Nostradamus Ate My Hamster [Paperback]

Robert Rankin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1997

Robert wants to be a star in the movies. He has invented a system with his computer that could put the old stars back on the screen, alongside him. He has the script and the money, but Hollywood isn't keen. Could the perfect partnership lie with Ernest Fudgepacker of Fudgepacker's Emporium?

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

'Classic Robert Rankin. If you've never read a Rankin before, grab yourself a handful of Nostradamus Ate My Hamster.' - SFX Magazine

What they say about Robert Rankin:

'One of the rare guys who can always make me laugh' - Terry Pratchett

'To the top-selling ranks of humourists such as Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, let us welcome Mr Rankin' - Tom Hutchinson, The Times

'A born writer with a taste for the occult. Robert Rankin is to Brentford what William Faulkner was to Yoknaptawpha County' - Time Out

'One of the finest living comic writers ... a sort of drinking man's H.G. Wells' - Midweek

About the Author

Robert Rankin spent nearly five years working in the film industry. All right, so he only hired out props, but he did hire them out for The Elephant Man, Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Star Wars trilogy, which is pretty damn good by anyone's reckoning. His previous novels include the Brentford quartet, the Armageddon trilogy, The Garden of Unearthly Delights, The Most Amazing Man Who Ever Lived, The Greatest Show Off Earth, Raiders of the Lost Car Park, The Book of Ultimate Truths and his most recent, The Brentford Chainstore Massacre, all published by Corgi Books. His latest novel, The Dance of the Voodoo Handbag, is now available as a Doubleday hardback. He is translated into a multitude of languages, including Bulgarian, Russian and Polish.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Transworld Publishers; 1St Edition edition (June 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0552143553
• ISBN-13: 978-0552143554
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 4 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #244,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars confusing but great fun, January 23, 2007

By 

Aurelas (the middle of nowhere, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nostradamus Ate My Hamster (Paperback)

I checked out Nostradamus Ate my Hamster from the library based just on its bizarre title and was not at all disappointed. This very unusual story was hilarious, at times disturbing, and occasionally offensive, but almost entirely enjoyable. A warning to the reader: be prepared to abandon all rationality and to suspend disbelief, because this is a book that breaks all the rules. If you enjoy the work of Douglas Adams (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and Monty Python's Flying Circus, this sci-fi comedy/fantasy is highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I love hearing Rankin read his stories, December 6, 2007

By 

B. D. Pruett "Thunderworm" (Knoxville, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nostradamus Ate My Hamster (Audio Cassette)

Robert Rankin has become one of my favorite authors, and I rank this as one of his best. Even better than reading Rankin, in my opinion, is hearing Rankin himself. His characterizations really bring the story to life. I still think Fandom The Fandom of the Operator is his best work ever, but I haven't read all his works. Anyway, if you're a fan of audio books and strange science fiction, you should really enjoy Rankin's audio works.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Making a Mess of the Time/Space Continuum, March 28, 2011

By 

JMack (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Nostradamus Ate My Hamster (Paperback)

As other readers have noted, some may have trouble keeping the plot straight. In many ways, the plot is a mess. But loaded with laughs, it is a good mess. As one of the more underrated works of Robert Rankin, it is often overlooked. I would suggest many readers look at it favorably.

Our hero, Russell, starts at the local pub, only to discover that Hitler was not quite defeated and is quite alive in the present day 1990's. Hitler's current elaborate plot for world domination is nothing like the first. Time travel, a flying saucer, and the motion picture industry all play key parts in the plan. Loaded with absurd surprises, it is hard to justify giving away much of the plot in a review. Just when the reader imagines Russell defeated, another door seems to open. There are portions of this book that I must admit gave me weird and disturbing dreams. This is did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. When I regained my equilibrium and sorted the plot, I discovered that I must have enjoyed the book.

I would recommend that readers not spread the reading of this book over a long period. It tends to allow the plot to become a mess in your mind. Since there is no Cliff Notes version, any help in disciphering this book is helpful.