Hypothetical: This first story I had all ready read as a stand alone a few years ago. Interesting re-read, but still not my favourite story of Alan's. Child sold into prostitution, silenced voice, witnessing behaviour of the other prostitutes in the house, especially a successful actress who leaves the place, only to return in the hope she can take her lover away with her, but he instead swaps places with her and leaves her behind, feeling devalued and blackmailed.
Not Even Legend: A rather strange story of a group meeting of amateur investigators of mysterious phenomena, told from the points of views of each member, describing their own perspectives and attitudes to the situation. Contains a rather funny insulting description of a distasteful painting that one member has bought (is it a sofa or a horse?). Alan introduces his "Unknown Unknowns" in this story as if drawn from past mythologies and names them Snapjackets, Mormoleens, Jilkies, and Whispering Petes; the last of whom turns out to be an attendee of the group.
Location: A lawyer experiences Armageddon, in Bedford, after a war with the gods and angels, with references to the Panacea Society and the Garden of Eden, and Joanna Southcott's sealed wooden box. Loved everything about this story, humour, history and fantasy.
Cold Reading: fun, predictable story about a medium who is contacted by a twin who's brother had passed. Although predictable story, I particularly appreciated Moore's ability to include aspects of twinness that was very realistic.
The Improbably Complex: science fiction story about anthropomorphic atoms at the beginning of time, becoming self-aware, and forming ideas, building structures, experiencing sexual encounters, political hierarchies and so on. "Clattersmashtinkle".
Illuminations: an old man returns to the seaside town of his past and compares how it was in his childhood to how he now experiences it. Small twist in the tale at the end, reads like a DuMaurier or Dahl story.
What we Can Know Thunderman: a bit of a rant from an insider about the comic book industry, from childhood obsession to adult disappointment.
American Light: story of the (fictional) Beat writer, Harmon Belner, who used Egyptian mythological analogies to describe San Francisco. I personally dispute a couple of "facts" contained within this short story, but nonetheless appreciate Alan's appreciation of the genre.
And at the last: retelling of a long lost story based on the 12th Century story "Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln" (by Charles L. Marson): "... He had been bailiff to the Earl of Leicester,...had been excommunicated by Hugh, with all his mates...and been made to dig up the putrid body and carry it a mile," ( )

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... ( )