Somnium, revised and expanded edition

by Steve Moore

An intensely personal fictional tapestry that weaves together numerous historical and stylistic variations on the enduring myth of Selene and Endymion. Written in the early years of the twenty-first century, when the author was engaged in dream-explorations and mystical practices centered on the Greek Moon goddess Selene, Somnium is an intensely personal fictional tapestry that weaves together numerous historical and stylistic variations on the enduring myth of Selene and Endymion. Ranging through the sixteenth to twenty-first centuries, it combines medieval, Elizabethan, Gothic, and Decadent elements in a fantastic romance of rare imagination. With its delirious and heartbroken narrative, Somnium is an extraordinary odyssey through love, loss, and lunacy, illuminated by the silvery moonlight of its exquisite language. Alan Moore's afterword details the life of his friend and mentor Steve Moore, and includes the circumstances surrounding the writing of Somnium . This new expanded paperback edition includes Sketches of Shooter's Hill , a topographical communiqué from the South London hinterlands that formed the liminal setting for Moore's novel. Originally self-published by the author and distributed only to a handful of friends, this curious travelogue is made available to readers here for the first time. “A masterpiece.”
—Alan Moore “A unique work by a unique genius. Moore has an understanding of the occult peculiar to a very few and it always gives me the shivers; the shivers which say 'authenticity.' Get this book while you're part of the minority who know about it.”—Michael Moorcock “A visionary decrypting of one of fringe-London's most potent downriver sites. Steve Moore's voyage through plural strands of time echoes the high craft of his namesake, Alan, and the honourable tradition of Michael Moorcock's Gloriana.”
—Iain Sinclair

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Steve Moore was a British comics writer known for his influence on the industry and his close connection with Alan Moore (no relation). He was instrumental in guiding Alan Moore early in his career and collaborated with him under pseudonyms in various projects.
Moore contributed extensively to British comics, particularly in anthologies such as 2000 AD, where he helped shape the Future Shocks format and wrote for Dan Dare. His work extended to Doctor Who Weekly, where he co-created Abslom Daak, and Warrior, where he revived Axel Pressbutton. His involvement with Marvel UK included writing for Hulk and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D..
Outside of comics, Moore had a deep interest in Chinese history, mythology, and the I Ching, which influenced much of his writing. He edited Fortean Times and contributed to works on the unexplained. His novel Somnium explored his fascination with the moon goddess Selene.
Later in his career, Moore scripted Hercules: The Thracian Wars, which was adapted into a film in 2014. He ultimately retired from mainstream comics to focus on non-fiction and research, maintaining his lifelong engagement with esoteric studies.

Reviews

[Patrick.G.P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve Moore’s prose is evocative of the several time period the novel covers, and his delight in the use of language shines through the book's many-faceted layers and styles. Moore’s ideas are weaved through a vast span of narratives, meeting themselves in strange and unexpected literary byways. Not only a fully fleshed-out romance, but also a self-referencing work that playfully touches on several literary styles with ease and delight. There is an erotic tension lingering throughout the novel, which is handled quite beautifully, and Moore’s love for decadent prose often shines through in these sequences. The novel is not easy to compare to anything that springs to mind, and as Alan Moore points out in the afterword, it truly does feel like it was written for an entirely different time. It's part decadent fantasy, part heartfelt love letter to the many divine forms of the moon. Somnium’s lunar desires are written with so much love, knowledge, and care for both the subject matter and the inner workings of the narrative, which makes it a strange and romantic delight to read.

[Alex Sarll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astonishing. As unwieldy and captivating in structure as the best, maddest gothic novels - Alan Moore mentions Potocki in his afterword, but I was also reminded of Melmoth the Wanderer - yet in tone more like Swinburne, had he written a novel off the back of a Clark Ashton Smith binge. The best autobiographical novel set 200 years ago you're ever likely to read, and in terms of bringing the Greek myths to modern London, akin to a less frenzied Greek Street.

[Cocaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only annoying thing about this book, and no fault of those who felt they should support it with afterword and praise, is that the publisher and Amazon, fit Alan Moore's name in as co-writer when in point of fact he is not. Apart from his afterword all the text, all the wonderful prose is that of his namesake Steve. Now anyone who knows anything of Alan Moore will tell you, it was Steve, a couple of years older than Alan, who taught the mastermind behind V for Vendetta, Watchmen and From Hell in the art of creating comic books. Here though it is Steve Moore's turn to shine and shine like Floyd's crazy diamond he does. This novel is a pleasure beyond belief and yet it shouldn't be. Apart from his work in the comic book field Steve Moore has worked for Fortean Times, once as its editor, but also has written a wealth of essays and articles and books. It is hard when considering that body of work to find one single thing that stands out above the rest but for me Somnium does just that. A multi-threaded tale linked by ones single deity, Selene, is intertwined with mirrored copies of the same story spun across centuries where one story weaves into the other and back again using prose that flows like poetry. From the 19th century we travel back to Elizabeth 1st's era and as we do so the prose alters to suit the age. This is a true case of Steve Moore showing us near genius as he alters the voice, the prose to suit the age it is written in. Blended into this comes a letter from the 21st century written about the same subject as the 19th century tale which in itself is a warped same of Queen Bess's period. It is an astounding achievement. I found the part where the current world enters the story via a screen play or script a bit hard to follow but I think that was more my fault than the authors desire to complicate things. There is a subtle sense of the erotic littered throughout but gently coerced into the telling. Fundamentally this is an occult love story with one central amour, that of Selene/Diane/Cynthia but with three male lovers who tell their tales spread across the ages. This is key to the story, having three authors who al appear to write the other into the tale. Like one of those supremely well crafted EC Comics stories where what appears to be one thing in reality is not. After this showing I hope the too often overlooked Moore will receive as much praise as his good friend. He deserves it.

[Tammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Wow. Can I just say that I love the Afterword by Alan Moore? It basically summarises how I feel about the book. It's an ambitious project because it's an ancient Grecian/Roman mythical tale within a Victorian tale within a 21st century tale (somewhat). And not only that, it's a tale that you can't help but marvel at the many different onion layers it has.

The entire novel reads like a fever dream and you get pulled into the fantasies and atmosphere of lust and sensual pleasures. I must say Steven Moore is very much obsessed with the idea of luminous "Moon" beauty that is white and pale and of course, "pale breasts". Breasts are mentioned literally on every other page (I kid you not) and it does get a bit tiring to read after a while.

[Dalibor Dado Ivanovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nekada davno sam rekao da postoje dvije vrste ljudi koje kad procitaju ovakvu knjigu, jedan od njih ce reci wow i potpuno ga uzet u otkrivanje, proucavanje, vjerovanje...a drugi ce procitat i reci "jebote, sta sam ja to procitao?"
No, eto danas pisem nekako vise iz ovog drugog, jer me proslo doba otkrivanja.
Uglavnom, knjiga je predivno pisana, tolika ljubav prema Moonlit Goddess (cak i naporna na trenutke), iskreno sam ocekivao takav rasplet na kraju.
Mogu iskreno reci da su mi snovi poprilicno u bojama i mastoviti u zadnje vrijeme, zato Moonlit Goddess, bojaj me Ljepotom.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've just finished reading Somnium for the third time (my copy is one of my most treasured possessions, I daren't take the risk of allowing it to leave the house) each time i read it (like the titular lunar palace) it seems to have grown. More complete, more complex, more stunning. this time it was much darker than previously, there was threat and horror, it was almost too claustrophobic to keep reading.
this book is like the fanciest cake you have ever laid eyes on, a decorative beautiful marvel of the art with many layers and wondrous flavours. but try to eat it all at once and you'll feel sick (i say this having forced myself through all but the first ten pages over the course of today).
there is so much to this book, so much ambiguity, it begins as an unconventional romance, becomes even more unconvential, and by the end is the most stunning metafictional display i have ever seen, it never stoops to self conscious games, it is always deadly serious, never pleased with itself, never show offy. it is exactly what it needs to be. it's a glorious paean to the writer's art but by demonstration of what that art can do, rather than being content to merely tell the reader what fiction can do, it does it.
this book is significant in my life, and it's more than reassuring to see that it holds up as a great work as well as holding emotional significance. read it if you can, somehow. they've stopped selling the kindle edition and there's no sign of the promised paperback yet

[Nick Splendorr · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the beautiful books. Read only at night, in keeping with its premise. I know my dreams were more vivid while reading it.

