The 2024 eBook by Martin Popoff

Set the controls for the heart of the sun… Perfect Water: The Rebel Imaginos is here.

Sandy Pearlman had made clear that his Imaginos writings explained the occult origins of World War I. But he was less clear on the occult origins of World War II, almost as if he was conflicted about the extension.

In Perfect Water: The Rebel Imaginos, Blue Öyster Cult biographer Martin presents the theory that the reason there are so many curious extraterrestrial references across the BÖC canon is that Pearlman was as much concerned with where Imaginos was going as he was with where he’d come from.

Popoff proposes that the deeper steganographic meaning—hidden in plain sight—of Pearlman’s cryptic tale was in fact about Imaginos escaping the bidding of the Old Ones to kill and kill again, beginning in 1939, across a Second World War. Tearing apart the band’s lyrics, myriad patterns emerge, with a story shaped around a three-pillared approach to the creation of a rend in the psychic fabric large enough for egress. 

More from the back cover of the new book…

In a whirlwind of words and pictures that is ten times weirder and darker than the wildly speculative and conspiratorial Flaming Telepaths; Imaginos Expanded and Specified, four-time Blue Öyster Cult author Martin Popoff draws fever-dreamed connections between Sandy “Memphis Sam” Pearlman’s legendary Imaginos writings of 1967 (along with other BÖC lyrics) to tumultuous world events mostly after the end of World War I.

At an action-packed pace, Popoff connects the Imaginos saga to Egyptology, Ignatius Donnelly and his Atlantean studies, Russian cosmism, Rasputin, Tennyson, Charles Dellschau and the Victorian-era airship mystery, George Ellery Hale, Augustus Le Plongeon, hollow earth theory, telluric currents, Alice in Wonderland, H.P. Lovecraft, theosophy, Edgar Cayce, the Cliff House, Boleskin House, upstate New York spiritualism, The Wizard of Oz, Kenneth Grant, Antarctic military bases, Hans Kammler, Wernher von Braun, Jack Parsons, Marjorie Cameron, Godzilla, myriad UFO events, the Kennedy assassination, the Process Church, the Necronomicon, John and Yoko in Egypt, the Very Large Array, CERN, HAARP and the lyrics of The Stranglers.

And forging further connectivity to Flaming Telepaths, there is more on Aleister Crowley, Austin Osman Spare, World War II and the key birthright and developmental milestones in the life of Imaginos in the 1800s and early 1900s. Flash forward, once we’re into the 1970s, entries on the Blue Öyster Cult albums emerge and the connections multiply and clarify.

All the while a consistent narrative worms its way through the march of time and its dizzying geopolitical markers, and that is the tale of Imaginos’ quest to quit the bidding of the sea-dwelling Old Ones and return to his planet of origin, through science—be it earthly or extraterrestrial—or by occulted magic.

Reader Reaction to Flaming Telepaths: Imaginos Expanded and Specified:

“The first reading was thick. There was much to keep track of and to connect. The second time opened doors and windows and the third time the light shone through. At least partly but nonetheless bright. I felt there was still more to explore and uncover. However the end truth to all three readings was pure joy! There was discovery and ‘Aha!’ moments that resonated with me. Flaming Telepaths is wonderfully contained insanity. The idea that a second book is being teased into existence thrills my very core!”
DL

“I wanted to let you know that I love this book! But then, I own everything Lovecraft ever wrote that has seen print. I am writing a book on UFOS (have seen them, was friends with John Keel, have interviewed numerous ‘contactees’ and understand the metaphysical and interactive nature thereof), I am aware of the metaphysical interactions between Jack Parsons, Aleister Crowley, L. Ron Hubbard, etc., have experienced the mystical Viking-created stone caverns in CT and upstate NY built over magnetic anomalies where compasses spin and find it interesting that the origins of spiritism (the Fox sisters), Mormonism (Joseph Smith) and the Ouija Board can all be traced to the same county in New York. So it does not surprise me at all that the book leaves most people speechless. Also, your artwork is amazing! I worked as an inker for Marvel Comics for 15 years and your detail, composition and juxtaposition of darks and lights are incredible. I would have loved to buy the original you used for the cover but I imagine it is long-gone. Anyway, thanks for this book. If it was a hardback with a dark magenta velvet cover inside of a slipcase, I would have loved it even better!”
DL

