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Discworld #22
The Last Continent
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 desert? Champion sheep shearer, horse rider, road warrior, beer drinker, bush ranger, and someone who'll even eat a Meat Pie Floater when he's sober? A man in a hat, whose Luggage follows him on little legs, who's about to change history by preventing a swagman stealing a jumbuck by a billabong?
Yes... all this place has between itself and wind-blown doom is Rincewind, the inept wizard who can't even spell wizard. He's the only hero left.
Still... no worries, eh?
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 desert? Champion sheep shearer, horse rider, road warrior, beer drinker, bush ranger, and someone who'll even eat a Meat Pie Floater when he's sober? A man in a hat, whose Luggage follows him on little legs, who's about to change history by preventing a swagman stealing a jumbuck by a billabong?
Yes... all this place has between itself and wind-blown doom is Rincewind, the inept wizard who can't even spell wizard. He's the only hero left.
Still... no worries, eh?
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Terry Pratchett
658 books40.6k followersBorn Terence David John Pratchett, 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, The Color of Magic, in 1983. In 1987, he turned to writing full time.
There are over 40 books in the Discworld series, of which four are written for children. The first of these, 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).
In 2008, Harper Children's published Terry's standalone non-Discworld YA novel, Nation. Terry published Snuff in October 2011.
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 (OBE) “for services to literature” in 1998, and has received honorary doctorates from the University of Warwick in 1999, the University of Portsmouth in 2001, the University of Bath in 2003, the University of Bristol in 2004, Buckinghamshire New University in 2008, the University of Dublin in 2008, Bradford University in 2009, the University of Winchester in 2009, and The Open University in 2013 for his contribution to Public Service.
In Dec. of 2007, Pratchett disclosed that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. On 18 Feb, 2009, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
He was awarded the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award in 2010.
Sir Terry Pratchett passed away on 12th March 2015.
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.
There are over 40 books in the Discworld series, of which four are written for children. The first of these, 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).
In 2008, Harper Children's published Terry's standalone non-Discworld YA novel, Nation. Terry published Snuff in October 2011.
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 (OBE) “for services to literature” in 1998, and has received honorary doctorates from the University of Warwick in 1999, the University of Portsmouth in 2001, the University of Bath in 2003, the University of Bristol in 2004, Buckinghamshire New University in 2008, the University of Dublin in 2008, Bradford University in 2009, the University of Winchester in 2009, and The Open University in 2013 for his contribution to Public Service.
In Dec. of 2007, Pratchett disclosed that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. On 18 Feb, 2009, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
He was awarded the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award in 2010.
Sir Terry Pratchett passed away on 12th March 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,479 reviews
February 21, 2021
Rincewind´s troubles and inner perspectives in the red, dry desert are hilarious, he just doesn´t get what is happening around him, while an alternative evolutionary explanation circles around some time travel fun.
I am no Aussie, but I am at least part of a culture, Austria, that is not just often confused with Australia, but has a very special mentality that makes it the target of stereotypical assumptions that are more often true than not. Pratchett didn´t often enter the cheap nation joke level, he was interested in more sophisticated, subtle, meta humor, but the truth lying hidden in many of the funny ideas the world or neighboring nations have about their friends or enemies, is a huge playground for sociological research and comedic potential, because it unites all the things good and bad, politics, faith, economy, etc., culminated to certain types of humans, from enlightened humanists to the opposite.
Meet the , the driving forces of the Rincewindian and The unseen university teaching stuff plotlines, opening questions about the origin of life, good and bad management skills, and the strange relationship between academics and their housekeepers.
Time travel was, is, will be, never was, an element of this one too, again opening room for the question of how cool it would have been if Pratchett would have written more science fantasy or even some pure sci-fi, this would have been so unimaginably awesome that I must be careful not to faint just while thinking about it. Too late. But thanks to my tachyon manipulation smartphone app it never happened and you already forgot the awkward moment. Review? What review, it never existed.
I´ve seen the idea of wishes and desires immediately fulfilled by different kinds of fantasy and sci-fi tropes many times, but how it´s combined with the strange character´s motivation that is behind the wonders, is a fresh outfit for the cornucopia trope. There is also some philosophical and religious study real life thought experiment behind that, but I don´t know the name.
Trusty readers already know this running gag, thematizing that I don´t always get all the hidden content and innuendos, but it was hardly ever so strong as with this one. What´s the true meaning of the kangaroo, what about this deity, I´ve read this passages 2 or 3 times and I am still not sure what extra easter eggs are hidden behind his development, dialogues, and final actions, and are Australians really like that? You may excuse me know, I have to get wasted at a local beer tent, sing some traditional folk music, organize some re engagement in you certainly know what activities, and eat a ton of schnitzels.
Fun fact: Compare UK and Australia or Germany and Austria and enjoy. Little brothers can be nasty, although an Australian never took over total control over the UK.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
This one is added to all Pratchettian reviews:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheibe...
The idea of the dissected motifs rocks, highlighting the main real world inspirational elements of fiction and satire is something usually done with so called higher literature, but a much more interesting field in readable literature, as it offers the joy of reading, subtle criticism, and feeling smart all together.
I am no Aussie, but I am at least part of a culture, Austria, that is not just often confused with Australia, but has a very special mentality that makes it the target of stereotypical assumptions that are more often true than not. Pratchett didn´t often enter the cheap nation joke level, he was interested in more sophisticated, subtle, meta humor, but the truth lying hidden in many of the funny ideas the world or neighboring nations have about their friends or enemies, is a huge playground for sociological research and comedic potential, because it unites all the things good and bad, politics, faith, economy, etc., culminated to certain types of humans, from enlightened humanists to the opposite.
Meet the , the driving forces of the Rincewindian and The unseen university teaching stuff plotlines, opening questions about the origin of life, good and bad management skills, and the strange relationship between academics and their housekeepers.
Time travel was, is, will be, never was, an element of this one too, again opening room for the question of how cool it would have been if Pratchett would have written more science fantasy or even some pure sci-fi, this would have been so unimaginably awesome that I must be careful not to faint just while thinking about it. Too late. But thanks to my tachyon manipulation smartphone app it never happened and you already forgot the awkward moment. Review? What review, it never existed.
I´ve seen the idea of wishes and desires immediately fulfilled by different kinds of fantasy and sci-fi tropes many times, but how it´s combined with the strange character´s motivation that is behind the wonders, is a fresh outfit for the cornucopia trope. There is also some philosophical and religious study real life thought experiment behind that, but I don´t know the name.
Trusty readers already know this running gag, thematizing that I don´t always get all the hidden content and innuendos, but it was hardly ever so strong as with this one. What´s the true meaning of the kangaroo, what about this deity, I´ve read this passages 2 or 3 times and I am still not sure what extra easter eggs are hidden behind his development, dialogues, and final actions, and are Australians really like that? You may excuse me know, I have to get wasted at a local beer tent, sing some traditional folk music, organize some re engagement in you certainly know what activities, and eat a ton of schnitzels.
Fun fact: Compare UK and Australia or Germany and Austria and enjoy. Little brothers can be nasty, although an Australian never took over total control over the UK.
Tropes show how literature is conceptualized and created and which mixture of elements makes works and genres unique:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
This one is added to all Pratchettian reviews:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scheibe...
The idea of the dissected motifs rocks, highlighting the main real world inspirational elements of fiction and satire is something usually done with so called higher literature, but a much more interesting field in readable literature, as it offers the joy of reading, subtle criticism, and feeling smart all together.
April 5, 2021
The Last Continent (Discworld, #22; Rincewind #6), Terry Pratchett
The Last Continent is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the twenty-second book in his Discworld series.
First published in 1998, it mocks the aspects of time travel such as the grandfather paradox and the Ray Bradbury short story "A Sound of Thunder". It also parodies Australian people and aspects of Australian culture.
The story opens weeks after the events of Interesting Times, in which Rincewind is magically transported to the continent of Xxxx due to a miscalculation made by the Unseen University wizards.
He meets the magical kangaroo Scrappy, who was sent by the creator of Fourecks. Scrappy explains to Rincewind that he is fated to bring back "The Wet", meaning the rain, and that he is the reason for the eons-long drought.
Scrappy says that the continent is unfinished, and time and space will be an eternal anomaly there until it is finished, i.e., the rain is brought back. Rincewind is shown cave paintings of wizards.
Meanwhile, the senior wizards (Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully, The Dean, The Bursar, The Chair of Indefinite Studies, The Lecturer in Recent Runes, The Senior Wrangler, and Ponder Stibbons) are trying to find a cure for the Librarian's magical malady, which causes him to transform into a native object, such as a book when near a library, whenever he sneezes.
The wizards soon find out that the books in the Library become hostile and attack when not in the librarian's care.
The wizards cannot cure the Librarian without knowing his name.
The Librarian, being also the archivist, destroyed any evidence of his true name since he believed the wizards would attempt to turn him human again, as he rather enjoyed his orang-utan body (brought on by a magical accident years before).
The Lecturer in Recent Runes suggests they interrogate Rincewind, as he once worked closely with the Librarian and seemed to know more about him than anyone else.
To find Rincewind, they have to find the continent of Xxxx. They seek out the Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography, and find his office but no sign of the professor himself.
