Friday Night Lite....perhaps a tradition in the making

The Last Hero
I don't think I will be overstepping any bounds or negating what little literary "street cred" I have by saying that I think Terry Pratchett's books will one day be considered classics. As with all great art it allows the viewer to identify on several levels. In Pratchett's case these levels are: popular culture, history, academics, religion, science, art, government and of course, humor.
In The Last Hero we have the vast diversity of "Discworld" characters combining to stop what will almost inevitably be the end of the world. Wizards (and one particularly cowardly Wizzard), Members of the City Watch, Heros, Bards, Inventors, Politicians, particularly inept gods, DEATH and his kitten, fiery dragons (think more along the lines of flatulence and a match than particularly fire "BREATHING") thieves, Evil Dark Lord Harry and an Orangutan all serve to provide a rich and full - but brief - story.

The story is primarily about Cohen the Barbarian and his Horde trying to return fire to the gods - thus ending history on Discworld. But there are many other side stories parodying the Apollo missions, ecumenicalism, bureaucracy, myths, and the concept of the narrative and of course, the university system. The fact that the home of the gods is named Dunmanifestin (pronounce it slowly for a deist joke) the Barbarians are octogenarian, the Patrician is Machiavellian, the inventor is Leonard da Quirm (daVinci?) and one of the Wizards is most definitely not a monkey..... make this fun yet mind-bendingly apropos as social/religious/political commentary. This short story is also illustrated by Paul Kidby.

Related:
All Pratchett novels

The Once and Future King - T.H. White (Especially the first book: The Sword in the Stone)