Book Review Robert Rankin THE Greatest Show OFF Earth
A very funny deliberately over the top science fiction spectacle with Satanic chickens only part of the story.
BOOK REVIEW ROBERT RANKIN THE GREATEST SHOW OFF EARTH 1994 Corgi Books
Raymond, a hero with a Harley-David motorbike fixation, is abducted from an allotment by a Starfish – starship, sold on Venus as food along with 200 irate Millwall football Club supporters, and eventually rescued by a steam-punk circus that flies between planets, on the condition that he saves Earth from destruction.
A second hero, or possibly a selfish coward, called Simon, willing to do anything to survive, gets left behind on Earth, which has troubles of its own. There is a cult worshipping a Satanic chicken known aptly as Sate-Hen, a girlfriend with a mean kick, false accusations of murder, Men In Grey, corrupt cops, (one called D’Eath) and a rather over-affectionate dog in pursuit of him.
The story strands run parallel without joining up until the finale, but the puns with which Rankin links the disparate events are quite brilliant.
The story loosely echoes Kurt Vonnegut’s Sirens Of Titan, and there is even a character called Kiligore Sprout, a clear pun on Vonnegut’s hero Kiligore Trout.
There are many great touches, including the book that gives a misleading vision of the immediate future, unlikely cameos by Helen Mirren The Prisoner Of Zenda, and The Man In The Iron Mask, among others. There are digs at Erich Von Danekin and the absurdities of Hollow Earth Theory, and this may be Rankin’s most violent, action packed story to date. Rankin even throws in Moses, a talking Jewish Elephant who unleashes biblical plagues on the Egyptian deity-like Saturnalians.
The Hellzapoppin’ joke rate is fast and furious in a way only Rankin could get away with. Rankin at his zaniest and most shamelessly, unapologetically far fetched.
Arthur Chappell
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