I am reading Chris Gosdens remarkable The History of Magic: From Alchemy to Witchcraft from the Ice Age to the Present (2020) and already in the beginning there is an amazing remark that I think is worth thinking about. Gosden retells the story of the Azande, as studied by Evans-Pritchard, and how they viewed magic.… Continue reading Re-imagining magic
Just finished this excellent and surprising science fiction book. It explores several different themes - our ability to start anew on a new planet, our inherent nature, our relationship to nature and plants (!) and the growing suspicion that we are always doing someone else's bidding. It is also beautifully written, with living characters and… Continue reading Books: Semiosis by Sue Burke