Eric

Eric (Discworld, 9) Terry Pratchett. HarperCollins (ISBN: 9780063375017) 2024, first published in 1990.

Summary: A thirteen year-old demonologist tries to summon a demon to grant him three wishes. Instead, he gets Rincewind and the Luggage.

Have you ever heard the warning to be careful what you wish for? That’s what Eric, the thirteen year-old demonologist learns when he tries to summon a demon to grant him three wishes. Instead of a demon, he summons Rincewind the wizard, who last we heard of was trapped in the Dungeon Dimensions. And along with Rincewind, of course, comes the Luggage, who will get them out of more than a few scrapes.

So, what does Eric wish for? Pretty much what you’d guess for a young male his age: to rule the world, to meet the most beautiful woman in all history, and to live forever. Now, Rincewind tries to convince him of his lack of wizardly wish-granting, but Eric will have none of it. So, Rincewind snaps his fingers, and they find themselves in Klatch in the Tezumen Empire. The young god convinces them he is their world-ruler, little knowing what they do to world-rulers. Next thing they know, they are on top of a pyramid, being prepared for sacrifice! I’ll leave it to you to discover how they get out of this one and move on to the next wish.

Another snap of the fingers finds them inside a wooden horse, a gift to the Tsorteans. They are taken to Elenor (a parody of Helen) only to find the most beautiful woman plump and mother of a brood. After all, she’d been in the city a long time! Rincewind talks to Lavaeolus (whose name means “Rinser of Winds”, a distant ancestor of Rincewind), who asks him about his journey home. All he tells him is that he will make it home.

Then they are off to the third wish. They find themselves at the beginning of creation. It turns out that if you are to live forever, that means from the very beginning. The only way out is for Eric to reverse the summoning, which lands them in Hell! However, it turns out that Pratchett’s Hell is the ultimate bureaucracy where the greatest torture is boredom. They find themselves caught in a rivalry between the demon king, Astfgl, and his rival, Lord Vassenego. All I’ll say about their escape is it’s not because of the Luggage!

Pratchett has great fun parodying a variety of mythologies and tales from Odyssey to Inferno. However, I’m not sure Eric has learned his lesson. Maybe all he learns is be sure of who you summon. But then again, he escapes the fate of Faust.