History Literature / TheLastContinent

* {{Objectshifting}}: The Librarian is afflicted by a magical strain of the flu that warps his already-twisted morphic field and causes him to transform at random - most commonly into an inanimate object: a chair, a hot water bottle, a book - all of them recognizable by a covering of red fur.

-->'''Rincewind:''' Please don’t go! I need someone like you! As an interpreter!”\\

'''Neilette:''' Not more than once.\\

* AuthorFilibuster: There's a brief one (also referenced in ''Literature/TheScienceOfDiscworld'') where it talks of a famously stupid race somewhere in the cosmos that watched a world-shattering comet strike a neighbouring planet - ''and then did nothing about it'' "because that sort of thing only happens in Outer Space". This is a reference to the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet and the bit about outer space is in fact a real TooDumbToLive quote from some woman on the news. SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped, evidently.

Preceded by ''Literature/{{Jingo}}'', followed by ''Literature/CarpeJugulum''. Preceded in the Rincewind/Wizards series by ''Literature/InterestingTimes'', followed by ''Literature/UnseenAcademicals''.

* PuzzlingPlatypus: Creator/TerryPratchett runs with the Australian joke (see the Comedy folder): the wizards of Unseen University end up in pre-creation UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}, just in time to witness the Creator at work[[note]]the Aborigine [[TheMaker Creator-God]], although the [[TricksterArchetype Trickster-God]] is not far away[[/note]] bringing forth the beasts of the field and the fowl of the air and the fish of the water. They hijack his toolkit, wanting to join in, and try to design a duck...

->''This is the Discworld's last continent, a completely separate creation. It's hot. It's dry... very dry. There was this thing once called The Wet, which no one now believes in. Practically everything that's not poisonous is venomous. But it's the best bloody place in the world, all right? And it'll die in a few days. Except...Who is this hero striding across the red desert? Champion sheep shearer, horse rider, road warrior, beer drinker, bush ranger and someone who'll even eat a Meat Pie Floater when he's sober? A man in a hat, whose Luggage follows him on little legs, who's about to change history by preventing a swagman stealing a jumbuck by a billabong? Yes... all this place has between itself and wind-blown doom is Rincewind, the inept wizard who can't even spell wizard. He's the only hero left. Still... no worries, eh?''

* BrickJoke: While trying to explain to the faculty why the plants on Mono Island don't make any sense, Ponder gets sidetracked into talking about his uncle who runs an orchard. Later, when they're trying to explain the concept of sexual reproduction to the God of Mono, one of the wizards makes a sarcastic remark about it all being down to Ponder's uncle.

The 22nd ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novel and the sixth in the Rincewind theme. Was written at the same time as ''Discworld/TheScienceOfDiscworld'' and there is some obvious relationship, such as the mention of Slood and the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet.

Unfortunately, the events of ''Discworld/InterestingTimes'' have left Rincewind stranded in the outback of Xxxx, the [[TitleDrop Last Continent]], and he's still there, somehow surviving on the burning desert. This is because, as a [[TheTrickster Trickster]] posing as a kangaroo named Scrappy tells him, he's been kept for a ''purpose'': he has to bring rain back to the arid continent. Rincewind [[RefusedTheCall immediately runs away]], of course, but these quests have a way of [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive sneaking up on you regardless]].

Preceded by ''Discworld/{{Jingo}}'', followed by ''Discworld/CarpeJugulum''. Preceded in the Rincewind/Wizards series by ''Discworld/InterestingTimes'', followed by ''Discworld/UnseenAcademicals''.

* AuthorFilibuster: There's a brief one (also referenced in ''Discworld/TheScienceOfDiscworld'') where it talks of a famously stupid race somewhere in the cosmos that watched a world-shattering comet strike a neighbouring planet - ''and then did nothing about it'' "because that sort of thing only happens in Outer Space". This is a reference to the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet and the bit about outer space is in fact a real TooDumbToLive quote from some woman on the news. SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped, evidently.

* ContinuityNod: The wizards notice the stars over Mono Island are unfamiliar and at first think they are on another world. Ponder figures out that it's actually the past (the stars on Discworld change as Great A'tuin swims through space) by noting that a much larger nebula in the sky is, in their time, known as the Small Boring Group of Faint Stars. This was mentioned way back in ''Discworld/TheLightFantastic'' as Rincewind's zodiacal sign.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: After having been constantly living life on the edge ever since the end of ''Discworld/{{Sourcery}}'', Rincewind not only manages to save [=FourEcks=], but makes it back to Ankh-Morpork and Unseen University safely.

** Likewise, the God of Evolution really ''does'' have "an inordinate fondness for beetles", a reference to a J.B.S. Haldane quote.

* FunnyAnimal: Crocodile Crocodile and some of his customers.

* PettingZooPeople: Many of the bar patrons in Didjabringabeeralong appear to be this trope. Rincewind never quite works up the nerve to confirm this with the bartender, as it seemed too awkward to ask a crocodile why there are sheep, kangaroos, and a wombat among his customers.

Unfortunately, the events of ''Discworld/InterestingTimes'' have left Rincewind stranded in the outback of Xxxx, the [[TitleDrop Last Continent]], and he's still there, somehow surviving on the burning desert. This is because, as a {{Trickster}} posing as a kangaroo named Scrappy tells him, he's been kept for a ''purpose'': he has to bring rain back to the arid continent. Rincewind [[RefusedTheCall immediately runs away]], of course, but these quests have a way of [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive sneaking up on you regardless]].

* TooManyCooksSpoilTheSoup: How the wizards end up creating the Platypus. They were trying to draw a duck. (This is a reference to an old saying that a platypus is like a duck designed by a committee.) The Creator (who was sitting right there) is highly confused by this. However, he allows it, apparently because it amuses him. The Creator never notices that the image the UU Wizards drew came alive like his did, as he was busy drawing the UU Wizards into the rock. He also didn't notice that one of them had taken [[spoiler:the bullroarer]].