The Last Continent
0-385-40989-3 (hardcover)
The Last Continent is a fantasy novel by British writer Terry Pratchett, the twenty-second book in his Discworld series.[1] First published in 1998,[2] 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, such as Crocodile Dundee, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Mad Max films, the Australian beer XXXX, Vegemite, thongs, cork hats, the Peach Melba, Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, the bushranger Ned Kelly, the Henley-on-Todd Regatta, and the Australian songs "Waltzing Matilda", "Down Under", and "The Man From Snowy River".
Plot summary
The story opens weeks after the events of Interesting Times, in which Rincewind is magically transported to the continent of XXXX. Here he meets the magical kangaroo Scrappy, who explains to Rincewind that he is fated to bring back the rain, and end the eons-long drought.
Meanwhile, the senior wizards 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 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.
Back in the present, Rincewind ends up wrongfully arrested for sheep theft and taken to Bugarup, where he is hoping to find a ship to escape on. The people of Bugarup regard sheep thieves as folk heroes and encourage Rincewind to escape, while not actually allowing him to. He finds a hidden message on the ceiling of his holding cell, telling him: "G'day mate, check the hinges." He discovers that he is able to lift the door off its hinges and escape.
After several comical misadventures, the University wizards reach Fourecks and meet the Creator of Fourecks. The Librarian meanwhile steals the Creator's bullroarer and spins it, causing the drought Rincewind is in the process of stopping. The wizards are then frozen in time for thousands of years by the stray magic left over from creating the continent.
Rincewind, having escaped from gaol, meets up with two female impersonators, Darleen and Letitia, and a woman named Neilette. The "ladies" guide him to the University of Fourecks. Rincewind figures out how to free the wizards. The wizards attempt to find a way to bring back the rain, but are unsuccessful. As they are sitting around, Rincewind idly twirls the bullroarer, which soon begins to fly faster and farther than it should. Rincewind lets go and the bullroarer flies off; immediately, it begins to rain. Having saved Fourecks, Rincewind and the wizards return to Ankh-Morpork by ship.
Reception
The SF Site described it as "(l)oads of sarcasm, an outrageous plot and tons of sheer fun".[3] Infinity Plus was less positive, recommending that Discworld newcomers start elsewhere, and stating that it "falls below (Pratchett's) normal very high standard on several counts", because although it is "great fun" and "worth buying", it "doesn't hang together as a plot, as an unfolding story".[4]
References
- ^ Terry., Pratchett (2 February 2000). The last continent : a novel of Discworld. Harper. ISBN 9780061059070. OCLC 253437763.
- ^ "Colin Smythe Ltd". Colin Smythe Ltd. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
- ^ The Last Continent, reviewed by Todd Richmond, at the SF Site; published 1999
- ^ The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett (Doubleday, £16.99, 261 pages, hardback. Published 1998.), reviewed by John Owen, at Infinity Plus; June 20, 1998; retrieved October 15, 2017
External links
- The Last Continent title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- Annotations for The Last Continent
- Quotes from The Last Continent
- Synopsis for The Last Continent
- Terry Pratchett The Last Continent Audiobook in English
Reading order guide | ||
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Preceded by Jingo | 22nd Discworld Novel | Succeeded by |
Preceded by | 6th Rincewind Story Published in 1998 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
- The Colour of Magic
- The Light Fantastic
- Equal Rites
- Mort
- Sourcery
- Wyrd Sisters
- Pyramids
- Guards! Guards!
- Eric
- Moving Pictures
- Reaper Man
- Witches Abroad
- Small Gods
- Lords and Ladies
- Men at Arms
- Soul Music
- Interesting Times
- Maskerade
- Feet of Clay
- Hogfather
- Jingo
- The Last Continent
- Carpe Jugulum
- The Fifth Elephant
- The Truth
- Thief of Time
- The Last Hero
- The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents
- Night Watch
- The Wee Free Men
- Monstrous Regiment
- A Hat Full of Sky
- Going Postal
- Thud!
- Wintersmith
- Making Money
- Unseen Academicals
- I Shall Wear Midnight
- Snuff
- Raising Steam
- The Shepherd's Crown
- "Troll Bridge"
- "Theatre of Cruelty"
- "The Sea and Little Fishes"
- "Death and What Comes Next"
- "A Collegiate Casting-Out of Devilish Devices"
- A Blink of the Screen
- The Discworld Companion
- The Science of Discworld
- The Science of Discworld II: The Globe
- The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch
- The Science of Discworld IV: Judgement Day
- The Pratchett Portfolio
- The Art of Discworld
- The Unseen University Challenge
- The Wyrdest Link
- The Streets of Ankh-Morpork
- The Discworld Mapp
- A Tourist Guide to Lancre
- Death's Domain
- Nanny Ogg's Cookbook
- The Discworld Almanak
- Where's My Cow?
- The Unseen University Cut Out Book
- The Discworld Diaries
- Once More* with Footnotes
- The Wit and Wisdom of Discworld
- The Folklore of Discworld
- The World of Poo
- Tiffany Aching's Guide to Being a Witch
- The Colour of Magic
- Discworld MUD
- Discworld
- Discworld II
- GURPS Discworld
- Discworld Noir
- Discworld: Ankh-Morpork
- Soul Music
- Wyrd Sisters
- Hogfather
- The Colour of Magic
- Going Postal
- The Watch
- The Amazing Maurice
- Dwarfs
- Nac Mac Feegle
- Discworld
- Ankh-Morpork
- City Watch
- Unseen University
- The Witches