Dave Freer is doing a Next Big Thing today — read it here. Being written by Dave, it’s witty.

More importantly, Dave’s Last Big Thing, Steam Mole, has now been freed into the world. If you have a Young Adult reader anywhere within your range, buy it for them, and if you haven’t already done so, buy the book comes before it too, Cuttlefish.

Here’s what I wrote about The Steam Mole:

“The Steam Mole by Dave Freer is a gritty tale of betrayal, courage and mateship, a riveting read for lovers of realistic steam-punk. A steam mole may burrow like a termite to escape the harsh conditions, but moral and ethical dilemmas are not so easily solved in Freer’s alternate Australia.

“The background of a hot, climate-damaged land is fascinating, but it’s the eclectic mix of characters that brings the story alive. British imperialists and greed-driven company men vie with fiercely independent miners and submariners. Feisty teenage protagonists include a conflicted aboriginal and the well-to-do daughter of a prominent family, plus Clara and Tim from Cuttlefish. The result is a high-stakes adventure to preserve basic human freedoms.”