The Colour of Magic (1983)
The Colour of Magic is a 1983 fiction book written by Terry Pratchett.
The Discworld rides through space on the backs of four elephants standing on a giant turtle, and its first-ever tourist is Twoflower, a cheerfully naive insurance clerk from the Agatean Empire. His reluctant guide is Rincewind, a failed wizard who knows one spell too terrifying to cast and would much rather flee. Trailed by the Luggage, a homicidal chest that walks on hundreds of little legs, the pair blunder past dragons, doomed temples, and the rim of the world itself. Pratchett set out to do for sword-and-sorcery what Blazing Saddles did for Westerns, and the send-up lands.
Quick answers
What is The Colour of Magic about?
The Discworld rides through space on the backs of four elephants standing on a giant turtle, and its first-ever tourist is Twoflower, a cheerfully naive insurance clerk from the Agatean Empire. His reluctant guide is Rincewind, a failed wizard who knows one spell too terrifying to cast and would much rather flee. Trailed by the Luggage, a homicidal chest that walks on hundreds of little legs, the pair blunder past dragons, doomed temples, and the rim of the world itself. Pratchett set out to do for sword-and-sorcery what Blazing Saddles did for Westerns, and the send-up lands.
When was The Colour of Magic published?
The Colour of Magic was published in 1983.
Who made The Colour of Magic?
The Colour of Magic was written by Terry Pratchett.
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The Colour of Magic in our writing
- Companion guide: Discworld: The Complete Guide to Terry Pratchett's Flat Planet
A few thoughts on The Colour of Magic
Fans chasing the same anarchic fantasy-parody should play the 1995 point-and-click adventure Discworld, which puts Rincewind and the Luggage on screen with Eric Idle's voice. Monty Python and the Holy Grail shares the deadpan medieval nonsense, and The Princess Bride carries the same affection for the genre it keeps teasing.
Fantasy adventures that keep things fun instead of grim
The Colour of Magic follows a cowardly failed wizard and a hopelessly naive tourist riding a world balanced on the backs of four elephants, choosing jokes over grim stakes at every turn. These keep that same light touch, sword-and-sorcery adventure that stays warm and funny rather than dark, whether that is a mismatched hero's quest, a fairy tale narrated with a wink, or the Disc turned into a game.
The straight-faced quest fantasy Discworld is quietly mocking
Rincewind and Twoflower's stumble across the Disc only works as comedy because Pratchett knows exactly which fantasy furniture he is rearranging, ancient magic, doomed kingdoms, heroic destiny. These play that same furniture completely straight, sprawling quests, prophecy-laden kingdoms, and world-ending stakes handled with total sincerity, the genre Colour of Magic is gently sending up.