(62) Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

This is the Nestle Smarties Book Price Winner, 2002.

Interestingly Reeve used to write plays and film scripts. He also illustrated the Horrible History series. He is indeed a man of many talents.

Even though the book is probably targeted at teenagers, adults might still find it fascinating. The world in the book is divided into moving cities that gobble up towns and stationary cities that hide behind mountain ranges or beyond the oceans.

In our world, metropolitan cities grew and "swallowed" other suburbs and little towns nearby. That is more of incorporation. In the book, the machinery literally swallowed other towns and recycle every part possible. People were captured and possibly enslaved. The great London movable City acted like a huge land based pirate ship on wheels.

I am glad that this story is mere fiction!