What do you think?
Rate this book
Moss Witch
The new collection of short fiction from the internationally recognised author is a compendium of stories inspired by science, accompanied by afterwords written by the scientists that consulted on each one, explaining the science behind it.
A bryologist enters an ancient British woodland to research a rare strain of moss, only to discover an even more exotic specimen…
A geologist explains the failures of the feminist movement to her teenage niece in terms of tectonic subduction…
Two Old Testament newlyweds scheme to make the most of their tightly negotiated dowry by applying 21st century genetic engineering techniques…
Each story in Sara Maitland’s new collection enacts a daring piece of alchemy, fusing together specific pieces of contemporary scientific research with an ancient myth or a folkloric archetype. As the laboratory smoke settles, we meet witches that can outwit botanists, religious soothsayers that read evolutionary biology in feverish dreams, scientists that fall in love with the birds they study….
What’s all the more extraordinary is each of these stories began as a collaboration with a scientist; and has grown out of a current piece of research. Each story also comes with a specially written afterword, penned by the scientist, and expanding upon the theory within the story – be it quantum mechanics, planetary physics, game theory, or nanotechnology…
A bryologist enters an ancient British woodland to research a rare strain of moss, only to discover an even more exotic specimen…
A geologist explains the failures of the feminist movement to her teenage niece in terms of tectonic subduction…
Two Old Testament newlyweds scheme to make the most of their tightly negotiated dowry by applying 21st century genetic engineering techniques…
Each story in Sara Maitland’s new collection enacts a daring piece of alchemy, fusing together specific pieces of contemporary scientific research with an ancient myth or a folkloric archetype. As the laboratory smoke settles, we meet witches that can outwit botanists, religious soothsayers that read evolutionary biology in feverish dreams, scientists that fall in love with the birds they study….
What’s all the more extraordinary is each of these stories began as a collaboration with a scientist; and has grown out of a current piece of research. Each story also comes with a specially written afterword, penned by the scientist, and expanding upon the theory within the story – be it quantum mechanics, planetary physics, game theory, or nanotechnology…
242 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2013
14 people are currently reading
597 people want to read
About the author
Sara Maitland
98 books170 followersSara Maitland is a British writer and academic. An accomplished novelist, she is also known for her short stories. Her work has a magic realist tendency. Maitland is regarded as one of those at the vanguard of the 1970s feminist movement, and is often described as a feminist writer. She is a Roman Catholic, and religion is another theme in much of her work.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 13, 2015
(3.5) These fourteen short stories inspired by scientific developments – both past and present – blend hypotheses and superstitions, biography and magic realism. Each tale is followed by an afterword from an expert in the relevant field.
The first story, “Her Bonxie Boy,” and the title story are the best examples of how Maitland combines contemporary science and timeless fairy tale magic. In the former, Helen, a seabird specialist, tracks skuas from the Isle of Lewis to Africa using GPS technology. Like Amy Sackville’s Orkney, this tale plays with the Scottish selkie myth – except this time the shape-shifting beloved is not a seal but a bird.
A number of the stories muse on genetic possibilities. In the better stories, Maitland avoids a teacher-student dialogue framework and either animates a historical moment or adapts a myth or folktale. My very favorite, “How the Humans Learned to Speak,” adopts the format of Rudyard Kipling’s Just-So Stories to tell a humorous tale of human evolution, especially the development of language: “Long, long ago, oh best beloved, the primapes came down from the trees and out of the jungle.”
Fans of A.S. Byatt, Andrea Barrett and Richard Powers will enjoy Maitland’s strategy of mixing science and literature.
(See my full review at Nudge.)
The first story, “Her Bonxie Boy,” and the title story are the best examples of how Maitland combines contemporary science and timeless fairy tale magic. In the former, Helen, a seabird specialist, tracks skuas from the Isle of Lewis to Africa using GPS technology. Like Amy Sackville’s Orkney, this tale plays with the Scottish selkie myth – except this time the shape-shifting beloved is not a seal but a bird.
A number of the stories muse on genetic possibilities. In the better stories, Maitland avoids a teacher-student dialogue framework and either animates a historical moment or adapts a myth or folktale. My very favorite, “How the Humans Learned to Speak,” adopts the format of Rudyard Kipling’s Just-So Stories to tell a humorous tale of human evolution, especially the development of language: “Long, long ago, oh best beloved, the primapes came down from the trees and out of the jungle.”
Fans of A.S. Byatt, Andrea Barrett and Richard Powers will enjoy Maitland’s strategy of mixing science and literature.
