Customer Reviews

The Bromeliad Trilogy: Truckers, Diggers, and Wings

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Terry Pratchett reached prominence with the hit Discworld series. Since that series has a flat planet on the back of a turtle, it stands to reason that Pratchett can make almost any unlikely plot work. In this case, he mixes scifi and fantasy with a healthy dose of satire in the Bromeliad Trilogy.

In "Truckers," a small band of tiny nomes, led by the desperate Masklin, have nearly been killed off by the rough life on city streets. But then they find themselves in the vast Store (also called Arnold Bros, est. 1905) where there are even more nomes -- nomes who think that Outside is a legend. But they're about to have a rude awakning -- in less than a month, the store will be demolished. And if the nomes don't get away quickly, they'll be wiped out too.

"Diggers" picks up the tale of the nomes after they escape the doomed Store. They take up resident in an abandoned quarry and start to make new lives there. But when the quarry is set to be reopened, a new, long-term plan must be made -- they must get the Thing (a little talking black box) back to the ship that brought them to Earth in the first place!

"Wings" is a parallel tale to "Diggers," as Masklin struggles to get the Thing back to their ancient ship. To do that, the Thing says, it needs to go to Florida. Masklin and his friends haven't got the faintest idea where Florida is or how to get there. But to save their tiny race, Masklin will venture into the unknown -- a huge flying truck called a Concorde. But will they be successful in finding the ship?

A civilization of tiny people living in a department store sounds like the dorkier juvenile fantasy stories, but Terry Pratchett's unique spin makes it thoroughly entertaining. He sprinkles the books with Bible-like quotations ("And Arnold Bros (est. 1905) said, Let there be Signs, so that all within shall know the proper running of the Store"), and plenty of humor ("You may be interested to know that we've just broken the sound barrier!" "All right, own up. Who broke it?").

He also provides us with the Thing (a computer), which tends to be a bit more human in outlook than the nomes. While "Wings" has somewhat less tension (because we KNOW what's going to happen), it's fun to see the highly improbable schemes of the nomes being put into action. They're so innocent and pleasant that it's impossible not to root for them.

Terry Pratchett's Bromeliad trilogy isn't as complicated or strange as his other works, but it is immensely funny and very well-written. Recommended for kids and adults alike.

I've never read any other Terry Pratchett novels apart from these. They don't take place in Pratchett's discworld so it's accessible to anyone not familiar with it (like me).

Truckers is the story is of a huge bunch of Nomes who live in a massive Department Store called Arnold Bros (est 1905). They have lived there so long that they have forgotten what came before. They have no idea how the human world works and their mysterious talking box only gives them the slightest of clues. But they usually misinterpret what it says. For example, the store often has a mammoth sale, even tho there are no mammoths for sale. After receiving the horrible info that the store will be demolished the Nomes hatch a daring plan to escape in one of the delivery vans.

Diggers (a rather Christmassy story) picks up as soon as the Nomes stop their truck and make a new home in an abandoned quarry. But as soon as they settle in word has it that the quarry is to be re-opened (by order). Their talking box speaks of a spaceship orbiting the earth for thousands of years apparently awaiting their return. So some of them take-off for Florida to stowaway on a shuttle launch while the rest plan an escape in an old Digger (jekub).

Wings is not so much a sequel as it is 'what happened elsewhere during Diggers'. It's the most interesting of all three as it has the most story. The Nomes' plan is so far-fetched and impossible that it's so funny to see it actually work. I really like these stories and perhaps some day I'll start reading the discworld series. But this is fine introduction to the writing of Terry Pratchett.

Terry Pratchett's early trilogy for young readers, originally published separately as "Truckers," "Diggers," and "Wings," is here reproduced in a single volume. The series features the Nomes, small creatures no more than a few inches high. In "Truckers," a small clan of nomes abandons their harsh outdoor life to move into an aging department store (Arnold Bros. Est. 1905). There they discover an entire metropolis of other nomes-complete with a bizarre class structure and an eccentric religion worshiping the Arnold Bros. as deities-who believe the department store to be the entire universe and deny the existence of the Outside, from which our clan came.

