Dead Names: The Dark History of the Necronomicon

I really love this mysterious writer, Simon. His Necronomicon whether fully based on fact or not enchanted me as soon as I laid my eyes on it. This and Gates of the Necronomicon have a really fantastic amount of information on the occult and magick in general. If you're a fan of the occult or a practising magician then I think you'll enjoy this series of books. Long live The Mad Arab.

Was a great read, just shows what some lengths secret societys will go to. I enjoyed it whether its fact, fiction or fact mixed with fiction I suggest it to anyone who's into the occult.

Thanks for sending 'Dead Names' by Simon. I have put it on my bookshelf with other books that I have about the occult.

Brilliant gift.

Good service, thank you. very fast on the shipping. Book is interesting.

Good..

LOVECRAFT MUST BE GIGGLING IN HIS GRAVE. AND HERE IS THE OTHER THIRTEEN WORDS THE REVIEW MUST CONTAIN. NO REALLY.

Great book - deep insights into the topic. Mysterious author ;)

If you like occult knowledge then this one is a must have to finish the four books of Simon

Zum Inhalt möchte ich jetzt mal nichts sagen, das muss jeder für sich entscheiden. Überrascht hat mich der, für ein Buch dieses Genres, professionelle Aufbau mit verifizierbaren Quellenangaben.

I BOUGHT THIS BOOK JUST TO READ THE FASCINATING STORIES ABOUT THE LATE, GREAT LARRY "Kosmo" BARNES. I just ordered this book, and am very much looking forward to reading it (especially having "looked inside" using amazons "search inside" feature - looks like a WONDERFUL book!). I was a casual aquantance of Larry Barnes, who called himself "Kosmo" (a CENTRAL character in this book!!), but he made quite an impression on me, as I'm sure he did on everyone that crossed his path. Larry ran an "occult bookstore" called "Inner Journey" in Southern California in the early 1990's, and I would always look foreward to browsing around his store, picking up some oils and incense, and of course my wonderful talks with Larry himself. LITTLE DID I KNOW HOW LUCKY I WAS to have been graced by this man's presence. I will share a few memories here for those who have read this wonderful book, or are thinking of ordering it: Larry had a hardcover copy of the Necronomicon behind the counter under glass. One time I asked him if I could see it, and he said "yes". He handed it to me, and as I thumbed through it, I saw a photograph of a young girl within the pages. I took the picture and said "What is this"? - He quickly grabbed the book and put the picture back between the same pages and said "it's a containment spell". There was a wonderful psychic who worked at "Inner Journey". One day, I asked about her and he told me that she had died. My response was very much like anyone's would be "Oh my God, I'm so sorry, that's HORRIBLE!!!" - To which Larry replied in a raised, agitated tone, "DON'T SAY THAT !!!! IT'S NOT HORRIBLE!!! IT'S NOT HORRIBLE AT ALL!!! IN FACT, IT'S THE GREATEST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU !!!!!!!!!!" Larry once told me about a time back in the late 70's when he was publishing the Necronomicon that he would often see a black car with the licence plate that simply said "666" on it. He said it had to be a very powerful force to be able to materialize an object like that. Larry told me that the text of the Necronomicon was slightly altered to make it a little more difficult to use, but if someone knew what they were doing, that they would be able to "open the gates". Shortly after the Iraq/Kuait war, Larry told me that he thinks someone was able to use the Necronomicon to open the gates due to all of the strange things that were happening in the world. I loved the "occult oils" he would stock in his store. One time I asked him about the oils, and he told me that I should choose the vials that had sat on the shelf the longest, as they would be the most powerful. One day, I went to go to my favorite bookstore, "Inner Journey", and what I saw inside was very disturbing. There had been a horrible fire. There was a hole burned through the black ceiling with light shining through the top. You could see the charred remains of the inventory inside: tapes still on the rack, grotesquely melted and drooping. There was a note taped to the window with Larry and his wives number that simply said "If you need us, call...". I never saw Larry again, but I would talk with one of his friends from time to time, who said that he was doing well, and was manufacturing a new type of "magnetic healing jewelry" or something. Larry died in December of 2001. I hope his wife is OK. I can't wait to read this book so I can once again feel close to Larry. He was quite a being, unlike anybody else I've ever met before, and I hope you've all enjoyed reading this.

As someone who writes under a pseudonym, I think the attempts to "out" the author of this book are impolite. Moreover, they miss the point. Simon may be an individual, a group, one aspect of a human personality or the embodiment of an inhuman one. I do think, however, that this book deserves a wider readership than the "Necronomicon" label by itself probably attracts. Simon claims to be an ordained priest who came into possession of the manuscript that would later be published as the "Simon" Necronomicon. Whether you take that book (or even the backstory) seriously, this book is seriously fun. Simon offers a window into a several very odd subcultures. First among these is the community of "wandering bishops" of Orthodox Christian lineage who collect ordinations like postage stamps and engage in byzantine political intrigues - dealing in old books, fighter jet plans, and telecommunications equipment. According to the author, these bishops are not necessarily holy men. They crave legitimate consecration for the power it bestows, regardless of the sincerity of their religious belief. Some use this power to conduct black masses, others to conduct espionage. Scoff if you want, but the author has a point. To illustrate the occult power of episcopal consecration, Simon recounts the story of two of these bishops, barely 18 at the time, who sought priesthood primarily as a means of avoiding the draft. As freshly-minted clerics in the (also freshly-minted) "Slavonic Orthodox Church" these kids quickly discovered that ordination brought unexpected benefits: instant credibility, tax free status, and access to political events. They were amazed to discover that their newfound credentials allowed them to sneak past security and straight into Bobby Kennedy's funeral! When they found themselves LEADING the procession from the church, they realized they had stumbled onto something powerful. Like Obi-Wan Kenobi's "these are not the droids you're looking for," this is a form of magic. Later, if you believe the author, the same two padawan would also stumble into possession of a Sumerian grimoire that they would repackage as the Necronomicon. The story is goofier than the Thor comic book series of the 1970's - TOO goofy to be entirely fictional. The author also knows a lot about the occult movements of the 1960's in and around New York City and much of the book is a bittersweet memoir of the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. The people involved in the publication of the Necronomicon lived like rock stars and frequently died like them. Their stories deserve to be told and Simon does so with respect. This is (to say the very least) not a book for everyone. But if you are a psychonaut with a sense of humor you will probably dig this. Especially recommended for fans of Sinister Forces-The Nine: A Grimoire of American Political Witchcraft (Sinister Forces) . This is, almost, Sinister Forces vol. IV and it contains a lot of biographical detail about Peter Levenda.