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The Quanderhorn Xperimentations
ADAPTED BACKWARDS VIA THE FUTURE FROM THE RADIO 4 SERIES BEFORE IT WAS MADE
A richer, deeper, more comprehensive exploration of the Quanderhorn phenomenon. With added secrets.
England, 1952.
A time of peace, regeneration and hope. A Golden Age.
Unfortunately, it's been 1952 for the past 65 years.
Meet Professor a brilliant, maverick scientific genius with absolutely no moral compass. Assisted by a rag-tag crew - his part-insect "son" (reputedly 'a major breakthrough in Artificial Stupidity'), a recovering amnesiac, a brilliant scientist with a half-clockwork brain, and a captured Martian hostage - he'll save the world.
Even if he has to destroy it in the process.
With his Dangerous Giant Space Laser, Utterly Untested Matter Transfuser Booth and Fleets of Monkey-driven Lorries, he's not afraid to push the boundaries of science to their very limit.
And far, far beyond ...
A richer, deeper, more comprehensive exploration of the Quanderhorn phenomenon. With added secrets.
England, 1952.
A time of peace, regeneration and hope. A Golden Age.
Unfortunately, it's been 1952 for the past 65 years.
Meet Professor a brilliant, maverick scientific genius with absolutely no moral compass. Assisted by a rag-tag crew - his part-insect "son" (reputedly 'a major breakthrough in Artificial Stupidity'), a recovering amnesiac, a brilliant scientist with a half-clockwork brain, and a captured Martian hostage - he'll save the world.
Even if he has to destroy it in the process.
With his Dangerous Giant Space Laser, Utterly Untested Matter Transfuser Booth and Fleets of Monkey-driven Lorries, he's not afraid to push the boundaries of science to their very limit.
And far, far beyond ...
470 pages, Paperback
First published June 14, 2018
14 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Rob Grant
23 books159 followershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Grant
Writes under the name Grant Naylor when collaborating with Doug Naylor
Writes under the name Grant Naylor when collaborating with Doug Naylor
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
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April 26, 2025mood elevator
July 3, 2025
I love Rob Grants writing - this first half of TQE was exactly as expected - laugh out loud funny. it's just a shame it was quite a repetitive story without our much plot progress. SPOILER ALERT the ending was a bit flat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2019
My favourite thing about this book is how completely bizarre and totally fantastic it is. Within the first few pages, Professor Quanderhorn's team are attempting to stop a giant broccoli creature from destroying Big Ben, and it only gets madder from there. It is creative, unique science-fiction at it's very best.
The plot is a little confusing and messy - the team jump from mission to mission without any kind of break in between, but it's never boring or predictable. However, what really makes this book excellent are the characters: Brian Nylon, an unlikely hero with severe memory loss; the logical, semi-clockwork Dr Gemma Janussen; insect-brained Troy; and the Martian, Guuuurk. They're the most incompetent, hilarious and lovable characters you've ever met.
I would recommend this book 100% to fans of Red Dwarf and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy... and anyone who loves a Martian death ray.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The plot is a little confusing and messy - the team jump from mission to mission without any kind of break in between, but it's never boring or predictable. However, what really makes this book excellent are the characters: Brian Nylon, an unlikely hero with severe memory loss; the logical, semi-clockwork Dr Gemma Janussen; insect-brained Troy; and the Martian, Guuuurk. They're the most incompetent, hilarious and lovable characters you've ever met.
I would recommend this book 100% to fans of Red Dwarf and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy... and anyone who loves a Martian death ray.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 19, 2020
Let's say this is a tribute to old radio serials AND to the Goon Show.
Then let's say that some radio shows can't be transferred to print in a way that works.
I have some Goon Show scripts. They're fine on paper, because they don't try to do too much.
One idea, one short story, and a LOT of nonsense.
This one's hung on the frame of a novel. There are hints of a coherent plot. There's a gormless protagonist that we want to succeed. He even gets a bit of a love interest. One keeps reading to see where it goes.
As far as I can tell without having finished it, except for a high-speed skim, it goes right up its own backside and collapses like a burst bagpipe.
I stopped halfway through, just after they took the elevator to the moon. It started to feel like the transcript of a Liars' Club meeting, and as if the writers were roaring drunk and there was a printing press in the room with them, committing every idea to print without regard for its merit, or lack thereof.
