Future Ratboy and the Attack of the Killer Grannies

Delores is a talking cow who lives on the moon and has had her ears stolen by a killer robot granny … and she is not the most unusual character in this story! After enjoying great success with his outrageous Barry Loser books, Jim Smith has delved even deeper into the depths of silliness for his new series.

Colin Lampost lives happily enough with his parents in Shnozville until a bolt of lightning fuses his DNA with that of his television and a local rat and sends him careering millions of years into the future. He emerges from a wheelie bin as Future Ratboy and is somewhat surprised by his surroundings.

The future in which Ratboy finds himself is outlandish and chaotic and occupied by robot grannies (called Mavis and Doreen). Smith revels in the setting’s description. His characteristically bold and big-nosed cartoons leap haphazardly about every page, animating the space-age landscape, which includes talking donuts and ‘cheesebleurghers’. Somehow Ratboy must find a way to return home, so he drags his wheelie bin around the ultramodern Shnozville until he encounters some friendly faces (most of which are adorned with several eyes and noses).

Though the story also features a sinister plan to steal body parts, the narrative journey is simple and easy to forget amongst the colourful carnival of curious characters. Many young readers will adore the very random nature of Future Ratboy’s comedy and it is likely that killer robot grannies will not be the last supervillains he encounters.