The Brightonomicon
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| The Brightonomicon | |
 |
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| Author | Robert Rankin |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Sally Hurst |
| Cover artist | Sally Hurst |
| Country | Great Britain |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Brentford Trilogy |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Victor Gollancz Ltd |
| Publication date | 2005 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) |
| Pages | 404 pp (paperback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-575-07773-5 (paperback edition) |
| Preceded by | Knees Up Mother Earth |
The Brightonomicon is a novel by British Fantasy author Robert Rankin, the title parodying that of the fictional grimoire the Necronomicon from the Cthulhu Mythos.
The novel is set in Brighton, and concerns the grand high magus Hugo Rune (AKA The Reinventor of the Ocarina, 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 Brighton zodiac, with the aid of his amnesia struck assistant, Rizla (Revealed at the conclusion of the novel to be Jim Pooley of The 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 a centaur is unleashed
The 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 real Earl Grey Tea, Rune alone knows that a nightmare from the past is about to be unleashed
The 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 detective Lazlo 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 of Noah'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 concert
The 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
