They Came and Ate Us: Armageddon II: The B-Movie

Armageddon #2

by Robert Rankin

Continuing the theme of The Musical, this book chronicles the further adventures of characters such as Rambo Bloodaxe, Deathblade Eric, and Hugo Rune, caught up in events beyond their control.

Genres: Fantasy, Humor, Fiction, Science Fiction, Comedy, Comic Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

"When Robert Rankin embarked upon his writing career in the late 1970s, his ambition was to create an entirely new literary genre, which he named Far-Fetched Fiction. He reasoned that by doing this he could avoid competing with any other living author in any known genre and would be given his own special section in WH Smith."
(from Web Site Story)

Robert Rankin describes himself as a teller of tall tales, a fitting description, assuming that he isn't lying about it. From his early beginnings as a baby in 1949, Robert Rankin has grown into a tall man of some stature. Somewhere along the way he experimented in the writing of books, and found that he could do it rather well. Not being one to light his hide under a bushel, Mister Rankin continues to write fine novels of a humorous science-fictional nature.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those of us who liked Armageddon: The Musical, this is more of the same. Sort of.

This second book in the trilogy is a sequel in the sense that it makes sense to read it second and a prequel in the sense that 95% of the book occurs before the events of the first book. Time travel is involved, as is fourth wall breaking. SO much fourth wall breaking!

There's also a nice cameo of a couple of characters from some of Rankin's other books tucked in at the end. One of the ends, anyway. If you thought The Return of the King had too many endings, you ain't seen nothin' yet... Hilarious.

My next book: Les Misérables

[James Barnard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another winner from Robert Rankin. The sequel to Armageddon: The Musical, this series is more outlandish and fantastical than the more grounded Brentford novels. Well, for outlandish, read “downright bonkers” at times, although there’s a method in the madness, and a strong moral code. After all, having characters from the future passing judgement on our own lives and times is a solid way of exposing the shortfalls of the age.

The world may shatter in the stories here, but the books themselves won’t ever have that effect. But why should they? A good, solid, well-crafted read is always a pleasure, and Rankin hasn’t disappointed me yet.

[[ J o ] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classically Rankin - running gags, puns all 'round, and at the end, well, brilliant.

[Joakim Bairamoglou · Rating 5 out of 5]

now how can this be better than the First cannot really say!!!but i love this one!!!i literally died laughing!!!i have to thank my wife eho bought me this as a gift!!!excellent!!!!

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confusing and surreal, but good.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because the title and the subtitle kill. The book meanders all over the place and I got the hint pretty quickly that this was part two (and I had not read part one). There were so many characters and some were time traveling. It was hard to keep track of anything so I decided to give over and just enjoy the ride. The forces of good against evil were unclear all the way through and even at the end! But toss in some robotics and dystopian atmospheres--you do have the makings for a terrific movie which is mentioned several times in the book. The dialogue is fast, furious, and funny. Wormwood could be Trump any day sadly. The reason I stuck with it is I would believe you if you told me that Robert Rankin was the screenwriter of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, HOT FUZZ AND THE WORLD'S END. The hilarity of the writing (including puns and word play) and the crazy violence are very similar.

[Mark Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wordplay aplenty, film parody-packed, bible despoiling, myth-twisting often indecipherable fun. Rankin’s writing style is laugh-out-funny. His description paints the pictures in your mind as if you were at the big screen, even when the action scenes are cut disappointingly short by a time rewind.

This doesn’t quite hit the heights of Armageddon 1. At times it feels like a bit of a filler in the middle of a trilogy sandwich, especially as the episodic time rewinds build up and up. This is the reason it isn’t a 5 star from me.

But Rex and Elvis hold the thing together with aplomb (and, occasionally, a bomb) and the whole cast of characters from Armageddon 1 play their cameos well. Even though some cameos are shorter than others. Don’t worry, Gloria, you get more in book three.

Lots of fun and silliness tied up in a bastardised religious mythology - as always!

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Much Fun as Book One, if Less Coherent

Time travel mayhem with Elvis, demons, and seriously shattered fourth walls. Lots of laughs :) The ending felt a little weak but I am still going to immediately dive into the next one. Note: make sure to read the books in this trilogy in order or it will probably make no sense at all.

[Simon Bostock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following on from the events of Armageddon, Rex is pulled into the past and teams up with Jack and Elvis to take down the antichrist.

This is packed with running jokes and throwbacks to the first book, with several interconnected plot lines, even OMalley ans Pooley make an appearance. I found this to be more fun than Armageddon, which had a much more bleak setting.

Overall great fun, well worth a read.

[Robert J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Rankin, it's clever and funny and I liked it.
Could have done without so much of the self referential humor, but he wrote it before it was that dated.

[Lucas Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dare I say: too silly, even for Rankin. By about chapter 12 I was completely lost and just sort of coasted along.

[Andrew Lawston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic apocalyptic fun, full of extremely good bits, extremely silly bits, and extremely funny bits - sometimes all three at once!

[Dinah D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusing, to say the least.

[John-Paul R · Rating 4 out of 5]

They Came and Ate Us: Armageddon II, The B Movie.

It's been a while since I've read it, but this gem turned me on to the prolific talent that is Robert Rankin, one of the few people in the world who share my unique (read: seldom funny to anyone else) sense of humour. Running gags into the ground, outrageous re-writing of history, demonic conspiracies, sprout lore, plenty of toot talking and fat chewing all brought to a thrilling climactic rooftop confrontation.

It follows the adventures of Rex Mundi, husband to Christine, the twin sister of Jesus Christ as he teams up with Elvis presley and Barry, the talking time sprout who lives in Elvis' head, to prevent the nuclear holocaust from the first book of the trilogy.

You will either love it or loathe it, but it's worth a shot.

[Tim Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this may be one of the rare instances where the sequel outshines the original. At least it did for me. I liked Armageddon: The Musical quite a bit. I liked this one better. From start to finish.

This is Rankin at his maddest. And most importantly, and hilariously, he doesn't just break the fourth wall, he smashes it to dust, bakes it in to a cake and then dices it in to little pieces.

I couldn't get enough of Rex and Elvis battling the Anti-Christ while Deus Ex Machina-man constantly set things...well not right.

Really just a hilarious read.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

childish silliness but diverting fun

[Gillian Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Hugo Rune madness, Rex confusion & sprouts...love it.

[Nancy Raines]

Armageddon II: The B-Movie