Pbbbllllffft!
Then let's say that some radio shows can't be transferred to print in a way that works.
I have some Goon Show scripts. They're fine on paper, because they don't try to do too much.
One idea, one short story, and a LOT of nonsense.
This one's hung on the frame of a novel. There are hints of a coherent plot. There's a gormless protagonist that we want to succeed. He even gets a bit of a love interest. One keeps reading to see where it goes.
As far as I can tell without having finished it, except for a high-speed skim, it goes right up its own backside and collapses like a burst bagpipe.
I stopped halfway through, just after they took the elevator to the moon. It started to feel like the transcript of a Liars' Club meeting, and as if the writers were roaring drunk and there was a printing press in the room with them, committing every idea to print without regard for its merit, or lack thereof.
Pbbbllllffft!
June 24, 2018
Grant and Marshall have created an utterly bonkers, surreal tale that at its core has an abundance of heart, and with an ending that completely blindsided me it’s a worthy read for fans of the god that is Douglas Adams. Brilliantly written and surprisingly addictive, this is great stuff with a narrative that keeps you equally perplexed and amused throughout.
November 7, 2018
42 WORD REVIEW:
A relentlessly tongue-in-cheek palimpsest of SF ‘save the day’ serials, outrageously funny in the ability of its protagonists to generate peril for themselves, innovative in its resolutions and escalations, yet never quite delivering on the promise of something deeper beneath the frolics.
A relentlessly tongue-in-cheek palimpsest of SF ‘save the day’ serials, outrageously funny in the ability of its protagonists to generate peril for themselves, innovative in its resolutions and escalations, yet never quite delivering on the promise of something deeper beneath the frolics.
June 26, 2019
A SIMPLE MAN'S REVIEW:
I just can't anymore. I tried - I read 150ish pages, but it was just too exhausting! I'm all for "punny" writing, and I'm a huge Douglas Adams fan, but c'mon, you have to tell an actual story. This felt like a series of one-liners that were strung together in an effort to represent a story. And most of it wasn't even clever, just ridiculous!
Skip it!
I just can't anymore. I tried - I read 150ish pages, but it was just too exhausting! I'm all for "punny" writing, and I'm a huge Douglas Adams fan, but c'mon, you have to tell an actual story. This felt like a series of one-liners that were strung together in an effort to represent a story. And most of it wasn't even clever, just ridiculous!
Skip it!
July 1, 2018
England 1952 (it's been 1952 for the past 66 years but, this being England, no one likes to say anything), Professor Quanderhorn (think Quatermass crossed with a mad scientist with no morals whatsoever) and his team (consisting of his son Troy, half human/half insect and a major breakthrough in "artificial stupidity"; Chief Scientific Consultant Dr Gemini Janusson, the logical half of her brain is powered by clockwork (if you see her right ear begin to rotate, steer clear!); Guuurk, a hostage from the last Martian invasion and who's more interested in getting his leg over than furthering his home planet's invasion plans; Janitor/factotum Jenkins, who's clearly known Quanderhorn for a while and may be more than he appears, and, last but not least, Brian Nylon, test pilot and recovering amnesiac for whom, after the first thing he has to do after he wakes with no memory is to participate in the destruction of a giant broccoli monster that turned out to be a colleague, go from bad to worse) fight to protect earth from unearthly disasters; a lot of which caused by Quanderhorn himself.
Utterly bonkers and brilliantly hilarious (highly recommend you listen to the accompanying BBC Radio 4 series as well! At the time of writing this review, episode 2 is due to air July 2nd 11:30 am on BBC Radio 4), if you love Red Dwarf and Hitchhiker's and/or retro sci-fi in general, there's a good chance you'll love Quanderhorn!
Utterly bonkers and brilliantly hilarious (highly recommend you listen to the accompanying BBC Radio 4 series as well! At the time of writing this review, episode 2 is due to air July 2nd 11:30 am on BBC Radio 4), if you love Red Dwarf and Hitchhiker's and/or retro sci-fi in general, there's a good chance you'll love Quanderhorn!