They then find a magical window in space leading from the professor's bathroom to a tropical island thousands of years in the past. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز هشتم ماه می 2020میلادی
عنوان: دیسک و��لد (جهان صفحه) کتاب بیست و دوم: آخرین قاره؛ نویسنده تری پرچت؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان بریتانیایی - سده 20م
دیسک ورلد (جهان صفحه)، یک سری از کتابهای فانتزی هستند، که روانشاد «تری پرچت»، نویسنده ی «انگلیسی»، نگاشته اند؛ داستانهای این سری در جهانی با نام «دیسک ورلد (جهان صفحه)» میگذرند؛ که صفحه ای تخت است، و بر شانه های چهار فیل، با هیکلهای بزرگ، قرار دارد؛ این فیلها نیز، به نوبه ی خود، بر روی پشت یک لاکپشت غولآسا، با نام «آتوئین بزرگ» قرار دارند؛ در این سری از کتابها، بارها از سوژه های کتابهای نویسندگانی همچون «جی.آر.آر تالکین»، «رابرت هاوارد»، «اچ پی لاوکرافت» و «ویلیام شکسپیر» به گونه ای خنده دار، استفاده شده است؛
از سری «دیسک ورلد» بیشتر از هشتاد میلیون نسخه، در سی و هفت زبان، به فروش رفته است؛ این سری در برگیرنده ی بیش از چهل رمان (تاکنون چهل و یک رمان)، یازده داستان کوتاه، چهار کتاب علمی، و چندین کتاب مرجع، و مکمل است؛ از این سری، چندین رمان تصویری، بازی کامپیوتری، نمایش تئاتر، سریالهای تلویزیونی اقتباس شده است؛ روزنامه ی «ساندی تایمز» چاپ «انگلستان» از این سری به عنوان یکی از پرفروشترین سری کتابها نام برده، و «تری پرچت» را، به عنوان پرفروشترین نویسنده ی «انگلستان»، در دهه ی نود میلادی دانسته است؛
رمانهای «دیسکورلد» جوایز بسیاری از جمله جایزه «پرومتئوس»، و مدال ادبی «کارنگی» را، از آن خود کرده اند؛ در نظرسنجی «بیگ رید»، که «بیبیسی» در سال 2003میلادی، در «انگلستان» انجام داد، چهار رمان سری «دیسکورلد»؛ در فهرست یکصد کتاب برتر قرار گرفتند؛ همچنین مردمان «انگلیس»، در این نظرسنجی، چهارده رمان «دیسکورلد» را، در شمار دویست کتاب برتر، دانستند؛ تا کنون، از این سری، چهل و یک رمان، به چاپ رسیده است؛ «تری پرچت» که پیش از درگذشتش؛ در ابتدای سال 2015میلادی، از بیماری «آلزایمر» رنج میبردند، اعلام کردند که خوشحال میشوند که دخترشان، «ریانا پرچت»، به جای ایشان، به ادامه ی این سری بپردازند؛ تا جلد بیست و ششم رمان این سری، رمان «دزد زمان (2001میلادی)» به دست «جاش کربی»، به تصویر کشیده شده اند، اما نسخه های «آمریکایی»، که انتشارات «هارپرکالینز» آنها را، منتشر کرده، دارای تصاویر روی جلد متفاوتی هستند؛ پس از درگذشت «جاش کربی»، در سال 2001میلادی، نقاشیهای روی جلد کتابهای بعدی این سری، بدست «پائول کربی» کشیده شدند
کتابهای اول و دوم: «رنگ جادو»؛ کتاب سوم: «زنان جادوگر»؛ کتاب چهارم: «مرگ»؛ کتاب پنجم: «سورسری (برگردان فارسی جادوی مرجع)»؛ کتاب ششم: «خواهران ویرد»؛ کتاب هفتم: «هرم ها»؛ کتاب هشتم: «نگهبانان! نگهبانان»؛ کتاب نهم: «اریک»؛ کتاب دهم: «تصاویر متحرک»؛ کتاب یازدهم: «مرد دروگر»؛ کتاب دوازدهم: «جادوگران خارج»؛ کتاب سیزدهم: «ایزدان خرد (خدایان کوچک)»؛ کتاب چهاردهم: «لردها و بانوان»؛ کتاب پانزدهم: «مردان مسلح»؛ کتاب شانزدهم: «موسیقی روح»؛ کتاب هفدهم: «اوقات جالب»؛ کتاب هجدهم: «ماسکراد»؛ کتاب نوزدهم: «پاهای خشت (فیت آو کلی)»؛ کتاب بیستم: «هاگفادر»؛ کتاب بیست و یکم: «جینگو»؛ کتاب بیست و دوم: «آخرین قاره»؛ کتاب بیست و سوم: «کارپه جوگلوم»؛ کتاب بیست و چهارم: «فیل پنجم»؛ کتاب بیست و پنجم: «حقیقت»؛ کتاب بیست و ششم: «دزد زمان»؛ کتاب بیست و هفتم: «آخرین قهرمان»؛ کتاب بیست و هشتم: «ماوریس شگفتانگیز و موشهای آموزشدیدهاش»؛ کتاب بیست و نهم: «ساعت شب»؛ کتاب سی ام: «مردان آزاد وی»؛ کتاب سی و یکم: «هنگ بزرگ»؛ کتاب سی و دوم: «کلاهی پُر از آسمان»؛ کتاب سی و سوم: «گوینگ پوستال»؛ کتاب سی و چهارم: «تود!»؛ کتاب سی و پنجم: «وینتراسمیت»؛ کتاب سی و ششم: «بدست آوردن پول»؛ کتاب سی و هفتم: «دانشگاهیهای نادیدنی»؛ کتاب سی و هشتم: «نیمهشب بایست بپوشم»؛ کتاب سی و نهم: «اسنوف»؛ کتاب چهلم: «بالا آمدن مه»؛ کتاب چهل و یکم: «تاج چوپان»؛
کتاب بیست و دوم با عنوان «آخرین قاره» درباره ی قاره ی «استرالیا» است؛ و داستان هفته ها پس از رویدادهای کتاب هفدهم «اوقات جالب»، آغاز میشود؛ که در آن «رینسویند» به قاره ی ایکس ...، و به دلیل اشتباه محاسباتی جادوگران دانشگاه، به گونه ای جادویی منتقل میشود؛ و ...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 15/01/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
The Last Continent is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the twenty-second book in his Discworld series.
First published in 1998, it mocks the aspects of time travel such as the grandfather paradox and the Ray Bradbury short story "A Sound of Thunder". It also parodies Australian people and aspects of Australian culture.
The story opens weeks after the events of Interesting Times, in which Rincewind is magically transported to the continent of Xxxx due to a miscalculation made by the Unseen University wizards.
He meets the magical kangaroo Scrappy, who was sent by the creator of Fourecks. Scrappy explains to Rincewind that he is fated to bring back "The Wet", meaning the rain, and that he is the reason for the eons-long drought.
Scrappy says that the continent is unfinished, and time and space will be an eternal anomaly there until it is finished, i.e., the rain is brought back. Rincewind is shown cave paintings of wizards.
Meanwhile, the senior wizards (Archchancellor Mustrum Ridcully, The Dean, The Bursar, The Chair of Indefinite Studies, The Lecturer in Recent Runes, The Senior Wrangler, and Ponder Stibbons) are trying to find a cure for the Librarian's magical malady, which causes him to transform into a native object, such as a book when near a library, whenever he sneezes.
The wizards soon find out that the books in the Library become hostile and attack when not in the librarian's care.
The wizards cannot cure the Librarian without knowing his name.
The Librarian, being also the archivist, destroyed any evidence of his true name since he believed the wizards would attempt to turn him human again, as he rather enjoyed his orang-utan body (brought on by a magical accident years before).
The Lecturer in Recent Runes suggests they interrogate Rincewind, as he once worked closely with the Librarian and seemed to know more about him than anyone else.
To find Rincewind, they have to find the continent of Xxxx. They seek out the Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography, and find his office but no sign of the professor himself.
They then find a magical window in space leading from the professor's bathroom to a tropical island thousands of years in the past. ...
تاریخ نخستین خوانش روز هشتم ماه می 2020میلادی
عنوان: دیسک و��لد (جهان صفحه) کتاب بیست و دوم: آخرین قاره؛ نویسنده تری پرچت؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان بریتانیایی - سده 20م
دیسک ورلد (جهان صفحه)، یک سری از کتابهای فانتزی هستند، که روانشاد «تری پرچت»، نویسنده ی «انگلیسی»، نگاشته اند؛ داستانهای این سری در جهانی با نام «دیسک ورلد (جهان صفحه)» میگذرند؛ که صفحه ای تخت است، و بر شانه های چهار فیل، با هیکلهای بزرگ، قرار دارد؛ این فیلها نیز، به نوبه ی خود، بر روی پشت یک لاکپشت غولآسا، با نام «آتوئین بزرگ» قرار دارند؛ در این سری از کتابها، بارها از سوژه های کتابهای نویسندگانی همچون «جی.آر.آر تالکین»، «رابرت هاوارد»، «اچ پی لاوکرافت» و «ویلیام شکسپیر» به گونه ای خنده دار، استفاده شده است؛
از سری «دیسک ورلد» بیشتر از هشتاد میلیون نسخه، در سی و هفت زبان، به فروش رفته است؛ این سری در برگیرنده ی بیش از چهل رمان (تاکنون چهل و یک رمان)، یازده داستان کوتاه، چهار کتاب علمی، و چندین کتاب مرجع، و مکمل است؛ از این سری، چندین رمان تصویری، بازی کامپیوتری، نمایش تئاتر، سریالهای تلویزیونی اقتباس شده است؛ روزنامه ی «ساندی تایمز» چاپ «انگلستان» از این سری به عنوان یکی از پرفروشترین سری کتابها نام برده، و «تری پرچت» را، به عنوان پرفروشترین نویسنده ی «انگلستان»، در دهه ی نود میلادی دانسته است؛
رمانهای «دیسکورلد» جوایز بسیاری از جمله جایزه «پرومتئوس»، و مدال ادبی «کارنگی» را، از آن خود کرده اند؛ در نظرسنجی «بیگ رید»، که «بیبیسی» در سال 2003میلادی، در «انگلستان» انجام داد، چهار رمان سری «دیسکورلد»؛ در فهرست یکصد کتاب برتر قرار گرفتند؛ همچنین مردمان «انگلیس»، در این نظرسنجی، چهارده رمان «دیسکورلد» را، در شمار دویست کتاب برتر، دانستند؛ تا کنون، از این سری، چهل و یک رمان، به چاپ رسیده است؛ «تری پرچت» که پیش از درگذشتش؛ در ابتدای سال 2015میلادی، از بیماری «آلزایمر» رنج میبردند، اعلام کردند که خوشحال میشوند که دخترشان، «ریانا پرچت»، به جای ایشان، به ادامه ی این سری بپردازند؛ تا جلد بیست و ششم رمان این سری، رمان «دزد زمان (2001میلادی)» به دست «جاش کربی»، به تصویر کشیده شده اند، اما نسخه های «آمریکایی»، که انتشارات «هارپرکالینز» آنها را، منتشر کرده، دارای تصاویر روی جلد متفاوتی هستند؛ پس از درگذشت «جاش کربی»، در سال 2001میلادی، نقاشیهای روی جلد کتابهای بعدی این سری، بدست «پائول کربی» کشیده شدند
کتابهای اول و دوم: «رنگ جادو»؛ کتاب سوم: «زنان جادوگر»؛ کتاب چهارم: «مرگ»؛ کتاب پنجم: «سورسری (برگردان فارسی جادوی مرجع)»؛ کتاب ششم: «خواهران ویرد»؛ کتاب هفتم: «هرم ها»؛ کتاب هشتم: «نگهبانان! نگهبانان»؛ کتاب نهم: «اریک»؛ کتاب دهم: «تصاویر متحرک»؛ کتاب یازدهم: «مرد دروگر»؛ کتاب دوازدهم: «جادوگران خارج»؛ کتاب سیزدهم: «ایزدان خرد (خدایان کوچک)»؛ کتاب چهاردهم: «لردها و بانوان»؛ کتاب پانزدهم: «مردان مسلح»؛ کتاب شانزدهم: «موسیقی روح»؛ کتاب هفدهم: «اوقات جالب»؛ کتاب هجدهم: «ماسکراد»؛ کتاب نوزدهم: «پاهای خشت (فیت آو کلی)»؛ کتاب بیستم: «هاگفادر»؛ کتاب بیست و یکم: «جینگو»؛ کتاب بیست و دوم: «آخرین قاره»؛ کتاب بیست و سوم: «کارپه جوگلوم»؛ کتاب بیست و چهارم: «فیل پنجم»؛ کتاب بیست و پنجم: «حقیقت»؛ کتاب بیست و ششم: «دزد زمان»؛ کتاب بیست و هفتم: «آخرین قهرمان»؛ کتاب بیست و هشتم: «ماوریس شگفتانگیز و موشهای آموزشدیدهاش»؛ کتاب بیست و نهم: «ساعت شب»؛ کتاب سی ام: «مردان آزاد وی»؛ کتاب سی و یکم: «هنگ بزرگ»؛ کتاب سی و دوم: «کلاهی پُر از آسمان»؛ کتاب سی و سوم: «گوینگ پوستال»؛ کتاب سی و چهارم: «تود!»؛ کتاب سی و پنجم: «وینتراسمیت»؛ کتاب سی و ششم: «بدست آوردن پول»؛ کتاب سی و هفتم: «دانشگاهیهای نادیدنی»؛ کتاب سی و هشتم: «نیمهشب بایست بپوشم»؛ کتاب سی و نهم: «اسنوف»؛ کتاب چهلم: «بالا آمدن مه»؛ کتاب چهل و یکم: «تاج چوپان»؛
کتاب بیست و دوم با عنوان «آخرین قاره» درباره ی قاره ی «استرالیا» است؛ و داستان هفته ها پس از رویدادهای کتاب هفدهم «اوقات جالب»، آغاز میشود؛ که در آن «رینسویند» به قاره ی ایکس ...، و به دلیل اشتباه محاسباتی جادوگران دانشگاه، به گونه ای جادویی منتقل میشود؛ و ...؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 15/01/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
April 27, 2013
"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 every syllable, "we have been given an unusual opportunity. Our Author," (he made a perfunctory sketch of the Holy Sign of Pratchett), "our Author has invited us to help plan his next book. I see it as a witty series of Australia-related parodies. This is our cue to think synergistically and proactively, exploit our first-mover advantage and -"
As he never tired of explaining to the other members of Unseen University, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Wizards had turned Mustrum Ridcully into a new man. Some people, however, still remembered the old one with a certain wistful nostalgia. But now Ponder Stibbons, the Assistant Under-Nerd, unexpectedly raised his hand.
