Far-fetched fiction
Here, as a reminder to myself, is an author that I keep meaning to get involved with: Robert Rankin. Here’s an excerpt from his h2g2 article:
Rankin’s style is unusual and difficult to classify – his books are not really science fiction, and they’re not really fantasy, they’re certainly not factual, but it’s hard to say what kind of fiction they are. The only thing it’s possible to say with certainty is that they are funny. This uncategorisability is a deliberate policy decision on his part. He claims he wants to create a new literary genre – ‘far-fetched fiction’ – in the hope that by doing so he’ll get a shelf to himself in the bookshop. Sadly, this plan has not worked, and he always ends up stacked in ‘anorak corner’ with the Terry Pratchetts , the Douglas Adamses, and the Tom Holts. This is not a bad thing, necessarily, however, because if you like Adams or Pratchett, odds are you’ll like Robert Rankin.
Search for Robert Rankin on eBay
Sounds like a winner to me. Also, he offers his readers the bonus of a back-of-my-own-hand familiarity with the London suburb of Brentford. Here’s h2g2 again:
The dedicated Rankin reader will come to know Brentford as though born and raised there. They will know of the Butts Estate, Moby Dick Terrace, The Wife’s Legs Café, the allotments, Star Hill (where all the ley lines4 in England converge), the gasometer (which is apparently not a gasometer at all), and in particular the pub, the Flying Swan, wherein one can buy a pint of Large from Neville, the full-time part-time barman, and where you’re likely to be prevailed upon to buy a round for Brentford’s most famous inhabitants, Jim Pooley and John Arbuthnot Omally (owner of Marchant, the wonder bike). Brentford is described lovingly as a Shangri-la, a Utopia of sunshine and contentment, and a place where extraordinary things happen to ordinary people, many of whom don’t seem in the least surprised.
Fortunately (or otherwise) for me I was very nearly born and brought up there and, as members of my family have frequently stated, am probably related by birth, marriage or mutual commercial interest to three quarters of the people living there. Apparently he’s also big on the End of Days and conspiracy theories. So Rankin it is, then.