All the nomes must abandon the Store when it is slated for demolition; "Truckers," contains the story of their escape. The second volume, "Diggers", describes their attempt to carve out a life in an abandoned quarry. In the third volume, "Wings," we discover that the nomes' ancestors once lived in outer space, as their leader ventures to Florida's NASA Space Center to learn how to return his people to their origins.

"Truckers" is as funny as anything Pratchett has ever written; the send-up of religion, supporting the theme of believing in what can't be seen, combines with slapstick farce. (At one point the six-inch-high nomes successfully train themselves to drive a human-size truck only to forget to open the garage door before exiting the garage.) "Diggers" is somewhat witty, whereas "Wings" is a lesser effort. This third volume spends most of its time apart from the various characters that make the nome community entertaining reading.

Still, as always, worth the read!

Here Mr Ptatchett combines a funny and delightful story that children will love with some spry satire that will delight adults of all ages. The nomes' interpretation of human society is simply hilarious. The nomes do not understand how big the world is, and many of their assumptions will have the reader laughing aloud. On the other hand, their society and world-view is a mirror of our own. If the author wants to make us aware of the shortcmoings of our world-view, he succeeds magnificently.

Terry Pratchett has written a few good kid's books, and this is one of them. Written at about the 6th grade level, I'd rate it equal or better that the Harry Potter or Limony Snickett books. The only flaw is the occasional British reference or term. Most US kids don't know a lorry and a truck are the same thing. I'd say it gives them some early insight into the minor differences in our cultures.
A good read for a 6th to 8th grader, but far too shallow for the average adult.

The Nomes are dying out. Foxes, trucks, and cold have wittled their numbers down to a small group of mostly older nomes. Hunter Masklin isn't the nome leader, but he is the only nome with a plan, and his plan is to get them on a truck and take them to wherever the humans keep their food and warmth. What he finds is a store--a store full of nomes who think the store is the universe and that Arnold Bros. (est. 1905) created this universe specifically for them. The store nomes don't have any use for outsiders--they simply don't fit in their theology, but the nome 'thing' that Masklin brought suddenly comes to life. It's an artificial intelligence autopilot that is a part of the ship that originally brought them to Earth and it's learned that the store is about to be demolished. Instead of a couple of dozen nomes, Masklin finds himself responsible for thousands.

Nomes are about as smart as humans which, unfortunately, means that they jump to a lot of false conclusions. But Masklin knows he needs to get the entire group out of the store before it's too late--and they can't do it on foot. The result is a progressive technology escalation as the nomes try to establish a new home for themselves.

Author Terry Pratchett leaves his much-loved Discworld to set a fantasy on human-dominated Earth. Like Swift's Gulliver's Travels (often referred to by the nomes), Pratchett uses the device of small and large people to poke fun at many human preconceptions. Fortunately, Pratchett is a terrific author, which means that he can make philosophical statements in the context of an exciting story that will keep you laughing out loud. Masklin, Grimma, Angalo, and especially Gurder are well developed and sympathetic characters.

These 1989/1990 works by Pratchett lack a bit of the depth that some of his latest novels deliver, but that doesn't keep THE BROMELIAD TRILOGY from being a fun and enjoyable read. If you're a Pratchett fan (like myself), you owe this one to yourself.

Pratchett's subtle dismantling of treasured beliefs is nowhere better displayed than in this trilogy. Relating three epic journeys, he follows a small group of small people emigrating from their ancestral home in the country. The chips aren't down, but there aren't enough in the truck stop's trash bin. And there aren't any more rats. These little people, the nomes, must find a new home. Snatching a ride on a lorry, they find one. It's a department Store, Arnold Bros, [est 1905], inhabited by thousands more nomes. Divided into family clans, the nomes of The Store believe it to be the entire universe. Masklin and his little group, therefore, cannot exist! They're from Outside - beyond the universe.