"Please sir?"
Ridcully stopped, surprised. "Yes?"
"Well sir, I've been thinking about it as well, and I have a few ideas to, er, to toss into the mix." He cleared his throat. "I've been reading about, you know, evolution," (the Professor of Recent Runes looked pointedly at the ceiling) "it's, ah, very interesting, and I thought the book could be, you know, a sort of satire on that. On evolution. Darwin."
"Thank you very much for your valuable contribution," said Ridcully in a tone that clearly indicated the subject was now closed, "but as I was saying, Australia. A wealth of comic material for us to exploit. Kangaroos. Mad Max. Sheep shearing. Beer. Cork hats. Amusing synonyms for 'throwing up' -"
"No, but really, sir, let me explain!" said Stibbons. "Evolution's funnier than you might think! We can arrive at this island where it all happens much faster, new species evolve in hours rather than millennia, there's a god who's in charge of it all, and, wait sir, here's the punchline, it's a clever reference to J.B.S. Haldane-"
"As. I. Was. Saying." interrupted Ridcully. "Australia. Bush rangers. Drop bears. Vegemite. And for those among us who believe our target demographic likes biology, a sequence on how the platypus was created. There. No one can say I'm not willing to compromise."
Stibbons sighed. It was going to be another of those meetings.
"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 every syllable, "we have been given an unusual opportunity. Our Author," (he made a perfunctory sketch of the Holy Sign of Pratchett), "our Author has invited us to help plan his next book. I see it as a witty series of Australia-related parodies. This is our cue to think synergistically and proactively, exploit our first-mover advantage and -"
As he never tired of explaining to the other members of Unseen University, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Wizards had turned Mustrum Ridcully into a new man. Some people, however, still remembered the old one with a certain wistful nostalgia. But now Ponder Stibbons, the Assistant Under-Nerd, unexpectedly raised his hand.
"Please sir?"
Ridcully stopped, surprised. "Yes?"
"Well sir, I've been thinking about it as well, and I have a few ideas to, er, to toss into the mix." He cleared his throat. "I've been reading about, you know, evolution," (the Professor of Recent Runes looked pointedly at the ceiling) "it's, ah, very interesting, and I thought the book could be, you know, a sort of satire on that. On evolution. Darwin."
"Thank you very much for your valuable contribution," said Ridcully in a tone that clearly indicated the subject was now closed, "but as I was saying, Australia. A wealth of comic material for us to exploit. Kangaroos. Mad Max. Sheep shearing. Beer. Cork hats. Amusing synonyms for 'throwing up' -"
"No, but really, sir, let me explain!" said Stibbons. "Evolution's funnier than you might think! We can arrive at this island where it all happens much faster, new species evolve in hours rather than millennia, there's a god who's in charge of it all, and, wait sir, here's the punchline, it's a clever reference to J.B.S. Haldane-"
"As. I. Was. Saying." interrupted Ridcully. "Australia. Bush rangers. Drop bears. Vegemite. And for those among us who believe our target demographic likes biology, a sequence on how the platypus was created. There. No one can say I'm not willing to compromise."
Stibbons sighed. It was going to be another of those meetings.
October 28, 2015
Pratchett Goes to Australia
28 October 2015
I have to say that when I have read books, or seen TV episodes, by people from foreign parts where they try to satirise Australia I have generally been either unimpressed, or downright insulted (as was the case with the Simpsons Episode where the Simpsons come to Australia, act like a bunch of jerks, proceed to insult everybody, leave an infestation of cane toads, and then go home). As such I was approaching Pratchett's book with some trepidation due to this experience (okay, I'm probably exaggerating a bit here because the only episode that actually comes to mind is the Simpsons episode, but I have to say that that one episode was enough to leave a really bad taste in my mouth).
However, to say that I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. In fact it was not what I anticipated at all. It seems that Terry Pratchett knows more about Australia than I do and I was born and bred here. Mind you that is probably not surprising considering that when we are surrounded by our culture and our people we tend not to see what others consider to be somewhat strange. Sure, I understand that people wonder about this strange substance called vegemite and why it is that Australians not only eat it but actually like it (but then again there are a lot of things about other countries that make me scratch my head – such as octopus tentacles in Hong Kong).
Anyway, Pratchett, in this one book, seems to cover almost everything about Australia, and there are some things that he knew about that really surprised me. Of course we have good old vegemite:
but he also makes a number of mentions of the Pie Floater, which is a pie, covered in sauce, floating in pea soup, which you only really find in Adelaide (though the famous Pie Cart that used to sit outside the railway station has long since gone due to the tram tracks being laid down):
However, the one thing that really surprised me was when Rincewind was picked up by a dwarf named Mad and next thing we know we are suddenly caught up on one of those awesome Mad Max car chases:
Honestly, when I first picked up this book I never expected Rincewind to get caught up in a Mad Max car (or should I say cart) chase. Not only does he pay tribute to Mad Max, but also to the Man from Snowy River, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert. In fact in one section Rincewind discovers that he is standing on a float in the middle of the Gay and Lesbian Mardi-gras.
The reason that I gave this book such a high rating was the very clever, and really amusing, way he painted a picture of Australian culture, however the problem that I had with the book was that there really didn't seem to be a plot. Okay, there was a plot, but it seemed to be some loose thread that tied Rincewind's antics together (which involved him stumbling from one piece of Australiana to another, which included meeting Crocobile Dongo – aka Crocodile Dundee – drinking copious amounts of really good beer, and being mistaken for Waltzing Matilda – the guy in that song that gets busted stealing a sheep and instead of going to gaol throws himself into a billabong and drowns).
He does have a side plot, namely that the Librarian catches a cold, however it is a magical cold which causes him to shapeshift whenever he sneezes. To cure him of the cold the wizards need to find his true name, but he has removed all record of it, so they decide to go and find Rincewind, which results in them landing up on a deserted island ten thousand years in the past. Here they meet the god of evolution (that doesn't actually believe in himself) and proceed teach him a much better way of causing change in nature than simply creating things from scratch (namely sex). Pratchett, as can be expected, very cleverly ties these two threads together, however I'll let you read the book to find out how he does it.
I'll finish off with a little anecdote that just goes to show how much I don't actually pick up being an Australian (though I have began to notice some aspects of this when I travel overseas, particularly when I first arrived at Heathrow Airport to discover everybody speaking with an English accent, which I just have to say was really weird). Anyway, Rincewind discovers that there are two words in Australia (or Ecksecksecksecks – Fourecks, which happens to be a brand of beer) that can solve any problem and placate any person – “no worries”. Anyway, I just shrugged and continued about my day until, as I was about to walk into the office, the door suddenly flew open and almost hit me in the face. Coming out from behind the door was one of my mates, who proceeded to look and me and say 'no worries.' I almost burst out laughing. All I can say is that having now read this book I simply cannot look at those two words the same again.
28 October 2015
I have to say that when I have read books, or seen TV episodes, by people from foreign parts where they try to satirise Australia I have generally been either unimpressed, or downright insulted (as was the case with the Simpsons Episode where the Simpsons come to Australia, act like a bunch of jerks, proceed to insult everybody, leave an infestation of cane toads, and then go home). As such I was approaching Pratchett's book with some trepidation due to this experience (okay, I'm probably exaggerating a bit here because the only episode that actually comes to mind is the Simpsons episode, but I have to say that that one episode was enough to leave a really bad taste in my mouth).
However, to say that I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. In fact it was not what I anticipated at all. It seems that Terry Pratchett knows more about Australia than I do and I was born and bred here. Mind you that is probably not surprising considering that when we are surrounded by our culture and our people we tend not to see what others consider to be somewhat strange. Sure, I understand that people wonder about this strange substance called vegemite and why it is that Australians not only eat it but actually like it (but then again there are a lot of things about other countries that make me scratch my head – such as octopus tentacles in Hong Kong).
Anyway, Pratchett, in this one book, seems to cover almost everything about Australia, and there are some things that he knew about that really surprised me. Of course we have good old vegemite:
but he also makes a number of mentions of the Pie Floater, which is a pie, covered in sauce, floating in pea soup, which you only really find in Adelaide (though the famous Pie Cart that used to sit outside the railway station has long since gone due to the tram tracks being laid down):
However, the one thing that really surprised me was when Rincewind was picked up by a dwarf named Mad and next thing we know we are suddenly caught up on one of those awesome Mad Max car chases:
Honestly, when I first picked up this book I never expected Rincewind to get caught up in a Mad Max car (or should I say cart) chase. Not only does he pay tribute to Mad Max, but also to the Man from Snowy River, and Priscilla Queen of the Desert. In fact in one section Rincewind discovers that he is standing on a float in the middle of the Gay and Lesbian Mardi-gras.
