Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

Books hold a prominent place in the narrative. The entire labyrinthine plot of Good Omens is foretold by the 17th-century witch, Agnes Nutter’s book of prophecies. This book is passed down through her family’s generations, eventually coming into the possession of Anathema Device. Anathema’s life’s work—some might say obsession—is interpreting the often-vague prophecies and using the information to stop Armageddon.

In addition to Nutter’s book, Aziraphale owns a bookshop in which he stores rare and specialty collections.

Good Omens was published in 1990, right at the cusp of the digital revolution. The authors make a distinction between the digital world and the print world, evincing a nostalgic admiration for the latter. Pratchett and Gaiman view computers with skepticism. Newton, a self-described computer engineer, short-circuits everything he touches, and global electronic devices are susceptible to the ethereal hack of demonic forces. Notably, when Aziraphale’s bookshop burns down, Agnes Nutter’s book is miraculously spared. There is something sturdy and timeless, the authors imply, about a book.

Crowley lives life in the fast lane, and nothing symbolizes his posh and flashy lifestyle more than his vintage Bentley. It’s rare, stylish, and allows him to flaunt both the laws of London traffic and of physics, racing through London’s tortuous roadways at improbable speeds, veering onto sidewalks, and narrowly avoiding pedestrians.