The Witches of Chiswick

Infobox Book
name = The Witches of Chiswick
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = Robert Rankin
cover_artist =
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series =
genre = Fantasy novel
publisher = Gollancz
release_date = 2003
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 336 pp (hardcover edition)
isbn = ISBN 0-575-07314-4 (hardcover edition)
preceded_by =
followed_by = Knees Up Mother Earth

"The Witches Of Chiswick" is a novel by the British author Robert Rankin, the title parodying that of "The Witches of Eastwick" by John Updike.

Plot Summary

The start of "The Witches of Chiswick" trilogy, The Witches of Chiswick is a time travelling adventure story taking place primarily in the 19th and 23rd Centuries. In it, William Starling finds a painting from the 19th Century with the image of a digital watch hidden within it. When he reports these findings to his superiors, William is told the painting is to be destroyed. After saving the painting, he is confronted by his best friend Tim, who in turn tells him the truth about a cabal of witches controlling their world.

In an effort to find the truth, William takes a psychotropic drug with a rather interesting effect: the ability to tap into ones' ancestral memories. After learning of events occurring in the 19th century, William and Tim are attacked by a Babbage robot sent from the past, and William escapes to the past via the robot's time machine.

Stuck in the 19th Century, William is greeted by Hugo Rune, who explains to Will that he is his direct descendant several dozen times removed. Will also finds out everything concerning the 19th Century history is a lie: Charles Babbage's difference engine was a huge success, providing the growing British Empire with robots, digital watches, airships, and even the first rocket to the moon. As they travel the world, Hugo Rune teaches Will many important lessons to help defeat the witches.After returning to London, Will and Hugo begin searching for the true identity of Jack the Ripper in an effort to discover more about the witches' cabal. In an unfortunate event, Hugo becomes the Ripper's next victim, and Will is left trying to find out where to proceed. He finds a box in Hugo's trunk containing Barry, the Sprout Guardian. After several adventures, ending with Will being accused of being Jack the Ripper, Will uses Barry to return to the future to enlist the aid of Tim, who is actually Will's half-brother and descendant of Hugo Rune.

Will and Tim return to the past, meeting an invisible H.G. Wells, the Elephant Man (Joseph Merrick), the Brentford Snail Boy, and even another Will from an alternate future. After finding Hugo's true residence in the Buttes Estate, Will and Tim set out to save the 19th Century and the future from the influence of the Witches of Chiswick.

After several more time travelling adventures, Will and Tim finally confront the leader of the witches, Count Otto Black, at a circus held in honour of the Queen. Will discovers that Count Otto is actually a Babbage robot, controlled by the Will from the alternate future. "Anti-Will" faces Hugo Rune, travels back in time to prevent the Babbage Difference Engine from being recognized, then returns to the circus to finish his goal of controlling the world. Will lunges for "anti-Will" and the pair are destroyed due to the temporal paradox.