The reason that I gave this book such a high rating was the very clever, and really amusing, way he painted a picture of Australian culture, however the problem that I had with the book was that there really didn't seem to be a plot. Okay, there was a plot, but it seemed to be some loose thread that tied Rincewind's antics together (which involved him stumbling from one piece of Australiana to another, which included meeting Crocobile Dongo – aka Crocodile Dundee – drinking copious amounts of really good beer, and being mistaken for Waltzing Matilda – the guy in that song that gets busted stealing a sheep and instead of going to gaol throws himself into a billabong and drowns).
He does have a side plot, namely that the Librarian catches a cold, however it is a magical cold which causes him to shapeshift whenever he sneezes. To cure him of the cold the wizards need to find his true name, but he has removed all record of it, so they decide to go and find Rincewind, which results in them landing up on a deserted island ten thousand years in the past. Here they meet the god of evolution (that doesn't actually believe in himself) and proceed teach him a much better way of causing change in nature than simply creating things from scratch (namely sex). Pratchett, as can be expected, very cleverly ties these two threads together, however I'll let you read the book to find out how he does it.
I'll finish off with a little anecdote that just goes to show how much I don't actually pick up being an Australian (though I have began to notice some aspects of this when I travel overseas, particularly when I first arrived at Heathrow Airport to discover everybody speaking with an English accent, which I just have to say was really weird). Anyway, Rincewind discovers that there are two words in Australia (or Ecksecksecksecks – Fourecks, which happens to be a brand of beer) that can solve any problem and placate any person – “no worries”. Anyway, I just shrugged and continued about my day until, as I was about to walk into the office, the door suddenly flew open and almost hit me in the face. Coming out from behind the door was one of my mates, who proceeded to look and me and say 'no worries.' I almost burst out laughing. All I can say is that having now read this book I simply cannot look at those two words the same again.
January 15, 2019
Steve Irwin, Crocodile Dundee, Tasmanian Devil, and Olivia Newton John sit enjoying Vegemite sandwiches and discussing Terry Pratchett’s 22nd Discworld novel, The Last Continent.
Steve: Crikey! What a great book, did you all enjoy it as much as I did?
Dundee: Indeed, I did, mate. I spent the arvo tending the barbie and rollin’ on me backside laughing at good ole Pratchett.
Devil: Raararragh!
Olivia: Right you are Taz, who knew the Discworld was chockers of good few, heh? Get away from Anhk-Morpork and Quirm and Klatch and far, far away you’ve got his Last Continent, the one made last, still being created, Ecks Ecks Ecks Ecks, or Down Undah on the Discworld
Devil: Raarararrraagh!
Dundee: I nearly finished me slab while reading and I also thought that we got to learn more about Rincewind and what an odd bugger he is, but also a hero in a ripper sort of way.
Steve: Pratchett has the wizards from ole UU go and fetch Rincewind from the far away Ecks Ecks Ecks Ecks and we get an Aussie adventure!
Olivia: Fair Dinkum! I thought Rincewind was similar, sort of, to Piers Anthony’s Bink, from A Spell for Chameleon, he might not do proper magic, but he’s got sweet as magic to stay in one piece.
Devil: Rarararrraaarrragh!
Dundee: Right you are Taz, and of course, as always, the real hero here is Sir Terry hisself, telling us a whopper of a tale.
Devil: Raarararaagh!
Steve: Crikey! What a great book, did you all enjoy it as much as I did?
Dundee: Indeed, I did, mate. I spent the arvo tending the barbie and rollin’ on me backside laughing at good ole Pratchett.
Devil: Raararragh!
Olivia: Right you are Taz, who knew the Discworld was chockers of good few, heh? Get away from Anhk-Morpork and Quirm and Klatch and far, far away you’ve got his Last Continent, the one made last, still being created, Ecks Ecks Ecks Ecks, or Down Undah on the Discworld
Devil: Raarararrraagh!
Dundee: I nearly finished me slab while reading and I also thought that we got to learn more about Rincewind and what an odd bugger he is, but also a hero in a ripper sort of way.
Steve: Pratchett has the wizards from ole UU go and fetch Rincewind from the far away Ecks Ecks Ecks Ecks and we get an Aussie adventure!
Olivia: Fair Dinkum! I thought Rincewind was similar, sort of, to Piers Anthony’s Bink, from A Spell for Chameleon, he might not do proper magic, but he’s got sweet as magic to stay in one piece.
Devil: Rarararrraaarrragh!
Dundee: Right you are Taz, and of course, as always, the real hero here is Sir Terry hisself, telling us a whopper of a tale.
Devil: Raarararaagh!
December 23, 2013
"You call that a knife?" The giant unsheathed one that would be called a sword if it had been held in a normal-sized hand. "This is what I call a knife!"
Mad looked at it. Then he reached his hand around behind his back, and it came back holding something.
"Really? No worries. This," he said, "is what I call a crossbow."
I cringed when I saw that this entry in the series was about the wizards. Normally their haughty behavior (which reminds me SO MUCH of my mother-in-law's most annoying trait), makes my skin sizzle, but in this go-round, they are marooned on a tropical isle. Being tossed out of their natural habitat - The Unseen University - they are suddenly vulnerable and insecure. One of them even has even become blushingly smitten by a cleaning lady.
Aaaaa! I liked the wizards!
Here is an excellent adventure in a land of kangaroos, boomerangs, odd brown food paste, and the occasional platypus. They'll hang you for stealing a sheep, but turn you into a folk hero if you manage to escape. Seriously. They'll even give you a head start...
From the Librarian's mysterious shape-shifting malady, to more inflammable cows, to the wizard's interesting attempts to build a boat (without a how-to manual!), this is one of the better Discworld adventures.
G'day!
Mad looked at it. Then he reached his hand around behind his back, and it came back holding something.
"Really? No worries. This," he said, "is what I call a crossbow."
I cringed when I saw that this entry in the series was about the wizards. Normally their haughty behavior (which reminds me SO MUCH of my mother-in-law's most annoying trait), makes my skin sizzle, but in this go-round, they are marooned on a tropical isle. Being tossed out of their natural habitat - The Unseen University - they are suddenly vulnerable and insecure. One of them even has even become blushingly smitten by a cleaning lady.
Aaaaa! I liked the wizards!
Here is an excellent adventure in a land of kangaroos, boomerangs, odd brown food paste, and the occasional platypus. They'll hang you for stealing a sheep, but turn you into a folk hero if you manage to escape. Seriously. They'll even give you a head start...
From the Librarian's mysterious shape-shifting malady, to more inflammable cows, to the wizard's interesting attempts to build a boat (without a how-to manual!), this is one of the better Discworld adventures.
G'day!
August 6, 2020
Me siento mal poniéndole a Sir Pratchett 3 estrellas, creo que es el libro que menos puntuación se ha llevado de la saga Mundodisco, pero ha habido ciertas cosas que no me han parecido tan buenas como en otros libros.
Primero la trama. Otras veces Pratchett aprovecha la historia para hacer sátira de temas como el racismo, xenofobia, pobreza y le sirve para luchar contra ellas mediante el humor. En este caso...la trama va sobre que no llueve en un país muy parecido a Australia...habla sobre la evolución, alguna crítica sobre las religiones...pero poca cosa. Tal vez he sido yo que no he visto el mensaje oculto, pero me ha parecido más flojo que otros.
Después, la cantidad de erratas que he visto en esta edición. No es culpa de Pratchett obviamente, pero encontrarme más de 10 o 15 erratas, y algunas gordas, me sacaba de la lectura. Ya podían haberse dado cuenta en la reedición.
Y por último, que los protagonistas son los magos, y hay que hacer un esfuerzo extra para seguir los diálogos y conversaciones absurdas de la gente de la Universidad Invisible. (Ojo, que esto solo demuestra lo bueno que es el autor escribiendo diálogos, ya que te exige estar al 200% para enterarte de lo que ocurre). Pero en general hace que las páginas se alarguen para no contarte gran cosa.
Primero la trama. Otras veces Pratchett aprovecha la historia para hacer sátira de temas como el racismo, xenofobia, pobreza y le sirve para luchar contra ellas mediante el humor. En este caso...la trama va sobre que no llueve en un país muy parecido a Australia...habla sobre la evolución, alguna crítica sobre las religiones...pero poca cosa. Tal vez he sido yo que no he visto el mensaje oculto, pero me ha parecido más flojo que otros.
Después, la cantidad de erratas que he visto en esta edición. No es culpa de Pratchett obviamente, pero encontrarme más de 10 o 15 erratas, y algunas gordas, me sacaba de la lectura. Ya podían haberse dado cuenta en la reedición.
Y por último, que los protagonistas son los magos, y hay que hacer un esfuerzo extra para seguir los diálogos y conversaciones absurdas de la gente de la Universidad Invisible. (Ojo, que esto solo demuestra lo bueno que es el autor escribiendo diálogos, ya que te exige estar al 200% para enterarte de lo que ocurre). Pero en general hace que las páginas se alarguen para no contarte gran cosa.
March 27, 2019
This installment in the Discworld series focuses on Rincewind and the senior faculty of Unseen University.
As is known by now, I'm not the biggest Rincewind fan and I was very happy to see that he wasn't center stage here - not alone at least. The Senior Wrangler for example or Ponder Stibbons and the God of Evolution were a hilarious counter-balance.
After his last adventure, Rincewind is in a very dry and hot place, stumbling from waterhole to waterhole. A long distance away, at Unseen University in Ankh-Morpork, the Librarian falls gravely ill. That is to say he's got a cold. The problem is that almost every time he sneezes, he changes shape. Moreover, due to his illness, he can't do his job and the magical books in the library grow restless. So Arch-chancellor Ridcully and his quirky bunch need to come up with a solution. They remember that, at one point, Rincewind had been the librarian (at the start of the series) for a short amount of time so they start looking for him, which gets them and Mrs Whitlow stranded somewhere and somewhen else.
Australian slang, unique (and rather deadly) fauna and flora, entirely helpful fauna and flora in the same place only a few thousand years earlier, seven
The level of quality of these books is undeniable. Moreover, it was fitting to read this book this month since we are following evolution and I was reading a lot of science books (Darwin's work amongst others) as well. However, sadly, as much as I chuckled a few times here and always relish the feeling of being back (it's like putting on your favourite pullover), it wasn't nearly as funny as some previous romps and also not as deep. It was simply a nice little quest with some crocodiles, sheep-shearing, kangaroos, lots of references to Australian movies and a few side-stabs at us silly humans in general.
Good but not Pratchett's best.
Still, I like the diversity within the series and that Sir Terry changed the scenery regularly throughout and it was a nice "alternate" look at evolution when compared to all the science books I've read this month. *lol*
March 27, 2019
Despite the author's protestations that this isn't Australia in a thin disguise, I am back to confirm that this Last Continent is, indeed, Australia.
Even the God of Evolution basically came right out and said it. :)
Rincewind on another adventure, and this time it's in the outback, putting all his mad survival skills to the ultimate test, mate.
On a side note, the head staff of Unseen University seems to have misplaced themselves.
