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uselessmathom's review against another edition
2.0
DNF- at 51%
I never thought I'd post a DNF on Goodreads, least of all of an Alan Moore work, who I had considered, based on his comic career, one of my favourite authors.
There are many gems and strands of brilliance strewn throughout this, but the writing just seems overwrought and twisted into knots. Here's a handful of takes about some but not all of the stories I read.
THE HYPOTHETICAL LIZARD. One of the better ones, and more character focused than any of them. While unfamiliar with the world, I rather enjoyed the read.
NOT EVEN LEGEND was, of the ones that I managed to finish, the most enjoyable story to me. It mixed an interesting concept -- and high-concepts seem to be what Moore is banking on in each of these stories -- with an aptly creative form into an ironic short story that stood on its own legs like a piece of modern art.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION seemed like a very dull reference-fest without much to really say about society, or religion. It's a kind of Gaimanesque (thought that might be a bit unfair to say in regards to Moore and how his work precedes and inspires Gaiman) "what if we grounded this mythology in reality and followed the funnies that proceded from there" story that really does nothing inventive with what it has.
THE IMPROBABLY COMPLEX HIGH ENERGY STATE surely a great writing exercise for the author, but outstandingly draining for a reader.
WHAT WE CAN KNOW ABOUT THUNDERMAN blindsided me as a 240 page novel sandwiched in between these short stories. While I do have a toe dipped in the comic world and was able to recognise and identify with bits and pieces of the experiences described in here, a lot of it was just a dizzying swirl of names, brands, mock-titles and quasi-parodies that left me truly bereft of all desire to continue with the book. Not even the chapter about the porn ocean got me interested enough to continue.
The defining characteristics of Moore's best works are to me incisive commentary about society coupled with a very postmodern, deconstructive view on the medium he's working in. These stories take some swings but don't really contain either of those (maybe Thunderman does underneath the easter eggs but it overwhelmed me so much with its meandering bullshit so I'll never know), and don't feel like anything approaching the work of a seasoned author.
I never thought I'd post a DNF on Goodreads, least of all of an Alan Moore work, who I had considered, based on his comic career, one of my favourite authors.
There are many gems and strands of brilliance strewn throughout this, but the writing just seems overwrought and twisted into knots. Here's a handful of takes about some but not all of the stories I read.
THE HYPOTHETICAL LIZARD. One of the better ones, and more character focused than any of them. While unfamiliar with the world, I rather enjoyed the read.
NOT EVEN LEGEND was, of the ones that I managed to finish, the most enjoyable story to me. It mixed an interesting concept -- and high-concepts seem to be what Moore is banking on in each of these stories -- with an aptly creative form into an ironic short story that stood on its own legs like a piece of modern art.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION seemed like a very dull reference-fest without much to really say about society, or religion. It's a kind of Gaimanesque (thought that might be a bit unfair to say in regards to Moore and how his work precedes and inspires Gaiman) "what if we grounded this mythology in reality and followed the funnies that proceded from there" story that really does nothing inventive with what it has.
THE IMPROBABLY COMPLEX HIGH ENERGY STATE surely a great writing exercise for the author, but outstandingly draining for a reader.
WHAT WE CAN KNOW ABOUT THUNDERMAN blindsided me as a 240 page novel sandwiched in between these short stories. While I do have a toe dipped in the comic world and was able to recognise and identify with bits and pieces of the experiences described in here, a lot of it was just a dizzying swirl of names, brands, mock-titles and quasi-parodies that left me truly bereft of all desire to continue with the book. Not even the chapter about the porn ocean got me interested enough to continue.
The defining characteristics of Moore's best works are to me incisive commentary about society coupled with a very postmodern, deconstructive view on the medium he's working in. These stories take some swings but don't really contain either of those (maybe Thunderman does underneath the easter eggs but it overwhelmed me so much with its meandering bullshit so I'll never know), and don't feel like anything approaching the work of a seasoned author.
ranaldclouston's review against another edition
2.0
Finished reading this Alan Moore collection. As a prose writer he has much flair but little restraint, which makes for stimulating but frustrating reading. The book is unfortunately dominated by a novel-length Tom Sharpe style ribald satire of the comics industry which was too didactic and mean-spirited to work for me. I liked his wild story of intelligent life emerging in the 1st femtosecond after the big bang, and the creepy story told in dialogue that ends the book
adperfectamconsilium's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Illuminations by Alan Moore
Like many I know Alan Moore from his comic book work. He's created some of the best written comics ever.
