Interesting Times: Difference between revisions

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{{quote|''"May you live in interesting times!"''|[[Newer Than They Think|supposedly]] a traditional Chinese curse}}

''Interesting Times'' is the 17th [[Discworld]] novel, and the first since ''[[~~Discworld/Eric|~~Eric]]'' which returns to Rincewind as the central character. However, thematically it's much more a look back at the first two Discworld books, ''[[~~Discworld/The Colour of Magic|~~The Colour of Magic]]'' and ''[[~~Discworld/The Light Fantastic|~~The Light Fantastic]]'', and how much the setting has changed since then.

''Interesting Times'' is the 17th [[Discworld]] novel, and the first since ''[[Eric]]'' which returns to Rincewind as the central character. However, thematically it's much more a look back at the first two Discworld books, ''[[The Colour of Magic]]'' and ''[[The Light Fantastic]]'', and how much the setting has changed since then.

Rincewind the wizard, peacefully bored at last, finds adventure nipping at his reluctant heels again due to a mysterious albatross received by the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, asking for the "Great Wizzard" to be sent to the Counterweight Continent - an [[Expy]] of the Orient. Strangely enough, while the Continent is well known to be wealthy and cultured, it's also known for extreme violence and overweening control of its citizens. Rincewind is fired off by magic to the unknown land with no idea of where he's going, what he's doing, or indeed which of the many, many people he meets is trying to kill him.<ref>Almost everyone.</ref> He may be surprised to see some of the familiar faces who've ended up there, though...

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* [[Badass Grandpa]]: Several characters note that a barbarian hero who lives as long as the Silver Horde did must be a ''very'' good barbarian hero indeed.

* [[Bait and Switch]]: When Rincewind and Mr Saveloy are talking about being a teacher versus being a barbarian hero.

* [[Barbarian Hero]]: As before, Cohen and his similarly ancient friends are a deconstruction - they've all had years of experience in not dying. They also turn out to be the last heroes left in the world, a point which will form the plot for the later work ''[[~~Discworld/The Last Hero|~~The Last Hero]]''.

* [[Barbarian Hero]]: As before, Cohen and his similarly ancient friends are a deconstruction - they've all had years of experience in not dying. They also turn out to be the last heroes left in the world, a point which will form the plot for the later work ''[[The Last Hero]]''.

* [[Beware the Honest Ones]]/[[Beware the Nice Ones]]: To the ''max''.

* [[Boomerang Comeback]]: When Rincewind ends up at Fourecks, the natives decide to test him by offering him a boomerang. Rincewind has no idea what it is and, [[Genre Savvy|(correctly) assuming it's just another plot hook]], angrily throws it away and announces that he's done with adventures. The natives start grinning at something behind him, and the book ends with him being interrupted mid-sentence.

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* [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]: {{spoiler|''Twoflower''.}}

* [[Continuity Nod]]:

** One of the few books which mention the events of ''[[~~Discworld/Sourcery|~~Sourcery]]''. This is explained by saying that the wizards are all uncomfortable about what happened and try to pretend that ''they'', personally, were nowhere near the University at the time. It also further explains why they made Ridcully Archchancellor: he ''really'' wasn't there at the time.

** One of the few books which mention the events of ''[[Sourcery]]''. This is explained by saying that the wizards are all uncomfortable about what happened and try to pretend that ''they'', personally, were nowhere near the University at the time. It also further explains why they made Ridcully Archchancellor: he ''really'' wasn't there at the time.

** There's the revival of the joke from ''[[~~Discworld/Guards! Guards!|~~Guards! Guards!]]'' -- "Lord Snapcase was hung up by his figgin", which is apparently "a small currant bun"; "either the meaning of words has changed over time, or there really is some horrifying aspect to suspending a man alongside a teacake".

** There's the revival of the joke from ''[[Guards! Guards!]]'' -- "Lord Snapcase was hung up by his figgin", which is apparently "a small currant bun"; "either the meaning of words has changed over time, or there really is some horrifying aspect to suspending a man alongside a teacake".

** Somewhat unusually for Discworld, it accounts for the current Emperor being ancient when the last time we saw the Emperor as a boy in ''[[~~Discworld/Mort|~~Mort]]'' by saying this Emperor murdered his nephew to gain the throne. Usually this sort of discrepancy is just attributed to "alternative pasts".

** Somewhat unusually for Discworld, it accounts for the current Emperor being ancient when the last time we saw the Emperor as a boy in ''[[Mort]]'' by saying this Emperor murdered his nephew to gain the throne. Usually this sort of discrepancy is just attributed to "alternative pasts".

* [[Cosmic Chess Game]]

* [[Curse Cut Short]]:

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* [[Disproportionate Retribution]]: The punishment for putting up revolutionary posters? Getting your hands and feet cut off. If you're lucky.

* [[Don't Try This At Home]]: A [[Footnote Fever|footnote]] about fireworks safety to avoid exploding your nose.

* [[End of an Age]]: The old tradition of barbarian heroism and adventuring is dying out as the Disc becomes more civilised; even the (comparatively) young Hrun, the mighty warrior and adventurer from ''[[~~Discworld/The Colour of Magic|~~The Colour of Magic]]'' has settled down and taken a steady job... as a city watchman, no less.

* [[End of an Age]]: The old tradition of barbarian heroism and adventuring is dying out as the Disc becomes more civilised; even the (comparatively) young Hrun, the mighty warrior and adventurer from ''[[The Colour of Magic]]'' has settled down and taken a steady job... as a city watchman, no less.

* [[Evil Counterpart]]: Lord Hong is this with respect to Lord Vetinari, having the latter's magnificent bastardy and talent for [[Awesomeness By Analysis]], but lacking his redeeming qualities and his clear insight into human nature, at least so far as guessing how the common folk will react to him or his plans. Of course, Hong considers peasants' nature to be ''less'' than human, so never saw any need to understand them in the first place.

* [[Evil Chancellor]]: Lord Hong is the Grand Vizier. This being Discworld, Rincewind and Cohen lampshade the hell out of him.

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** There's also the soothsayer who predicts the enemy will be defeated, but neglects to mention ''whose'' enemy. [[Genre Savvy|Then he gets right the hell out of town in case Lord Hong figures it out]].

* [[Excuse Me While I Multitask]]: Cohen fights multiple [[Instant Awesome, Just Add Ninja|ninja]] and rolls cigarettes at the same time.

* [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture]]: The Agatean Empire is China mixed with Japan, and ~~Xxxx~~ is more or less Australia.

* [[Fantasy Counterpart Culture]]: The Agatean Empire is China mixed with Japan, and XXXX is more or less Australia.

* [[Fantasy Gun Control]]: Played pretty straight - the Agateans' Barking Dogs are primitive cannon (which the wizards understandably [[~~Discworld/~~Men At Arms|fail to recognise]]) yet they lack handheld firearms, which it didn't take the real China long to discover.

* [[Fantasy Gun Control]]: Played pretty straight - the Agateans' Barking Dogs are primitive cannon (which the wizards understandably [[Men at Arms|fail to recognise]]) yet they lack handheld firearms, which it didn't take the real China long to discover.

** Considering how disastrous the BDs were, is it any surprise? Nobody wants to be holding a length of wood and metal that might just splinter in all directions and take your hands with it.

** Justified by Lord Hong himself, who ponders whether Barking Dogs might actually be more reliable if the Empire selected its gunsmiths based on practical metallurgical skill, rather than the ability to write poems about dew-dappled flower petals.

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