The Order of the Wombat

[SusanB-M1]

InThe Eyre Affair by James Fforbes, which I have just finished, there is, towards the end, a scene in which a character explains that he belongs to a secret society known as 'The Order of the Wombat'; so I thought I must mention this here as Tim might enjoy reading that bit!!

It was recommended to me recently by an Australian, so I thought the 'Eyre' referred to the Eyre peninsula in Australia, but of course it refers to JFane Eyre and the main characters are 'literatecs'. It is good, light-hearted fun with some clever ideas - well, I thought so anyway! I gather it is the first of a series.

ETA This could well have been posted before I suppose.

[Fitter]

Psst, Susan. Jasper Fforde. You might enjoy this thread http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?postid=3957145#post3957145

[SusanB-M1]

Psst, Susan. Jasper Fforde. You might enjoy this thread http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?postid=3957145#post3957145

Thank you for the link - which I have already started reading.
It's really nice to have a new series of books to look into.

ETA I note that I was spelling his name wrongly.

[jimbob]

Quite insane books, recommended.

He had been very busy with his website, and collections of asociated spoof websites (http://www.thursdaynext.com/index2.html)...

EDIT to add the toast marketing board website (http://www.thursdaynext.com/toast.html)

And this (http://www.jasperfforde.com/specops/index2.html):

Faced with extensive fiscal cuts in the now-infamous 1992 budget, SpecOps upper management decided on a bold new vision: to maintain the prized SpecOps bureaucracy intact, and disband the service.

We at SO-1 are happy to report that the decreased workload has been extremely welcome, allowing us to concentrate our resources on improved management without the burden of actually having to run anything, and we can now boast levels of efficiency that are greatly in excess of those when we had to actually do something.

[SusanB-M1]

Jimbob

:D I've just had a look at the web sites! Clever ideas!
Thank you for posting them. I love the 'get rid of all but the bureaucrats'!!

[jimbob]

Have you come acreoss Robert Rankin ("The drinking man's HG Wells")?

Differently insane. His books seemed grow on me.

ETA: I have realised why this thread reminded me of Robert Rankin


Some of the stories involve the "Sacred Order of the Golden Sprout"

One involved "Barry the travelling time sprout" residing inside Elvis's brain (and helping him in his mission to kill the antichrist).

As I said, insane.

[SusanB-M1]

No, I haven't - but I like the sound of his books! I'll ask at the Library next time I'm there.

[jimbob]

Derail:

Online county library catalogues and reservations are your friend (I lived a couple of years in Aldershot and joined both Hampshire and Surrey Libraries).

Intercounty loans can also borrow pretty obscure books for a nominal sum (I managed to get the "Uncle (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2007/jun/20/theelephantnotintheroomw) " stories by JP Martin for my kids this way, which are otherwise unobtainable (The first two are now reprinted) (http://www.amazon.com/Uncle-York-Review-Childrens-Collection/dp/1590172396) but the other four are pretty rare. And Agaton Sax (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agaton_Sax) (Once more demonstrating my rule that if Quentin Blake only tends to illustrate books that I'd like to read to my kids).

I do notice that Hampshire is currently offline as the system changes.

[catbasket]

Susan, a word of warning, best not to start with any of Rankin's "Armageddon" series* as an intro to his work. RR himself claims that he cannot follow the plot! I'd recommend The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of The Apocalypse - Humpty Dumpty murdered, boiled alive in his own swimming pool ... whodunnit? ... teddy bear Eddie Bear and country boy "gormster" Jack investigate ...

Love Fforde's books too - so off to check the thread and sites linked by Fitter and jimbob. Thanks folks.


* Not saying they're bad books, in fact Armageddon II was the first RR novel I read and I was hooked immediately.

[SusanB-M1]

Jimbob and Snow

Thank you for the very helpful info.

[tim]

Damn you, Susan! How can the order stay secret if people like you publicise it in this way? How can we take over here? Today JREF, tomorrow.................. well, to be honest , we haven't got that far yet.

[SusanB-M1]

Damn you, Susan! How can the order stay secret if people like you publicise it in this way? How can we take over here? Today JREF, tomorrow.................. well, to be honest , we haven't got that far yet.
:D:D