Struggling Londoner Ignatius Fumbo's dream of rock stardom appears unreachable as he cracks up and lands in a mental asylum. While recovering, he meets burnt-out musical genius Bedford Vann. Fumbo's life swivels to the beat when they form a band and take on the world. Confused by the band's birth pains, Fumbo flees his mates in order to sort things out, embarking on a walkabout through a future England that acquaints him with a series of subcultures festering in a troubled society.

"2048: A Diary" is written in the form of daily entries as Fumbo adventures through a remarkable year. It features a world-class rock star who never shows her face, a trans-Atlantic dirigible ride, a monkey who likes a pint, underwater rock and roll, mental therapy through graphics, unrequited love, requited love, little people intending to inherit the earth, a Cuban fast food chain bigger than McDonald's, and a religion based on television.