The Future is a Trilogy; The Past is a Series

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

This novel was originally published in 1990, before Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett were as well known as they are today. It’s a terrifically fun book, full of the silliness that I associate with Pratchett, and the inventiveness that I associate with Gaiman.

Eleven years ago, the stage was set for the end of the world. And now everything has been put in motion for the final battle between the armies of Good and Evil. Except for one small problem – someone’s botched things.

Aziraphale (an Angel) and Crowley (“an Angel who did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards”) are pressed by their respective bosses to make sure that everything goes right in the final moments of the Apocalypse. The problem is things aren’t going right, and the pair, who have been friends for ages (literally), are actually rather happy about that.

Enter into that mix a descendant of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the last existing members of the Witchfinder Army, a group of kids and an assortment of other characters, and you get this funny story of the end of the world (maybe). There is a lot of action, a lot of confusion, and a good bit of satire about the nature of good and evil, and of end-of-the-world prophecies.

I completely enjoyed reading this book. It’s a great light read, perfect for summer.