Many people delight in comics and their characters; few are aware of the writer behind them. Alan Moore is widely regarded as the world’s best comic book writer, famous for Watchmen and V for Vendetta.
In this collection of nine stories – none very short, one long enough to be its own novel – Moore displays an extraordinary imagination and the sublime talent for corralling it onto the page.
The first story, ‘Hypothetical Lizard’ is set in a bordello, where two sex workers fall in love. One leaves to find fame and fortune in a tale of gender fluidity and revenge. ‘Not Even Legend’ has parallel, then converging, narratives. In one, an informal committee is studying paranormal activity. In the other, a non-human discusses different supernatural genotypes.
The titular story shows the very real dangers of trying to recapture childhood memories. ‘What We Can Know About Thunderman’ is novel length. Thunderman is a comic book character. This looping narrative is a barely disguised insider’s view of the comic world’s commodification and exploitative commercialisation.
There’s a ghost story of well-deserved comeuppance and stories of both the beginning and end of the world. In the former, there’s a sex scene unlike any other. The penultimate story is an annotated poem written as an essay. The final story is a conversation between condemned men in the 12th century.
Some writers can almost be read on autopilot. While their writing is well executed, there are no real surprises. Alan Moore, however, is the literary equivalent of clear air turbulence: you can’t be sure where the narrative will unexpectedly dive to, or what original imagery you might encounter. Uniquely amazing writing.
A compelling read.
Reviewed by Bob Moore
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born on 18 November, 1953 in a working class area of Northampton, England, the son of a brewery worker and a printer.
Moore began publishing his poetry and essays in various fanzines during the late 1960s and eventually set up his own fanzine named Embryo. During the 1970s, Moore became a cartoonist, and his work began appearing in Sounds and NME under the pseudonym Curt Vile, Jill De Ray, and Translucia Baboon. He moved on to contribute to Doctor Who Weekly and 2000 AD and begun creating several popular series such as The Ballad of Halo Jones and D R & Quinch.
Gaining wider recognition as contributor to the British anthology magazine, Warrior, Moore began his most important early series, Miracleman and V for Vendetta, and was awarded the British Eagle for Best Comics Writer awards for both these works in 1982 and 1983.
His first American series was Saga of the Swamp Thing. His 1986 work, Watchmen is his masterpiece, and helped redefine the comic book medium, changing the tone of comics to date. Many readers and critics consider Watchmen to be the best comic ever produced.
By the end of the 1980s, Moore was publishing his own graphic novels while also contributing to Batmanand Superman stories. Also towards the late 1980s, Moore set up his own publishing imprint called Mad Love Publishing.
During the 1990s, Moore produced another imprint called America’s Best Comics and series including The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Promethea, Tom Strong’s Terrific Tales, Tomorrow Stories and Top Ten.
Often against his wishes and without his blessing, his books have provided the basis for a number of Hollywood films, including From Hell (2001), The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), V for Vendetta (2005), and Watchmen (2009).
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