| rdfs:comment
| - The very first Discworld novel, from 1983. Unlike most of the later ones, it was primarily a vehicle for Terry Pratchett to directly mock, play with, and deconstruct other fantasy series, rather than the much broader field of his later work. Introduced his interest in using nuclear physics (his previous area of expertise as a scientific journalist) as a metaphor and parody for how magic works. Unlike later Discworld novels, is split into six parts rather than a continuous chapterless piece. Fantasy directly parodied includes:
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| abstract
| - The very first Discworld novel, from 1983. Unlike most of the later ones, it was primarily a vehicle for Terry Pratchett to directly mock, play with, and deconstruct other fantasy series, rather than the much broader field of his later work. Introduced his interest in using nuclear physics (his previous area of expertise as a scientific journalist) as a metaphor and parody for how magic works. Written as a travelogue in which cowardly failed wizard Rincewind and Fish Out of Water Twoflower, the world's first tourist, travel much of the Disc while running away from things with big teeth and men with swords. Was adapted (with quite a lot of Adaptation Distillation) by Sky TV in 2007, together with The Light Fantastic (but the whole thing was known as The Colour of Magic). It was also adapted into a graphic novel (again with The Light Fantastic) to celebrate the Discworld series' anniversary. Unlike the TV adaptation, this was mostly a straight adaptation of the book, even keeping significant amounts of narrative and not merely the direct plot. Unlike later Discworld novels, is split into six parts rather than a continuous chapterless piece. The titular Colour of Magic is Octarine, the eighth colour, the pigment of the imagination. Depending on the scene, it's either invisible or blacker than black if you aren't a creature that can see magic, like a wizard or cat. If you can see magic, it's a sort of disappointing purplish-greenish-yellow. Fantasy directly parodied includes:
* Fafhrd and The Gray Mouser (Bravd and the Weasel, and the whole opening chapters with Ankh-Morpork burning. The initial characterization of Death as an actively malevolent being who directly kills people was also taken from here. The name of the city Ankh-Morpork is only coincidentally similar to Leiber's Lankhmar, though; Pratchett has denied being consciously influenced).
* Pern (The Dragons of the Wyrmbeg, especially since the riders use exclamation marks in their names in a similar way to how McCaffrey's Dragonriders use apostrophes)
* Dungeons and Dragons (The Vancian Magic system, in which spells take up a certain amount of space in one's head, once said are used up, and are usually named after their creator - also a scene in which the gods literally play dice with the fates of men, teleporting a troll into Rincewind's path)
* H.P. Lovecraft (Bel-Shamharoth's temple)
* Michael Moorcock The concept of the Eternal Hero and the Companion to Champions. Rincewind as an incompetent Elric who can neither cast spells nor use weapons. The Black Sword that sucks souls to Hell - here a sword that drags people into a Hell of boredom and ennui as it grabs the ear of the listener and will not let go. Capricious and chaotic Gods playing with human life for kicks.
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