewind all made me giggle. The wizard stuff got a little stuffy/boring, but once through it isn't bad. I listened to this one as all of the Rincewind novels read by Nigel Planer, who does a good job with the different voices. The running gag with some of the 'not-Austrailian' phrases doesn't even get old for me. I found myself giggling in spite of myself. Even though sometimes I wasn't quite certain wh...more
Discworld novel #22 (of my read in publication order). 3 stars. Meh. The Wizards are all right, but I actually think Rincewind is a fairly weak character (it's hard to make an interesting character who's defining characteristic is that he is a coward). Rincewind novels mostly are just slapstick and pure satire of a country/culture/whatever. There's no deeper meaning that's being explored (such as you see in the City Watch novels, the Moist von Lipwig novels or the stand-alones, or even the Witch...more
I'm currently re-reading it again but it's still not as good as his other, especially earielr, novels.
Not big fan of mags advantures on Mono Island but Rincewind parts made my day. The storyline sometimes gets chaotic and seems to be not so well thought. However, this book has some special feel to it. You can really tell that he wrote it under impression of Australia. And it made me want to visit this interesting country too.
The language is perfect, as always, and the gags are hilarious as usu...more
Not big fan of mags advantures on Mono Island but Rincewind parts made my day. The storyline sometimes gets chaotic and seems to be not so well thought. However, this book has some special feel to it. You can really tell that he wrote it under impression of Australia. And it made me want to visit this interesting country too.
The language is perfect, as always, and the gags are hilarious as usu...more
My first Terry Pratchett and Discworld novel; and still my favorite. You can't beat a beer drinking wizard and the many misadventures of Rincewind can't be missed! My favorite passage from the book...
"Any seasoned traveller soon learns to avoid anything wished on them as a 'regional speciality', because all the term means is that the dish is so unpleasant the people living everywhere else will bite off their own legs rather than eat it. But hosts still press it upon distant guests anyway: 'Go on...more
"Any seasoned traveller soon learns to avoid anything wished on them as a 'regional speciality', because all the term means is that the dish is so unpleasant the people living everywhere else will bite off their own legs rather than eat it. But hosts still press it upon distant guests anyway: 'Go on...more
Jan 31, 2011
Cheryl in CC NV
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Cheryl in CC NV by:
Yvensong
Actually, this was my favorite Discworld so far, and not just because I'm a bit of an Aussie-Phile and because I like time-travel stories. A couple of quotes:
"Historians have pointed out that it is in times of plenty that people feel like going to war. In times of famine they're simply trying to find enough to eat.... when a banquet is spread before them, it's time to argue over the place settings."
"... perspective is a lie. If I know a pond is round, then why should I draw it oval? I will dra...more
"Historians have pointed out that it is in times of plenty that people feel like going to war. In times of famine they're simply trying to find enough to eat.... when a banquet is spread before them, it's time to argue over the place settings."
"... perspective is a lie. If I know a pond is round, then why should I draw it oval? I will dra...more
This book is not one of the best in the Discworld series and yet has become one of my favourite holiday books. I'm not sure why, but probably has something to do with all the talk of sand and sun! I read my original copy so many times it fell to pieces! There are parts that really appeal to me too, like the beetle obsessed atheist god of evolution, the discomfort of the wizards around Mrs. Whitlow and Rincewind's inability to grasp the concept of a female impersonator. Though this book would sta...more
Any resembelence to the people, customs, culture & country of Australia is purely coincidental!, I don't think so.
No worries, this is Pratchett fully geared up and a joy to read, but you do need to understand his off centre view of things to truly appreciate what he is telling here.
Rincewind the wizard (well he thinks he is)is stuck in EcksEcksEcksEcks (get it)?, with talking kangeroo's, clever sheep and the whole of the Unseen University of wizards in their own little side line story.
If you...more
No worries, this is Pratchett fully geared up and a joy to read, but you do need to understand his off centre view of things to truly appreciate what he is telling here.
Rincewind the wizard (well he thinks he is)is stuck in EcksEcksEcksEcks (get it)?, with talking kangeroo's, clever sheep and the whole of the Unseen University of wizards in their own little side line story.
If you...more
I found the book a little disjointed as it took on folds in the space-time continuum, gods, creation all in the millieu of what we call "Australia", or in discworld, "XXXX". The amazing thing about wizards, is that they have no qualms about asking questions like "what does this do", or "I wonder what happens when I do what the sign says not too" even when staring self-annhilation in the face. There's something to be said about a mind that is so inquisitive it puts the mechanisms of realty outsid...more
This is the third time I've read this book, and, as with most Discworld books, I loved it!
It's set in the equivalent of Australia, and features Rincewind the Wizzard (who is such a bad wizard that he can't even spell it correctly!)
There are plenty of references from popular culture, including Priscilla Queen of the Dessert, veggie-mite, and Crocodile Dundee. The librarian (who is an orang-utan, obviously!) is in this quite a lot, which is an extra added bonus!
Terry Pratchett never fails to amaze...more
It's set in the equivalent of Australia, and features Rincewind the Wizzard (who is such a bad wizard that he can't even spell it correctly!)
There are plenty of references from popular culture, including Priscilla Queen of the Dessert, veggie-mite, and Crocodile Dundee. The librarian (who is an orang-utan, obviously!) is in this quite a lot, which is an extra added bonus!
Terry Pratchett never fails to amaze...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Sir Terry Pratchett sold his first story when he was thirteen, 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,...more
More about Terry Pratchett...
Share This Book
1 trivia question
More quizzes & trivia...
“It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.”
—
3,608 people liked it
“I'm trying to remember how you tell the time by looking at the sun." -"I should leave it for a while, it's too bright to see the numbers at the moment.”
—
60 people liked it
More quotes…

Loading...










view all 4 comments























