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The Light Fantastic is a comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett, the second of the Discworld series. It was published in 1986. The title is a quote from a poem by John Milton and in the original context referred to dancing lightly with extravagance.

The events of the novel are a direct continuation of those in the preceding Discworld novel, The Colour of Magic.

Plot summary

After the wizard Rincewind has fallen from the edge of the Discworld, his life is mysteriously saved as he lands back on it. Meanwhile, the wizards of Ankh-Morpork discover that the Discworld will soon be destroyed unless the eight spells of the Octavo are read: the most powerful spells in existence, one of which hides in Rincewind's head. Consequently, several orders of wizards try to find Rincewind and kill him, led by Trymon, a former classmate of Rincewind's, who wishes to obtain the power of the spells for himself.

After Rincewind, who has met again with Twoflower, escapes them, it becomes apparent that Great A'Tuin, the giant turtle that carries the Discworld, has set a new course that leads it directly into a red star with eight moons. Rincewind and Twoflower are accompanied by Cohen the Barbarian, an aging hero, and Bethan, a sacrificial virgin saved by Cohen, with assistance from Rincewind and Twoflower.

Rincewind becomes one of the very few people ever to enter Death's Domain whilst still alive. He is nearly killed when he meets Death's adopted daughter Ysabell, but is saved by the quick-acting Luggage. The group also encounter people who, anticipating the apocalypse, are heading for the mountains (not for protection, but because they will have a better view). As well as this, they happen upon the kind of shop where strange and sinister goods are on sale and inexplicably vanish the next time a customer tries to find them. The existence of these shops is explained as being a curse by a wizard upon the shopkeeper for not having something in stock.

As the star comes nearer and the magic on the Discworld becomes weaker, Trymon tries to put the seven spells still in the Octavo into his mind, in an attempt to save the world and gain ultimate power. However, the spells prove too strong for him and his mind becomes a door into the "Dungeon Dimensions", whence strange, horrible creatures try to escape into reality. After winning a fight against them, Rincewind is able to read all eight spells aloud ; whereupon the eight moons of the red star crack open and reveal eight tiny world-turtles that follow their parent A'Tuin on a course away from the star. The Octavo is then eaten by Twoflower's Luggage.

The book ends with Twoflower and Rincewind parting company, as Twoflower decides to return home, leaving The Luggage with Rincewind as a parting gift.

Trivia

• Oddly, the orbiting "baby Discworlds" the Discworld gains at the end of this novel never appear again. They may actually be gone by the time the Discworld's first spaceflight is undertaken in The Last Hero. (The Discworld Companion explains that they have set out on their own journeys.)
• On the cover of the American paperback release (the one in the 'odd font' style) Cohen's name is accidentally stated to be 'Conan'.
• The Light Fantastic is the only book so far in the Discworld series that follows on directly from the book before it.

Translations

External links

• Pages at LSpace for The Light Fantastic : Annotations | Quotes | Synopsis

References

1. "L'Allegro", lines 33-34: "Com, and trip it as ye go / On the light fantastick toe".
2. Missprinted Cover scan from Amazon.com
3. Transliteration: To phos tis fantasias.
4. Transliteration: Or Mooflah.
5. The Italian translation was published as part of I Colori della Magia (lit: The Colours of the Magic), a trilogy comprising of Il Colore di Magia (lit: The Colour of Magic), La Luce Fantastica (lit The Fantastic Light) and L’Arte della Magia (lit: The Art of Magic).

• Colin Smythe Ltd

• 1986 novels
• Discworld books
• Novels by Terry Pratchett