Predator's Gold

Just finished this one and really enjoyed it, more in fact, than Mortal Engines. It is the second in the Hungry City Chronicles and follows Tom and Hester just over two years after the end of Mortal Engines. This novel does not spend as much time on the history, the Sixty Minute War etc, rather it focuses more on the relationship of Tom and Hester.

They escape from the Green Storm (an offshoot of the Anti-Traction League), in the Jenny Hanniver which used to belong to Anna Fang, and end up on Anchorage which is a large but sparsely populated city. The city is ruled by Freya Rasmussen, a margravane (a sort of prophet or oracle, although the word originally comes from a German title), who is in charge of the city but not sure what to do until Tom and Hester arrive with Professor Pennyroyal. They set off for the Dead Continent - USA, which according to Professor Pennyroyal who has been there, is a veritable paradise.

Less "action packed" than Mortal Engines, I thought that this novel was better and explored Tom and Hester's feelings much better as they have now grown up.

Fahrenheit 451

This is a fascinating book about reading and books - it tells the story of Guy Montag, a fireman, whose job is starting fires. His job is to find and destroy books, as they are considered as subversive and revolutionary (the title refers to the temperature that paper catches fire). All printed material is banned and individualism is actively discouraged. People get their news and entertainment from a large screen on the wall where messages are conveyed to "the family".

In the book, it seems that books encourage independent thought, which is bad (allegedly). Montag's exposure to literature and literary people however has an effect on him and he starts to question what he has always been taught to believe.

It has some interesting ideas and comes up with some good points about reading which are still valid today.

Guy Montag : "We burn them to ashes and then burn the ashes. That's our official motto."

It is similar to 1984, Clockwork Orange, and Brave New World in some ways. It looks at a future which is not too dissimilar to the present we currently have.

Well worth reading if you like books, but be aware that the movie version is not so hot (if you'll pardon the pun). It was made in 1966 and now seems quite dated. It was directed by François Truffaut and is his only English language film (Truffaut does not speak any English).