I wish it were more widely available.

[Tessa Warrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully poetic but have to say I struggle with women as agency-less muses.

[Zaubin Z · Rating 1 out of 5]

Let me start off by saying that I rarely quit reading a book. I am one of those people that will try to force myself to finish any book I start, even if I don't enjoy it. I really tried to give this book a chance. Alas, I have decided it is time to let it go after having gotten 75% through. It started out boring. I hoped it might get better. It did not. A few mildly interesting parts, but completely washed out in what I must describe as worthless twaddle. The premise seemed to have a lot of potential. I also looked forward to the pagan/fantasy/multiple realities theme. And while I am also a big fan of the moon, this book is just really too much. The plot meanders but never really gets anywhere at all. Some side stories are started and left hanging indefinitely. The writing style has no variety whatsoever. Words and phrases were recycled over and over ad nauseum. The main character is pathetic, flat, boring, simple-minded, one-dimensional. All the other characters follow suit. It got to the point where I thought if I read the word "sweet" one more time, I would vomit. It seriously seems like he uses that word in every single paragraph. Come on man, use some variety in your adjectives. I'm sure the author thinks he is being very clever. I mean, he's got original poetry in there right? And even a play. And there are multiple timelines, so that's original right? While these things can work, somehow he manages to make it all seem like useless mush. Ugh. Save yourself the trouble.

[Cameron Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange book. Multiple realities bleeding into each other. What is real and what is fiction blurred. Our imagination makes us as gods as we create reality.

Complex and subtle, this Elizabethan romance to the moon rewards deep engagement and reflection.

[jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

alan's cassandra complex was indeed a bit off, but of his awareness on the sublimity of craft, he is spot on - this is a masterpiece.

like steve levitch said in 'waking life, "before you drift off, don't forget. which is to say remember. because remembering is so much more a psychotic activity than forgetting. lorca, in that same poem said that the iquana will bite those who do not dream. and as one realizes that one is a dream figure in another person's dream, that is self awareness."

[Tomj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent and unusual fantasy novel.

[Andrea Chiossone]

Oh gosh no this is not for me!

[Alice Tucker]

DNF

[Rich Oxley · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It was around this time that I began to realise that the waking part of Steve Moore's life, the part I knew, was just the iceberg's tip. There was another life entirely going on below the waterline."
Alan Moore

An utterly spellbinding and poignant work of imaginative fiction. At its best it has you entranced in its radiant splendour, let down at times only by my own mental incapacity to keep up with its majestic visions. Despite stiff literary competition, no one else (to my mind) has managed to fuse dreams with reality in such a dazzling, evocative way. With its silken prose, kaleidoscopic narrative structure, and richness of detail, the technical elements are all there. But the pleasure of bearing witness to such a vast imaginative landscape is what renders this a real masterpiece.

Add to this the gorgeous cover design and production quality from Strange Attractor Press, and I have a work that I can really treasure.

[Johann_tor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This took me quite a while to find its rythm. I suggest it to be read slowly, in short chunks, so that its repetitions do not grate. But it is a beautiful romantic reverie, its theme explored repeatedly from slightly different angles. Very joyful, I can see reading it repeatedly. One star off because its central conceit of narratives within narratives I found I could take or leave.

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily one of my favorite novels. It is mind blowing in an all too real way. Better review pending.

[Steve]

Steve Moore (11 June 1949 – 16 March 2014)

Blessed be.

http://www.forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Mo...