(See my full review at Nudge.)
March 24, 2015
Outstanding! If I could give 6 stars I would.
Maitland writes very well and that's a good start. There is no "sameness" between any pair of stories so the ingredients are good to begin with.
But her triumph is wining proper science and feminism in each one of them, and if there's any doubt about veracity it's dispelled by a postscript from a high-ranking practising scientist in each chosen area. Blimey, she must have learned a lot in doing this.
Fantastic.
Maitland writes very well and that's a good start. There is no "sameness" between any pair of stories so the ingredients are good to begin with.
But her triumph is wining proper science and feminism in each one of them, and if there's any doubt about veracity it's dispelled by a postscript from a high-ranking practising scientist in each chosen area. Blimey, she must have learned a lot in doing this.
Fantastic.
August 12, 2023
It has taken me a very long time to read Sara Maitland's 'Moss Witch & Other Stories' but I'm so glad that I now have. If you pressed me to choose my favourite author, and I hope that you never will, I might very well say Sara Maitland, and I have a particular love for her short stories which are always surprising and thought-provoking. Here, those wonderful stories are followed by short, accessible essays from experts in a range of sciences. I learned loads, although I must admit that the piece on mathematics made my eyes spin round.
In terms of the stories, I am endlessly haunted by 'Her Bonxie Boy' and 'Moss Witch' and can already feel them weaving into my very cells. The sufferer of 'black bile' from the final story would no doubt understand and approve. A treasure.
In terms of the stories, I am endlessly haunted by 'Her Bonxie Boy' and 'Moss Witch' and can already feel them weaving into my very cells. The sufferer of 'black bile' from the final story would no doubt understand and approve. A treasure.
September 19, 2015
This collection had an interesting premise and it was cool to learn about different scientific theories after each short story... However the stories did feel a little forced to fit at times, especially when the characters would suddenly go off into complex-ish technical talk for what seems like little reason!
June 17, 2022
What beautiful design—to bestow a small wealth of knowledge while constructing immaculate encapsulated moments of whimsy, as well as ones that are mundane in the most satisfying of ways! Sara Maitland’s carefully curated language, and even more meticulous way of placing each word in just the right place by way of amusement or necessity are what make the voyage she leads us on both delightful and well worth the travel. I so enjoyed retreating into each of these stories empty handed only to emerge bolstered by vivid depictions of magma bubbling patiently below the ocean’s floor, a fictitious yet riveting trial in which Gods effortlessly discuss the significance of memory and personal narrative on Mount Olympus, or an ordinary evening in the home of two physicists, who endearingly contemplate giving new names to elements of the known universe over dinner and drinks. Moss Witch And Other Stories combines compelling fiction with enriching and informative afterthoughts, making many areas of scientific research seem less out of reach, just accessible enough to feel like coming across a small treasure over and over again.
June 30, 2014
The idea behind this collection is fascinating. Trying to marry up story and science is a worthy endeavour. However some of the connections are rather tenuous and the comments by consulting scientists didn't really give me new insights. That said I loved the first story Her Bonxie Boy
October 23, 2017
The Fairytales in Moss Witch are paired with pieces of scientific essays written by experts within their field, and although it's an interesting concept it did not quite work for me. I felt that most of the fairytales had been moulded to fit to a particular scientific theory, and the felt forced. There was too much exposition in dialogue and the stories did not ebb and flow naturally. Her Bronxie Boy was beautiful and the one about the twins was also magical, but the rest just did not stand up on their own.
July 30, 2022
This has been sitting on my shelf for years - waiting for the right frame of mind. It is an interesting concept - each of the short stories is based on a scientific theory, and mixes in a bit of folklore and some magic. Following each short story is a commentary by a leading scientist about the science used as a basis for the story.
Some of the stories were a bit meh, particularly those at the beginning, but there were a few really good stories that made up for these. I particularly liked Moss Witch and Metamorphosis of Mnemosyne which were four or five stars.
Some of the stories were a bit meh, particularly those at the beginning, but there were a few really good stories that made up for these. I particularly liked Moss Witch and Metamorphosis of Mnemosyne which were four or five stars.
May 11, 2023
I adore concatenations of science and fantasy, and these stories filled me up with both, all linked in delightful ways. Your artistic mind will smile and cry, laugh and grieve at Maitland's fantastic stories, and then your analytic mind will be satisfied by the scientists whose work directly inspired these tales. I only wonder why more authors don't expose the scientific scaffolding behind their own imaginations! Each story is completely unique, almost as if the reader has picked up another book in between stories. Wonderful!