I can't quite tell whether I enjoyed Rincewind's ongoing adventures more than Ridcully's crew. Both were fun. But let's face it, this book is nothing but a bunch of Australian cliche jokes. Good enough for now and amusing for a moment, but I can't put this book on any "best of" Pratchett lists. I'd call this a placeholder Pratchett. Very good in general but nothing superior. :)
Even the God of Evolution basically came right out and said it. :)
Rincewind on another adventure, and this time it's in the outback, putting all his mad survival skills to the ultimate test, mate.
On a side note, the head staff of Unseen University seems to have misplaced themselves.
I can't quite tell whether I enjoyed Rincewind's ongoing adventures more than Ridcully's crew. Both were fun. But let's face it, this book is nothing but a bunch of Australian cliche jokes. Good enough for now and amusing for a moment, but I can't put this book on any "best of" Pratchett lists. I'd call this a placeholder Pratchett. Very good in general but nothing superior. :)
July 27, 2022
A vast improvement on the previous Rincewind's adventure (which this story picks up from) as the failed wizard finds himself on the island of EcksEcksEcksEcks which basically parodies everything Australian.
At the same time the wizards of Unseen University need to find a cure for the librarians sickness and the wizards need Rincewind's help - only for them to get transported to the islands past.
Very Timey-Wimey!
I have a soft spot for this sub series in Prachett's popular Discworld novels, having tackled them in publication order.
Whilst many can be read as a standalone, you definitely need some backstory of the characters for this one.
One of the reasons why I enjoyed this entry so much more that it felt like a celebration of Oz culture alongside the typical stereotypes of this series.
With the book originally being written in the late 90's, I was already immersed with all the movie and TV output from down under so picked up most of the gags.
At the same time the wizards of Unseen University need to find a cure for the librarians sickness and the wizards need Rincewind's help - only for them to get transported to the islands past.
Very Timey-Wimey!
I have a soft spot for this sub series in Prachett's popular Discworld novels, having tackled them in publication order.
Whilst many can be read as a standalone, you definitely need some backstory of the characters for this one.
One of the reasons why I enjoyed this entry so much more that it felt like a celebration of Oz culture alongside the typical stereotypes of this series.
With the book originally being written in the late 90's, I was already immersed with all the movie and TV output from down under so picked up most of the gags.
October 18, 2017
I enjoyed this book. Am I coming up the raw prawn? Nah, mate. I enjoyed it. 'Strewth. Grab your woolly jumpers and a bowl of pie in pea soup and enjoy it.
Last Continent is a fun, Australian-reference fueled Pratchett classic. Recommended for all fans of Rincewind.
No worries.
Last Continent is a fun, Australian-reference fueled Pratchett classic. Recommended for all fans of Rincewind.
No worries.
April 4, 2019
Discworld is a world and a mirror of worlds. This is not a book about Australia. No, it’s about somewhere entirely different which happens to be, here and there, a bit…Australian. Still…no worries, right?
Keeping the boss away from your work...
Ponder knew he should never have let Ridcully look at the invisible writings. Wasn’t it a basic principle never to let your employer know what it is you actually do all day?
But no matter what precautions you took, sooner or later the boss was bound to come in and poke around and say things like, “Is this where you work, then?” and “I thought I sent a memo out about people bringing in potted plants,” and “What d’you call that thing with the keyboard?”
Unfortunately, like many people who are instinctively bad at something, the Archchancellor prided himself on how good at it he was. Ridcully was to management what King Herod was to the Bethlehem Playgroup Association.
The clever traveler researches his destination before arriving...
Death picked up a book at random and read the cover.
DANGEROUS MAMMALS, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, BIRDS, FISH, JELLYFISH, INSECTS, SPIDERS, CRUSTACEANS, GRASSES, TREES, MOSSES, AND LICHENS OF TERROR INCOGNITA, he read. His gaze moved down the spine. VOLUME 29c, he added. OH. PART THREE, I SEE.
Don't panic...
The wizards were civilized men of considerable education and culture. When faced with being inadvertently marooned on a desert island they understood immediately that the first thing to do was place the blame.
Spoofs, Tropes, parodies.
Although this story is not about Australia, that is the Australia in our world, it does describe all things Australian that we see in the popular media such as the Sydney Opera House, Mad Max, the man from Snowy River and more. Have fun spotting them all. The winner gets a chocolate fish.
Enjoy!
Keeping the boss away from your work...
Ponder knew he should never have let Ridcully look at the invisible writings. Wasn’t it a basic principle never to let your employer know what it is you actually do all day?
But no matter what precautions you took, sooner or later the boss was bound to come in and poke around and say things like, “Is this where you work, then?” and “I thought I sent a memo out about people bringing in potted plants,” and “What d’you call that thing with the keyboard?”
Unfortunately, like many people who are instinctively bad at something, the Archchancellor prided himself on how good at it he was. Ridcully was to management what King Herod was to the Bethlehem Playgroup Association.
The clever traveler researches his destination before arriving...
Death picked up a book at random and read the cover.
DANGEROUS MAMMALS, REPTILES, AMPHIBIANS, BIRDS, FISH, JELLYFISH, INSECTS, SPIDERS, CRUSTACEANS, GRASSES, TREES, MOSSES, AND LICHENS OF TERROR INCOGNITA, he read. His gaze moved down the spine. VOLUME 29c, he added. OH. PART THREE, I SEE.
Don't panic...
The wizards were civilized men of considerable education and culture. When faced with being inadvertently marooned on a desert island they understood immediately that the first thing to do was place the blame.
Spoofs, Tropes, parodies.
Although this story is not about Australia, that is the Australia in our world, it does describe all things Australian that we see in the popular media such as the Sydney Opera House, Mad Max, the man from Snowy River and more. Have fun spotting them all. The winner gets a chocolate fish.
Enjoy!
December 25, 2016
The Last Continent is the sixth book in the Rincewind subseries of Discworld. For me, this was one of the more average Discworld books. I don’t normally fall asleep while reading, but the cat and I took a few short naps while reading this book. :)
Rincewind has accidentally become stranded in a remote area of Austral… I mean, in Ecksecksecksecks. While Rincewind is innocently going about his business of trying not to die of starvation or get poisoned by giant spiders, a talking kangaroo tries to enlist his help to fix a problem. You see, something has happened to stop the rain and apparently Rincewind is the only one who can set things right. No worries.
I liked the story, but it wasn’t a page-turner for me. There was plenty of humor as usual, but not as much that really made me laugh out loud. Rincewind is always a fun character though, so it was nice to see him again. Some of the humor went over my head because there were clearly Australian cultural references that were unfamiliar to me. Actually, until reading this book, I didn’t even know that “no worries” originated in Australia. I hear it quite a bit here in the U.S. now, but the first time I started noticing the phrase was during discussions with my European colleagues. I had thought maybe it was a UK thing. My Kindle educated me with a relevant Wikipedia entry when I highlighted one of the many, many occurrences of “no worries” in the book. So at least I learned something new!
Rincewind has accidentally become stranded in a remote area of Austral… I mean, in Ecksecksecksecks. While Rincewind is innocently going about his business of trying not to die of starvation or get poisoned by giant spiders, a talking kangaroo tries to enlist his help to fix a problem. You see, something has happened to stop the rain and apparently Rincewind is the only one who can set things right. No worries.
I liked the story, but it wasn’t a page-turner for me. There was plenty of humor as usual, but not as much that really made me laugh out loud. Rincewind is always a fun character though, so it was nice to see him again. Some of the humor went over my head because there were clearly Australian cultural references that were unfamiliar to me. Actually, until reading this book, I didn’t even know that “no worries” originated in Australia. I hear it quite a bit here in the U.S. now, but the first time I started noticing the phrase was during discussions with my European colleagues. I had thought maybe it was a UK thing. My Kindle educated me with a relevant Wikipedia entry when I highlighted one of the many, many occurrences of “no worries” in the book. So at least I learned something new!
September 7, 2021
The one where Pratchett pokes fun at Australia.
It's all easy targets: beer, the Sidney Opera House, Mad Max, "we put all of our politicians in jail as soon as they are elected; it saves time", drop bears, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, silly lingo, and more. It's done well and still funny, but easy.
The other storyline involving the Unseen University faculty is good, and I appreciate those characters more on my current series re-read than I ever have before, but it was perhaps over-long exposure to them on this outing.
It's all easy targets: beer, the Sidney Opera House, Mad Max, "we put all of our politicians in jail as soon as they are elected; it saves time", drop bears, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, silly lingo, and more. It's done well and still funny, but easy.
The other storyline involving the Unseen University faculty is good, and I appreciate those characters more on my current series re-read than I ever have before, but it was perhaps over-long exposure to them on this outing.
March 15, 2016
In which Rincewind gets sent to my adopted country and encounters every pop culture reference you could think of. Is this how Egyptians react when they read about Djellibeybi in Pyramids?
I remember when I first moved here, middle of Summer, endless days of 40c heat, not even remotely a hint of potential rainfall and then one morning it just hammered down with rain for a few minutes and the roads turned to rivers and everybody seemed to panic a bit. Pratchett nailed it.
The absurdly misplaced affection for the larrikin (at best) and the hardened criminal (at worst) is also put under the spotlight that is the Discworld funhouse mirror thanks to Rinco's penchant for ending up in the worst situation possible at any given time. Priscilla, Abba, Max, Opera, Ned, Vegemite, Gay Pride, Aboriginal culture, Skippy, Crocodile Dundee, it's all to be found in Fourecks. Muddled around a bit with a storyline that turns Ponder Stibbons in to Darwin. It's a lot of fun, nowhere near as offensive as it might have been considering it is a Rincewind book about a different culture, and happily now out of the way so I don't have to dread reading about Rincewind in Australia any longer.
I remember when I first moved here, middle of Summer, endless days of 40c heat, not even remotely a hint of potential rainfall and then one morning it just hammered down with rain for a few minutes and the roads turned to rivers and everybody seemed to panic a bit. Pratchett nailed it.
The absurdly misplaced affection for the larrikin (at best) and the hardened criminal (at worst) is also put under the spotlight that is the Discworld funhouse mirror thanks to Rinco's penchant for ending up in the worst situation possible at any given time. Priscilla, Abba, Max, Opera, Ned, Vegemite, Gay Pride, Aboriginal culture, Skippy, Crocodile Dundee, it's all to be found in Fourecks. Muddled around a bit with a storyline that turns Ponder Stibbons in to Darwin. It's a lot of fun, nowhere near as offensive as it might have been considering it is a Rincewind book about a different culture, and happily now out of the way so I don't have to dread reading about Rincewind in Australia any longer.
October 14, 2022
🦘
"A wizard without a hat was just a sad man with a suspicious taste in clothes. A wizard without a hat wasn’t anyone."
*******
"Ponder Stibbons was one of those unfortunate people cursed with the belief that if only he found out enough things about the universe it would all, somehow, make sense."
