Alan Moore Working on Short Stories, 5-Volume Fantasy Series

This photo provided by Bloomsbury Publishing shows Alan Moore. The celebrated British author known for "V for Vendetta" and "Watchman" among other works has a deal with Bloomsbury for the story collection "Illuminations" and a five-volume fantasy series, "Long London." In a statement Monday, May 3, 2021, Moore said he was "bursting with fiction, bursting with prose" and thanked his publisher for its commitment to "expanding the empire of the word." (Bloomsbury Publishing/Mitch Jenkins via AP)
This photo provided by Bloomsbury Publishing shows Alan Moore. The celebrated British author known for "V for Vendetta" and "Watchman" among other works has a deal with Bloomsbury for the story collection "Illuminations" and a five-volume fantasy series, "Long London." In a statement Monday, May 3, 2021, Moore said he was "bursting with fiction, bursting with prose" and thanked his publisher for its commitment to "expanding the empire of the word." (Bloomsbury Publishing/Mitch Jenkins via AP)
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Alan Moore Working on Short Stories, 5-Volume Fantasy Series

This photo provided by Bloomsbury Publishing shows Alan Moore. The celebrated British author known for "V for Vendetta" and "Watchman" among other works has a deal with Bloomsbury for the story collection "Illuminations" and a five-volume fantasy series, "Long London." In a statement Monday, May 3, 2021, Moore said he was "bursting with fiction, bursting with prose" and thanked his publisher for its commitment to "expanding the empire of the word." (Bloomsbury Publishing/Mitch Jenkins via AP)
This photo provided by Bloomsbury Publishing shows Alan Moore. The celebrated British author known for "V for Vendetta" and "Watchman" among other works has a deal with Bloomsbury for the story collection "Illuminations" and a five-volume fantasy series, "Long London." In a statement Monday, May 3, 2021, Moore said he was "bursting with fiction, bursting with prose" and thanked his publisher for its commitment to "expanding the empire of the word." (Bloomsbury Publishing/Mitch Jenkins via AP)

Alan Moore has many, many stories still to tell.

The celebrated British author known for "V for Vendetta" and "Watchman" among other works has a deal with Bloomsbury for the story collection "Illuminations" and a five-volume fantasy series, "Long London." In a statement Monday, Moore said he was "bursting with fiction, bursting with prose" and thanked his publisher for its commitment to "expanding the empire of the word."

Moore's "Illuminations," scheduled for fall 2022, takes in everything from ghosts to the big bang theory. "Long London" follows a "sometimes-accessible shadow city that is beyond time," starting with London after World War II and "following the populations of writers, criminals, artists, and magicians through that familiar city and a version of London just beyond our knowledge," according to Bloomsbury.

The first volume of "Long London" comes out in 2024.



Kendrick Lamar Surprises with New Album 'GNX'

FILE - Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club, April 16, 2017, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club, April 16, 2017, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)
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Kendrick Lamar Surprises with New Album 'GNX'

FILE - Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club, April 16, 2017, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Kendrick Lamar performs at Coachella Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club, April 16, 2017, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File)

Kendrick Lamar gave music listeners an early holiday present Friday with the surprise drop of a new album.

The Grammy winner's 12-track “GNX” is his first release since 2022's “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” and his sixth studio album overall. It also comes just months after his rap battle with Drake.

Lamar first teased the album with a cover art and video snippet of “GNX,” which features multi-instrumentalist Jack Antonoff as a co-producer on every track except for “Peekaboo.” Other notable producers include Sounwave and DJ Mustard, who both contributed production on the hit “Not Like Us,” the ubiquitous diss track emanating from the Drake feud.

Lamar's former Top Dawg Entertainment labelmate SZA appears on a couple songs including “Gloria” and “Luther,” which also features sampled vocals from Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn through “If This World Were Mine."
On the opening track “Wacced Out Murals,” Lamar raps about cruising in his Buick GNX (Grand National Experimental) car with listening to Anita Baker. He brings up Snoop Dogg posting Drake's AI-assisted “Taylor Made Freestyle” diss track on social media and Nas congratulating Lamar for being selected to headline February's Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in New Orleans.
Lamar also shows admiration for Lil Wayne, who expressed his hurt feelings after being passed over as the headliner in his hometown.
Lamar, 37, has experienced massive success since his debut album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” in 2012. Since then, he’s accumulated 17 Grammy wins and became the first non-classical, non-jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album “DAMN.”
The surprise release caps a big year for Lamar, who was featured on the song “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin — a track that spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 this year.
Lamar is up for seven Grammys, fueled by “Not Like Us,” which earned nods for record and song of the year, rap song, music video as well as best rap performance. He has two simultaneous entries in the latter category, a career first: “Like That” is up for best rap performance and best rap song, too.