I now want to read his novels but I thought it was a good idea to read this collection of short stories first.
It starts strong with Hypothetical Lizard. A romantic tragedy involving concubines in The House Without Clocks, a brothel for sorcerers. There's a brain severing procedure, a friend in a transexual relationship & love with horrific ramifications.
Not Even Legend is a short tale of an infiltrated paranormal study group.
Location, Location, Location is a lot of fun. Jesus is taking over the family business and being shown around a house by the sole remaining human. There's been an apocalypse! Oh, and Jez likes a boxset 😂
Cold Reading is a brilliant story of ghosts & a dodgy Medium.
The Improbably Complex High-Energy State is sublime. It all takes place in the first incredibly small amount of time (less than a nano second) at the start of the universe 😮. Genius.
Illuminations fell flat. A short story of a nostalgic old man at the seaside. I didn't really know what was going on.
I reckon I have now read one of his novels as What We Can Know About Thunderman clocks in at 241 pages. Blurb says monumental novella. I say, novel. Loved it. A somewhat surreal history of the comics industry. Plenty of fun working out who the characters could be in real life.
American Light: An Appreciation.
Incredibly complex. A created poet and poetry together with academic critique of the poem in footnotes. I was a bit lost at times.
And, At The Last, Just To Be Done With Silence
Very short. Completely in dialogue. I couldn't glean any sense. No idea.
💥
Some of the best stories ever along with some that didn't work for me at all.
Like many I know Alan Moore from his comic book work. He's created some of the best written comics ever.
I now want to read his novels but I thought it was a good idea to read this collection of short stories first.
It starts strong with Hypothetical Lizard. A romantic tragedy involving concubines in The House Without Clocks, a brothel for sorcerers. There's a brain severing procedure, a friend in a transexual relationship & love with horrific ramifications.
Not Even Legend is a short tale of an infiltrated paranormal study group.
Location, Location, Location is a lot of fun. Jesus is taking over the family business and being shown around a house by the sole remaining human. There's been an apocalypse! Oh, and Jez likes a boxset 😂
Cold Reading is a brilliant story of ghosts & a dodgy Medium.
The Improbably Complex High-Energy State is sublime. It all takes place in the first incredibly small amount of time (less than a nano second) at the start of the universe 😮. Genius.
Illuminations fell flat. A short story of a nostalgic old man at the seaside. I didn't really know what was going on.
I reckon I have now read one of his novels as What We Can Know About Thunderman clocks in at 241 pages. Blurb says monumental novella. I say, novel. Loved it. A somewhat surreal history of the comics industry. Plenty of fun working out who the characters could be in real life.
American Light: An Appreciation.
Incredibly complex. A created poet and poetry together with academic critique of the poem in footnotes. I was a bit lost at times.
And, At The Last, Just To Be Done With Silence
Very short. Completely in dialogue. I couldn't glean any sense. No idea.
💥
Some of the best stories ever along with some that didn't work for me at all.
darren0101's review against another edition
3.0
I had read an early excerpt of the book and decided to purchase "Illuminations" by Alan Moore. As a fan of his work, I was excited to see him delve into a collection of short stories. Each story had a different feeling and approach, with "What We Know About Thunderman" almost dominating the book. Unfortunately, this was my least favourite and could have been released on its own. Overall, it's a very good book, and I look forward to his future releases.
erickibler4's review against another edition
4.0
I’m a Moore-head, so obviously I snatched up this book and read it. It’s a collection of short stories including one long enough to be called a novel.
HYPOTHETICAL LIZARD (three stars) I read this one three decades ago when it came out in a collection of prose stories by comic book writers called Words Without Pictures. It’s a fantasy that takes place in a brothel in a mythical city, where (SPOILER WARNING) an imprisoned concubine escapes by impersonating their free lover, leaving the lover in their place. It reads like a decent Ursula K. LeGuin story from the early 70s. Or maybe something by Michael Moorcock. Not as original as most work by Moore.
NOT EVEN LEGEND (four stars) A society for the investigation of the paranormal routinely investigates urban legends. One of their number suggests they start to investigate paranormal beings who have remained hidden even from becoming legendary in the form of folk tales. This prompts a pair of such creatures to infiltrate the group. An inventive story and fun to read.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION (four stars) During the Revelation/Rapture/Second Coming, the resurrected Jesus meets with his attorney, who has been engaged to handle the paperwork in transferring the universe to its new owner. Again, inventive and fun.
