Incompetence by Rob Grant

[KleenSlate]

Has anyone read this book? My mum, of all people, lent it to me some time ago and I've only recently got round to reading it and found it to be frigging hilarious. The kind of funny that hurts after a while.

At the heart of it, this is a spy novel and it's a bit predictable given that it's plot is inspired by The Third Man, but in any case the journey our hero takes is colourful and gripping! The context alone makes the book worth reading. Set in the near future of a unified Europe, Brussels has proclaimed no-one can be "prejudiced from employment for reason of age, race, creed or incompitence [sic]".

If you have ever read "Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers" or "Better Than Life" then you'll already be familiar with the general style as the reader encounters so many great characters. My favourite is a coroner who delights in swapping faces with arses on the cadavers unfortunate enough to go his way (there is also one instance, proud as punch, where swaps the right breast with left one). Of course, there is also Twinkle. An ancient yorkshireman who makes a living as a bunny girl lapdancer.

I think Rob Grant is the funnier side of the gestalt entity that is Grant Naylor (judging by Red Dwarf post Season 6) and is one of the best comedy writers in the country. Give it a read!

[Bad Andy]

I agree. This has been his most successful non-Red Dwarf book. Colony was funny enough and Fat had some interesting ideas, although was not as funny and had such a rushed ending I was thinking about taking it back and asking where the last five chapters were in my book.

Incompetence has a pretty good premise, although I'm struggling to remember actual details. Fuck knows what he's up to these days.

[IAMTHESYSTEM]

Must check it out.

[Buttonman]

I read this years ago and can only remember that I didn't like it to the point of annoyance. I remember a clunky sequence about renting a computer on a train and a showdown on a rollercoaster that was wholly unsatisfying. Same ideas were handled better in the film 'Idiocracy' which had a wrestler as president and buildings held together with gaffer tape.

[Roger Godpleton]

Rob Grant should be in prison.

[Mardroid]

I've read it. Yes it's very funny. It had its faults but it was a great read.

[KleenSlate]

I read this years ago and can only remember that I didn't like it to the point of annoyance. I remember a clunky sequence about renting a computer on a train and a showdown on a rollercoaster that was wholly unsatisfying. Same ideas were handled better in the film 'Idiocracy' which had a wrestler as president and buildings held together with gaffer tape.

The Rollercoaster scene was a bit suspect but I think it fit perfectly in the context of things.

I like Mike Judge but Idiocracy could have been so much better. There are similarities between that and Incompetence but I think Idiocracy has the same idea but pushes it beyond hyperbole.  It had great casting though. Terry Crews is hilarious(as always) as the US president, porn star and five-time ultimate smackdown wrestling champion!

[Bouwel]

I'm in the process of reading this book and I'll say it's not bad. It does have its faults but over-all it's a fun read. It's also easy to pick up new from Amazon associates for less than the three quid p&p.

-Bouwel-