Oh wow. WHAT A FINALE!! I’ll of course be doing another post next Wednesday as part of my Moon Knight Unwrapped series, to unwind and unpack everything that we saw last night, but in the meantime, if you’re wondering what will fill this hole in your heart (and evenings), I’ve come up with nine comics and books you can read to fill the void. Enjoy!
Moon Knight Volume 1: Lunatic
So it may not seem very original (and pretty obvious) to start a list of books you should read after a show, with the comic that the show is based off of, but I’m still going to do it. Were you surprised to find Steven/Marc in an asylum? THIS is the comic that came from. I was a little confused in my reading of Lunatic, but if you’ve watched the show, you should be in good shape. Honestly don’t stop after Lunatic. Read Vol 2: Reincarnations, and Vol 3: Birth and Death. You won’t be disappointed.
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
I know it’s not, but this feels like the Ur text when it comes to books involving split personalities. Plenty of action, plenty of swearing, plenty of just downright crazy. It even got a movie of its own though I don’t think it will come to Disney+ any time soon. It has a few good actors and actresses in it. You may have heard of them . . . Ya know . . . Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter.
In all seriousness, if you haven’t read this book, give it a read. I’m sure it was responsible for so much angsty nonsense during my adolescence, but I don’t regret it for second.
The Essential Moon Knight Volume 1. by Doug Moench
Admittedly, The Essential Moon Knight Vol. 1 did not get my best review, but I still think it’s an important read for a few reasons. First, I just like seeing the history of things, and it was worth any cringing along the way just to see how this incredible character got his start (in a werewolf comic of all places with NO mention of Egyptian Gods anywhere). I genuinely believe that if you read this, it will help you appreciate the show even more, even if it’s just a look at how far we’ve come.
The Buried Pyramid by Jane Lindskold
This book is pretty much what revitalized my love for Ancient Egypt all the way back in 2011. It’s more or less what it says on the tin. An orphan raised on the frontier, goes to Egypt with her uncle who is an archeologist. They’re to investigate and find the location of a legendary tomb. Of course they’re not the only people with this idea in mind and so now a game is afoot. I seem to remember some interactions with actual Ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses. I think this was the first place I learned of the goodest half-croc-half-hippo-half-lion, the devourer of souls, Ammit.
Definitely check it out.
Moon Knight Volume 1: From the Dead
This volume was by another Moon Knight writer, just before the Lemire issues I mentioned up above. It is definitely different then those issues, and also the show. In my review of Moon Knight Vol 1: From the Dead I note how amazing the art style is, and how different Moon Knight the character is. We see a lot of MK in Steven’s suit although the suits aren’t distinctive to personalities. We also see a pretty badass (I think) samurai inspired MK suit which was totally dope. Anyway, Moon Knight is much more violent than I was used to, and it was interesting to try and reconcile such violence with the mythological Ancient Egyptian god Khonsu, who Khonshu is based on. (I’ll give you a hint, it’s based off something known as The Cannibal Hymn)
Anyway, check it out and read my review for all the deets.
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
This one just looks so cool. Ancient Egyptian gods waking up and having evil on the brain (I wonder where we’ve seen that recently?). Two estranged siblings coming together, bonding over adventure and the fate of the world (I assume). Plus Riordan has a pretty proven track record. You may have heard of one of his other books, The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & the Olympians). Actually I think Red Pyramid is in the same series. Anyway, you can expect a review of this to come soon. Might as well give it a shot!
Easy Go by Michael Chrichton
This book is unlike any Michael Chrichton book I’ve ever read. Originally published as The Last Tomb (which is more on-brand for this post) under Chrichton’s pseudonym, John Lange (speaking of alternate identities), it has a similar premise to a lot of tomb raiding stories we know and love. Find the tomb get the treasure, don’t let anyone else do those things. Certainly, this book is a bit dated, feeling like an old pulp novel (which I’m not really about), but if you like these sorts of adventures, I’m sure Easy Go will be the right stop.
Creatures of Light and Darkness by Roger Zelazney
This book is just bananas. Set in a future where both men and machines had grown technologically sophisticated enough that some number (283 to be precise) of entities have become immortal, and whether through technology or supernatural powers, are like unto gods. Hence we have characters named Osiris, Anubis, Horus etc. which for all intents and purposes, are the gods their names evoke.
And those are the normal parts. Next we get Temporal Fugue, which in this case is essentially time travel but with the added complexity of probability and martial arts. And from there move on to all sorts of nonsense involving complicated family relationships.
In a word, it’s a blast. Highly recommend. I just couldn’t put Creatures of Light and Darkness down.
Narmer and the God-Beast by JD Weber (shameless!)
Ok. So a bit shameless here, but I’m going to recommend this short story (which I wrote) anyway. It involves my two favorite things, Ancient Egypt and Dinosaurs. Really what’s not to love? If you’re looking for more of a pitch, it’s about a young boy, Narmer, lying bloodied in the Nile, who is about to let himself be killed by a crocodile. He soon realizes that the croc is not coming for him, but a defenseless God-Beast drinking nearby. Narmer fights the croc thereby saving the God-Beast, but he still must contend with his older brother Bahek, who’s cruelty and abuse is what put him in the river in the first place.
I won’t spoil anymore of the story, but if this has piqued your interest, please consider purchasing Narmer and the God-Beast on amazon.
We did it!
Well that’s the whole list. 9 titles to keep that spark after finishing Moon Knight. I’d love to know your thoughts on the list I’ve created. Are there any obvious ones I missed? Any not so obvious? Have you read any of these before.
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments. Thank you!
alligators and aneurysms! 