Their universe, however, is threatened by something worse than "Fire Sale" or "Final Clearance". There's a demolition order issued and "Everything Must Go!" For real. Masklin, who led his little tribe in from Outside, must now lead them and thousands of others back there. The escape from The Store - the abandonment of a known universe - is traumatic. It's also a side-splitter. Just how do 10 cm "people" arrange to drive their own lorry? "Let's have a bit of fast, down there!" doesn't start to convey Pratchett's descriptive powers. Nor the clashes of personalities involved in steering, signalling and achieving "Lots and lots of stop!" The stopping results in the nome community taking up residence in a rural quarry.

The exodus of the nomes from the universe of The Store to a promised land Outside generates a whole range of new problems. Not the least of which is the knowledge that this isn't the end of the journey. Masklin possesses a small "black box" which imparts arcane information about what this "Moses" of nomes must do to return his people to their real home. It's going to take more than nicking a store lorry. They must travel further - to a place called "Florida" - then into Outer Space. It will require planning, daring and ingenuity, but one nome is up to the task. Masklin's sense of purpose would shame a missionary. Yet, even in the face of incredible dangers and novelty, some nomes have to be restrained in their eagerness to explore new universes. Others, of course, hang back in the security of what's known - even when that foundation changes.

Throughout these stories, the implications of scale are paramount. How readily would you perceive 10 cm high "people" scurrying about beneath your feet? If you were that tall, how would you perceive the universe? Gurder, the young Abbott, manages to come to grips with the existence of Outside the Store. But leaving it doesn't mean abandoning Arnold Bros [est. 1905]. He insists that Arnold Bros [est. 1905] is present everywhere, and all the time. With each new reality, Gurder is able to adjust his frame of reference. Sound familiar? At the other end of the scale, Pratchett introduces us to the Amazonian Tree Frog. These tiny creatures inhabit the flowers of the "bromeliads" - plants living in trees instead of the ground. Their universe is one blossom - until one peers over the edge.

Take up this trilogy and peer over the edge. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Unknown to the humans, they share the Earth with another intelligent race, the nomes. The reason they don't know about the nomes is that they are four inches tall, and live at a pace ten times that of humans. This is the story of Masklin, and other heroic nomes who lead their people out of the dangerous world of humans, in search of their home. In the course of this story the overcome great obstacles, all with wit and humor.

This book is actually a collection of three book: Truckers, Diggers and Wings. The stories showcase Terry Pratchett's wit and humor, his ability to examine the human experience from a very different viewpoint. The action is gripping, and the humor outrageous. I highly recommend this book.

Wonderful for both adults and young readers! It's not Discworld, but it's a delightful world to read about! I think fans of one will love the other.
I'm glad to see this is now available as a trilogy - I had a difficult time finding all 3 books when I read it. Pratchett is a MOST favorite author - he always has delightful wit and a pinch of satire, yet with interesting plot twists and memorable characters.

I'm not a big Terry Pratchett fan. Rather, I'm pleased to discover I'm just not a big Discworld fan because this charming tale won me over from the first page on. I've only read the first book (Truckers), so I can't comment on the next two yet. Though I will read them eagerly and if they're half as delightful as the first book, I'll be satisfied.

Pratchett's Discworld stuff is good, I'll admit. But, for whatever reason, I can't get into it. "Truckers" had me hooked. I loved the story. I loved these nomes and their attitude. I loved the creative way Pratchett takes a concept that should be silly and somehow makes it believable.

There's lots of humor here. But it's humor coming from within the characters and situations. The world of these nomes is so real, so well-thought out. A sheer delight. I wish I had kids to enjoy it with.

Sincerely, one new (non-Discworld) Pratchett fan.