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Robert Rankin

Robert Fleming Rankin (born July 27, 1949) is a prolific British humorous novelist. Born in Parsons Green, London, he started writing in the late 1970s, and first entered the bestsellers lists with Snuff Fiction in 1999. His books are a unique mix of science fiction, fantasy, the occult, urban legends, running gags, metafiction, steampunk and outrageous characters. According to the (largely fictional) biography printed in some Corgi editions of his books, Rankin refers to his style as 'Far Fetched Fiction' in the hope that bookshops will let him have a section to himself. Many of Rankin's books are bestsellers. Image File history File links Circle-question. ... Image File history File links RobertRankin. ... July 27 is the 208th day (209th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 157 days remaining. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Parsons Green looking south along the New Kings Road Parsons Green is an area in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Fantasy is a genre of art that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. ... The word occult comes from the Latin occultus (clandestine, hidden, secret), referring to the knowledge of the secret or knowledge of the hidden and often popularly meaning knowledge of the supernatural, as opposed to knowledge of the visible or knowledge of the measurable, usually referred to as science. ... An urban legend is a kind of modern folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them. ... The running gag is a popular hallmark of comic and serious forms of entertainment. ... Look up metafiction in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A rocket lands on the moon in Le Voyage dans la Lune, the film adaptation of Jules Vernes From the Earth to the Moon. ...

Most of Rankin's books are set in Brentford, a suburb of London where the author grew up, and which, in his novels, is usually infested with ancient evil and/or alien conspiracies. Brentford is a suburb in the London Borough of Hounslow at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent in South West London, situated approximately 8 miles (12. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

In addition to his novels, Rankin held a position as the Writer in Residence of Brentford's Watermans Arts Centre during the 1980s, and organized a regular poetry event there which he claims was the largest in Britain.^{[citation needed]} He also sings with his band 'The Rock Gods'. Located in Brentford, alongside the banks of the River_Thames, this building is of insignificant architectural note, but that is perhaps the point? To demonstrate that the buildings most important artistic expression will be occurring inside. ...

Bibliography

• The Antipope (1981) (see also The Brentford Trilogy)
• The Brentford Triangle (1982) (see also The Brentford Trilogy)
• East of Ealing (1984) (see also The Brentford Trilogy)
• The Sprouts of Wrath (1984) (see also The Brentford Trilogy)
• Armageddon: The Musical (1988)
• They Came and Ate Us (Armageddon II: The B Movie) (1991)
• The Suburban Book of the Dead (Armageddon III: The Remake) (1992)
• The Book of Ultimate Truths (1993)
• Raiders of the Lost Car Park (1994)
• The Greatest Show Off Earth (1994)
• The Most Amazing Man Who Ever Lived (1995)
• The Garden of Unearthly Delights (1995)
• A Dog Called Demolition (1996)
• Nostradamus Ate My Hamster (1996)
• Sprout Mask Replica (1997)
• The Brentford Chainstore Massacre (1997) (see also The Brentford Trilogy)
• The Dance of the Voodoo Handbag (1998)
• Apocalypso (1998)
• Snuff Fiction (1999)
• Sex and Drugs and Sausage Rolls (1999) (see also The Brentford Trilogy)
• Waiting for Godalming (2000)
• Web Site Story (2001)
• Fandom of the Operator (2001)
• The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse (2002)
• The Witches of Chiswick (2003)
• Knees Up Mother Earth (2004) (see also The Brentford Trilogy)
• The Brightonomicon (2005) (see also The Brentford Trilogy)
• The Toyminator (2006)
• The Da-da-di-da-da Code (2007)

The Antipope is a comic fantasy novel by the British author Robert Rankin. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Spoiler warning: The Brentford Trilogy is a series of five novels by writer Robert Rankin. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Spoiler warning: The Brentford Trilogy is a series of five novels by writer Robert Rankin. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Spoiler warning: The Brentford Trilogy is a series of five novels by writer Robert Rankin. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Spoiler warning: The Brentford Trilogy is a series of five novels by writer Robert Rankin. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The Book of Ultimate Truths is a novel by British author Robert Rankin. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Raiders of the Lost Car Park is a novel by British author Robert Rankin. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... The Most Amazing Man Who Ever Lived is a novel by British author Robert Rankin. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Garden Of Unearthly Delights is a novel by British author Robert Rankin. ... A Dog Called Demolition is a novel by British author Robert Rankin. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Nostradamus Ate My Hamster is a fantasy novel by British author Robert Rankin. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Spoiler warning: The Brentford Trilogy is a series of five novels by writer Robert Rankin. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Apocalypso is a novel by the British author Robert Rankin. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Spoiler warning: The Brentford Trilogy is a series of five novels by writer Robert Rankin. ... Waiting for Godalming is the 22d book by Robert Rankin. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies Of The Apocalypse is a novel by the British author Robert Rankin. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... The Witches Of Chiswick is a novel by the British author Robert Rankin. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Knees Up Mother Earth is the seventh book by Robert Rankin in the Brentford Trilogy, as well as the second book in the The Witches of Chiswick Trilogy. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Spoiler warning: The Brentford Trilogy is a series of five novels by writer Robert Rankin. ... The Brightonomicon is a novel set in Brighton about the grand high magus Hugo Rune and his quest for the Brighton zodiac. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Spoiler warning: The Brentford Trilogy is a series of five novels by writer Robert Rankin. ... The Toyminator is a novel by the British author Robert Rankin. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD (or CE) era. ...

