The "Freeola Customer Forum" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
This came from Amazon yesterday, ordered it on a whim.
A guy called Robert Rankin. Apparently the author of the "classic Brentford Triangle Triloy", which comprises of 5 books.
Imagine The Time Bandits mixed with Kids in The Hall, a bit of David Lynch, add some Chris Morris and finish off with some Douglas Adams.
Plot?
Will works in the 23rd century at The Tate - checking that digital reproductions of classic art is the same as the original.
He spots something not right in one and it all kicks off from there.
He's hunted by a robot that arrives naked in a lightning storm, demands "a 40-watt range plasma rifle" and tells a tramp "Your clothes, give them to me" and speaks in a Germanic accent.
He ends up in Victorian England, where he's asked to solve the Jack The Ripper case by Sherlock Holmes.
With some help from Barry, the Holy Guardian Sprout.
He meets The Elephant Man, who likes to go out on the pull and makes a cocktail called "A Merrickan Express" at a fancy dress party at Buckingham Palace.
H G Wells is annoyed at being made invisible whilst trying to formulate a growth serum, whilst Constable Tudar Pole tells him that they've arrested "Jack The Ripper"
"I must speak to the prisoner" demands Will
"What, Patrick Magoohan?"
Loads of references to other books, movies, famous people and all manner of stuff that doesn't belong in Victorian England. And asides to the reader in footnotes that made me chuckle.
"Ground Control to Major Thomas" said Merrick into his radio*
* Copyright means I'd have to pay loads of money if I wrote "Major Tom", so balls to that.
A surprising, amusing, intelligent, witty book that I found completely by accident based on reading an excerpt:
"Don't ask me" said Barry, "I'm making this up as I go. Just like the author".
If you've never read Rankin, or generally appreciate very funny, self-mocking humour then check out "The Witches of Chiswick" by Robert Rankin.
I also got "The Antipope", but that's a bit harder to get into. Although Hairy Dave and Jungle John seem like good characters.
A guy called Robert Rankin. Apparently the author of the "classic Brentford Triangle Triloy", which comprises of 5 books.
Imagine The Time Bandits mixed with Kids in The Hall, a bit of David Lynch, add some Chris Morris and finish off with some Douglas Adams.
Plot?
Will works in the 23rd century at The Tate - checking that digital reproductions of classic art is the same as the original.
He spots something not right in one and it all kicks off from there.
He's hunted by a robot that arrives naked in a lightning storm, demands "a 40-watt range plasma rifle" and tells a tramp "Your clothes, give them to me" and speaks in a Germanic accent.
He ends up in Victorian England, where he's asked to solve the Jack The Ripper case by Sherlock Holmes.
With some help from Barry, the Holy Guardian Sprout.
He meets The Elephant Man, who likes to go out on the pull and makes a cocktail called "A Merrickan Express" at a fancy dress party at Buckingham Palace.
H G Wells is annoyed at being made invisible whilst trying to formulate a growth serum, whilst Constable Tudar Pole tells him that they've arrested "Jack The Ripper"
"I must speak to the prisoner" demands Will
"What, Patrick Magoohan?"
Loads of references to other books, movies, famous people and all manner of stuff that doesn't belong in Victorian England. And asides to the reader in footnotes that made me chuckle.
"Ground Control to Major Thomas" said Merrick into his radio*
* Copyright means I'd have to pay loads of money if I wrote "Major Tom", so balls to that.
A surprising, amusing, intelligent, witty book that I found completely by accident based on reading an excerpt:
"Don't ask me" said Barry, "I'm making this up as I go. Just like the author".
If you've never read Rankin, or generally appreciate very funny, self-mocking humour then check out "The Witches of Chiswick" by Robert Rankin.
I also got "The Antipope", but that's a bit harder to get into. Although Hairy Dave and Jungle John seem like good characters.
Page:
"He's the best looking guy in the world..."
Saw them doing a sketch on Letterman on ITV2 a few months back and it was painfully unfunny. Shame...
Saw them doing a sketch on Letterman on ITV2 a few months back and it was painfully unfunny. Shame...
"This is some good ####ing ham dad!"
Kilgore Trout wrote:
> My God, I thought I was the only one who'd ever heard of Kids In The
> Hall!! I keep telling everyone here about it but no-one else has any
> idea what it is!
>
> Sounds like a great book, will have to check it out...
Hey! I remember the Kids In The Hall...weren't they Canadian?
One of the sketches involved "crushing your head" spoken in an abject European accent.
> My God, I thought I was the only one who'd ever heard of Kids In The
> Hall!! I keep telling everyone here about it but no-one else has any
> idea what it is!
>
> Sounds like a great book, will have to check it out...
Hey! I remember the Kids In The Hall...weren't they Canadian?
One of the sketches involved "crushing your head" spoken in an abject European accent.
Rita did what now?
what girl could resist that offer?
thats a rehtorical question.
thats a rehtorical question.
Come get it.
It's in my pants.
It's in my pants.
Give me my book back
grrr
grrr
Mr Snuggly wrote:
> I read some Rankin books about 5 years ago, and they were funny in a
> 'I'm laughing at them because I don't read Terry Pratchet books but
> am still to scared to talk to girls kind of way'.
---
Yeah, that's exactly why I'm enjoying them.
> I read some Rankin books about 5 years ago, and they were funny in a
> 'I'm laughing at them because I don't read Terry Pratchet books but
> am still to scared to talk to girls kind of way'.
---
Yeah, that's exactly why I'm enjoying them.
He's written quite a lot of books, most set in Brentford. A lot of them refer to each other, so you understand more of the in-jokes as you read more of them.
I read some Rankin books about 5 years ago, and they were funny in a 'I'm laughing at them because I don't read Terry Pratchet books but am still to scared to talk to girls kind of way'.
Page: