Portal:Discworld/Book of the day/1
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The Colour of Magic is the first Discworld novel, and was published in 1983. It is also one of only six Discworld novels to be divided into sections or chapters, the others being Pyramids, Going Postal, and the three books for young readers. Each chapter is in fact a separate short story featuring the same characters. The idea of The Colour of Magic - that all that happens is due to the gods' gambling - is somewhat similar to traditional role-playing games, in that the roll of the dice determines what happens to the characters.
The main character is the incompetent and cynical wizard Rincewind, who involuntarily finds himself as a guide to the naïve tourist, Twoflower. After they are forced to flee from the city of Ankh-Morpork, they meet two barbarians, Bravd and Weasel, parodies of Fritz Leiber's fantasy heroes Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Both characters also have a narrow escape from Bel-Shamharoth — a monster inspired by H. P. Lovecraft, who wrote many stories in a universe where unspeakable Evil lives, and where Ancient Gods (with unpronounceable names) play games with the lives of mortals.
| Preceded by None |
1st Rincewind Story Published in 1983 |
Succeeded by The Light Fantastic |