Recurring characters and running gags

It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled Running Gags And Recurring Characters From Books By Robert Rankin. (Discuss)

Rankin is known for his seemingly endless use of running gags and characters across most of his novels. The following are some of the more common: Image File history File links Splitsection. ...

• Characters:
  • Hugo Rune (Hugo Artemis Solon Saturnicus Reginald Arthur Rune), re-inventor of the ocarina - a somewhat nefarious, but generally well-meaning, self-styled 'Guru's Guru', whose character and appearance is largely extrapolated from that of Aleister Crowley. He typically avoids paying for anything despite his wealth, claiming that he offers the world his genius and it can thus afford to cover his expenses. His works and activities are often referred to or quoted in plots where he doesn't appear as a character. References to him usually mention his faithful and devoted acolyte, Rizla, who rarely appears with Rune when he is in the books in person.
  • John Omally and Jim Pooley - see The Brentford Trilogy for details of characters from that series. They also make guest appearances in other books, usually any time anyone visits the Flying Swan.^[1]
  • Professor Slocombe - The mysterious guardian of Brentford, the Professor is regarded as an authority on the occult, but there is a great deal of mystery about him. There are constant hints that he is far older than he appears- indeed, one book suggests that he was once Merlin- but nothing has ever been expressly stated as to how this can be.^[1]
  • Lazlo Woodbine - Private detective. Always written in the first person even when the rest of the book isn't. Only appears in four different settings- his office where clients meet him, the bar where he talks toot with the barman (Never described as this allows him to be anywhere), an alley where people get killed, and a rooftop for the final showdown with the villain- as supposedly classic detective stories only ever needed four settings.^[2]
  • Barry the Time Sprout - first appeared in Armageddon: The Musical, subsequently becomes fused with Lazlo Woodbine's mind (after a stint working with an alternate Elvis Presley), where he acts as his Holy Guardian Sprout. His origin, however, is conflcited; he was either genetically engineered on another planet who watched Earth history as a TV show or is a holy guardian vegetable from God's garden, who had to be used when God ran out of guardian angels due to demand outstripping supply^[2]
  • Fangio - the barman that 'talks toot' with Lazlo, and is inexplicably behind every bar that Lazlo ends up in.
  • Rex Mundi - saviour of the world, formerly married to Christeen – the daughter of God and twin sister of Christ – who had been giving him GBH about the need for a cesspit in the back garden in Utopia, now retired and living in the Sherwood area growing quality cannabis.
  • Sir John Rimmer - famous paranormal investigator and biographer of Hugo Rune. 7ft tall and famed for his very long beard (a fake). (Sir John and companions are loosely based on the Fortean writer John Rimmer and fellow contributors to the paranormal magazine Magonia.)
  • Dr. Harney - companion of Sir John Rimmer, Fellow Of The Royal Society and government advisor.
  • Danbury Collins - Companion of Sir John Rimmer, the psychic youth, and perpetual masturbator. Often has very useful bad feelings about things. Rumoured to be based on a "griffinologist" or somesuch.
  • Sandy, the sandy-haired barman - Bartender at the Flying Swan, one of three bartenders to often appear.
  • Neville, the full time part time barman - Another regular bartender and eventual owner of the Flying Swan.^[1]
  • Norman Hartnell - Often accompanied by the line "Not to be confused with the other Norman Hartnell". He runs the corner shop, and is an eccentric inventor, often achieving impossible feats such as perpetual motion and time travel.^[3]
  • Soap Distant - First seen attempting to access the subterranean world he was convinced existed beneath our own. It was hinted that he had in fact tunnelled straight into the canal and was drowned, although it transpired in later books that he had in fact succeeded in living "Below", and as a consequence his skin and hair were completely white when he finally returned to the surface.^[1]
  • The lady in the straw hat - often appears in crowd scenes and causes trouble by making bizarre statements, often resulting in large brawls, and described as being barking mad. She has two sons named Malkuth and Shibboleth but her family surname is unpronounceable (Web Site Story).
  • Samuel J. Maggot - a police officer/chief who is often described as having 'a rough one'. Appears in the Armageddon trilogy, the Toyminator and the Witches of Chiswick. However, his description often changes, this includes his skin colour.