*******
"This is not a book about Australia. No, it's about somewhere entirely different which happens to be, here and there, a bit... Australian. Still... no worries, right?"
Discworld's version of Australia, which of course isn't Australia, but also absolutely is Australia, was a delight. New Zealand is close to Australia that I think I got many of the jokes, though probably not all!
"He’d decided to keep a journal in the hope that this might help. He looked at the recent entries. Probably Tuesday: hot, flies. Dinner: honey ants. Attacked by honey ants. Fell into waterhole. Wednesday, with any luck: hot, flies. Dinner: either bush raisins or kangaroo droppings. Chased by hunters, don’t know why. Fell into waterhole. Thursday (could be): hot, flies. Dinner: blue-tongued lizard. Savaged by blue-tongued lizard. Chased by different hunters. Fell off cliff, bounced into tree, pissed on by small grey incontinent teddy bear, landed in a waterhole. Friday: hot, flies. Dinner: some kind of roots which tasted like sick. This saved time. Saturday: hotter than yesterday, extra flies. V. thirsty. Sunday: hot. Delirious with thirst and flies. Nothing but nothing as far as the eye can see, with bushes in it. Decided to die, collapsed, fell down sand dune into waterhole."
*******
" 'I can’t help thinking, though, that we may have . . . tinkered with the past, Archchancellor,’ said the Senior Wrangler. ‘I don’t see how,’ said Ridcully. ‘After all, the past happened before we got here.’ ‘Yes, 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 about the tenses of time travel, but most things can be resolved by a sufficiently large ego."
I have a soft spot for the wizards and their intelligent stupidity, so that, combined with the setting made it especially enjoyable! 🐨
"A wizard without a hat was just a sad man with a suspicious taste in clothes. A wizard without a hat wasn’t anyone."
*******
"Ponder Stibbons was one of those unfortunate people cursed with the belief that if only he found out enough things about the universe it would all, somehow, make sense."
*******
"This is not a book about Australia. No, it's about somewhere entirely different which happens to be, here and there, a bit... Australian. Still... no worries, right?"
Discworld's version of Australia, which of course isn't Australia, but also absolutely is Australia, was a delight. New Zealand is close to Australia that I think I got many of the jokes, though probably not all!
"He’d decided to keep a journal in the hope that this might help. He looked at the recent entries. Probably Tuesday: hot, flies. Dinner: honey ants. Attacked by honey ants. Fell into waterhole. Wednesday, with any luck: hot, flies. Dinner: either bush raisins or kangaroo droppings. Chased by hunters, don’t know why. Fell into waterhole. Thursday (could be): hot, flies. Dinner: blue-tongued lizard. Savaged by blue-tongued lizard. Chased by different hunters. Fell off cliff, bounced into tree, pissed on by small grey incontinent teddy bear, landed in a waterhole. Friday: hot, flies. Dinner: some kind of roots which tasted like sick. This saved time. Saturday: hotter than yesterday, extra flies. V. thirsty. Sunday: hot. Delirious with thirst and flies. Nothing but nothing as far as the eye can see, with bushes in it. Decided to die, collapsed, fell down sand dune into waterhole."
*******
" 'I can’t help thinking, though, that we may have . . . tinkered with the past, Archchancellor,’ said the Senior Wrangler. ‘I don’t see how,’ said Ridcully. ‘After all, the past happened before we got here.’ ‘Yes, 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 about the tenses of time travel, but most things can be resolved by a sufficiently large ego."
I have a soft spot for the wizards and their intelligent stupidity, so that, combined with the setting made it especially enjoyable! 🐨
June 5, 2009
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 next day, on my flight home. I spent the whole flight squirming in my seat, stuffing my hands practically into my mouth in order to stem the uncontrollable laughter. A few times I actually had to close the book and take deep breaths before diving back in. It's hilarious. And this isn't even Pratchett's best. I'm giving The Last Continent an "Amazing" because I owe my love of Pratchett to it, but there are others I'd recommend before this one. Don't get me wrong, there is lots to love here. I was a little lost at times because I had no background on any of the characters, so it's probably not the best choice for a first Pratchett. Still, it worked for me, right?
I don't have the book in front of me, so I can't quote, but the scene in which Rincewind makes beer soup is hands-down my favorite.
I read this the next day, on my flight home. I spent the whole flight squirming in my seat, stuffing my hands practically into my mouth in order to stem the uncontrollable laughter. A few times I actually had to close the book and take deep breaths before diving back in. It's hilarious. And this isn't even Pratchett's best. I'm giving The Last Continent an "Amazing" because I owe my love of Pratchett to it, but there are others I'd recommend before this one. Don't get me wrong, there is lots to love here. I was a little lost at times because I had no background on any of the characters, so it's probably not the best choice for a first Pratchett. Still, it worked for me, right?
I don't have the book in front of me, so I can't quote, but the scene in which Rincewind makes beer soup is hands-down my favorite.
October 28, 2018
Currently re-reading this with my son who is here on a visit from London, England. It is just as much fun the second time around :)
April 15, 2022
Sadly this is up there with Equal Rites for being one of my least favorites in the series so far. It’s mostly good for the first 75% but I found the last quarter painfully tedious and was relieved to finish.
May 24, 2014
Complete Discworld Reread
*Ring*
Hello, Terry?
Ya, it is me, Nathan.
Nathan!
You know, the guy doing the full reread of your Discworld series?
No? Haven’t read one review? Not even…
Really? Wow, really thought some of those would have made it your way. But hey I got a few questions for you.
Huh? Well, it is surprisingly easy to get someone’s home number these days, the internet is a wonderful place. Anyway, I just finished The Last Continent and I am a bit confused.
Yes, I figured out that it was set in the Discworld version of Australia. Hell my three year old could have figured that out. By the way do you get those Foster’s Beer commercials on your TV much?
No? Oh come on, you know the ones. They show something like a guy throwing a boomerang at someone and then say “Instant message,” implying that that is how the Australian people would grab someone’s attention.
Really? Not ringing a bell? Because honestly they either stole half their jokes from you or vice versa, there were a lot of easy jokes in this book. Honestly did you just get bored? Usually your stuff is more clever than this; you of all people know that just making a reference to Pricilla Queen of the Desert does not automatically make it a joke. Most of Rincewind’s page time was spend poking at Australian stereotypes in not so clever ways.
Please don’t hang up sir, I am sorry. I know you can’t be on fire all the time.
No need to be defensive sir, I know there are tons of people who loved this book. No doubt they have watched Crocodile Dundee six times this week. Nothing, I didn’t say anything there, just background noise sir.
What’s that? Oh ya, the evolution jokes were better. I loved the god of evolution. I loved the love or beetles. Instant adaption is great. And to be fair everything to do with the university wizards is comedy gold, you have the interplay between them down to an art. It was just Rincewind’s story that didn’t seem to have any actual comedy in it.
Ok, yes I will stop bring it up and move on. I am sorry.
My favorite part? Oh the scene where everyone takes over and tries to draw a duck. Pure gold. I especially love the Burser’s thoughts in the background, a rare look into someone so insane he is down right sane. Plus, I have to say, it was this book that first taught me what a drop bear was when I read it years ago.
You have to go soon? Really? It’s almost midnight, where are you going this time of night?
What? Oh, the real reason I was calling? Like I said, I am a bit confused about The Last Continent. Could you answer a plot point question for me? Then I will let you go.
Oh thank you. Let me see, how should I actually phrase this. I mentioned I loved the wizards and found them hilarious as ever. I saw a lot of your genius hidden in some of the jokes, subtle nods to evolutionary theory and perspective in art. And while the Austrialian clichés got old I admit a few of them made me chuckle. But… ahh, this is hard. How do I ask this? Ok, I got it.
Was there any kind of coherent plot I was supposed to following in this jumble, confused mess of a book?
Hello?
Hello?
Terry?
3 Stars.
*Ring*
Hello, Terry?
Ya, it is me, Nathan.
Nathan!
You know, the guy doing the full reread of your Discworld series?
No? Haven’t read one review? Not even…
Really? Wow, really thought some of those would have made it your way. But hey I got a few questions for you.
Huh? Well, it is surprisingly easy to get someone’s home number these days, the internet is a wonderful place. Anyway, I just finished The Last Continent and I am a bit confused.
Yes, I figured out that it was set in the Discworld version of Australia. Hell my three year old could have figured that out. By the way do you get those Foster’s Beer commercials on your TV much?
No? Oh come on, you know the ones. They show something like a guy throwing a boomerang at someone and then say “Instant message,” implying that that is how the Australian people would grab someone’s attention.
Really? Not ringing a bell? Because honestly they either stole half their jokes from you or vice versa, there were a lot of easy jokes in this book. Honestly did you just get bored? Usually your stuff is more clever than this; you of all people know that just making a reference to Pricilla Queen of the Desert does not automatically make it a joke. Most of Rincewind’s page time was spend poking at Australian stereotypes in not so clever ways.
Please don’t hang up sir, I am sorry. I know you can’t be on fire all the time.
No need to be defensive sir, I know there are tons of people who loved this book. No doubt they have watched Crocodile Dundee six times this week. Nothing, I didn’t say anything there, just background noise sir.
What’s that? Oh ya, the evolution jokes were better. I loved the god of evolution. I loved the love or beetles. Instant adaption is great. And to be fair everything to do with the university wizards is comedy gold, you have the interplay between them down to an art. It was just Rincewind’s story that didn’t seem to have any actual comedy in it.
Ok, yes I will stop bring it up and move on. I am sorry.
My favorite part? Oh the scene where everyone takes over and tries to draw a duck. Pure gold. I especially love the Burser’s thoughts in the background, a rare look into someone so insane he is down right sane. Plus, I have to say, it was this book that first taught me what a drop bear was when I read it years ago.
You have to go soon? Really? It’s almost midnight, where are you going this time of night?
What? Oh, the real reason I was calling? Like I said, I am a bit confused about The Last Continent. Could you answer a plot point question for me? Then I will let you go.
Oh thank you. Let me see, how should I actually phrase this. I mentioned I loved the wizards and found them hilarious as ever. I saw a lot of your genius hidden in some of the jokes, subtle nods to evolutionary theory and perspective in art. And while the Austrialian clichés got old I admit a few of them made me chuckle. But… ahh, this is hard. How do I ask this? Ok, I got it.
Was there any kind of coherent plot I was supposed to following in this jumble, confused mess of a book?
Hello?
Hello?
Terry?
3 Stars.
January 30, 2010
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 homage to the strangest continent on Earth.
Now keep in mind, Pratchett does state quite clearly that this is not a book about Australia. "It's about somewhere entirely different which happens to be, here and there, a bit... Australian." So that's okay then.
Really, this is Pratchett's homage to Australia, a country that he clearly likes a lot. In reality, Australia is a pretty strange place. It's a giant island, most of which is barren desert. It's been disconnected from the other continents for so long that evolution has given us species unlike any others on Earth. Pretty much anything that you come across, from the lowliest spider to the cutest jellyfish to the weirdest platypus, is deadly. The country is a tribute to Nature, both in its beauty and its danger, and really deserves more attention than it gets.
