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88 pages, Hardcover
First published August 31, 2012
Psychology-as-superpower is a recurring theme in my works. I’ve always believed that the personality traits that make us each distinctive (the way we process information, the way we motivate ourselves, the way we shelter our psyche from the bad while learning to cherish the good) can be either our greatest strengths or our most dramatic limitations…Such a fun concept!
The premise was simple: What if a man’s hallucinations proved beneficial to him in his life, rather than the typical distraction?
"You create these delusions so that you can foist things off on them. Your brilliance, which you find a burden. Your responsibility -- they have to drag you along and make you help people. This lets you pretend, Mister Leeds. Pretend you are normal. But that's the real delusion."But real or not, Stephen's legion of invisible experts is a whole lot of fun to read about.
“Truth?” I asked Ivy.
“Can’t tell,” she said. “Sorry. If I could hear a heartbeat . . . maybe you could put your ear to her chest.”
“I’m sure she’d love that,” I said.
J.C. smiled. “I’m pretty sure I’d love that.”
“Oh please,” Ivy said. “You’d only do it to peak insider her coat and find out what gun she is carrying.”
“Baretta M9,” J.C. said. “Already peeked.”
"My name is Stephen Leeds, and I'm perfectly sane. My hallucinations, however, are all quite mad."
“Your hallucination . . .” “Yes?” “Your hallucination has hallucinations.” “Yes.” She settled back, looking disturbed.Brandon Sanderson I love you. The premise of this story is pure genius.
“I’m not a hallucination,” J.C. snapped. “I have state-of-the-art stealthing equipment.”Legion is about insanity, religion, science, faith… and a very special camera. Mix it all up, shake well, add a good dose of humour, a dash of action and voilà!
“The truth is, Monica, I don’t want any of this. I’d gladly be free of it, so that I could live a more simple life. I sometimes think the lot of them will drive me insane.” “You . . . aren’t insane, then?” “Heavens no,” I said.The "lot of them"? The aspects! J.C. the trigger-happy navy seal (I think I'm in love), Ivy the trypophobic therapist, Tobias the schizophrenic historian, Armando the megalomaniac emperor… I love them all.
“I'm not going more mad,” I said. “I've stabilized. I'm practically normal. Even my non-hallucinatory psychiatrist acknowledges that.”This was good. Really good. So do yourself a favour and read it.
My name is Stephen Leeds, and I am perfectly sane. My hallucinations, however, are all quite mad.
“Believe what you will,” I said. “But I’m not a genius. My hallucinations are.”
“Thanks,” J.C. said.
“Some of my hallucinations are,” I corrected.
“You accept that the things you see aren’t real?” Monica said, turning to me.
“Yes.”
“Yet you talk to them.”
“I wouldn’t want to hurt their feelings. Besides, they can be useful.”