August 3, 2023
This book took me about a year to read, and became the book I took with me when I needed to travel. It's delightful, and I loved the science behind each story being explained at the end. One of these stories (about the man who invented algebra) made me cry. A lot of them made me go "oh wow, I had no idea about any of this". This is a book that made me feel small compared to the vast weight of knowledge that I just don't know, and that has been known over time.
Excellent book for dipping in and out of, and a nice collection of short stories.
Excellent book for dipping in and out of, and a nice collection of short stories.
December 18, 2019
The premise of this book is very enticing - a collection of short stories inspired by science (everything from botany to quantum physics), with each story followed by an afterword by a scientist who specialises in that field. In practice, however, most of the stories felt like they'd been forced to accommodate the scientific element, and some of the afterwords (though very informative) felt like they were praising the story a little unwillingly.
November 5, 2019
I enjoyed the Bonxie Boy in the Moss Witch, but I deal feel the remainder were of a different vein, and were as if a scientific topic had been set, and that the story was forced to fit into, much like a overly packed suitcase that needs to be closed and one has to sit upon it to squeeze everything in it.
November 27, 2016
I'm just not a short stories person; some of these were amazing but I couldn't quite get into any of them particularly except the very last, Dark Humour, which was incredible.
August 20, 2018
Moss Witch was great. Mot sure about the rest.
September 11, 2018
The 5-star rating system doesn't work well for me. I prefer to use my own 6-star system. This book rates 6 stars: loved it, outstanding, very special, shortlisted favorite.
Want to read
October 13, 2020Recommended on Jen Campbell’s YouTube Channel - October 12, 2020
June 13, 2024
THE FLYING CARPET???????
July 30, 2024
A powerful and moving collection that covers a range of situations and voices. Thought provoking and surprising, with some glorious descriptions and vivid worlds created.
Well crafted.
Well crafted.
lost-interest-in
May 31, 2015I'm a bit sad to be giving up on this one as the concept is really intriguing. Each story in the collection is inspired by a scientific theory or concept and each one is followed by an essay by a scientist from that field.
However, the science and the stories never quite marry. Too often, two characters have a conversation about that theory or one character explains the theory at length to another: I would have liked to see the concepts more integrated, to have become organically part of the fabric of the story.
The stories themselves are not particularly interesting. The first one, about bird migration, is probably the best that I read. It came closest to actually having the science be part of the story, rather than being shoehorned in. However, there is also a shocking pastiche of a Kipling Just So Story, which is the point I knew I had to give up.
I might come back to these another time, but for now I have other things I would rather be reading.
However, the science and the stories never quite marry. Too often, two characters have a conversation about that theory or one character explains the theory at length to another: I would have liked to see the concepts more integrated, to have become organically part of the fabric of the story.
The stories themselves are not particularly interesting. The first one, about bird migration, is probably the best that I read. It came closest to actually having the science be part of the story, rather than being shoehorned in. However, there is also a shocking pastiche of a Kipling Just So Story, which is the point I knew I had to give up.
I might come back to these another time, but for now I have other things I would rather be reading.
August 8, 2014
When I read the first story ('Her Bonxie Boy'), both my brain and my heart exploded in excitement. I was so happy to see the Sara Maitland of 'Far North', with her tender folk imagination full of blood and guts. However, the rest of the stories never really reach that standard. Or so I thought, until BOOM! I reached 'The Beautiful Equation', which blew me away again. 'Moss Witch' also stands out. I guess the ones I like the most are the ones that ooze folklore, but the stories where science tips the balance left me a bit cold. Even the mythological ones, strangely.
I did enjoy the structure and the essays after each tale; I found them really interesting, even when I wasn't so keen on the actual story.
I did enjoy the structure and the essays after each tale; I found them really interesting, even when I wasn't so keen on the actual story.
December 27, 2016
I think these stories need to be taken as a whole from the story and the context from the consulting scientist. As a short story collection by themselves, then yeh it may sometimes seem tedious like lots of reviews say but she needs to give you a little bit of context when talking about matter and antimatter etc for the story to make any sense. I loved it. I thought she did something really special here and she made me read up on some areas that I'm not well versed in.
August 11, 2016
Unfortunately I liked the afterwords from the academics more than the actual stories. You may like this book if you enjoy Pippa Goldschmidt and Tania Hershman's work.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews