History Literature / Railhead

* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: [[spoiler:As Threnody and her forces are storming the Imperial Palace during the Noons' retaking of Grand Central, Threnody comes across Pryia, her AlphaBitch sister. Without a word, Threnody stabs her in the chest and allows her to be EatenAlive by her Kraitt Lizard Guard. According to Skar, a battle isn't over for the Kraitt until this happens to the enemy commander, but that doesn't make it any less of a ''horrible'' way to go]].

** All trains carry a complement of [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin maintenance spiders]] in place of a human crew, which are used to carry out repairs, refilling, luggage handling, and occasionally as {{Improvised Weapon}}s

** PlayedWith regarding [[spoiler:the [[InsectoidAliens the Neem]], who aren't ''mechanical'' insects, but [[TheWormThatWalks sentient swarms of insects]] that 'wear' spiderlike PoweredArmor.

In the 30th Century CE, humans have spread to the stars, colonising and terraforming hundreds of worlds, all thanks to the K-Bahn: a [[PortalNetwork network of mysterious 'K-Gates']] allowing instant travel across interstellar distances, and [[CoolTrain fusion-powered sentient locomotives]] that transport passengers and cargo between them. The nations and alliances of [[EarthThatUsedToBeBetter Old Earth]] have long dissolved and humanity is ruled by the [[HegemonicEmpire Network Empire]], a system of governance whereby the most powerful of the [[MegaCorp Corporate Families]] takes the throne, supported by the might of [[SpacePolice Railforce]]. Under the watchful eyes of [[DeusEstMachina the Guardians]], the ([[TheComputerIsYourFriend mostly]]) benevolent AI caretakers of humanity, technology has advanced at a dizzying rate, with advanced [[OrganicTechnology genetic]] [[DesignerBabies engineering]], [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Motorik]], [[FlyingCar flying cars]], [[BrainComputerInterface neural headsets]] and much more all ubiquitous.

* StarfishAliens: [[spoiler: The Hath - they resemble a sheet of canvas stretched between thin limbs, have rows of eyes on the side of said sheet like a starfish, and feed by sitting in nutrient-rich pools. When Zen and Nova first see them, they are mistaken for tents]].

* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: Mention is made ([[AllThereInTheManual however briefly]]) of a dangerous terrorist group known as the Human Unity League -- whose goals, [[WellIntentionedExtremist to restore democracy and end the rule of the Guardians]], would typically lead to them being portrayed as LaResistance in many a science-fiction setting. They ''did'' launch a "nasty" conflict known as the Spiral Line Rebellion with the military backing ([[FalseFlagOperation initially covertly]], then openly) of the Prell family, meaning they're no saints by any means, but it remains unclear if they are genuinely well-intentioned, power-hungry opportunists, [[BanOnAI anti-machine fanatics]], or BombThrowingAnarchists whose only aim is to "smash the system". There's simply not enough information given about them to tell, and most of it [[UnreliableNarrator comes from sources with a pro-Empire bias]].

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: A notable [[AvertedTrope Aversion]]. After Zen steals the Pyxis for Raven, the ''logical'' course of action would be to kill him -- he's no longer needed and is a loose end [[HeKnowsTooMuch who is aware of Raven's existence and hideout]], if not his ultimate plans. However, Raven keeps his word and makes him rich partially because, [[NotSoDifferentRemark as he notes to the young man]], Zen reminds him of himself. This ultimately backfires on Raven and Zen becomes an unwitting SpannerInTheWorks for his plan, while he would have got off completely scot-free had Zen been dead.

* CreepyGood: the Hive Monks are [[TheWormThatWalks human-shaped collections of roach-like insects]] that wear strange white paper masks giving them a creepy effect, but they mean no harm and actually help out Zen during the first book. [[spoiler: Then we discover they're lost members of the Neem, who wear spider-like PoweredArmor in place of the Monks' crude endoskeletons and would seem perfectly at home on the other side of a BugWar - but they're just as friendly towards humans as most of the Web of Worlds and are actually the main military power standing in the way of the actually dangerous [[LizardFolk Kraitt]]. By the time of ''Station Zero'', they're Humanity's closest allies on the Web]].

