Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this weird and wonderful book from the imagination of master writer Alan Moore. Nine stories from the last forty years and a first book of short stories for the author. I loved the range of stories which are incredibly written. I never knew what to expect from the next story but read them with a sense of excitement and wonder. Alan Moore is one hell of a writer and these short stories are weird but each and every one is also fantastic.

Illuminations by Alan Moore contains nine stories ranging from short stories to novella length. These stories encompass the last 40 years of writing and are representative of Moore's approach to storytelling. There were two stories my my free e-book, 'Cold Reading' and Improbably 'Complex High Energy State.' Both were highly entertaining and enjoyable character-driven immersive reads, and both piqued my interest in the remaining stories. My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc for a free e-book.

Illuminations is a bizarre collection of short stories and novellas that refuse to be classed as any one genre or style. The vast range of styles and settings is incredible, from committee meetings of the abnormal, to reminiscence of a childhood at seaside resorts, to the creation of new life at the start of the universe! The latter story, named The Improbably Complex High-Energy State, stands out as a particular highlight for me; not only is it a creative concept, but the use of language throughout the story is markedly different to the others. It’s clear to see from this collection alone that Alan Moore has incredible range and diversity as an author. Not every story connects for me, but that’s usual for me in short story collections. I struggled with The Hypothetical Lizard as an introduction to the collection, but I enjoyed it far more after rereading it at the end. Maybe I was used to the weirdness by then! I do sympathise with whoever decided on the story order for Illuminations, because I’m not convinced any of the other stories would have fared better as an opening story. The novella Thunderman is roughly half the page count of the collection, and ought to be judged in its own right! This story presents a cross section of the comics industry, where we view the forming of relationships, backroom dealings and convention meetups that happen in the world of comics. You watch some characters rise through the ranks in the publishing industry, while others are chewed up and spat out in various states of disrepair. The inclusion of viewer ratings and forum conversations from comic fans was a nice touch to add a little depth to the story, and occasionally take a peek outside the publishing industry’s bubble. The lack of chronology in Thunderman won’t appeal to everyone and can feel a bit disjointed at times, but overall its a well-rounded story that takes care to cover its tracks, with little details mentioned early on leading to nice little reveals later. This is no small feat in a novella with no linear timeline and a huge host of POV characters.

This bizarre and cerebral collection of short stories will have you hooked from the get go. I found 'Location Location Location' to be my favourite out of the 9 stories. I give this a 4/5 simply because some stories stretch too far over the weirdness limit for me, despite them being written in such a powerfully evocative way.

So I have read an early extract of this book and for me Moore does not disappoint. Having been a fan of Alan Moore and his writing for many years I was intrigued by the idea of a set of short stories. Some stories worked better than others and as usual some are very deep and thought provoking. I am looking forward to reading the whole book when it is out.