Simon Campbell

This book was right up my street. It’s very funny, intelligently written and lots of fun. It also has plenty of depth in between the lines, commenting on: believing what we’re told to believe, propaganda tactics, human stupidity, common sense, and philosophical notions of perception and reality. But mostly, it’s just really funny. Not only is it really funny, it also feels like a book that should have already been written but hasn’t been until now; the premise has that classic feel to it.

In a world where miracles are more than common, in a world where miracles can be the most absurd things imagined (like drunken weather or a bandwagon vehicle suddenly appearing on the Hollywood sign), in a world which is all around us all the time, there has to be someone to clear up the mess and fool us into thinking the miracles aren’t so. Enter Frank Canon, Reality Enforcer, who works for a mysterious agency, to sort out all the plot holes and loose ends of stories that could be straight out of the old tabloid newspaper The Daily Sport (which had infamous headlines like: “Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster” and “Statue of Elvis Found on Moon”.) In fact, I strongly suspect Simon Campbell was a journalist for that paper, or he’s a double agent Reality Enforcer himself.

The way the story begins with commentary on things like the word ‘miracle’ being used in the press and by people on a daily basis for things which aren’t at all miraculous reminded me a little of the start of Bruce Robinson’s How To Get Ahead In Advertising, but both stories then veer off into different directions – but if you like stuff like Robinson’s, you are sure to like this.

When I consider that this is a debut, I feel like it’s even more worthy of my praise. Sure, I had little niggles with it at times: I felt like the pace of the actual story was a little slow to begin with (despite each page being a joy to read) and I felt the unfolding story was perhaps just a little too complicated and rushed towards the end (despite me loving the complete mad-capped nature of the crazy last few chapters, where anything that can happen probably will happen), but these are the most minor of criticisms and are only noticeable because the rest of it’s so damn good.

This is a book that can make you pause and reflect on human nature, belief systems, quantum realities and propaganda, but most of all it’s just damn good fun. And funny. Really funny. You even get a Chinese Tom Hanks impersonator who’s referred to as Chanks.

My favourite quotes were:

"Atheism was founded on a faith in something that couldn't be seen. Atheists referred to this intangible individual that they didn't believe in as 'God'. But there was currently no hard evidence for the non-existence of God. Atheism was like one of those irrational beliefs that atheists are always up in arms about."

And: “Brigadier General Sir Rufus Moribund was on TV denying these wild accusations: 'We strongly refute the allegation that secret British forces have killed anyone in Baghdad by means of man-eating badger'."

I can’t wait to see what Mr. Campbell will come up with next. Bravo.… (mehr)