In one memorable scene, Death asks his Library for a complete list of dangerous animals on the continent known as XXXX, aka Fourecks. He is immediately buried under books, including Dangerous Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians, Birds, Fish, Jellyfish, Insects, Spiders, Crustaceans, Grasses, Trees, Mosses and Lichens of Terror Incognita, volume 29c, part three. A slight exaggeration? Perhaps. He then asks for a complete list of species that are not deadly, and gets a small leaflet on which is written, "Some of the sheep."
This book isn't about Death, though, as much fun as that may be. This is about the worst wizard on the Disc. The classic inadvertent hero, who had seen so much of the world but only as a blur while he ran from danger. The hero who truly just wants to be left alone, perhaps with a potato - Rincewind.
What you most need to know about Rincewind is that he absolutely does not want to be a hero. He craves a boring life, one in which the most he has to worry about is whether to have his potatoes baked, mashed, or deep fried. He does not want to be chased by mad highwaymen, put in prison for sheep theft, or required to completely change the climate of an entire continent. He doesn't want to time travel, be guided by strange, otherworldly kangaroos or fall in with a troupe of suspiciously masculine female performers. He just wants peace and quiet.
The universe, of course, has other ideas. And so it is up to Rincewind to once again save the day. The continent of Fourecks has never seen rain - in fact, they think the very idea of water that falls from the sky is ludicrous. But there are legends of what they call The Wet - the day when water will be found on the surface of the ground, rather than hundreds of feet below it. And while they don't know how it will happen exactly, they do know it will happen. Lucky for Rincewind, the universe has chosen him to make sure that it does.
I really can't list all of the Australia references because there are just too many. From drop bears to Vegemite, Mad Max to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, they're pretty much all there.
This book is, like so many other Discworld, books, a lot of fun to read. One of the more interesting sections in the book is one that's not strictly necessary. Exploring a strange window in the University which, for some reason, leads to a beach, the Wizards of the Unseen University find themselves marooned thousands of miles away and thousands of years back in time. On this weird little island, they meet one of the most unusual gods on the Disc - the god of evolution.
This god isn't interested in the normal godly things - lolling about and being worshiped, occasionally smiting a few followers here and there. As Pratchett puts it, "It is a general test of the omnipotence of a god that they can see the fall of a tiny bird. But only one god makes notes, and a few adjustments, so that next time it can fall further and faster." This god of evolution is devoted to making life forms better, often one at a time, and lives on a strange little island where there's only one of everything, but everything yearns to be useful. With him, the wizards are able to explore evolution and natural selection and figure out why sex is just so darn useful.
I say that this section isn't strictly necessary because it just isn't. It's certainly interesting, and I suppose the god's island is a nice echo of the real Australia, where evolution has had a long time to tinker and come up with some really weird stuff, but in terms of the story, it's not all that important a plot point. In fact, the wizards in general don't contribute much to the story other than to make it longer and funnier. Their exploration of evolution and Rincewind's unwilling quest to bring rain to the barren land of Fourecks are almost wholly unrelated to each other, up until the very end.
This isn't to say that they're unwelcome - I love watching the wizards explore the world. The combination of personalities whenever all the wizards get together is one that offers endless hours of reading fun, and I think that without them, the book would have been less enjoyable. They're just not essential to the plot, is all, and if that kind of thing is important to you, then you might not enjoy this book so much.
Me, I love science and I love Discworld. While the actual Science of Discworld series was kind of dry and boring in the end, I love it when Pratchett explores real-world science through the eyes of his Discworld characters. By looking at science from another perspective, he is able to make it perhaps a little more understandable to people who otherwise might write science off as "too hard."
This book is a trip through time and space and Australia. It's a long, strange trip, to be sure, but an entertaining one.
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 homage to the strangest continent on Earth.
Now keep in mind, Pratchett does state quite clearly that this is not a book about Australia. "It's about somewhere entirely different which happens to be, here and there, a bit... Australian." So that's okay then.
Really, this is Pratchett's homage to Australia, a country that he clearly likes a lot. In reality, Australia is a pretty strange place. It's a giant island, most of which is barren desert. It's been disconnected from the other continents for so long that evolution has given us species unlike any others on Earth. Pretty much anything that you come across, from the lowliest spider to the cutest jellyfish to the weirdest platypus, is deadly. The country is a tribute to Nature, both in its beauty and its danger, and really deserves more attention than it gets.
In one memorable scene, Death asks his Library for a complete list of dangerous animals on the continent known as XXXX, aka Fourecks. He is immediately buried under books, including Dangerous Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians, Birds, Fish, Jellyfish, Insects, Spiders, Crustaceans, Grasses, Trees, Mosses and Lichens of Terror Incognita, volume 29c, part three. A slight exaggeration? Perhaps. He then asks for a complete list of species that are not deadly, and gets a small leaflet on which is written, "Some of the sheep."
This book isn't about Death, though, as much fun as that may be. This is about the worst wizard on the Disc. The classic inadvertent hero, who had seen so much of the world but only as a blur while he ran from danger. The hero who truly just wants to be left alone, perhaps with a potato - Rincewind.
What you most need to know about Rincewind is that he absolutely does not want to be a hero. He craves a boring life, one in which the most he has to worry about is whether to have his potatoes baked, mashed, or deep fried. He does not want to be chased by mad highwaymen, put in prison for sheep theft, or required to completely change the climate of an entire continent. He doesn't want to time travel, be guided by strange, otherworldly kangaroos or fall in with a troupe of suspiciously masculine female performers. He just wants peace and quiet.
The universe, of course, has other ideas. And so it is up to Rincewind to once again save the day. The continent of Fourecks has never seen rain - in fact, they think the very idea of water that falls from the sky is ludicrous. But there are legends of what they call The Wet - the day when water will be found on the surface of the ground, rather than hundreds of feet below it. And while they don't know how it will happen exactly, they do know it will happen. Lucky for Rincewind, the universe has chosen him to make sure that it does.
I really can't list all of the Australia references because there are just too many. From drop bears to Vegemite, Mad Max to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, they're pretty much all there.
This book is, like so many other Discworld, books, a lot of fun to read. One of the more interesting sections in the book is one that's not strictly necessary. Exploring a strange window in the University which, for some reason, leads to a beach, the Wizards of the Unseen University find themselves marooned thousands of miles away and thousands of years back in time. On this weird little island, they meet one of the most unusual gods on the Disc - the god of evolution.
This god isn't interested in the normal godly things - lolling about and being worshiped, occasionally smiting a few followers here and there. As Pratchett puts it, "It is a general test of the omnipotence of a god that they can see the fall of a tiny bird. But only one god makes notes, and a few adjustments, so that next time it can fall further and faster." This god of evolution is devoted to making life forms better, often one at a time, and lives on a strange little island where there's only one of everything, but everything yearns to be useful. With him, the wizards are able to explore evolution and natural selection and figure out why sex is just so darn useful.
I say that this section isn't strictly necessary because it just isn't. It's certainly interesting, and I suppose the god's island is a nice echo of the real Australia, where evolution has had a long time to tinker and come up with some really weird stuff, but in terms of the story, it's not all that important a plot point. In fact, the wizards in general don't contribute much to the story other than to make it longer and funnier. Their exploration of evolution and Rincewind's unwilling quest to bring rain to the barren land of Fourecks are almost wholly unrelated to each other, up until the very end.
This isn't to say that they're unwelcome - I love watching the wizards explore the world. The combination of personalities whenever all the wizards get together is one that offers endless hours of reading fun, and I think that without them, the book would have been less enjoyable. They're just not essential to the plot, is all, and if that kind of thing is important to you, then you might not enjoy this book so much.
Me, I love science and I love Discworld. While the actual Science of Discworld series was kind of dry and boring in the end, I love it when Pratchett explores real-world science through the eyes of his Discworld characters. By looking at science from another perspective, he is able to make it perhaps a little more understandable to people who otherwise might write science off as "too hard."
This book is a trip through time and space and Australia. It's a long, strange trip, to be sure, but an entertaining one.
January 10, 2022
4,5/5
De mis favoritos de la saga de Rincewind jaja
De mis favoritos de la saga de Rincewind jaja
January 22, 2018
I like the Wizards books, I do. The scenes involving them are always a good time in making fun of bureaucracy and tradition and old white men. They are also usually very silly. But I have yet to love one of the Wizard books. It's just so hard for them to have an emotional through line like so many of Pratchett's other books do.
Like, this book wasn't really about anything. Sure, on the surface it's the Wizards flouncing off accidentally to Not Australia (aka XXXX aka the titular last continent) in search of Rincewind, the terminally inept but strangely effective wizard, who is the only one who might know the Librarian's name, and thus be able to help cure him. The Librarian is sick and things are chaos at Unseen University without him, and he keeps sneezing and turning in to things like deck chairs and fuzzy books, and all the books are going into a magical frenzy without him to tame them. But things DO NOT GO AS PLANNED. And while Rincewind is off having a miserable time on EcksEcksEcksEcks, the other Wizards bumble 30,000 years into the past and mess everything up, as usual.
There's also a running gag with the Wizards being gross to a lady that I did not appreciate (by treating her more like a precious thing than a person, which is admittedly better than other options). I realize this is done on purpose for satirical purposes, but I still didn't like it, and normally Pratchett has awesome lady characters to make up for his idiot men characters but here it's just the Wizards and Rincewind and a magical kangaroo, and Mrs. Whatsherface is just there. (See, I can't even remember her name!)
Ponder Stibbons is always a good time, though. I very much appreciate how sensible that character is in the face of all the other wizards, most of whom don't even have proper names, instead going by their titles (the Bursar, the Chair of Indefinite Studies, the Senior Wrangler, etc.) I also liked how into the idea of evolution he was here, and that he got to meet the god of evolution was a real kick.
I'm ready for some GOOD Pratchett, now, though.
[3.5 stars]
Like, this book wasn't really about anything. Sure, on the surface it's the Wizards flouncing off accidentally to Not Australia (aka XXXX aka the titular last continent) in search of Rincewind, the terminally inept but strangely effective wizard, who is the only one who might know the Librarian's name, and thus be able to help cure him. The Librarian is sick and things are chaos at Unseen University without him, and he keeps sneezing and turning in to things like deck chairs and fuzzy books, and all the books are going into a magical frenzy without him to tame them. But things DO NOT GO AS PLANNED. And while Rincewind is off having a miserable time on EcksEcksEcksEcks, the other Wizards bumble 30,000 years into the past and mess everything up, as usual.
There's also a running gag with the Wizards being gross to a lady that I did not appreciate (by treating her more like a precious thing than a person, which is admittedly better than other options). I realize this is done on purpose for satirical purposes, but I still didn't like it, and normally Pratchett has awesome lady characters to make up for his idiot men characters but here it's just the Wizards and Rincewind and a magical kangaroo, and Mrs. Whatsherface is just there. (See, I can't even remember her name!)