April 3, 2020
First, I had no idea this book was based on a British radio show ... perhaps that would make a difference, but since the number of potential readers who are familiar with the show is probably a very low percentage, I don't know that it matters that much.
Second, a book's style and genre create certain expectations (or perhaps in this case "xpectations"). A funny book, which this often is, that is clearly outrageous fantasy, which this book always is, generates a certain mood in the reader. Also, science fiction and fantasy novels almost always "conclude," in the sense that the plot and issues raised during the book are resolved in some satisfactory manner.
"The Quanderhorn Xperimentations" fails on that score, rather dramatically, ending with a thud that makes you re-read the final pages, hoping you missed something -- but you didn't.
On top of that, the bulk of the book is the repetition of essentially the same jokes about the protagonists. One member, for example, is terminally stupid; another is a cowardly liar; and so on, and after a while the laugh track runs very thin. (Now maybe in a weekly radio broadcast, the jokes would seem fresher. Not, however, in a book unless you only pick it up once a week.)
So in short, don't buy this book, and don't invest any time in reading it even if someone gives it to you. I've reviewed a lot of books, and one-star ratings are very rare -- but "The Quanderhorn Xperimentations" sank to that level on merit, plain and simple.
Second, a book's style and genre create certain expectations (or perhaps in this case "xpectations"). A funny book, which this often is, that is clearly outrageous fantasy, which this book always is, generates a certain mood in the reader. Also, science fiction and fantasy novels almost always "conclude," in the sense that the plot and issues raised during the book are resolved in some satisfactory manner.
"The Quanderhorn Xperimentations" fails on that score, rather dramatically, ending with a thud that makes you re-read the final pages, hoping you missed something -- but you didn't.
On top of that, the bulk of the book is the repetition of essentially the same jokes about the protagonists. One member, for example, is terminally stupid; another is a cowardly liar; and so on, and after a while the laugh track runs very thin. (Now maybe in a weekly radio broadcast, the jokes would seem fresher. Not, however, in a book unless you only pick it up once a week.)
So in short, don't buy this book, and don't invest any time in reading it even if someone gives it to you. I've reviewed a lot of books, and one-star ratings are very rare -- but "The Quanderhorn Xperimentations" sank to that level on merit, plain and simple.
August 29, 2018
A perfect satirical love-letter to the “boffin” era of British sci-fi, The Quanderhorn Xperimentations answers the question no-one asked: what if heroes of popular science didn’t act in the national interest?
Follow the adventures of the not-so-intrepid Brian Nylon, the brilliant and logical Dr Gemma Janussen, slack-brained Troy, and their Martian compatriot Guuuurk as they try to unravel the mystery of why it has been 1952 in Britain for 66 years!
Pros:
- Excellent visual language conveys the scene effectively
- Snappy, witty dialogue (especially from the otherworldly supporting character) will have you in stitches
Cons:
- A little repetitive at times
- Ends on an ambiguous note
Conclusion:
A must read for lovers of old-school British sci-fi TV and radio, or anyone who enjoys a good time-travel romp with lashings of espionage and drama laid on!
Follow the adventures of the not-so-intrepid Brian Nylon, the brilliant and logical Dr Gemma Janussen, slack-brained Troy, and their Martian compatriot Guuuurk as they try to unravel the mystery of why it has been 1952 in Britain for 66 years!
Pros:
- Excellent visual language conveys the scene effectively
- Snappy, witty dialogue (especially from the otherworldly supporting character) will have you in stitches
Cons:
- A little repetitive at times
- Ends on an ambiguous note
Conclusion:
A must read for lovers of old-school British sci-fi TV and radio, or anyone who enjoys a good time-travel romp with lashings of espionage and drama laid on!
July 19, 2025
DNF after getting half way through. Started to really drag, get repetitive and didn’t like the constant shift to different narrators. Felt like an idea that was padded out too much as the slow plot development failed to keep my interest.
There were certainly moments of comedy that felt like an episode of Red Dwarf pastiching 1950’s British sci films and English culture. The most enjoyable parts were the introduction of the era and when our protagonist was suffering from total amnesia, as we as the reader discovered the world he was meant to know so well slowly come back to him.
