Past Magic

by Ian R. MacLeod

PS Publishing presents Past Magic, MacLeod's third collection, and his strongest yet.

The tales gathered here range from slyly rendered time travel to Lovecraftian horror, from alternate histories of theocratic ascendancy and alienated celebrities to a vision of an astronaut lost between universes, from vivid speculative social realism to a meditation on the place of realist art in a world dominated by effortless virtual reality. In the title story, the Isle of Man is a last opulent refuge from the onslaught of climate change, and its miracle-working scientists have resurrected a little girl lost at sea; in 'Two Sleepers', a housewife finds herself transplanted from a drab suburban existence into a slightly but crucially altered domestic idyll; in 'The Bonny Boy' - a lost chapter from MacLeod's remarkable neo-Victorian fantasy novel The House of Storms, appearing here for the first time- the staff of a home for abandoned children confront their own prejudices in unforgettable ways. And in the closing story, 'Nina-With-The-Sky-In-Her-Hair', a mysterious tailor contrives clothes out of a heavenly fabric of cerulean blue, driving subtle wedges between a holidaying millionaire and his trophy wife...

Past Magic is a cornucopia of splendid prose, bravura description, and profound human insight, undoubtedly one of the best collections to appear in 2006.

Genres: Short Stories, Science Fiction

300 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2006

About the author

Ian R. MacLeod is the acclaimed writer of challenging and innovative speculative and fantastic fiction. His most recent novel, Wake Up and Dream, won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History, while his previous works have won the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, and the World Fantasy Award, and have been translated into many languages. His short story, “Snodgrass,” was developed for television in the United Kingdom as part of the Sky Arts series Playhouse Presents. MacLeod grew up in the West Midlands region of England, studied law, and spent time working and dreaming in the civil service before moving on to teaching and house-husbandry. He lives with his wife in the riverside town of Bewdley.

Reviews

[Bill Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd only ever read his novels before, but his stories are a marvel. I'm used to Ian writing Science Fiction or Fantasy, and most of the stories here qualify, but this sees him also dipping into the Cthulhu Mythos with excellent results. Highly recommended if you can find it.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nevermore and Snodgrass are great stories.