According to the Nice And Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter – the world’s only totally reliable guide to the future – world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just after tea…
So we have the premise for Good Omens, a smart and hilarious tour of the End of Days, co-authored by those inimitable Lords of Fantasy Fiction, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Good Omens follows two long-time ‘associates’ – the not-quite-so-good angel Aziraphale and the not-quite-so-bad demon Crowley, and the child Antichrist whom they may or may not have misplaced. With the End of Days nigh, both Crowley and Aziraphale have a vested interest in the world NOT ending, and so embark upon a quest to keep it from happening. Throw in a host of angels and demons, the Antichrist’s bicycle riding gang, a witch, a witch-finder-in-training, and the Four Horsemen (well, horse-persons), and as is typical of any Pratchett/Gaiman venture – madness and hilarity ensue.
Individually, Pratchett and Gaiman are both masters of their craft – Pratchett best known for his bestselling Discworld series, Gaiman’s stories universally loved and made into films more often that you can blink. Together they are a force to be reckoned with – Pratchett’s wildly funny style tempered by Gaiman’s dark and eloquent prose. It’s easy to see why Good Omens has become such a cult classic over the years. Good Omens is fiendishly clever, brilliantly funny, and a heavenly read. Fans of either author (or both) will adore it. If you’ve never read either, Good Omens is an excellent place to start!
And something for the fans… it has just been announced that Good Omens will be featured on BBC Radio 4 as a radio play this Christmas!
