The Gremlins
The Gremlins are small and malevolent creatures created by Dahl. In this novel, they are first discovered when they were drilling holes into the wings of a plane by an RAF pilot. As it turns out, the Gremlins had actually been the ruled of the earth many years ago and are now seeking their revenge.
War
War is a key theme of this novel and is utilized by the Gremlins to help them in their mission. The Gremlins are first discovered during WW2 and emerge during the Battle of Britain. However, after seeing the carnage of war they decide that humanity would cause its own demise itself without any assistance.
Revenge
Ultimately, the aim of the Gremlins is to get revenge on humanity. In the novel, we learn about the history of the Gremlins, and the fact they used to rule the world. Ever since they had been apparently trying to wreak their revenge on humanity and take over again. However, once the Gremlins have taken over, they find that they cannot exist without humans.
