Background
“Pyramids” is a humorous and imaginative fantasy novel written by Terry Pratchett, first published in 1989. Set in the Discworld universe, the story follows Teppic, a young prince who becomes the reluctant ruler of the ancient desert kingdom of Djelibeybi. As he grapples with the peculiarities of ruling, including dealing with pyramids that distort time and space, Teppic finds himself entangled in a series of comical and absurd situations. The novel explores themes of tradition, identity, and the clash between modernity and ancient customs, all while delivering Pratchett’s signature wit and satirical commentary.
My Thoughts
This was an interesting take on the ancient Egypian culture and a fun riff on the metaphysical notions of healing, crystals, and so on. As always, Pratchett delivers his story with witty banter and modern innuendos (for 1989). Pratchett has a somewhat Gary Larson’s “Farside” like sense of humor which I enjoy. I particularly liked that the camel (who thinks of himself as named “You Bastard”) was the the disc’s (world’s) best mathematician.
Recommendation
A fun read.