Magic Words: The Extraordinary Life of Alan Moore by Lance Parkin, due on December 1, 2013 from Aurum Press, is part of the collection at the Reading Room courtesy of the publisher.

“For over three decades comics fans and creators have regarded Alan Moore as a titan of the form. With works such as V for Vendetta, Watchmen and From Hell, he has repeatedly staked out new territory, attracting literary plaudits and a mainstream audience far removed from his underground origins. His place in popular culture is now such that major Hollywood players vie to adapt his books for cinema. Yet Moore’s journey from the hippie Arts Labs of the 1970s to the bestseller lists was far from preordained. A principled eccentric, who has lived his whole life in one English town, he has been embroiled in fierce feuds with some of the entertainment industry’s biggest corporations. And just when he could have made millions ploughing a golden rut he turned instead to performance art, writing erotica, and the occult. Now, as Alan Moore hits sixty, it’s time to go in search of this extraordinary gentleman, and follow the peculiar path taken by a writer quite unlike any other.” — back cover

“Portrayed in the media as a recluse and an eccentric, the creator of such influential works as V for Vendetta, Watchmen and From Hell is a character easily as complicated as his creations. Despite international success, Alan Moore has lived his entire life in the same Midlands town where he was born. Although he began work in the comics underground where his edgy and highly personal style found an equally edgy following, his most famous work was done for major U.S. publishers and adapted for big-budget Hollywood films. And just when he could have made millions in the mainstream he turned his back on the entertainment industry and focused his attentions on performance art, writing erotica, and the occult. On the eve of Moore’s 60th birthday, author Lance Parkin has written the definitive biography of this ‘extraordinary gentleman’. Based on life-long studies of Moore’s work and an exceptional series of personal interviews, Magic Words reveals the man behind the myth and mischief — and bears the rare distinction of an endorsement by Moore himself!” — release copy

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