Literateur: "The Last Hero" by Terry Pratchett

"The Last Hero" is one of those Discworld books that oft goes unread because it's an oversized illustrated storybook,¹ making you assume it's a trifle for the kids.

It. Is. Not.

This is just as hard-hitting and brilliant as any of Pratchett's non-illustrated Discworld novels.

Its main weakness is its size. It's a coffee table book, thus making it Kryptonite for OCD Discworld completists...such as myself. I like having all the books in a series and keeping them in a neat little row on my shelf. This one is jammed right between two normal-sized paperbacks, wreaking havoc on my carefully-organized and perfectly-proportioned collection.²

So, the story. Cohen the Barbarian gets angry and decides to take on the gods. People try to stop him.

The riffs on da Vinci are terrific. And there's a great "Apollo 13" gag with a dragon-fueled rocket.³ As with all good comedy- the jokes are great whether you get the references or not.

It's nice to see Cohen the Barbarian up to his old tricks. And a few new ones. Rincewind is ever-reliable. Carrot is great. If you don't know who these people are, this one probably isn't for you.⁴

There are plenty of character cameos, and they're perfectly balanced. Some play a minor part and some just drop a pithy line or two.⁵

Lovely art brings it all to life, and it's particularly exhilarating to see multiple views of the Discworld from space.⁶ Also cool to get a clear overhead view of Ankh-Morpork, which looks a lot like London.⁷

The themes are great, as the "heroes" aren't the heroes and we emerge with a better understanding of life, the Discworld, and everything.

It has a genuinely affecting ending, too. Pratchett has a gift for bringing the emotion into sharper focus with the humor.

This is a worthy jewel in the late and lamented Terry Pratchett's Discworld crown.

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1. Like "Where's My Cow?" or the other one he wrote.

2. Terry Pratchett recently passed, but if he were still alive, I'm sure he'd apologize to me profusely for this cruelty he inflicted upon me and my book collection.

3. Is this a riff on the Apollo 13 movie or the actual incident? Reality's lines get blurry in Pratchett's world.

4. Most Discworld books work well as stand-alone, but this one is for the fans.

5. Except from the witches, who I don't much care for so I didn't mind their absence.

6. You get to see people living on the giant rocks over the edge of the disc, with shipwrecks turned into settlements.

7. 38 different types of dragons are catalogued, as well!

-Phony McFakename

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