Armageddon Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Armageddon: The Musical |
1990 |
Buy |
| They Came and Ate Us |
1991 |
Buy |
| They Came and Ate Us: Armageddon II: The B-Movie |
1991 |
N/A |
| The Suburban Book of the Dead |
1992 |
Buy |
| The Suburban Book of the Dead: Armageddon III: The Remake |
1992 |
N/A |
Barking Mad Trilogy Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| Sprout Mask Replica |
1997 |
Buy |
| The Dance of the Voodoo Handbag |
1998 |
Buy |
| Waiting For Godalming |
2000 |
Buy |
Brentford Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Antipope |
1981 |
Buy |
| The Brentford Triangle |
1982 |
Buy |
| East of Ealing |
1984 |
Buy |
| The Sprouts of Wrath |
1988 |
Buy |
| The Brentford Chainstore Massacre |
1997 |
Buy |
| Sex and Drugs and Sausage Rolls |
1999 |
Buy |
| Knees Up Mother Earth |
2004 |
Buy |
| The Brightonomicon |
2005 |
Buy |
| Retromancer |
2009 |
N/A |
| The Lord of the Ring Roads |
2017 |
Buy |
| The Chronicles of Banarnia |
2019 |
Buy |
| Normanghast |
2025 |
Buy |
Cornelius Murphy Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Book of Ultimate Truths |
1993 |
Buy |
| Raiders of the Lost Carpark |
1994 |
Buy |
| The Greatest Show Off Earth |
1994 |
Buy |
| The Most Amazing Man Who Ever Lived |
1995 |
Buy |
Eddie Bear Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse |
2002 |
Buy |
| The Toyminator |
2006 |
Buy |
Japanese Devil Fish Girl Reading Order#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Japanese Devil Fish Girland Other Unnatural Attractions |
2010 |
Buy |
| The Mechanical Messiah and Other Marvels of the Modern Age |
2011 |
Buy |
| The Educated Ape and Other Wonders of the World |
2012 |
Buy |
| The Chickens of Atlantis and Other Foul and Filthy Fiends |
2013 |
Buy |
Standalone Novels#
| Title |
Published |
Buy on Amazon |
| The Garden of Unearthly Delights |
1995 |
Buy |
| A Dog Called Demolition |
1996 |
Buy |
| Nostradamus Ate My Hamster |
1996 |
Buy |
| Apocalypso |
1998 |
Buy |
| Snuff Fiction |
1999 |
Buy |
| The Fandom of the Operator |
2001 |
Buy |
| Web Site Story |
2001 |
Buy |
| The Witches of Chiswick |
2003 |
Buy |
| The Da Da De Da Da Code |
2007 |
Buy |
| Necrophenia |
2008 |
Buy |
| Retromancer |
2009 |
Buy |
| The Abominable Showman |
2014 |
Buy |
Robert Rankin carved out a unique corner of British comic fiction over a career spanning more than four decades. His Brentford series, beginning with The Antipope in 1981, follows two beer-loving everymen through adventures involving ancient conspiracies, aliens, and supernatural threats — all played for maximum absurdist comedy. What started as a trilogy eventually grew to 12 books, the most recent being Normanghast (2025).
Beyond Brentford, Rankin created the Armageddon series (a musical apocalypse played for laughs), the Cornelius Murphy novels, the Eddie Bear books (set in a world of living toys), and numerous standalones with titles like The Da Da De Da Da Code and Nostradamus Ate My Hamster. His work defies easy categorization — mixing science fiction, fantasy, detective fiction, and pub culture into a style that is unmistakably his own. He earned a devoted cult following for writing that valued jokes, wordplay, and absurdity above all else.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books has Robert Rankin written?
Robert Rankin has written 42 books across seven series.
What was Robert Rankin's first book?
Robert Rankin’s first book is The Antipope, published in 1981.
What is Robert Rankin best known for?
Robert Rankin is best known for the Brentford Trilogy (which expanded well beyond three books to 12), starting with The Antipope (1981). Set in the London borough of Brentford, the series follows two pub regulars through increasingly bizarre adventures. His Armageddon trilogy and standalone novels like The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse are also fan favorites.