INTERESTING TIMES

Reviewed by Steven H Silver

In The Art of Discworld, referring to Rincewind, Terry Pratchett wrote "there's a limited amount you can do with a character who is a coward and doesn't care who knows it." Despite this, Pratchett continued to return to one of the first characters introduced in the Discworld novels as the main character in seven novels, the four Science of Discworld books, and is the main character in two video games. By the time Rincewind appears in his fifth novel, Interesting Times, he almost is an afterthought to Cohen the Barbarian, who Rincewind first met in The Light Fantastic. While Cohen pushes the plot forward, Rincewind barely even reacts to events, allowing them to push him in whatever direction with his primary motivation to run away.

Pratchett opens the novel with the gods on Cor Celesti, where "The Lady" makes a wager with Fate. Their action sets the novel in motion, but is barely referred to for the rest of the novel. Instead, the Patrician received a letter from the Agatean Empire, Pratchett's China analog, demanding that he send "the Great Wizzard," which results in the wizards of Unseen University sending a less than willing Rincewind to the Empire. The Agatean Empire is in a constant state of warfare, either between the five ruling families: The Hong, Tang, Fang, Sung, and McSweeney clans, or the Red Army, a mass of revolutionaries who are more focused on posting slogans than actually fighting battles. The main player in Agatean politics appears to be Lord Hong, who is pulling strings to ensure that he winds up on top no matter what happens.

Although Rincewind is seen by many of the Red Army as a leader who will guide them to victory, his nature allows him to do so only accidentally. Instead, Lord Hong finds himself having to deal with Cohen the Barbarian and the Silver Horde, who are making their first appearance in the Discworld novels. All of the members of the Silver Horde have Cohen's relationship to battle and immortality, if not his clarity of purpose. To help Cohen achieve his goals, Pratchett has also introduced Mr. Ronald Saveloy, a former geography teacher who has his own ulterior motives for helping the Silver Horde. When the horde eventually does enter into battle, it allows Pratchett to play with the concept of narrativium. Because they are outnumbered and can't win, of course they will. The Silver Horde, and Rincewind's eventual coming to terms with an ancient prophecy are the closest Pratchett comes to returning to the battle between the Lady and Fate.

Cohen isn't the only character from The Light Fantastic to make a reappearance in Interesting Times. Rincewind's companion in the earlier novel was Twoflower, described as the Disc's first tourist, as well as a resident of Bes Pelargic in the Agatean Empire. His presence explains the knowledge of the Great Wizzard that set the events of the novel into action, and although Twoflower only shows up late in the novel, in retrospect, his presence is felt throughout the novel.

Although there are numerus humorous and pop culture references in Interesting Times, it is not one of Pratchett's funniest novels. The story, split between the enthusiastic Cohen (with help from Ronald Saveloy) and the reluctant Rincewind, never is able to build up momentum. The Agatean Empire, mostly designed to reflect our world's China, occasionally introduces concepts from Japan (Lord Hong sets a group of ninjas against the Silver Horde) or Korea, making it a less focused world. However, the satire of the novel, looking less at China and more at the Western perceptions of Chinese culture and lore, is more focused than many of the previous novels, more akin to Small Gods than the scattershot approach of The Light Fantastic.

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