Didn't work for me. ( )

Probably 4.5 stars for this one. Alan Moore just continuously blows me away. He's just on a different level than other writers. Always looking for a new way to present things, always looking at things from a different angle, and totally fearless, because at this point what does he really have to worry about?

Hypothetical Lizard (5 stars) - I've read this one a couple times in the past and totally love it.

Not Even Legend (4 stars) - Searching for the legends that no one has ever heard of and living backwards.

Location, Location, Location (4 stars) - Loaves, fishes, and sex with Jesus. Plus really cool visuals.

Cold Reading (3.5 stars) - Talking to the dead isn't always a good idea. Kind of predictable but still fun.

The Improbably Complex High-Energy State (5 Stars) - Amazing. A story that could only be written by Alan Moore. This is how the universe started.

Illuminations (3 stars) - Not that exciting, but creepy and some great writing.

What We Can Know About Thunderman (4 stars) - This was the long one. I love how he jumped around with characters and timelines and it all fit together. I love how he basically described Marvel and DC but called them something different. The absurd scenes were hilarious and insane and a lot of it was just so surreal it was great.

American Light: An Appreciation (3 stars) - Not very exciting, but I like the format and I dig hearing about the Beat Poets.

And, at the Last, Just to Be Done with Silence (3 stars) - kind of funny with a surprise ending ( )

this has some good short stories and some other undefinable stuff for which even the structure can't be described (the long story one about the first femtosecond of the creation of the world, for instance). some of which cry out for an artist to translate into comic one-offs, but sadly Alan is done with that now. as he proves with the long and gorily-detailed novella about the comics trade and its perps and prospects, which leaves all the suspects lined up in the basement, eviscerated neatly and left in a row trussed up for final judgment, and really as well identified as they need to be. luckily, it's unlikely the victims will give the whole thing oxygen by suing, and there's little other leverage to be had over someone who just walked away. let Alan be Alan, he's happier that way. everyone should read it, of course. one of the most brilliant writers of our generation, after all, and an original mind that's always worth the fare. ( )

http://speculiction.blogspot.com/2022/11/review-of-illuminations-stories-by-alan... ( )

There are some fantastic short stories in this collection, the kind that makes one pause and ask, “What goes on in Alan Moore’s head?” Of course, there a couple that feature his propensity to be a bit of an inkhorn, but we knew that. Worth it for the comics industry pisstake, What We Can Know About Thunderman. Required reading. ( )