Pratchett has always been very open about the fact that he writes light entertainment, although of course that doesn’t mean that his work lacks wit or intelligence. The Light Fantastic is the second Discworld novel that I’ve read (well, technically the third, but as I can’t remember anything about the first one, including its title, it doesn’t count) and it is a definite improvement on the first. The parodies are sharper, and the world more developed (it still feels a little slapdash, though, and it’s only towards the end that a setting from either novel repeats itself), but it still feels like it’s not quite living up to its potential. I did enjoy the bureaucratic satire and the change in Rincewind’s personality (it’s always good to see a miserable character gain confidence through genuine means), and I’m looking forward to the next few, if I can find them in cheap editions.
Next up: Aimee Bender’s book of short stories, Willful Creatures.