“I enjoyed the hell out of Flaming Telepaths. Yes, it is batshit insane, but what is not these days? I love how there are so many rabbit holes that one can fall down off of it. I would read the shit out of a follow-up. Let it go where it needs to go.”
RL

“I am very excited about a new book along these lines. The crazier the better! I was overjoyed when your Flaming Telepaths came out. I love what you have done with it, and your artwork is wonderful. I see you as a conceptual member of the band at this point, and as an heir to Mr. Sandy P. Please continue!”
KJ

“I don’t read this book like a lazy Sunday afternoon read. I read it more like a college course. I get fully immersed in it. I feel you have to put some work into this book to get the most out of it. A lot of the fun is looking up all of the people, places and events that I knew very little about and sparking my imagination in the process. I think for sure this book could go way over people’s heads. But I also believe anyone even half interested in the subject will find so much to learn and enjoy and will want to delve deeper. As I have.”
GS

“I really quite enjoyed Flaming Telepaths for a variety of reasons; the first is that it’s pretty much the only book discussing Pearlman’s Imaginos story. That story itself has interested and confounded me since I first heard Imaginos back in 2018, and I wanted to sink my teeth into anything involving the work since. I believe your book was probably the most comprehensive look at the story, and was filled to the brim with odd occult references that led me down a rabbit hole in and of itself. I’ve read a few of your other works (Agents of Fortune and Pink Floyd: Album by Album), and Flaming Telepaths was far and away my favourite.”
CM

“Flaming Telepaths is definitely out there, and that is part of what makes it cool. I am not going to lie, I am reasonably well-read and have a decent grasp on European and North American history, but I only got about 50% of the references and had to look up a good amount to see how certain things hung together. However, that is what made it interesting and different than a typical read. Your book, although it was your take on things, fleshed the story out and gave us something substantial to wrap our heads around. Would Sandy or Albert have written it out exactly the way you did? No, of course not, but it was an interesting exercise in creativity that I think those of us who are big fans of BÖC really appreciate.”
D

“I have 30 of your books, and that being said, I am a big BÖC fan and loved Agents of Fortune and Flaming Telepaths! I have been a fan of the whole idea of The Soft Doctrines of Immaginos (sic) and tried to find out the song lyrics that were part of the storyline and glad you put it out! It took a while to read because personally I like to research as I read. But I loved the theories and the drama, so imaginative, and it took me out of my wheelhouse about politics and world wars and the coincidences with the occult. And yes I am on board with a follow-up. I know there’s a lot of people like me who want to keep that fire burning! I’m just excited that someone of your stature is as emotionally invested in this story as I am.”
DR

“I enjoyed the book even if some of the connections were somewhat outlandish. It was well written and, clearly, a lot of research had been done to add some interesting background and obscure connections. It’s always interesting, to me at least, to see someone else’s take on what the story is meant to be.”
DS

“I’m all in for the follow-up. These rabbit holes, man, they’re multiplying.”
JE

“I liked the timeline formula you used, explaining how it tied to the band or songs. Back to the oddball stuff, I’m interested in that because it makes a person think.”
GS

“I’ll admit Flaming Telepaths is out there. I liked it though and found myself googling the various stories and events. Being a BÖC fan helps. But yeah, I’d for sure buy a new installment.”
MO

“One can never have too much Imaginos coming in and out of our lives because as one continues to follow the either real or imagined time-bending character, the more it seems to have spread to deeper parts of our tiny universe. As you mentioned, this task can involve going down numerous historical rabbit holes leading to others with the possibility of never finding your way back to the top. When one thinks of being above the path of inquest, they feel a nagging sensation and back down they go into another rabbit hole. Maybe this is Imaginos’ plan.”
DJ

“Even though I’m not bilingual, I manage in English. So I bought your book Flaming Telepaths and even though it’s not easy to grasp everything about this extraordinary universe, I greatly appreciate your book. If there’s a sequel, I’ll definitely buy it. Thank you for your excellent work.”
C

“I really enjoyed Flaming Telepaths. For me, I was pleasantly surprised on how you expanded the story to include other possible events and influences. In short, I had a blast reading it. It can only get weirder from here! I’d expect anyone at all interested in Imaginos to expect no less.”
JR

