A brilliantly imaginative novel of literary SF from the acclaimed author of XX, Rian Hughes. The Black Locomotive weaves steam trains, the history and architecture of London, and a mysterious alien artefact below the city into a work of stunning inventiveness and originality. London is built from concrete, steel and the creative urge. Old technology gives way to the new. Progress is inevitable - but is it more fragile than its inhabitants realize?A strange anomaly is uncovered in the new top-secret Crossrail extension being built under Buckingham Palace. It is an archaeological puzzle, one that may transform our understanding of history - and the origins of London itself.And if our modern world falls, we may have to turn to the technology of the past in order to save our future.