• Settings:
  • Brentford - often the setting for most, or at least part of, Rankin's novels.
  • Mornington Crescent - Home of the Ministry Of Serendipity, a fictional agency whose main activity is to ensure the British Empire rules the globe, via dealings with Alien activity and suchlike.
  • Skellinton Bay, Brighton A small seaside town occasionally used as a setting (although there was usually a mention of Brentford in the same books).

• Gags:
  • 'It must be tradition, or an old charter, or something.'
  • Bizarre footnotes - Lazlo Woodbine book titles and nonsensical remakes appear as footnotes in most of Rankin's novels.
  • Sound effects spoken as dialogue - for example, '"Knock knock," said the door'.
  • References to whether or not a phrase is going to become a running joke - 'If that's a running joke, it's lost on me.'
  • Non-starter running jokes - 'I hope that's not going to become a running gag, it's a pretty crap one'.
  • The General Electric mini-gun. Every character that is about to go into battle expresses a desire for this particular weapon, usually referring to it as "one of those amazing rotary machine guns like the one Blaine had in Predator"; even a newsreader refers to it in this way. This is put to a stop when Elvis actually knows what it's called.^[4]
  • Obviously fictitious biographical details about the author himself, though these seem to be absent from more recent novels.
  • Author pictures in various poses/modes of attire e.g. Aleister Crowley, gangster, Pagan priest (as in this article's accompanying picture).
  • An affected ignorance of what is going on, often then corrected by the characters. For example, losing track of which character is which in a group, then having the characters introduce themselves to establish that they know, even if he does not.
  • The catch-all technobabble explanation of things powered by 'the transperambulation of pseudo-cosmic antimatter'.^[4]
  • Various characters revealed to be masters of the deadly martial art 'Dimac' (possibly inspired by Dim Mak), with which a single fingertip can disfigure and dismember the opponent.^[4]
  • The liberal application of 'stout sticks' or 'knobkerries' in a violent manner.
  • "The keeping of the now-legendary low profile"
  • "It is a well-known fact to those who know it well..." followed by a statement which may either be a true fact, or something completely absurd
  • Explaining things in such a way that cannot possibly be true, yet is impossible to find a flaw with, as when Hugo Rune demonstrated that it is impossible to work eight hours a day, and in fact his calculations proved that no-one ever does any work, as there is not time, or when he pointed out that the population of Earth must be decreasing as you require two parents, four grandparents, and eight great-grandparents just for yourself to exist.
  • In some books, someone at some time will produce an "oversized red gingham handkerchief".
  • In the German translation there are usually lots of footnotes, where the translator, the author and the editor are having funny arguments.".

A tenor and an alto ten-hole ocarina. ... Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley, (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947; the surname is pronounced // i. ... Spoiler warning: The Brentford Trilogy is a series of five novels by writer Robert Rankin. ... Merlin is best known as the mighty wizard featured in Arthurian legend. ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ... Charles Fort, 1920 Charles Hoy Fort (August 6, 1874 - May 3, 1932), writer and researcher into anomalous phenomena, was the son of an Albany grocer of Dutch ancestry. ... Magonia is a magazine ostensibly focused on the UFO phenomena but explores related areas of belief and unusual behaviour. ... Norman Hartnell (1901 - 1979) was a British fashion designer appointed dressmaker to the British Royal Family in 1938. ... This article or section should include material from Parallel Path See also Perpetuum mobile as a musical term Perpetual motion machines (the Latin term perpetuum mobile is not uncommon) are a class of hypothetical machines which would produce useful energy in a way science cannot explain (yet). ... Brentford is a suburb in the London Borough of Hounslow at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent in South West London, situated approximately 8 miles (12. ... Mornington Crescent is a parody of obscure and complex game analysis, such as that engaged in by chess afficianados. ... Predator is a science fiction movie directed by John McTiernan and released on June 12, 1987. ... Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley, (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947; the surname is pronounced // i. ... Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is any of a heterogeneous group of new religious movements, particularly those influenced by ancient, primarily pre-Christian and sometimes pre-Judaic religions. ... Dim Mak or Touch Point (dim mak is an approximate Cantonese pronunciation of 點脈, as subset of 點穴, pinyin diǎnxuè) is said by its adherents to train attacks on pressure points in some styles of Chinese martial arts to kill, incapacitate, or otherwise control an opponent. ...

Awards

• British Fantasy Society Best Novel nominee (1997) for The Brentford Chainstore Massacre
• SFX Best Novel Award Winner (2003) for The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse
• British Fantasy Society Best Novel nominee (2006) for The Brightonomicon

The British Fantasy Society (BFS) began in 1971 as the British Weird Fantasy Society, an off-shoot of the British Science Fiction Association. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... SFX is a British science fiction magazine, published every four weeks. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The British Fantasy Society (BFS) began in 1971 as the British Weird Fantasy Society, an off-shoot of the British Science Fiction Association. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Sproutlore - The Now Official Robert Rankin Fan Club
• http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/authors/Robert_Rankin.htm

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1153274
2. ^ ^{a b} http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1261367
3. ^ http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1153667
4. ^ ^{a b c} http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1056286