Buy Used
Used - Very Good See details
Price: £2.75
Fulfilled by Amazon

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Colour:
Image not available

 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Before & After [Mass Market Paperback]

Matthew Thomas (Author)
3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


Formats

 Amazon Price New from Used from
Mass Market Paperback --   -- --
Books Trade-In
Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more.

Book Description

Publication Date: 1 Feb 1999

That rare find: comic fantasy that actually makes you laugh. Douglas Adams10;Terry Pratchett, but with more jokes. A dark, deadpan millennial tale.

‘The sheep shall be the first sign.
Those that frolic and hop will detonate with great concussions,
The strongest glues will not hold them, their suffering will go unheeded,
Until the Great Triangles depart’

From the Lost Centuries of Nostradamus: Quatrain v11.5

So it begins: the end of the world. The Apocalypse is at hand, afoot, in your face – wherever – it’s going to affect you, mentally and physically. Ask Colin the sheep about it and he’d probably say ‘BOOOM!’ which isn’t very helpful but then he has just exploded. Ask Professor Michael D. Nostrus, history teacher at a redbrick university and formerly the sometimes-vaguely-accurate prophet Nostradamus, and he might give you a piece of advice along the lines of: hole up in a Welsh farmhouse with an attractive young woman and read books like THE SAS SURVIVAL GUIDE: KILL SQUIRRELS THE WAY THE PROFESSIONALS DO.
Some people think he’s mad…Professor Michael D. Nostrus knows better. After all, he’s had 500 years to work out what to do…

Product details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Voyager (1 Feb 1999)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 000648302X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0006483021
  • Product Dimensions: 17 x 11.2 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 536,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Matthew Thomas Page
Matthew Thomas
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.

Product Description

Amazon Review

1999, and the run-up to Armageddon has begun. Sheep are exploding in the Welsh highlands, the Pyramids are up for repossession since their 5,000-year lease has expired, ghastly US evangelists overrun Britain, King Arthur awakens, and rains of fish are of course inevitable. The prophet Nostradamus, still with us under his academic alias Professor Mike D. Nostrus, knows it's time to take precautions against the likely end of the world... This is moderately sprightly humorous fantasy in the vein of Tom Holt, or (in particular) Terry Pratchett's and Neil Gaiman's Good Omens, though less skilfully funny--it's Matthew Thomas's first novel. The famous Pratchett footnotes are painstakingly imitated. There's a tendency to leave loose ends: for example, the expected amusing rationale for why those sheep are detonating never actually turns up. Thomas loves Blackadder-style comparisons: "Adam was more full of shit than King Kong's colostomy bag"--and is pretty good at turning such phrases. But their rapid-fire repetition in earlier chapters has a numbing effect, as of being beaten around the head with Moby Dick. Later the pace quickens into madcap action-adventure and a crowded Last Battle which offers some good chuckles. Worth a look if you enjoy funny fantasy. --David Langford

From the Back Cover

THIS IS THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS…

'‘ The sheep shall be the first sign.
those that frolic and hop will detonate with great concussions,
The strongest glues will not heed them,
Their suffering will go unheeded,
Until the great Triangles depart.’
'

From the ' Lost Centuries of Nostradamus: Quatrain v11.5'

NOT WITH A BANG BUT A BAAAOOOM

' Before and After ', featuring some unfortunate sheep, a downsized hell, alien tourists watching the final conflict; the pyramids as ancient advertising slogans and a friendless local newspaper reporter named Adam who’s sure there’s a big story brewing somewhere and he’s the man to help it let rip.

Read before the end becomes nigh.

See all Product Description

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars 10 out of 10 for inventiveness 12 July 2001
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I really liked this book. It is funny and Matthew's ideas are clever. It's always good to read somebody new whose ideas are still fresh.

My only criticsm is that there are sometimes too many similies.

Simply it's good, a really enjoyable read and I'd recommend it to anyone with a sense of humour.

Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Nostrodamus and exploding sheep. Who could want more? 18 Oct 2001
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This is the best book I have read in ages! Matthew Thomas is original, witty and crafty in his work. If you're not careful some of the jokes will just fly right over your head. Even the acknowledgements make you laugh.

The only flaw I found with this book was that as I was reading it, I couldn't help but feel that the whole thing could have been compacted into a smaller edition.

This book is for anyone who has an imagination and loves things that just aren't run of the mill. Very inspiring!

Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars If you like Sheep Mutilation... its for you! 10 Feb 2001
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Best book i've read in ages! i've now gona and ordered his second book as well! i hope its as good as this one! if you like stories about fights with good and evil in a sportsman sort of way then this is for you. several interesting scenes involving a black cat!
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?   Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars BAAAAAAOM
A story of the battle between good and evil... but I dare not spoil it for you by telling you who wins. Read more
Published on 6 May 2009 by aceadrian
1.0 out of 5 stars Over engineered
Matthew Thomas tries hard to be funny and his written style reflects this. Alongside the works of Pratchett, Adams, or Naylor, each of whom are renowned for their fluent prose (and... Read more
Published on 5 Mar 2002
4.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!
The front page grabbed me - exploding sheep and Nostradamus? Sounded great! And it is, this is one of the most BIZARRE, hilarious books I've read in a long while. Read more
Published on 1 Feb 2002 by Leanne Johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Hope this is just the start!
The back cover of this book says it all..."The sheep shall be the first sign. Those that frolic and hop will detonate with great concussions, The strongest glues will not hold... Read more
Published on 19 Dec 2001
1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth it
A VERY poor imitation of "Good Omens". It isn't really worth it quite frankly!
Published on 16 Dec 2001
5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic
I love finding new author and I can guarantee you wont be disapointed with this novel by matthew thomas... assuming you enjoy exploding sheep and sci-fi humour
Published on 17 Jan 2001 by Mr. David P. Stephenson
5.0 out of 5 stars best book i have ever read
this is a truely exelent romp of a read,i have never read a better book,& i look forward to reading it again & again. Read more
Published on 18 Oct 2000
4.0 out of 5 stars Humourous (in your face and subtle) fantasy. Addictive.
This is a book that grows on you.

It is useful to look beyond the (at times overwhelming and tiring) in- your-face humour and enjoy some of the subtle clever stuff. Read more

Published on 8 Sep 2000
5.0 out of 5 stars The End of The World is Nigh ?
One of the most funniest books I have read in a long time. It just never lets up from Exploding Sheep to The Final Battle.

We follow Michael D. Nostrus on his journey. Read more

Published on 18 Mar 2000
4.0 out of 5 stars Shades of Robert Rankin and Tom Holt over the Severn
Not bad for a first attempt. I really did enjoy this journey through the highs and lows of the historys most famous predictor as he hurtles toward the end of the world as we know... Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2000
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

There's a problem loading this menu at the moment.

Learn more about Amazon Prime.

    Your Shopping Basket is empty.

    Give it purpose -- fill it with books, DVDs, clothes, electronics and more.

    If you already have an account, sign in.

    There's a problem previewing your shopping basket at the moment.

    Check your Internet connection and go to your cart, or try again.

    View Shopping Basket (0 items)

      Customer Discussions

      This product's forum
      Discussion Replies Latest Post
      No discussions yet

      Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
      Start a new discussion
      Topic:
      First post:
      Prompts for sign-in
       


      Active discussions in related forums
      Search Customer Discussions
      Search all Amazon discussions
         
      Related forums

      Listmania!

      Create a Listmania! list

      Look for similar items by category

      Feedback