- The Brightonomicon
Infobox Book
name = The Brightonomicon
title_orig =
translator =
image_caption =
author =Robert Rankin
illustrator =Sally Hurst
cover_artist =Sally Hurst
country =Great Britain
language = English
series =The Brentford Trilogy
subject =
genre =Fantasy novel
publisher =Victor Gollancz Ltd
release_date = 2005
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Hardcover andPaperback )
pages = 404 pp (paperback edition)
isbn = ISBN 0-575-07773-5 (paperback edition)
preceded_by =Knees Up Mother Earth
followed_by ="The Brightonomicon" is a novel by British
Fantasy authorRobert Rankin , the title parodying that of the fictional grimoire theNecronomicon from theCthulhu Mythos .The
novel is set inBrighton , and concerns the grand high magusHugo Rune (AKA The Reinventor of theOcarina , the Mumbo Gumshoe, the Hokus Bloke, the Cosmic Dick, the Guru's Guru, the Perfect Master, the Lad Himself) and his quest to solve the mystery of the Brightonzodiac , with the aid of hisamnesia struck assistant, Rizla (Revealed at the conclusion of the novel to beJim Pooley ofThe Brentford Trilogy ).The author lives in Brighton and the book is set in an accurate depiction of the city. The book is based on The Brighton Zodiac, a map consisting of carriageway constellations found in the city of Brighton and Hove, conceived, designed and created by Sally Hurst (under her artist name Bo:K in 2004). The cases featured are as follows;
The Hound of the Hangletons: The amnesic Rizla and Hugo Rune are hired to investigate a strage lost dog, and Rune reveals to Rizla the secret of the Chronovision, a television that allows the user to witness any event in history
The Curious Case of the Centenary Centaur: While attending a lecture on the size of the universe with Hugo Rune, Rizla is captured by a group of demented doctors seeking to dissect him for
organ transplants , and acentaur is unleashedThe Monstrous Mystery of the Moulescomb Crab: A conversation with a bog troll about his dead brother leads to Rizla and Rune learning of a terrible plot by the Secret Government to bring down the Royal Family with the aid of a group of space crabs
The Lark of the Lansdowne Lioness: When a statue of
Queen Victoria begins to cry tears of realEarl Grey Tea , Rune alone knows that a nightmare from the past is about to be unleashedThe Curious Case of the Woodingdean Chameleon: With Rune away on business, it is up to Rizla to avert an assassination attempt at a game of
croquet , while posing as fictional private detectiveLazlo Woodbine The Scintillating Story of the Sackville Scavenger: Attending the opening of a nudist theme restaurant with Rune (All other Brighton restaurants no longer accepting Rune's presence), Rizla is shocked to witness a group of dead rock stars dining with them
The Fantastic Adventure of the Foredown Man: While attending a garden party, Rizla witnesses the apparent murder of the Lord Jeffrey- despite the fact that the man in question vanished over a hundred years ago-, and his various relatives subsequently begin to die in various horrible manners
The Baffling Business of the Bevendean Bat: Reports of lost cats in the Bevendean area, coupled with radioactive
doves ,, multiple roaring animals at regular intervals, and an encounter with an exploding uniped in the bar "The Really Small Atlantean", lead to a confrontation between Rune and the evil Count Otto Black about a modern-day version ofNoah's Ark The Sensational Sage of the Saltdean Stallion: While at a party in Lewes, Rune is apparently killed as a sacrifice to reveal the location of the Chronovision, leaving Rizla to escape Count Otto Black’s followers with the aid of an urban legend
The Birdman of Whitehawk: The Chronovision now recovered after a trip into the Forbidden Zones, Rune and Rizla must tackle the mysterious apparitions that plague their current host
The Wiseman of Withdean: Rizla is forced to disguise himself as a woman as he and Rune search for the last descendent of
Jesus Christ at a Heavy Metal concertThe Concluding Chaotic Conundrum of the Coldean Cat: Their forces gathered, Rune and Rizla prepare for the final confrontation with Count Otto Black and for their final parting after a long year of adventures
Audio & Radio
The book was adapted into a 13 part full-cast audio drama in 2008 by Hokus Bloke Productions and BBC Audiobooks, starring the likes of
Andy Serkis ,Jason Isaacs ,Martin Jarvis ,Mark Wing-Davey ,Sarah Douglas ,Ben Miller andMichael Fenton Stevens , along with co-Executive ProducersDavid Warner andRupert Degas .
The audio series has been re-edited into 28-minute, 30-second episodes to air on the BBC digital and online radio stationBBC7 . The 13 half-hour episodes air at 18:30 UK Time (with a 00:30 repeat) on Saturdays from 23rd August 2008 to 15th November 2008, with each episode being available on theBBC iPlayer for six days after broadcast.Full Audio Cast
External links
* [http://www.brightonomicon.com/ Brightonomicon the Audio Series official website]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7 BBC7 airing The Brightonomicon August - November 2008]
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