Ponder Stibbons is always a good time, though. I very much appreciate how sensible that character is in the face of all the other wizards, most of whom don't even have proper names, instead going by their titles (the Bursar, the Chair of Indefinite Studies, the Senior Wrangler, etc.) I also liked how into the idea of evolution he was here, and that he got to meet the god of evolution was a real kick.
I'm ready for some GOOD Pratchett, now, though.
[3.5 stars]
February 7, 2017
Ha sido entretenido, pero no me ha llegado tanto como otros libros del Mundodisco.
La trama se me ha hecho algo pausada y en ocasiones me daba la sensación de que no estaba sucediendo nada, a parte de pequeñas cosas sin importancia e influencia en el argumento general. Además, hay momentos en que los diálogos se hacen muy confusos porque no sabes quién está diciendo quién (aunque a esto ya estoy bastante acostumbrada, pues forma parte del estilo de Pratchett).
Otra cosa negativa es que se han quedado incógnitas a medio resolver.
Eso sí, me he llegado a reír mucho. El asunto de los magos y el sexo y la procreación me ha hecho soltar varias carcajadas e incluso llorar de la risa. De igual manera, he muerto del asco con todo el tema de la comida y las combinaciones imposibles. . Considero que el asco es una de las sensaciones más difíciles de transmitir por escrito, así que a pesar de darle sólo tres estrellas, debo decir una vez más: Bravo, señor Pratchett.
Otra cosa positiva es que, de nuevo, he quedado fascinada con la tremenda imaginación de este fantástico autor. No hay libro de él que no me sorprenda por sus locuras mágicas y esos diálogos de ingeniosas preguntas y respuestas.
Y os confesaré una cosa. Estoy perdidamente encariñada de Ponder Stibbons. Es mi niño precioso e inteligente, y lo adoro. Que nadie se atreva a meterse con él.
Así que eso es todo. No de los mejores para mí, pero lo he disfrutado a su manera.
La trama se me ha hecho algo pausada y en ocasiones me daba la sensación de que no estaba sucediendo nada, a parte de pequeñas cosas sin importancia e influencia en el argumento general. Además, hay momentos en que los diálogos se hacen muy confusos porque no sabes quién está diciendo quién (aunque a esto ya estoy bastante acostumbrada, pues forma parte del estilo de Pratchett).
Otra cosa negativa es que se han quedado incógnitas a medio resolver.
Eso sí, me he llegado a reír mucho. El asunto de los magos y el sexo y la procreación me ha hecho soltar varias carcajadas e incluso llorar de la risa. De igual manera, he muerto del asco con todo el tema de la comida y las combinaciones imposibles. . Considero que el asco es una de las sensaciones más difíciles de transmitir por escrito, así que a pesar de darle sólo tres estrellas, debo decir una vez más: Bravo, señor Pratchett.
Otra cosa positiva es que, de nuevo, he quedado fascinada con la tremenda imaginación de este fantástico autor. No hay libro de él que no me sorprenda por sus locuras mágicas y esos diálogos de ingeniosas preguntas y respuestas.
Y os confesaré una cosa. Estoy perdidamente encariñada de Ponder Stibbons. Es mi niño precioso e inteligente, y lo adoro. Que nadie se atreva a meterse con él.
Así que eso es todo. No de los mejores para mí, pero lo he disfrutado a su manera.
June 14, 2019
Discworld is one of my favorite series of all time, but if there’s one weakness at all it’s Rincewind as a main character. I feel like this was one of his better stories, but with that being said it’s closer to 3.5 stars for me and I’m rounding up from that.
The Last Continent took place on the Disc’s version of Australia, and having never been there I can’t say whether it was an accurate representation. However, it did have a bunch of stereotypes that you’d expect, like kangaroos (talking ones at that), cork hats, and a lot of beer. They didn’t feel shoehorned in for the sake of the story either, and I think that’s why I liked it more than other Rincewind stories.
Rincewind’s complete ineptitude makes yet another appearance, and the way that he inexplicably escapes danger and certain death by complete accident is still funny. This also had a subplot of the wizards being transported back in time to an island that is in the process of being created by a god, and in something only Pratchett can write he made this god “an atheist god”.
This is just a fantastic series, and even entries that are on the lower end in quality are still very good.
And one more thing. A one off line in a footnote made me somehow love Sir Terry even more than I previously had, which is something I didn’t think possible. “Even so, there is no excuse for putting pineapple on pizza.”
The Last Continent took place on the Disc’s version of Australia, and having never been there I can’t say whether it was an accurate representation. However, it did have a bunch of stereotypes that you’d expect, like kangaroos (talking ones at that), cork hats, and a lot of beer. They didn’t feel shoehorned in for the sake of the story either, and I think that’s why I liked it more than other Rincewind stories.
Rincewind’s complete ineptitude makes yet another appearance, and the way that he inexplicably escapes danger and certain death by complete accident is still funny. This also had a subplot of the wizards being transported back in time to an island that is in the process of being created by a god, and in something only Pratchett can write he made this god “an atheist god”.
This is just a fantastic series, and even entries that are on the lower end in quality are still very good.
And one more thing. A one off line in a footnote made me somehow love Sir Terry even more than I previously had, which is something I didn’t think possible. “Even so, there is no excuse for putting pineapple on pizza.”
March 27, 2019
3.5 stars
There are always greats scenes and quotes in every Discworld book, and this one is no different. But after just having read Jingo with the clan of The Watch, this one paled in comparison.
There are always greats scenes and quotes in every Discworld book, and this one is no different. But after just having read Jingo with the clan of The Watch, this one paled in comparison.
April 13, 2021
While there is no such thing as a bad Discworld novel, some are definitely much better than others... and falling somewhere between 2 and 3 stars for me, this witty parody of the Disc's equivalent of Australia mostly falls in the latter category.
Mind you, there are some awesome and unexpected references that go beyond the obvious and sort of tired old jokes about weird and/or venomous animals not found anywhere else and vegemite, with Pratchett also covering more obscure Australian oddities such as the Pie Floater, local hoaxes (drop bears), relevant movies (such as Mad Max and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert), and, I'm sure, much else that went right over my head.
While I didn't find Rincewind as insufferable as in earlier books (I did quite enjoy the previous one, Interesting Times, as well), it's probably because he once again didn't take center-stage, ceding a good chunk of the narrative to the Unseen University senior wizards instead—and they are a riot. So Rincewind wasn't the issue this time: My main problem was the lack of plot. Or maybe there was too much of it? Frankly, it was a bit of a mess, all over the place, and seemed like an afterthought, as if it was all made up just to work the Australia references and jokes into a story.
There were more sexual innuendos than in any previous Discworld book thus far, and much more obvious ones, too; my favorite scene may have been when the wizards come across the god of evolution, who spends his time on a solitary island re-designing living things, carefully manufacturing a single copy of each, but who hasn't quite figured out how to get them to reproduce by themselves... cue embarrassed wizards attempting to explain sex to a deity who hasn't yet come up with the concept.
The Last Continent has its moments, but I wouldn't call it an essential book in the Discworld library; it's good fun, but it lacks a coherent plot and ultimately doesn't have anything particularly profound to offer under the veneer of humour, which is what sets my favorite books in the series apart from the others, such as this installment. Still... no worries.
—————
My other reviews for the Rincewind / Unseen University Wizards sub-series:
1: The Colour of Magic · ★★
2: The Light Fantastic · ★★★
3: Sourcery · ★★★★
4: Eric · ★★★
5: Interesting Times · ★★★
6: The Last Continent · ★★★
7: The Last Hero
8: Unseen Academicals
All my reviews for the Discworld series in publication order (work in progress):
Mind you, there are some awesome and unexpected references that go beyond the obvious and sort of tired old jokes about weird and/or venomous animals not found anywhere else and vegemite, with Pratchett also covering more obscure Australian oddities such as the Pie Floater, local hoaxes (drop bears), relevant movies (such as Mad Max and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert), and, I'm sure, much else that went right over my head.
While I didn't find Rincewind as insufferable as in earlier books (I did quite enjoy the previous one, Interesting Times, as well), it's probably because he once again didn't take center-stage, ceding a good chunk of the narrative to the Unseen University senior wizards instead—and they are a riot. So Rincewind wasn't the issue this time: My main problem was the lack of plot. Or maybe there was too much of it? Frankly, it was a bit of a mess, all over the place, and seemed like an afterthought, as if it was all made up just to work the Australia references and jokes into a story.
There were more sexual innuendos than in any previous Discworld book thus far, and much more obvious ones, too; my favorite scene may have been when the wizards come across the god of evolution, who spends his time on a solitary island re-designing living things, carefully manufacturing a single copy of each, but who hasn't quite figured out how to get them to reproduce by themselves... cue embarrassed wizards attempting to explain sex to a deity who hasn't yet come up with the concept.
'The purpose of the whole business, you see, is in fact to be the whole business.' (...)
'But surely the purpose of—I mean, wouldn't it be nice if you ended up with some creature that started to think about the universe—?'
'Good gravy, I don't want anything poking around!' said the god testily. 'There's enough patches and stitches in it as it is without some clever devil trying to find more, I can assure you. (...) Intelligence is like legs—too many and you trip yourself up.'
The Last Continent has its moments, but I wouldn't call it an essential book in the Discworld library; it's good fun, but it lacks a coherent plot and ultimately doesn't have anything particularly profound to offer under the veneer of humour, which is what sets my favorite books in the series apart from the others, such as this installment. Still... no worries.
"It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life."
—————
My other reviews for the Rincewind / Unseen University Wizards sub-series:
1: The Colour of Magic · ★★
2: The Light Fantastic · ★★★
3: Sourcery · ★★★★
4: Eric · ★★★
5: Interesting Times · ★★★
6: The Last Continent · ★★★
7: The Last Hero
8: Unseen Academicals
All my reviews for the Discworld series in publication order (work in progress):
June 4, 2018
I'm a Pratchett fan and have been for years. In general I love his writing and humour. I find it remarkable that his writing varied SO much between two books about the same character. Having read Colour of Magic not long after it was published I have a soft spot for Rincewind. Not long ago I read Interesting Times and frankly it was pretty poor. This one is vastly different.
EcksEcksEcksEcks - the Last Continent - is loosely about Australia plus all the usual wizard folk and Rincewind. It is very funny at times and has some decent story lines too. Put simply I really enjoyed reading this one. I thought I'd already read it but I think not. I'll continue to explore the "have I read that one" Pratchett books whenever I get the chance.
EcksEcksEcksEcks - the Last Continent - is loosely about Australia plus all the usual wizard folk and Rincewind. It is very funny at times and has some decent story lines too. Put simply I really enjoyed reading this one. I thought I'd already read it but I think not. I'll continue to explore the "have I read that one" Pratchett books whenever I get the chance.
May 14, 2017
I've kept reading this book but still, things didn't go better. The story is a mess, maybe I should have started from book one...
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