COLD READING (three stars) a fake psychic get a taste of his own medicine. Pretty good, but ultimately the kind of thing you’ve already read in an old E.C. comic.
THE IMPROBABLY COMPLEX HIGH ENERGY STATE (five stars for originality, two for enjoyability). In the first femtosecond of time at the beginning of the universe, a spontaneously generated consciousness emerges, followed by another, then by a whole passel of them. The original takes charge, and tries to set itself up as the god/creator/dictator of the rest. Sometimes Moore has a clever idea, and milks it to its logical conclusion, but the result is predictable. Although the story sometimes got a chuckle out of me (Moore is often very funny), I just wanted to get on to the next story.
ILLUMINATIONS (five stars) A recently divorced man decides to visit a beach resort where he remembered being happy as a child, and in so doing, discovers that nostalgia engenders disappointment, boredom, and finally, horror. I’ve never seen nostalgia dealt with so effectively as a springboard for a horror story, and this one hits all the good marks.
WHAT WE CAN KNOW ABOUT THUNDERMAN (five stars) I give this 240 page novel my highest rating, but I think full enjoyment of it requires a lot of knowledge about the history of American comic books. If you do have that knowledge, you’ll recognize certain people, thinly disguised: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Roy Thomas, Vince Colletta, Archie Goodwin, etc. Many plot points and anecdotes are lifted from actual history. Some are made up or obfuscated. Comic pros and fans may be (delightfully) scandalized by this story. Is Moore bitter about his treatment and others’ treatment by an industry which chews up and spits out talented artists, while keeping the results of their creativity as cash cows? Definitely. That’s not to say he’s wrong. What gives the story its added frisson is the idea that American Comics (DC basically), is the earthly maw of some larger, Lovecraftian evil. Great stuff!
AMERICAN LIGHT - AN APPRECIATION, BY C.F. BIRD (four stars for the poem, two stars for the story concept) Okay, so ostensibly this is a poem by an actual San Francisco writer of the beat generation, given explanatory footnotes by a critic, C.F. Bird. The poet and the critic are fictional, but the supporting cast and other geographic references are real. The poem is full of references to real Beat Generation people: Ginsberg, Kerouac, Cassady, etc., and references to ancient Egyptian mythology. The notes unironically explain the references contained in the poem. The structure of this story reminds me of Nabokov’s brilliant Pale Fire, which has a similar structure, only where the critic is insane, and perhaps a murderer, and the footnotes can be read for a suspense plot. The comparison is inevitable, and Moore’s story suffers by it. It just can’t compete at the level of Pale Fire. Good poem, though.
AND, AT THE LAST, JUST TO BE DONE WITH SILENCE (three stars) This one refers to an historical event in the middle ages with which I’m unfamiliar. I’m intrigued by it, but have no context. Some time in the late twelfth century, some men raid a church sanctuary and grab someone who’s hiding out in there. They hang him. and them are punished by having to dig him up out of his grave and bear him around the countryside, where they are flogged. Eventually there are two men left who don’t remember who they are. One of them may be the hanged man. It’s a good story in that it engaged my curiosity, but I want to know more.
HYPOTHETICAL LIZARD (three stars) I read this one three decades ago when it came out in a collection of prose stories by comic book writers called Words Without Pictures. It’s a fantasy that takes place in a brothel in a mythical city, where (SPOILER WARNING) an imprisoned concubine escapes by impersonating their free lover, leaving the lover in their place. It reads like a decent Ursula K. LeGuin story from the early 70s. Or maybe something by Michael Moorcock. Not as original as most work by Moore.
NOT EVEN LEGEND (four stars) A society for the investigation of the paranormal routinely investigates urban legends. One of their number suggests they start to investigate paranormal beings who have remained hidden even from becoming legendary in the form of folk tales. This prompts a pair of such creatures to infiltrate the group. An inventive story and fun to read.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION (four stars) During the Revelation/Rapture/Second Coming, the resurrected Jesus meets with his attorney, who has been engaged to handle the paperwork in transferring the universe to its new owner. Again, inventive and fun.
COLD READING (three stars) a fake psychic get a taste of his own medicine. Pretty good, but ultimately the kind of thing you’ve already read in an old E.C. comic.
