History Literature / Eric

* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: Astfgl's use of boredom as torture.

* RealityEnsues:
** Turns out that being the ruler of the world means you’re responsible to the people for any problems with it. Rincewind compares the title with a landlord’s position, as in both cases people need to complain to someone.
** The most beautiful woman in the world, after ten years of being with another man, is bound to be middle-aged and matronly.

[[caption-width-right:206:[[{{Pun}} A]] ''[[BadassFingerSnap Digit]]''[[Literature DigitalDevilStory al Devil Story]].]]

* FeatheredSerpent: Quezovercoatl is depicted as a feathered boa, [[spoiler:he actually looks nothing like that]].

* TooManyHalves: Quezovercoatl is described as "half-man, half-chicken, half-jaguar, half-serpent, half-scorpion and half-mad", making him three homicidal maniacs.

* [[BigLittleMan Big Little God]]: Quetzovercoatl has only appeared to the Tezumen priests in dreams, based on which they'd carved a giant statue of their demonic patron. When he actually has to ''manifest'', it turns out he's six inches tall.

Rincewind was trapped in the Dungeon Dimensions at the end of ''{{Discworld/Sourcery}}'', but is now summoned back to the Disc by Eric, a young demonologist who was trying to summon a demon with a similar name. (For much of the book he's convinced Rincewind ''is'' a demon.) The story follows the two of them as they inadvertently travel through space and time to grant Eric's ThreeWishes.

This was the last Discworld novel to feature Rincewind (a character whom Terry Pratchett wasn't all that fond of writing, though the fans like him) until the retrospective ''Discworld/InterestingTimes''. It is also the last to feature the early conception of Unseen University, with the staff changing with each book thanks to the wizards' practice of KlingonPromotion.

Preceded by ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'', followed by ''Discworld/MovingPictures''. Preceded in the Rincewind series by ''Discworld/{{Sourcery}}'', followed by ''Discworld/InterestingTimes''.

** The Creator briefly worries that he's forgotten something immediately after creating the Discworld. As revealed in ''Discworld/TheColourOfMagic'', he's left the ''[[TomeOfEldritchLore Octavo]]'' behind in "a characteristic bout of absent-mindedness".
** Rincewind and Eric find themselves in the middle of the Tsortean (= Trojan) War, which the Ephebians and Tsorteans in ''Discworld/{{Pyramids}}'' are still rather sore about ... even though neither side seems to remember ''which'' side did what, anymore.

* IntheBlood: Lavaeolus is a CombatPragmatist who avoids trouble as much as he can, and ends up earning the ire of gods and being their plaything. [[spoiler: Qualities his descendant Rincewind takes on.]]

* {{Parody}}: As well as the titular parody of ''Literature/{{Faust}}'', the sequence in Tsort mercilessly sends up UsefulNotes/TheTrojanWar.

* SurprisinglyHappyEnding: Absolutely every single character gets their happy ending, this includes the demon king that gets effectively dethroned and imprisoned and, most surprising of all, the souls in the eternal torture of hell.-

* SelfInflictedHell: It turns out that this is the literal case on the disc. ''Only'' those who deep down believe they deserve hell end up in it, people who don't believe or know about it are safe. Which is why the narrator suggessts shooting missionarys on sight.

* LiteralMetaphor: While climbing out from hell, Rincewind notices the stairs are made of stone letters spelling common well meaning justifications for actions with undesirable results. He figures out that te road to hell really is paved of good intentions.

* ShoutOut: Astfgl's summary of Tezumen history paraphrases UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

* SelfInflictedHell

* ContinuityNod: The Creator briefly worries that he's forgotten something immediately after creating the Discworld. As revealed in ''Discworld/TheColourOfMagic'', he's left the ''[[TomeOfEldritchLore Octavo]]'' behind in "a characteristic bout of absent-mindedness".

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Most of the demons are unhappy because Astfgl found the ultimate torture weapon: [[spoiler:boredom.]] (This could just be because it affected them as well.)

This was the last Discworld novel to feature Rincewind (a character whom Terry Pratchett somewhat dislikes, though the fans like him) until the retrospective ''Discworld/InterestingTimes''. It is also the last to feature the early conception of Unseen University, with the staff changing with each book thanks to the wizards' practice of KlingonPromotion.

Sometimes counted as the ninth ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel, although this is where numbering gets tricky as some prefer to count ''Eric'' as a special. It's shorter than most Discworld novels, was published by a different publisher, and was originally intended to be an illustrated work. The title is officially simply ''Eric'', but on most covers it is preceded by the struck-through title ''Faust'', a reference to how the title character is a [[TwiceToldTale parody]] of ''Theatre/DoctorFaustus''.

* Parody: As well as the titular parody of ''Literature/{{Faust}}'', the sequence in Tsort mercilessly sends up UsefulNotes/TheTrojanWar.