Raising Steam

An absolute joy. Very glad I took my time finishing what I suspect may be the last of my personal list of unread  ‘serious' Discworld books. The last of those featuring Lipwig and/or Vimes as the lead character, which all deal with more adult themes - in this case, more of the political tensions with the dwarves, fueled by one faction's prejudices and fanatical following of antiquated traditions.

Pratchett has an amazing ability to write those twisted by hate so that you feel more heartache than anger for the way they've damned themselves before they go around damning/destroying other people, because it is so fucking sad when that happens to a being. 

Sidebar: I can't remember the last time I found a map in the front of a book so helpful! 

Truly a marvellous adventure, with such an optimistic outlook for the future of innovation. I understand the modern tendency to look with a jaundiced eye at the miracles of the industrial revolution, the time of the steam engine, given the pollution and poor working conditions, and the first steps towards mass/over production heralded, but the solar punk future of my dreams is also all about people tinkering, in a healthy way. Innovation doesn't need to be an evil. It's not simply progress for the sake of progress if it can help people, save lives. The best of the Discworld books leave you with hope, and this one did.