Author: Terry Pratchett
Cover Artist: Josh Kirby
Publisher: Corgi Books
Binding: Paperback
Publication Date: November 1994
Interesting Times is an installment of Terry Pratchett’s famed Discworld series. The Discworld series is one of my all time favorite series in all of speculative fiction. Pratchett is easily the genre’s best satirist (only even approached by Mr. Douglas Adams, and the legendary Thorne Smith), creating a magnificent world that he describes as a flat, circular planet that rests on the back of four elephants, which in turn are standing on the back of a giant space traveling turtle. The Discworld series, which encompasses more than 20 novels is broken up into sub-series equally enjoyable read in chronological order or as stand alone novels. This particular novel can be read as stand-alone and with only the loss of missing a few references made in past novels. Pratchett centers his story arcs among a wide assortment of colorful, original characters, and in Interesting Times he returns us to a story of one of his best creations, and one of my favorite characters in all of fantasy, Rincewind, an inept wizard, and possibly the worst wizard to ever live. This novel, like all the other installments in the series is full of unequaled word play, witty humor, and tremendous allegorical examples, in a fun adventure, all in the backdrop of one of in my opinion one of the finest world-building examples in the genre that is Discworld.
At the beginning of the novel Rincewind is sent to the distant Agatean Empire, to answer a request sent to the Unseen University, which Pratchett describes as “Discworld’s most prestigious (ie only) school of higher learning”, for the “Great Wizzard” to aid them in a time of political upheaval for the Empire. Upon arriving, Rincewind finds himself in the company of a group of revolutionaries who think Rincewind is a “Great Wizzard” who in an ancient prophecy was to return to them in their time of need. Those familiar with Discworld novels, know that although Rincewind takes great pride in being wizard, he is very aware that he is not a particularly capable example of one – nor is he modest in this assumption. Through the course of Interesting Times, Pratchett shows the one quality Rincewind does indeed possess, and that is self-preservation, hilariously writing an adventure where Rincewind, the inept, doing everything one could do, not to be of any assistance to a revolution (like running away, telling the rebel’s they are fools for not following etc), yet fulfilling the prophecy anyway. Rincewind’s chivalry can be summed up in his belief
“there are to many heroes already in the world and yet only one Rincewind, and I owe it to the world to keep that one alive as long as possible.”
Along the way, Rincewind once again meets an all too familiar acquaintance, and fan favorite Death.
Interesting Times also reintroduces us to another of Pratchett’s most memorable characters Cohen the Barbarian. I found the scenes depicting Cohen and his companions, consisting of a group of other legendary, albeit retired and aged barbarian warriors that included Mad Hammish (who is in a wheel chair), Truckle the Uncivil, Boy Willie, Caleb the Ripper, and a teacher Mr. Saveloy, who the other referred to as simply “Teach”, the most enjoyable portions of the novel. This group, calling themselves the Horde, also traveled to the Agatean Empire on a grand mission of theft on their own. None of the barbarians, were less than 80 years of age, however no less dangerous warriors, and Pratchett does a truly wonderful job depicting them and especially Mr. Saveloy who is attempting to teach the horde the lessons of being civil throughout their journey. The demeanor Pratchett gives the Horde, and the work in progress of their lessons is absolutely hilarious, their self reflection on their individual past legendary accomplishments and battles and how they use that knowledge in the fight scenes depicted by Pratchett equally so.
The antagonist of the novel is a Lord in the Empire, Lord Hong, who plans to take power after the death of the past ruler. He had through many years calculated his succession, using cunning and of more relevance the nature of the laws in the Empire, which are rather hysterical themselves. Before Rincewind’s arrival the rebels, calling themselves “The Red Army”, grandest accomplishment of revolution was the putting up of semi-polite posters of disapproval of the government. It has to be noted that Pratchett often bases different locales in his novels on a metaphoric level to locations in our world. The Agatean Empire is decidedly in regards to custom, social structure, and architecture of Far Eastern influence. Lord Hong is depicted as a socially graceful and accepted killer, and proves to be a very worth adversary for both Rincewind and the Horde. The showdown between Hong and Horde at the end of the novel is absolutely priceless.
In regards to negatives of Interesting Times, there is a bit of rehashing of references or jokes that a reader who has experienced Discworld on numerous times may notice, however I think most of them have continuity relevance, so I was little bothered by it. In the series Pratchett focuses on different characters, coming back to some often times a few novels down the road, and such references aid in the continuity and offer some binding familiarity of the characters throughout the novels.
In conclusion, I found Interesting Times to be yet another enjoyable venture into a series that is to be cherished, Discworld. It can be appreciated by both the young, for its fun adventures, colorful characters, and surface humor, and by veteran readers for the same reasons along with the some of the genius usage of puns, extravagant metaphor use, and allegorical content. Truly continuing what is in my opinion remains one of the best sequences in fantasy.
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