| Mortal Engines Quartet | |
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Original cover designs for the Mortal Engines Quartet |
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| Author(s) | Philip Reeve |
| Cover artist | David Frankland, David Wyatt |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science Fiction Steampunk Postapocalyptic |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Publication date | 2001 - 2006 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
The Mortal Engines Quartet is the UK and original title of a series of four novels, Mortal Engines (2001), Predator's Gold (2003), Infernal Devices (2005), and A Darkling Plain (2006), written by the British author Philip Reeve. It is known in the US as the Hungry City Chronicles.
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The Mortal Engines Quartet is set in the distant future, in an age known as the Traction Era. Earth has been reduced to wasteland by a devastating conflict, known as the Sixty Minute War. Nations no longer exist, except in the lands of the Anti-Traction League; Traction Cities - entire cities mounted on caterpillar tracks for mobility - are fiercely independent city-states, using giant jaws to devour one another for resources. Trade is mostly accomplished by airship, though sometimes cities of roughly equal size (unable to devour each other) will stop to trade. Old-Tech (technology from before the Traction Era, some of which is from the 21st century) is the most sought-after commodity.
The Orbital Defence Initiative (abbreviated ODIN) is an orbital satellite weapon; a very powerful remnant of the Sixty Minute War and a major feature of the third and fourth books in the series, Infernal Devices and A Darkling Plain.
It was built as part of the arms race between the American Empire and Greater China. It and MEDUSA are the only superweapons known to have survived until the events of the series, although there are several references to other orbital superweapons (Diamond Bat, Jinju 14, and the Nine Sisters for example). ODIN is more powerful than MEDUSA and is able to hit almost any target on the surface of the earth - MEDUSA was a ground-based energy weapon while ODIN is based on a satellite. ODIN is supposedly an American satellite as the code for controlling the satellite came off an American submarine. The other orbital weapons are hinted to have broken up over time and fallen from the sky.
ODIN is an energy weapon which apparently converts the energy of a small nuclear weapon into a directed beam of incinerating energy. This has the power to exterminate cities (both traction and static) and provoke volcanic eruptions. Its beam can be seen for very long distances and seems to interfere with the mechanical minds of Stalkers. Only Shrike's Old-Tech Stalker brain has the mettle to withstand this, although he goes into a fit-like state and it is hinted he is saved by Dr Oenone Zero. Anna Fang, whether because of her connection to ODIN or her particular mix of Old-Tech and modern Stalker brain, is unaffected. Other Stalkers just lose all power.
The Tin Book, copied from a US Military document recovered by the refugees of the original Anchorage from a submarine, is a codebook for controlling ODIN. It is stolen by the Lost Boys (Mortal Engines) and, later, Brighton. It then falls into the hands of the Stalker Fang, who memorises its contents and then leaves it to be destroyed on Cloud 9 when she is attacked by Shrike. It is then destroyed in a fire; however, when Fang is rebuilt by Fishcake, her Stalker alter-ego travels towards Batmunkh Gompa to firstly steal parts for a transmitter with the power to reach ODIN and then onto Anna Fang's living residence, where there is enough Old-Tech to finish the transmitter. The journey is delayed by Anna Fang's confused and caring personality coming to the fore. But at Batmunkh Gompa the Stalker takes control until the final scene (apart from a brief period of a few seconds as Dr. Popjoy examines her mechanical brain).
When ODIN is fired, confusion ensues as both the Green Storm and Traction Cities are targeted. Both sides try to find the transmitter, leading to the Storm's assault of London, but it is Tom, Hester, Shrike and Pennyroyal who find Fang. As Fang prepares to target all the volcanoes on the earth and so destroy humanity, a final confrontation from Tom brings Anna to the fore once more and she orders ODIN to turn its beam weapon upon itself, destroying it completely.
As well as its immensely powerful weaponry, ODIN appears to show signs of intelligence. When it is awakened, it queries its new position and briefly searches for its old masters, it also notes the vast difference in geography since its last awakening. It can also zoom in to an individual's face on the Earth and, although the picture is grainy, it is still impressive. It can change its orbit when directed to target all over the globe. This, as well as the Stalker minds found among old-tech (and Shrike) seems to prove that what we loosely call robots had, by the time of the Sixty Minute War, achieved sentience.
A few of the people in the books are named after places in Devon , where Reeve lives. Both Shrike and Smew are named after birds, and Pennyroyal is named after a flower.[1] Miss Plym and Chudleigh Pomeroy are both in the Guild of Historians, and Tamarton Foliot is an "Alternative" historian.
Many of the characters are named after ancient (in the context of the books) brands: Windolene Pye, Daz Gravy, Nutella Eisberg, Napster Varley, and Nabisco Shkin for example.
Friends of Phillip Reeve are also occasionally mentioned in the books; for instance 'Poskitt' is included as a god, clearly referring to Kjartan Poskitt, a friend and the author of books that Reeve has illustrated in the past.
Airships in the quartet carry unusual or quirky names sometimes reminiscent of the style of the names of ships in Iain Banks' Culture novels.
In 2009, Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, expressed interest in directing the film adaptations.[2] As it is early in production, not much is known of it. Currently WETA is said to be working on the designs for the first book. It is rumored that they've been sitting on the rights for some time. There have been previous attempts to adapt Mortal Engines, but Philip Reeve declined the offers, as he was afraid that they would change the book too much.
In April 2010, it was confirmed that WETA is working on the adaption. Peter Jackson is to be both director and producer, and the film will be shot in stereoscopic 3D.
According to IMDB, the movie may be coming out in 2012.
Philip Reeve has also mentioned the possibility of a comic set in the world of Mortal Engines. He said that he has been discussing it with David Wyatt and mentioned that a younger Anna Fang would be an interesting character to focus on. However, it is unknown whether it will be finished or not.
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