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Cover of Creatures of light and darkness

Creatures of light and darkness

First published 1969 · 222 pages

A hallucinatory, poetic fever dream where Egyptian gods wage cosmic war across the stars.

What it feels like

Reading this is like stepping into a cosmic fever dream where ancient mythology and far-future science fiction collide in a burst of psychedelic color. The narrative doesn't hold your hand; instead, it drops you into a hallucinatory universe of immortal beings, planetary-scale battles, and temporal weirdness. The prose is wildly experimental, shifting effortlessly between hard-boiled action, theatrical script formats, and soaring blank verse. It feels less like a traditional novel and more like an epic poem recited at the end of the universe. It will absolutely delight readers who crave the boundary-pushing weirdness of New Wave sci-fi, those who love mythic retellings, and anyone willing to surrender to a brisk, trippy ride where style, atmosphere, and grand philosophical musings reign supreme.

Mood
  • hallucinatory
  • cosmic
  • grandiose
  • trippy
Tone
  • mythic
  • surreal
  • theatrical
  • poetic
  • ironic
Pace
brisk
Themes
the burden of godhood · myth-making and memory · cyclical power · destiny vs. free will
The writing
A wild, experimental blend of blank verse, script-like dialogue, and hard-boiled poetry that demands surrender to its rhythm.
The arc
Begins in disorienting cosmic amnesia and builds toward a grand, theatrical clash of mythic destinies.
Who it's for
Readers who love New Wave sci-fi and don't mind being dropped into a bizarre, myth-drenched universe where style is as important as substance.
Content notes
  • violence
  • existential dread
  • body horror

About the book

The description at this Wikipedia entry is pretty close. Better to link than to copy-paste.

Description from Open Library.

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