The Great When by Alan Moore: 

I am both familiar with and a huge fan of Alan Moore’s graphic novels; most notably The League Of Extraordinary Gentleman, weaving the English culture of literature into reality.  This book has its roots in that, but suffers narrative difficulties that make it hard to engage with.  

In post-war London, the fabulously named Dennis Knuckleyard is a dissolute youth.  He discovers an alternate, fantastical London under London and his life is in danger as a result, let alone our universe.  That central idea of parallel universe has been done before, but this is where the best, lyrical passages of the book work. We also have Pratchettian wizards and the goddess of riots appearing in The Battle Of Cable Street.  

Unfortunately, most of he book is made up of nods to Greene and Orwell, some more obvious than others.  That sort of world is vividly sketched, but doesn’t really fit in with the more fantastical narrative.  It’s a patchwork of two, possibly three books and it never really seems to settle.  

Moore completists will love it.  I found it too fantastical to be effective and too effective to be fantastical.  It’s published by Bloomsbury by October 1st and I thank them for a preview copy.  #thegreatwhen