Serpentine

Photographer Mark Laita unveils a pantheon of surreal, twisted and beautiful snakes in this electrifying collection. Inciting both allure and alarm, rearing king cobras, shining pastel pythons and vibrant green vipers slither across the page. From the iridescent Blue Malaysian Coral Snake to the candy cane striped Albino Honduran Milksnake, the aptly named Beautiful Pit Viper and the sinister Black Mamba, the world's most dangerous and gorgeous snakes are pictured in this book, showing off their fascinating colours and textures as well as the sensual forms their movement creates. Through Laita's lens, there is nothing they can do, no position they can take, that fails to be anything but mesmerising. Accompanying Mark's images is an illuminating essay by William T. Vollmann, winner of the 2005 National Book Award for fiction. Vollmann delves deeply into the mythology and symbolism of the serpents that haunt our collective human imagination, exploring themes of beauty, danger and evil.