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Technically I've read Eric out of sequence, but as anyone who has been following my reread of the greatest sequence of fantasy novels ever written will know, I've been "reading" the audiobooks whilst "running" around in circles and at 126 pages Eric is certainly not suited to such a thing. Especially when I am lucky enough to have a first edition paperback complete with beautiful Josh Kirby full colour illustrations. My rating will certainly reflect an extra star for being able to enjoy such loveliness.

Eric is a tiny little book, a fun idea from a writer who was clearly having a great time with the success his little fantasy series was experiencing. It's a parody of Faust and readily admits as much on its cover but really it seems to an excuse to have that old favourite, Rincewind, run through the wringer once more whilst highlighting his less whiny characteristics in three funny short scenes.

The Rincewind humour certainly works better in this outing than in Sourcery, which is great considering that Pratchett clearly set out to tell some jokes, make funny observations and more of those wonderful awful puns.There's obviously no desire to develop any new characters or history of the Disc and as a result titular demonologist Eric is just a cutout intended to move the jokes forward, not really a problem in the context of this one piece of standalone but if comparing to the more outstanding moments in the series that surround it you might be disappointed.