In the 30th Century CE, humans have spread to the stars, colonising and terraforming hundreds of worlds, all thanks to the K-Bahn: a [[PortalNetwork a network of mysterious 'K-Gates']] allowing instant travel across interstellar distances, and [[CoolTrain fusion-powered sentient locomotives]] that transport passengers and cargo between them. The nations and alliances of [[EarthThatUsedToBeBetter Old Earth]] have long dissolved and humanity is ruled by the [[HegemonicEmpire Network Empire]], a system of governance whereby the most powerful of the [[MegaCorp Corporate Families]] takes the throne, supported by the might of [[SpacePolice Railforce]]. Under the watchful eyes of [[DeusEstMachina the Guardians]], the ([[TheComputerIsYourFriend mostly]]) benevolent AI caretakers of humanity, technology has advanced at a dizzying rate, with advanced [[OrganicTechnology genetic]] [[DesignerBabies engineering]], [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots Motorik]], [[FlyingCar flying cars]], [[BrainComputerInterface neural headsets]] and much more all ubiquitous.

''Railhead'' is a trilogy of PostCyberpunk SpaceOpera [[YoungAdultLiterature YA]] novels by English writer Creator/PhilipReeve, and is considerably LighterAndSofter than his better-known sci-fi series, ''Literature/MortalEngines'' but featuring similarly extensive {{Worldbuilding}}. The eponymous first instalment, ''Railhead'', was released in 2015, followed quickly by a sequel, ''Black Light Express'', in 2016, and the finale, ''Station Zero'', in 2018.

* UniqueProtagonistAsset: Raven seeks out Zen for his [[TheCaper grand plan to steal the Pyxis]], as he's a Noon DesignerBaby whose surrogate mother spirited him away from their medical facilities. As a result, he's possibly the ''only'' person in the Network Empire who can fool the Noon Train's genetic security systems.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: A notable [[AvertedTrope Aversion]]. After Zen steals the Pyxis for Raven, the ''logical'' course of action would be to kill him -- he's no longer needed and is a loose end [[HeKnowsTooMuch who is aware of Raven's existence and hideout]], if not his ultimate plans. However, Raven keeps his word and makes him rich partially because, [[NotSoDifferentRemark as he notes to the young man]], Zen reminds him of himself. This ultimately backfires on Raven and Zen becomes a SpannerInTheWorks for his plan, while he would have got off completely scot-free had Zen been dead.

* TookALevelInKindness: Kobi Chen-Tulsi starts off as a boorish UpperClassTwit, who's livid that Threnody, [[ArrangedMarriage his betrothed]], is flirting with Tallis/Zen, and tries to arrange a HuntingAccident for the impostor. After [[LaserGuidedKarma he nearly gets killed by the beast they actually were supposed to be hunting]], he mellows out considerably, being genuinely supportive to Threnody in the aftermath of the Spindlebridge disaster, and is even somewhat friendly to Zen after he threatens them into helping him recover Nova.

* TookALevelInKindness: Kobi Chen-Tulsi starts off as a boorish UpperClassTwit, who's livid that Threnody, [[ArrangedMarriage his betrothed]], is flirting with Tallis/Zen, and tries to arrange a HuntingAccident for the impostor. After [[LaserGuidedKarma he nearly gets killed by the beast they were supposed to be hunting]], he mellows out considerably, being genuinely supportive to Threnody in the aftermath of the Spindlebridge disaster, and is even somewhat friendly to Zen after he threatens them into helping him recover Nova.

** [[spoiler: The Railmaker, an alien 'data-entity' that was responsible for creating the [[PortalNetwork K-Gates]], building [[DysonSphere Dyson spheres]] (yes, ''plural'') to power them, and other physics-and-reality-warping feats making the Guardians look like desktop PCs in comparison. As a result [[{{Pride}} they killed it out of spite]], terrified it would supplant them.]] [[spoiler:However, it turns out to be NotQuiteDead – Raven rescued a fragment of its personality much later which he used to create Nova, with the Railmaker reforming once she enters its home-world core.]]

* SympatheticInspectorAntagonist: TheHeavy is Yanvar Malik, a grizzled Railforce officer ([[TurnInYourBadge at least, initially]]) who has spent most of his life hunting down [[spoiler:the many bodies of]]]] Raven and [[ProperlyParanoid believes he's still hiding somewhere]], even though his superiors and the Guardians are sure he's dead. He [[WorthyOpponent very much respects his target]], and harbours no ill will towards Zen and Nova, to the point that he [[spoiler: [[HeelFaceTurn shoots his boss]], a '''Guardian interface''', no less, to allow [[PetTheDog Zen and Nova to escape together through the new K-Gate]] once Raven's last body is finally killed]].