Plant-parasitic nematodes threaten food security in the developed and developing world. This review looks at the field through a wide lens, aiming to capture a breadth of recent landmark achievements that have changed our understanding of plant–nematode interactions in particular, and plant pathology in general. It recognises the importance of expanding existing paradigms in plant-pathology to encompass plant–nematode interactions and, at the same time, celebrates achievements that build on the uniqueness of the system. It highlights emerging areas of plant nematology. Finally, it argues that the accelerated progress of recent years is prophetic, and that cumulative advances in our understanding, coupled with technological advances in genetic engineering of plants and nematodes, promise to lift perennial constraints on the field and thereby further expedite progress.