Reginald Paul

“What, not even a driver?” asked Wren, focusing on the black, electric locomotive at the front of the train, a blunt, windowless thing, charging along like a bull. “The engine is the driver. A Popjoy Mark Twelve Stalker, controlled by a Resurrected human brain.”
― Philip Reeve, A Darkling Plain

“Those are what I call Magnetic Repellers. Once they are powered, the whole city will be able to swim in the currents of the earth’s magnetic field. It will hang a few feet above the ground —or above the water, indeed; it makes no difference. The small prototypes we made worked splendidly. All we need do now is to complete the electromagnetic engine that powers the repellers —” “The Kliest Coils!” cried Wren, like a plucky schoolgirl detective making a brilliant deduction.”
― Philip Reeve, A Darkling Plain

“Crome smiles. “Do you really think I am so shortsighted?” he asks. “The Guild of Engineers plans further ahead than you suspect. London will never stop moving. Movement is life. When we have devoured the last wandering city and demolished the last static settlement we will begin digging. We will build great engines, powered by the heat of the earth’s core, and steer our planet from its orbit. We will devour Mars, Venus, and the asteroids. We shall devour the sun itself, and then sail on across the gulf of space. A million years from now our city will still be traveling, no longer hunting towns to eat, but whole new worlds!”
― Philip Reeve, Mortal Engines

“Tom gazed down at the tiny forms of Londoners clambering over the new city, laying cables, welding girders, marking out the shapes of streets and buildings on the bare deckplates. “But it’s got no wheels,” Wren pointed out. “I can see you don’t know what Mag-Lev stands for, my dear,” said Dr. Childermass. “It’s a code name, isn’t it?” asked Tom, who didn’t know, either. “Oh no,” Dr. Childermass said. “Mag-Lev is just a shorter way of saying Magnetic Levitation.” “It floats!” said Wolf, gazing down at the new city entranced. “Like a gigantic hovercraft …”
― Philip Reeve, A Darkling Plain