Editing The Last Continent

{{Short description|1998 Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox book
| name         = The Last Continent
| image        = The-last-continent-1.jpg
| caption= First edition
| author       = [[Terry Pratchett]]
| illustrator  = 
| cover_artist = [[Josh Kirby]]
| language     = English
| series       = {{ubl|''[[Discworld]]''|22nd novel &ndash; 6th Rincewind story}}
| subject      = {{ubl|Australia, [[evolution]]|'''Characters:'''|[[Rincewind]], [[Unseen University|Unseen University Staff]]|'''Locations:'''|FourEcks, [[Unseen University]]}}
| genre        = [[Fantasy]]
| publisher    = [[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]], [[London]]
| pub_date     = 1998
| pages        = 
| awards       = 
| isbn         = 0-385-40989-3
| isbn_note    = (hardcover)
| preceded_by  = [[Jingo (novel)|Jingo]]
| followed_by  = [[Carpe Jugulum]]
}}

'''''The Last Continent''''' is a [[fantasy novel]] by British writer [[Terry Pratchett]], the twenty-second book in his ''[[Discworld]]'' series.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The last continent : a novel of Discworld|last=Terry.|first=Pratchett|publisher=Harper|isbn=9780061059070|oclc=253437763|date = 2000-02-02}}</ref>  First published in 1998,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://colinsmythe.co.uk/terry-pratchett/discworld/discworld-novels/last-continent/|title=Colin Smythe Ltd.|website=Colin Smythe Ltd.|access-date=23 May 2017}}</ref> it mocks the aspects of [[time travel]] such as the [[grandfather paradox]] and the [[Ray Bradbury]] short story "[[A Sound of Thunder]]". It also parodies Australian people and aspects of [[Culture of Australia|Australian culture]], such as ''[[Crocodile Dundee]]'', ''[[The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert]]'' and ''[[Mad Max]]'' films, the Australian beer [[Castlemaine XXXX|XXXX]], [[Vegemite]], [[flip-flops|thongs]], [[cork hat]]s, the [[Peach Melba]], ''[[Skippy the Bush Kangaroo]]'', the bushranger [[Ned Kelly]], the [[Henley-on-Todd Regatta]], and the Australian songs "[[Waltzing Matilda]]", "[[Down Under (song)|Down Under]]", and "[[The Man from Snowy River (poem)|The Man From Snowy River]]".

==Plot summary==

The story opens weeks after the events of ''[[Interesting Times]]'', in which [[Rincewind]] is magically transported to the continent of XXXX. Here he meets the magical kangaroo Scrappy, who explains to Rincewind that he is fated to bring back the rain, and end the eons-long drought.

Meanwhile, the [[Unseen University#Staff|senior wizards]] are trying to find a cure for [[the Librarian (Discworld)|the Librarian's]] magical malady, which causes him to transform into a native object, such as a book when near a library, whenever he sneezes. The Lecturer in Recent Runes suggests they interrogate Rincewind, as he once worked closely with the Librarian and seemed to know more about him than anyone else.

Back in the present, Rincewind ends up wrongfully arrested for sheep theft and taken to Bugarup, where he is hoping to find a ship to escape on. The people of Bugarup regard sheep thieves as folk heroes and encourage Rincewind to escape, while not actually allowing him to. He finds a hidden message on the ceiling of his holding cell, telling him: "G'day mate, check the hinges." He discovers that he is able to lift the door off its hinges and escape.

After several comical misadventures, the University wizards reach Fourecks and meet the Creator of Fourecks. The Librarian meanwhile steals the Creator's [[bullroarer (music)|bullroarer]] and spins it, causing the drought Rincewind is in the process of stopping. The wizards are then frozen in time for thousands of years by the stray magic left over from creating the continent.

Rincewind, having escaped from gaol, meets up with two [[Drag queen|female impersonators]], Darleen and Letitia, and a woman named Neilette. The "ladies" guide him to the University of Fourecks. Rincewind figures out how to free the wizards. The wizards attempt to find a way to bring back the rain, but are unsuccessful. As they are sitting around, Rincewind idly twirls the bullroarer, which soon begins to fly faster and farther than it should. Rincewind lets go and the bullroarer flies off; immediately, it begins to rain. Having saved Fourecks, Rincewind and the wizards return to Ankh-Morpork by ship.

==Reception==
The ''[[SF Site]]'' described it as "(l)oads of sarcasm, an outrageous plot and tons of sheer fun".<ref name=SFSite>[https://www.sfsite.com/05a/last56.htm The Last Continent], reviewed by Todd Richmond, at the ''[[SF Site]]''; published 1999</ref> ''Infinity Plus'' was less positive, recommending that ''Discworld'' newcomers start elsewhere, and stating that it "falls below (Pratchett's) normal very high standard on several counts", because although it is "great fun" and "worth buying", it "doesn't hang together as a plot, as an unfolding story".<ref name=InfinityPlus>[http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfiction/cont.htm  The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett (Doubleday, £16.99, 261 pages, hardback. Published 1998.)], reviewed by John Owen, at ''Infinity Plus''; June 20, 1998; retrieved October 15, 2017</ref>

Other reviews:
* (Polish): ''[[Nowa Fantastyka]]'' 5/2006, p.71


== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote|Discworld#The Last Continent|The Last Continent}}
* {{isfdb title|12234}}
* [http://www.lspace.org/books/apf/the-last-continent.html Annotations for ''The Last Continent'']
* [http://www.lspace.org/books/pqf/the-last-continent.html Quotes from ''The Last Continent'']
* [http://www.lspace.org/books/synopses/the-last-continent.html Synopsis for ''The Last Continent'']
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAwyE_iAlnA Terry Pratchett The Last Continent Audiobook in English]

{{s-start}}
{{s-other|[[Discworld reading order|Reading order guide]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Jingo (novel)|Jingo]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title = 22nd [[Discworld#Novels|Discworld Novel]]|years=  
| after = [[Carpe Jugulum]]}} 
{{s-aft|after = [[Carpe Jugulum]]}}
{{s-bef|before = [[Interesting Times]]}} 
{{s-ttl|title = 6th [[Discworld reading order#Rincewind|Rincewind Story]]|years=Published in 1998}} 
{{s-aft|after = [[The Last Hero]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Discworld books}}
{{Terry Pratchett}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Continent, The}}
[[Category:1998 British novels]]
[[Category:1998 fantasy novels]]
[[Category:Australia in fiction]] <!-- Not literally set there, so "Novels set in Australia" isn't appropriate, but it's a dominant theme-->
[[Category:Discworld books]]
[[Category:Doubleday (publisher) books]]
[[Category:Fiction about teleportation]]
[[Category:British comedy novels]]