The Toyminator    by Robert Rankin Order:  USA  Can Orion, 2006 (2006) Hardcover, Paperback      Reviewed by David Pitt The sequel to The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse finds private detective (and recently deposed Toy City mayor) Eddie Bear re-teaming with his former partner, Jack, to find out who's behind an outbreak of Spontaneous Toy Combustion. Yes, it sounds like a children's novel, but it isn't. Rankin's brilliance lies in writing loopy, goofy, silly stories for adults that only sound like kids' stories. They're full of puns, in-jokes, film references, daffy wordplay, and acres and acres of fun. Rankin writes about things that couldn't possibly exist - in this case, a city in which toys are living creatures - as though they're the most ordinary things in the world. He doesn't waste our time trying to convince us to believe in the unbelievable; he just sort of behaves as though there's nothing odd going on whatsoever. The Toyminator, for instance, not only features a walking, talking teddy bear as its hero; it also features clockwork cars, a tiny-toy barkeeper, space aliens, a conspiracy involving chickens, and a death-defying journey through the Toy Town sign to a strange and wondrous land called Los Angeles. All of it is entirely plausible, in Rankin's hands. I've been waiting for The Toyminator since I read about its impending publication, roughly this time last year. Meantime I've re-read my small collection of Rankin's novels (he's written a lot more, but damned if I can find them anywhere), quenching my thirst until I had the new one in my hands. That's how good Rankin is: you have to keep topping up the tank with reruns until you get your hands on a new one. And meanwhile, you haunt the used bookstores looking for the ones you don't already have. Good luck with that, and if you find any, please let me know. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Fantasy books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews