Terry Pratchett - Raising Steam

Raising Steam is the mighty Terry Pratchett's 40th book in the Discworld series, published only last year. Perhaps more than a little out of sync, it is my first foray into his world. Maybe the beginning would have been a wiser place to start, but as a very long car journey necessitated a very long audiobook to accompany it, beggars couldn't be choosers. That said, I will definitely be intending to go back to where it all began, and here's why...

 Raising Steam is an excellent and witty account of the threat of ensuing modernity. Although fantasy, the city of Ankh-Morpork and its inhabitants bears a striking resemblance to earth as we know it. Half steeped in goblins and dwarves, half in the Industrial Revolution, Pratchett's world is at once as homely as your best jumper and completely of another world. Charting the arrival of the infamous steam train in the form of Iron Girder, Pratchett whistles you through the rapid expansion of the railway system and its battles against those who view change with a suspicious eye. The ensuing toils and troubles encountered by the great wheeler dealer Moist von Lipwig are nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, nevermind a merrt trip on a steam locomotive.

With elaborate and frankly brilliant characterisation (special mention going to Of The Twilight The Darkness), this is a must read. Or in my case, a must hear as I listened to the audiobook version told by Tony Robinson whose range of voices is an utter delight. If you like fantastical, cheeky whimsy, then please please indulge yourself!