The first of a truly wonderful trilogy. One is left wondering what type of mind could come up with such bizarre ideas, larger than life characters and a plot that would make any acid trip seem somehow avergae. When trying to describe this book to a friend i found myself talking absolute gibberish as i tried to describe how th world has come to an end and is now controlled by the Dalhi Llama, with elvis running around and a talking sprout. An absolute must read as are the two sequels. ( )

If able to totally suspend your disbelief for the duration of the novel, this is a brilliant story told by a masterful teller.
I am not sure that I managed total suspension, and as such, towards the end of the novel began to feel a little cynical. It is worth a read, though perhaps becomes a little convoluted at times. ( )

Few books can make me laugh on the first page. This one did. Rankin is a supremely funny author. Full of decidedly British humour, it's about an alien race that uses the Earth as its own reality show. They interfere when the ratings get down, even though they really aren't supposed to. It's a fun and entertaining read, and I look forward to the sequel.

Did I mention that the entire end of the world thing was Elvis' fault? ( )

This is the first Robert Rankin book I read years ago when a friend gave it to me. Now I'm busy trying to collect all of the Robert Rankin books for the sheer joy of reading far-fetched fiction and breaking out in laughter as I read. This is one of my favourite Robert Rankin books. This is the introduction of Barry the Sprout (which I mistook for an alfalfa sprout, he's a Brussels sprout, excuse me!) and features the wondrous Elvis. A delightful romp through a truly hilarious post-armageddon world, and the two follow on books:
They Came and Ate Us: Armageddon II: The B-Movie and
The Suburban Book of the Dead: Armageddon III: The Remake
are just as hilarious. ( )