THE IMPROBABLY COMPLEX HIGH ENERGY STATE (five stars for originality, two for enjoyability). In the first femtosecond of time at the beginning of the universe, a spontaneously generated consciousness emerges, followed by another, then by a whole passel of them. The original takes charge, and tries to set itself up as the god/creator/dictator of the rest. Sometimes Moore has a clever idea, and milks it to its logical conclusion, but the result is predictable. Although the story sometimes got a chuckle out of me (Moore is often very funny), I just wanted to get on to the next story.
ILLUMINATIONS (five stars) A recently divorced man decides to visit a beach resort where he remembered being happy as a child, and in so doing, discovers that nostalgia engenders disappointment, boredom, and finally, horror. I’ve never seen nostalgia dealt with so effectively as a springboard for a horror story, and this one hits all the good marks.
WHAT WE CAN KNOW ABOUT THUNDERMAN (five stars) I give this 240 page novel my highest rating, but I think full enjoyment of it requires a lot of knowledge about the history of American comic books. If you do have that knowledge, you’ll recognize certain people, thinly disguised: Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Roy Thomas, Vince Colletta, Archie Goodwin, etc. Many plot points and anecdotes are lifted from actual history. Some are made up or obfuscated. Comic pros and fans may be (delightfully) scandalized by this story. Is Moore bitter about his treatment and others’ treatment by an industry which chews up and spits out talented artists, while keeping the results of their creativity as cash cows? Definitely. That’s not to say he’s wrong. What gives the story its added frisson is the idea that American Comics (DC basically), is the earthly maw of some larger, Lovecraftian evil. Great stuff!
AMERICAN LIGHT - AN APPRECIATION, BY C.F. BIRD (four stars for the poem, two stars for the story concept) Okay, so ostensibly this is a poem by an actual San Francisco writer of the beat generation, given explanatory footnotes by a critic, C.F. Bird. The poet and the critic are fictional, but the supporting cast and other geographic references are real. The poem is full of references to real Beat Generation people: Ginsberg, Kerouac, Cassady, etc., and references to ancient Egyptian mythology. The notes unironically explain the references contained in the poem. The structure of this story reminds me of Nabokov’s brilliant Pale Fire, which has a similar structure, only where the critic is insane, and perhaps a murderer, and the footnotes can be read for a suspense plot. The comparison is inevitable, and Moore’s story suffers by it. It just can’t compete at the level of Pale Fire. Good poem, though.
AND, AT THE LAST, JUST TO BE DONE WITH SILENCE (three stars) This one refers to an historical event in the middle ages with which I’m unfamiliar. I’m intrigued by it, but have no context. Some time in the late twelfth century, some men raid a church sanctuary and grab someone who’s hiding out in there. They hang him. and them are punished by having to dig him up out of his grave and bear him around the countryside, where they are flogged. Eventually there are two men left who don’t remember who they are. One of them may be the hanged man. It’s a good story in that it engaged my curiosity, but I want to know more.
irislucas's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
1.5
eeconley31's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
dtol's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.75
rosekk's review against another edition
3.0
As is always the risk with short story collections, this ended up being an extremely mixed bag.
I loved Location, Location, Location. It was funny (though still dark), with impressive imagery. I liked the two characters and the dynamic between them. The whole thing worked for me. There were a couple of other stories in the collection that I also liked, though not as much.
The rest of the book, on the other hand... Moore is a skilled writer, and that's evident in all of these stories. The problem was not one of ability. Often the stories had evocative imagery and creative concepts. I just didn't like them. Many of the characters were (deliberately) unlikable, and their surroundings were bleak. I just couldn't summon any desire to read about them. The the opening story was a prime example of this issue - skilfully written, but cold. I rooted for no-one, and cared little for the world they inhabited.
I loved Location, Location, Location. It was funny (though still dark), with impressive imagery. I liked the two characters and the dynamic between them. The whole thing worked for me. There were a couple of other stories in the collection that I also liked, though not as much.
The rest of the book, on the other hand... Moore is a skilled writer, and that's evident in all of these stories. The problem was not one of ability. Often the stories had evocative imagery and creative concepts. I just didn't like them. Many of the characters were (deliberately) unlikable, and their surroundings were bleak. I just couldn't summon any desire to read about them. The the opening story was a prime example of this issue - skilfully written, but cold. I rooted for no-one, and cared little for the world they inhabited.
evelphysicist's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The first few stories are good but rapidly falls downhill from there with most of the stories containing the same themes and tired plot device.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Domestic abuse, and Pedophilia