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20th Mar '13 8:13:23 PM Xtifr

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[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Bromeliad_Trilogy_6772.jpg]]

A trilogy of novels for younger readers by Creator/TerryPratchett, consisting of ''Truckers'', ''Diggers'' and ''Wings''.

It begins with a small (and shrinking) tribe of Nomes, tiny people who live in woodland near a motorway. Among their few and valued possessions is the Thing, a black cube that is reputed to talk and give good advice.

And one day it does talk, and reveals that it knows the true history of Nomes, how they came to be where they are, and how they can get Home.

There's just one or two small problems they need to overcome first...

''Truckers'' has been adapted for television by Creator/CosgroveHall animation. A movie version is in DevelopmentHell.

!!The trilogy provides examples of:

* BuffySpeak: The nomes tend to describe new things in terms of things they already understand, leading to this. For example, a JCB is "a truck with teeth" and a space shuttle is a "going-straight-up jet".
* CanonWelding: The first book is set in the real town of Grimethorpe, although it mentions the Neil Armstrong Shopping Centre. Since the Neil Armstrong Shopping Centre is a major location in the ''JohnnyMaxwellTrilogy'', the later books say the Store was in Blackbury.
* CargoCult: The Store nomes worship Arnold Bros Est. 1905, and the nomes of Florida worship NASA.
* CityInABottle
* DinkyDrivers: Occurs in all three books.
** ''Truckers'' - the nomes drive a truck.
** ''Diggers'' - the nomes drive a JCB backhoe.
** ''Wings'' - [[SubvertedTrope Subverted;]] Angalo ''wants'' to fly a Concorde jet, but is foiled. A plan to fly the Space Shuttle was also briefly considered...
* EncyclopediaExposita
* FrogsAndToads
* GiantFlyer (relatively speaking)
* GulliverTieDown:
** Discussed in ''Truckers'' after one of the Nomes sees the illustration in a copy of ''Literature/GulliversTravels''. Masklin concludes that the most impressive thing about it is the amount of co-operation required; if a group of Nomes tried it, they'd start arguing and never get the job done.
** In ''Diggers'', Masklin turns out to be wrong; the Nomes achieve it after becoming very, ''very'' angry at poison being put down for what the humans think are rats.
* HumanAliens: Aside from their size and the TimeDissonance issues, the Nomes are more or less identical to humans.
* HumansAreCthulhu
* InsistentTerminology:
** Nomes referring to space shuttles as "Going Straight Up Jets".
** "Grandson Richard, 39" is always referred to as that, because that's what the newspaper called him.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: The Duke De Habedasheri. He is initially quite contemptuous of the outsiders. When his son (Angelo) goes missing on a lorry, however, he resolves to give Maslkin all the help he can give (which, as the head of a Department, is considerable) for a chance to see his son again.
* {{Lilliputians}}
* MouseWorld
* NeverMessWithGranny
* OurGnomesAreWeirder
* ReactionlessDrive: The Nomes' Ship has one, which initially confuses Masklin in how it can hover 'without flames or smoke coming out'. The Thing reassures him that 'flames and smoke are not required'.
* ScavengedPunk
* ShamgriLa
* TakeAThirdOption: To quote the back cover blurb of ''Diggers'':
-->"And Grimma said, We have two choices. We can run, or we hide. And they said, Which shall we do? She said, We shall Fight."
* TechnologyPorn: Especially in the description of Concorde.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork
* TimeDissonance: As with ''Discworld/ReaperMan'' (which includes a similar description at the beginning), because nomes only live about ten years usually, they also experience time ten times ''faster'' than humans--which is the main reason why humans are unaware of their existence, they move too fast.

!!The TV series provides examples of:

* ComicBookFantasyCasting: Many of the characters were modeled on recognisable TV personalities. The Abbot, for example, was based on Malcom Muggeridge.
* GoodOldFisticuffs: Granny Morky does this to one of the Bandits, flooring him with a punch while he's showing off his skills.
* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Thames TV released the series as a feature length version on VHS shortly after it came out, yet various rights issues have prevented ITV Plc. from releasing a DVD version

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4th Mar '13 10:35:07 AM MarkLungo

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24th Dec '12 7:56:03 AM DaibhidC

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24th Dec '12 7:55:50 AM DaibhidC

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