The Brightonomicon

September 26, 2005
A secret zodiac patterned on forgotten Brighton byways is the springboard for the comic misadventures of an occult adept and his apprentice in this screwball fantasy from British author Rankin (The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse
). The zaniness begins when Count Hugo Rune saves Rizla, a feckless teen, from drowning. Deprived of his memory and identity, Rizla grudgingly partners with the mysterious Rune on a mission to track down the Chronovision, a device that can replay private scenes from the past. The roundabout route to the Chronovision lies through picaresque escapades linked to the 12 astrological signs of the Brightonomicon, which bring the befuddled Rizla into contact with crablike aliens, patrons of a nudist restaurant, and opposing teams of priests and nuns competing in a violent croquet match. The loose plot accommodates an endless parade of oddball characters as well as exchanges of wordplay and giddy banter as likely to put readers in mind of Lewis Carroll as Terry Pratchett. As humorous fantasy goes, this novel is a triumph of gleeful nonsense.