Interesting Times

First published on 25 October 1994 by Victor Gollancz. It is the seventeenth Discworld novel and the fifth Rincewind book.

The title refers to the apocryphal 'Chinese curse': 'May you live in interesting times.' Rincewind, who has survived purely by running away from interesting events, finds himself in the most interesting times imaginable.

The novel is a parody of ancient China — the Confucian bureaucracy, the mandate of heaven, the weight of tradition, and the paradox of an imperial system that simultaneously demands total compliance and contains the seeds of its own rebellion.

In later years, Pratchett acknowledged that the novel reflected the limitations of his perspective and that the portrayal of Agatean culture was more caricature than satire. It remains a popular Rincewind book but is often noted as one of the series' less nuanced entries.

Twoflower's reunion with Rincewind is emotionally richer with knowledge of The Colour of Magic, but Interesting Times provides enough context. It works as a standalone Rincewind adventure.