Book Spotlight: Moonchild by Aleister Crowley

Cheers Beardies!

Here’s hoping you are well and life is swell wherever you are! Sadly I have less to report this time (life in Essex makes the average puddle look like a rave party). That said, I have now tried ‘Filthy Tramp Juice’ at a festival—an achievement sadly diminished by the foul taste of said cider.

Would the author of this next Spotlight have enjoyed such a drink? It’s not impossible. For the redoubtable figure we discover today was once known as the ‘Wickedest Man in the World’ and ‘The Great Beast’ (although the second title did come from The Daily Mail. For those outside of Britain, this website should tell you whether you should read the Mail).

There are some facts about Crowley (born Edward Alexander) which are certain at least. Firstly, he was born into a wealthy family and enjoyed a high-quality upbringing. Secondly, he was extremely bright, showing a strong performance at Cambridge (before he dropped out as a result of illness and an existential crisis). Thirdly, he was either a fantastic actor or stark-raving bonkers.

Crowley was an occultist, a libertine, and many other things besides in his time. His larger-than-life figure, cultivated mystique, sexual experimentation, drug usage, and general oddness were allied to a keen mind and a sharp wit, all of which led to an over-sized ego. Making connections with other esoterics was difficult, at best—he fell out with W.B. Yeats in a fit of jealousy whilst Arthur Waite, famous for the Ryder-Waite Tarot cards, is parodied in Moonchild itself.

Crowley died a broke, broken, drug-addled figure, and most of his literary works have fallen by the wayside since then. So here is my attempt to restore some glory to a much mocked but deeply intelligent author.

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Book Spotlight: Order of the Dimensions by Irene Helenowski

Cheers Beardies!

I do hope you are all well and enjoying life wherever you are. I have now completed my sojourn in Paris, which I thoroughly enjoyed (it is a city which I would recommend to all!), and I write this from surprisingly sunny Boreham, Essex (which is not a county I would recommend to anyone).

At any rate, I have exchanged the City of Lights for the land of fake tans and silicone. Still, one must count one’s blessings: our new puppy, Madiba, named for Nelson Mandela’s clan, is proving to be an easy way of keeping fit. She would fit rather well into the role of Holmes’ Toby—I have never met a more inquisitive animal nor one as recklessly brave!

On a vaguely related note, the Musée d'Orsay had an excellent exhibition on L’Ange du Bizarre (the Angel of the Odd)—a title taken from one of Poe’s works. Though labeled as Dark Romanticism, the time periods spanned from proto-Gothic up to the Inter-War years and beautifully highlighted the works which lead up to the dawn of Speculative Fiction. Few other areas can boast that different media are so closely linked, bringing in new ideas, reinventing them, and continually pushing the boundaries of our thoughts. 

Whilst glancing through a number of older authors I came to the realisation that my knowledge of the more modern side of our genre is rather limited. So, I present to you my first 'Review Request' book review on Ms. Irene Helenowski’s Order of the Dimensions.

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Book Spotlight: The Gods of Pegāna by Lord Dunsany

Cheers Beardies!

I hope all of you readers are well, and it's a huge pleasure and honour to be writing for The Bearded Scribe. My name is Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan, but for the sake of time and space, call me Sid! For those who skipped the Bio, I'm British, currently on a year out in France, and who'll be studying English at Oxford come October.

So, to start off, I've decided onSpotlighting a British progenitor of Speculative Fiction, Lord Dunsany...or...Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, Baron of Dunsany to his mates (one of the few people with a sillier name than myself!).

For those who don't know Dreaming Baron of Dunsany, he was a member of the Irish Revival, W.B. Yeats' editor, and holder of the second oldest hereditary title in Erin. He spent much of his time alternating between hunting and writing stories in his fabulous abode. (Life sure is hard for some people!)

Like Blake—and unlike Yeats—Dunsany decided to make up his own mythos, peopled with silly-named Gods whom have little care for the lives of men. (Unsurprisingly, Lovecraft named him as a major influence alongside Poe.) The Gods of Pegāna was his first published work and forms a compelling examination of the human character through a fantasy realm.

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