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 Have Demon, Will Travel by John Brosnan
reviewed by Underview
Original appearance: Albedo one issue 11, 1996
Have Demon, Will Travel by John Brosnan is a sequel. That is clearly stated on the back cover. I have not read Damned and Fancy, its predecessor, and would normally not bother with a volume-one-less volume two. However, in this case, the book had something major in its favour, apart from the fact that I always enjoyed the wit in John Brosnan's film reviews. It had a certain quality of shortness. It was not pagey and wordy like some other novels I could mention, so no matter how bad it was, the experience would be over quickly and I would have a review at the end of it.
Poxy reason for reading a book I know, but if I only read what I was definitely going to like this column would be considerably shorter (about one review long, in fact) and I would not get the chance to say horrible things about well respected writers and publishers.
Have Demon, Will Travel was a real disappointment. It was short, snappy, funny and involving. I read the damn thing at a couple of sittings and enjoyed it heartily. In one or two places I even laughed out loud. Well, tittered, though that is usually beneath my dignity.
For those of you who would chance following in my eyesteps HD,WT pretty much explains its progenitor in the first few pages and thereafter leaves you to get on with the new story. Travis Thomson, our hero, has returned from the magical world of Samella accompanied by a demon who used to be a (Hollywood lowlife) film director/producer, without whom there would have been no opportunity to use the punny title. Also in tow is a fairy tale princess called Beatrice and a succubus by the name of Sharon. Apparently he was banished to Samella for asking too many questions about the affairs of a computer games manufacturer named Prenderghast who also happens to be a deity (in his spare time presumably).
Travis had discovered that the game Prenderghast is about to launch is deigned to steal the souls of the children who play it. Travis reckons this might be a problem, though many parents will argue that children do not have souls and are in fact bests visited upon us by dark evil beings who brood in the furthest depths of space dreaming up new tortures for mankind such as fourteen day timers on VCRs, bad breath, Japanese Movies and Arsenal Football Club. Anyway, Travis decides to try and stop Prenderghast. Though the book is really about something else altogether. But if I was to go into that the review would be longer than the novel. Suffice to say that John Brosnan is in top form and the book itself is thoroughly entertaining and likeable. Douglas Adams should give it a read to remind him what comic writing is all about.
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