There were parallels with Red Dwarf, a bit like someone was in / just come out of a game of Better than life trying to discover who they are / were in a 1950’s simulation. The main character shared some links to Ace Rimmer, and there were some similar sci-fi concepts such as Polymorphs.
There were certainly moments of comedy that felt like an episode of Red Dwarf pastiching 1950’s British sci films and English culture. The most enjoyable parts were the introduction of the era and when our protagonist was suffering from total amnesia, as we as the reader discovered the world he was meant to know so well slowly come back to him.
There were parallels with Red Dwarf, a bit like someone was in / just come out of a game of Better than life trying to discover who they are / were in a 1950’s simulation. The main character shared some links to Ace Rimmer, and there were some similar sci-fi concepts such as Polymorphs.
July 28, 2018
I was introduced to Rob Grant in the early 90s through a PBS broadcast of Red Dwarf. He continues his zaniness with this wonderful adaptation of the BBC 4 radio series by the same name. The story finds our heroes (?) stranded in 1952 England, which has a bad habit of repeating itself, wherein they embark on a variety of madcap adventures to save the world, or at least themselves.
If you like Martian death rays; weird artifacts, bad attempts at cloning; good intentioned (but completely devoid of morality) mad scientists; evil aliens (and humans) intent on taking over the world; and a good old fashioned love story (without much love I am afraid), then this is the book for you.
If you like Martian death rays; weird artifacts, bad attempts at cloning; good intentioned (but completely devoid of morality) mad scientists; evil aliens (and humans) intent on taking over the world; and a good old fashioned love story (without much love I am afraid), then this is the book for you.
October 16, 2020
It feels a little mean to give this book so low a rating, it's not a bad book, it's just really not for me.
I didn't know this was essentially a transcribed series of radio plays, and oh boy does it show. The actions always going, every section break is a cliff hanger, and the slower paced sections rarely last more then 10 pages, there's little character to get hold of past their outlines, but the whole thing just keeps pushing ahead with the next wacky adventure, just like a good serial drama should
I didn't know this was essentially a transcribed series of radio plays, and oh boy does it show. The actions always going, every section break is a cliff hanger, and the slower paced sections rarely last more then 10 pages, there's little character to get hold of past their outlines, but the whole thing just keeps pushing ahead with the next wacky adventure, just like a good serial drama should
November 10, 2022
A book by two writers well known for their funny sitcoms, that must be funny too, right? I expected to laugh out loud at least a few times while reading this but alas it was not to be. This whole thing felt very much like a first novel where the writer is trying so desperately hard to be funny, attempting to put a joke in on every other line, hoping that shear quantity will mean that one of them works. Also, the episodic nature if the source material means that there is no flow to the book. This probably would have worked better if it was just a straight printout of the radio scripts.
June 24, 2025
4.5 stars, rounded down
averaging at around 3.7 laughs per page this book surprised me with how genuinely enjoyable it was. it nailed the use of stereotypes to tell a low-stakes but high-fun story about a stupidly genius team saving the world (mostly from threats they themselves created). there's chicken in tubes and mercurian spacecrafts powered by anger and a giant broccoli monster and *shudders* winston churchill. and so much more.
i just wish the ending had been less abrupt. also i simply did not care for the gemma/brian love plot.
averaging at around 3.7 laughs per page this book surprised me with how genuinely enjoyable it was. it nailed the use of stereotypes to tell a low-stakes but high-fun story about a stupidly genius team saving the world (mostly from threats they themselves created). there's chicken in tubes and mercurian spacecrafts powered by anger and a giant broccoli monster and *shudders* winston churchill. and so much more.
i just wish the ending had been less abrupt. also i simply did not care for the gemma/brian love plot.
December 14, 2020
Vague and short descriptions of the scenes and characters. Good-ish with some funny scenes but the writers could have written a better end. I re-read the last few pages to see if I missed something, but sadly- I didn’t miss anything.
November 8, 2018
Hilarious, but pity for the finale which a bit thrown to the trash.
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March 24, 2020Did not finish. 150+ pages in and I kept thinking to myself that this is dumb and not funny.
December 9, 2020
Fun sci-fi comedy romp in the vein of Hitchhiker's Guide. Quite a few memorable moments and reasonably strong, if a little obvious, characters. Made me laugh on many occasions. Worth a go.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews