Brentford books in order

The Brentford series by Robert Rankin follows two pub regulars through 12 absurdist comic fantasy novels set in the London borough, from The Antipope (1981) to Normanghast (2025).

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 The Antipope 1981 Robert Rankin Buy
2 The Brentford Triangle 1982 Robert Rankin Buy
3 East of Ealing 1984 Robert Rankin Buy
4 The Sprouts of Wrath 1988 Robert Rankin Buy
5 The Brentford Chainstore Massacre 1997 Robert Rankin Buy
6 Sex and Drugs and Sausage Rolls 1999 Robert Rankin Buy
7 Knees Up Mother Earth 2004 Robert Rankin Buy
8 The Brightonomicon 2005 Robert Rankin Buy
9 Retromancer 2009 Robert Rankin N/A
10 The Lord of the Ring Roads 2017 Robert Rankin Buy
11 The Chronicles of Banarnia 2019 Robert Rankin Buy
12 Normanghast 2025 Robert Rankin Buy

The Brentford series started as a trilogy and kept going. Jim Pooley and John Omally, two amiable layabouts who prefer the pub to anything resembling work, have been stumbling into bizarre adventures since The Antipope (1981). The Brentford Triangle and East of Ealing followed, establishing a formula that mixed local pub culture with cosmic-scale absurdity.

The series continued growing through The Sprouts of Wrath, The Brentford Chainstore Massacre, and beyond, reaching 12 books with Normanghast (2025). Each novel layers new levels of impossible events onto the familiar Brentford setting, maintaining Robert Rankin’s signature blend of deadpan humor, pop culture references, and cheerful disregard for plausibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Brentford series?

There are twelve books in the Brentford series, published between 1981 and 2025.

What is the first book in the Brentford series?

The first book in the Brentford series is The Antipope, published in 1981.

What is the Brentford series about?

The Brentford series follows Jim Pooley and John Omally, two regulars at the Flying Swan pub, as they encounter aliens, ancient conspiracies, time travel, and supernatural threats in their home borough of Brentford, London. Starting with The Antipope (1981), the “trilogy” grew to 12 books over 44 years.

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