“Though I love Imaginos, I’m not just an uncritical fanboy. I like your book because I appreciate the creativity and what you’ve done with the story.”
KS

“I really enjoyed it. It was like unraveling a mystery, surrounded by a riddle, wrapped in an enigma. I’m really familiar with a lot Sandy’s tie-ins to history as inspiration for Imaginos, but you took this book to a whole new level. You threaded way more actual history into the mythos for a very unique blend and merging of a wild ride of a timeline and exploration therein. I do not know what I was expecting when I got it, but this was not it and I really enjoyed it! Also, was a big fan of the illustrations.”
GR

“I had heard your pitch for Flaming Telepaths on the Where Did the Road Go? podcast and thought, Odin’s crows, I’ll love this! Then ordered the book and subsequently read the book… I was right! I literally made notes and kept a research notebook beside the book! If you make a sequel, especially if it’s occult and metal, I will absolutely buy it. Thank you for your dedication to the craft.”
JFF

“It was a pleasant and demanding read. I like these kind of stories creating/showing relations between persons and events not obvious at first look and creating a kind of alternative history or seeing things from a different view. It´s a kind of fascination and in this case the link to BÖC made it very special.”
WG

“I love the Flaming Telepaths book and can’t wait to buy its sequel. What I love about your book is that it compliments the Imaginos mythos perfectly and the mystery and wonder it evokes. How seemingly unrelated things can have great significance and resonance is brought to life by the timeline format. There is also a sense of humour.”
AS

“The whole Imaginos story is crazytown and convoluted and your book did it justice. I ordered Flaming Telepaths from you before Albert’s Imaginos II album eventually arrived and loved it! Your takes are very different from mine, apart from the obvious Lovecraft connections. Jim Morrison... fantastic!”
NL
 
“There are many types of nerds in this world; music fans, science fiction and horror fans, conspiracy nuts, occult nuts, and even gamers. Flaming Telepaths hits several of them at the same time. I’m sure other niche authors would kill to have that kind of crossover appeal. I’d be shocked if the majority of people who bought Flaming Telepaths did not also buy the sequel. Frankly, the weirder the better. People need some kind of silver cord to hold onto, but it can be pretty tenuous.”
RL

“I’ve always enjoyed your writing/thoughts on Blue Öyster Cult. Honestly, I thought the book was very much crazed and ‘down the rabbit hole’ but I found it mesmerizing. I had to read it in five-to-ten-page chunks because it can be a tad overwhelming. That said, I love the band and your writing, so I would definitely wish for—and purchase—a sequel.”
PW

“It may be because of its X-Files-ish charm or because I love everything BÖC or a combination of both, but I really loved reading it, and would definitely look forward to checking out a ‘part two’ of it!”
SP

“I find your Flaming Telepaths book to be excellent and amongst your very best. Yet, I could well be a rare bird in this regard. A book that delves into the Imaginos album only to shed light on a narrative that, in highly opaque terms, ‘blames’ key world events (such as WWI) on occult origins and extraterrestrial beings will appeal to only a few. Given that you are a student of BÖC and had access to Pearlman and Al Bouchard, no one was better equipped to ‘connect a few of the dots’ than you. Still, as informed as your material in Flaming Telepaths is, it is still an interpretation, leaving the reader with lots of room to speculate on this ‘mother of all concept albums’ in our own way. For me this was the best of all worlds.”
SM

“I absolutely loved reading Flaming Telepaths, not just as a BÖC-fan but an all-round fan of everything weird. Loved how you connected different occult themes and personas to the Imaginos universe. Can’t praise your evocative drawings enough. I had a bit of a problem with the timeline format, though. It made the reading a bit staccato and cut-up and I would have preferred a continuous text. That said, I would definitely buy a second book in the same vein regardless of how you choose to write it.”
OH

“I recently acquired Flaming Telepaths based upon intrigue and being a massive BÖC junkie. I’m about a quarter the way through and I can’t put it down. I think it’s absolutely fantastic. I hope you continue upon the path of Imaginos and the possibilities therein. Nice job!”
JB

Learn more about Martin Popoff at http://www.martinpopoff.com 

Bonus! - This eBook is presented here as a full high-resolution PDF to maintain the layout of the original book, and provide images at the highest quality. 

eBook File Size - PDF Format – 76 MB (256 pages)