On Saturday I collected a book from my sister, which was a birthday present from my other sister – a signed copy of Robert Rankin’s new book, The Da-da-de-da-da Code.

I have been looking forward to this for ages, but I am resisting the urge to start reading it until I finish at least one of the other books I am in the middle of. I have, however, listened to the soundtrack.

Rankin readers might remember an earlier book which included a suggested soundtrack at the back. It was a list of tracks you could spend years tracking down, from bands who were mostly friends of the author. The idea was to make up your own tape or CD of those tracks and play it to accompany the book.

Its not unusual for Rankin to blur the boundaries between books and film, by starting chapters with an explanation of how it would appear if it was a new scene in a film, and sometimes he even gives casting suggestions – usually impractical ones like saying that a character based on himself should be played by a young Harrison Ford.

This time he has gone a step further and actually recorded an album which is included with the book to provide a soundtrack to key moments. The music is as strange as the books, and as enjoyable. There is a bit of old-school punk, a mixture of blues and Rocky Horror, and a lot of techno.

Despite all this, nobody has yet attempted to film any of Rankin’s books as far as I know and it doesn’t seem likely that a director who is unhinged enough could be found. Even Terry Gilliam would be too normal for the average RR book.