The Light Fantastic

The Light Fantastic appeared on 2 June 1986, with a first printing of 1,034 copies, and it is the second book of the Discworld series. Its title comes from a poem by John Milton, and in the novel itself it is described as a light on the far side of darkness.

The story continues directly from The Colour of Magic. Rincewind, Twoflower and the Luggage are falling off the Discworld when the Octavo, the Disc's most powerful book of magic, rearranges reality to save one of its eight spells, the one that had taken up residence in Rincewind's skull back in his student days at Unseen University.

The three of them end up in the Forest of Skund. Meanwhile, in Ankh-Morpork, the wizards perform the Rite of Ashk-Ente, which calls Death to them, and they ask him what the Octavo is doing; he tells them that a huge red star will destroy the Discworld unless the eight spells are read aloud. Several orders of wizards set out for the forest to capture Rincewind, who is the only one who can supply the missing spell.