Science Fiction Books > R Science Fiction Books

He's Not Selling Any Alibis

Advantages: A decent, entertaining piece of fiction
Disadvantages: None really, but a little strange -ooooooooh

...sure it’s very nice. Certainly the picture Robert Rankin paints of it in his novel, “The Antipope”, depicts an extremely interesting place to visit - full of places of interest and colourful (to put it mildly) local characters. I’m guessing the book is set in the very early seventies, the only clue we get is that two pints of “Large”, the preferred local draught, costs 10/6 (10 shillings and sixpence – ask ...
...that one of the central characters has been dead for a few hundred years the exact timing of the novel's “present day” seems a trifle irrelevant. Much of the action takes place in The Flying Swan, a local pub run by Neville, the part-time barman. Although never actually stated, we are left with the impression that Neville has been, and will be, a fixture in the bar for many years. Two of his work shy regulars, John O’Mally, a drunken ...

Thamisgith 18.02.2003 · Read full review
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Review of The Antipope - Robert Rankin

Learning to fly...

Advantages: Great story, good characters
Disadvantages: -

...style and story telling all the more remarkable, as a hidden talent becomes unveiled. The story follows close the journey of Father Emilio Sandoz, a Jesuit with a facility for language, and an emptiness in his soul. Set in the near future when near-earth space travel has become if not commonplace at least not unusual, people are regularly mining the moon and asteroids for minerals and fuel. Sandoz is assigned to a mission near one of the big radio ...
...post discovers a signal from the nearby star system of Alpha Centauri, the process toward the journey begins. While nations debate and plan an exploratory trip, the Jesuit order (well known historically for missionary work) get their own trip underway, with a crew of Jesuits and laypersons each with differing expertise (one in musicology, as the transmission seem musical; and so forth). The process for travel is one that is inventive – essentially, ...

frkurt 03.11.2004 · Read full review
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Review of The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell

Terry Pratchett lied to me!

Advantages: Terry Pratchett's childish younger borther?
Disadvantages: Poor central character, broken writing style.

While waiting for the next Terry Pratchett instalment I had a look around for someone with a similar style. On the back of this book Pratchett himself claims Rankin to be "One of the rare guys who can always make me laugh" so what more recommendation does a Pratchett fan need? Cornelius Murphy is the stuff of epics; he is rather annoyed that no one else seems to realise this. As such he is the only one not surprised when he becomes employed by a ...
...screws left after you put the toaster back together? And how does the thermos flask know whether to keep something hot or cold? Good old-fashioned British comedy is what this novel aspires to be. Full of comedy sketches it reads like a Monty Python show and as such is somewhat hit and miss. Cornelius's epic journey seems to be an excuse by Rankin to place him into sitcom situations such as a street riot, a hostage situation and a Monastery. Amusing ...

dididave 25.02.2004 · Read full review
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Review of The Book of Ultimate Truths - Robert Rankin

The Hatchet-job of Wimbledon

Advantages: Easy reading
Disadvantages: But so's 'Where's Spot?' and I won't recommend that to you either

...lied to and that all the fantasy fiction of the Victorian era was in fact true. That 19th Century England was in fact full of airships and automata, where Oscar Wilde was a notorious ladies' man and Queen Victoria was the Empire Bike. Airships and automata are familiar enough to any reader of alternative histories. They crop up in anything where Rome didn't fall or the Nazis weren't defeated. To combine this kind of earnest but far-fetched academic ...
...people getting him confused with the man who created Rebus, Rankin is the slow-thinking man's Terry Pratchett. The author of a string of 'comedy' novels set around the London borough of Brentford, these books lure you in with admittedly brilliant punning titles such as '101 Damnations' and things. The contents are generally (I've read three or four over the years, hopefully I've learned my lesson now) meandering tales full of one-note characters, ...

Olly_Plimsoll 26.06.2006 · Read full review
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Review of The Witches of Chiswick - Robert Rankin

The greatest comedy writer alive today?

Advantages: Hilarious and topical, even if it is 16 years old
Disadvantages: It's the 4th book in the series, and while you don't need to read the others first, i recommend you start at "The Anitipope"

...be amused and captivated by the adventures of the heroes, Jim Pooley and John O'Malley. Unlike many writers of comedy sci-fi/fantasy books, Rankins characters are real and believable, having more than a facade of charcter. The Sprouts Of Wrath, like many of Robert Rankins books, is based in the borough of brnetford in London, at a time when a secret benefactor is funding a bid for brentford to host the olympics. Underneath it all though is a plot ...
...In steps the regulars of The Flying Swan pub to try to save the day. For anyone interested in conspiracy theories, the X-Files and Forteana (The Fortean Times magazine etc) all of Robert Rankins books are worth reading, but don't forget your sense of humour, becasue he doesn't taken anything too seriously. ...

AlexPaton 04.08.2004 · Read full review
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Review of The Sprouts of Wrath - Robert Rankin