Armageddon: The Musical
     They Came and Ate Us:  Armageddon II - The B Movie
   The Suburban Book of the Dead: Armageddon III - The Remake
                      by Robert Rankin

     reviewed by Christopher Teague chris@smb.clara.net

These three books are just mad.  Plain and simple.  Surreal just
doesn't come close to coining a phrase to describe the incredibly
"out there" humour.  Basically, the tale starts with the first
part, being the Musical.  You see, Earth is a soap opera (called
"The Earthers") produced by aliens for aliens, but the ratings are
plummeting, and the alien TV Execs need something to "liven" it up
- Emmerdale used lesbians, The Earthers requires a nuclear
holocaust.  Armageddon II ties up the loose ends, and the last
part, Armageddon III ties up the loose ends to the loose ends.
The reason I aren't going any deeper into describing the books is
because I cannot remember much of the individual plots, for Rankin
tends to ramble and veer off at tangents every now and then, which
is a good thing, for it creates his trademark.

The Armageddon Trilogy is populated by quite possibly the greatest
characters ever to appear in a book, or books.  You not only get
Elvis, but you also get Barry the Time Travelling Sprout, Rex
Mundi, Christeen (Christ's twin sister), Fido the Dog (who does
Frankie Howerd impressions), Laszlo Woodbine, Dalai Dan, God,
Rambo Bloodaxe, Deathblade Eric and Hugo Rune.

These books are just brilliantly funny, and full to the brim with
in-jokes, some of which are very, very obscure.  Especially in the
third part, with Debbie Gibson and Mojo.  Also, each chapter is
headed with a quote which are just, well, stupid, but hilariously
funny.  If you like your humour surreal, and I mean along the
lines of Spike Milligan and the Goon show, and, of course, Monty
Python, then you should read these books.  You should also read
them, since Rankin makes Pratchett laugh, and Pratchett makes
everyone laugh, so he has to be good.  Right?


                              - O -