talkmagic.co.uk

Has anyone started a thread on fiction novels with the theme of magic? If not and anyone feels inclined, I guess you could post your recommendations here.
I honestly don't think I've read many books that fit into the category but I'd be interested to hear what's out there.

I guess a book that might come close though, would be Vicious Circle by Mike Carey. Currently the novel sits as the first of a trilogy of novels following the exploits of non-church sanctioned exorcist, Felix Castor.

The eponymous hero is a down on his luck freelancer, who pulls the occasional "child entertainment" gig, in order to placate his long suffering land lady, Pen.
Castor takes on a case that ought to have been straightforward (as much as any exorcism falls into that category) but is soon pulled into an intriguing murder case that he pursues like a possessed private eye.

It is a case that he has been warned will have dire consequences for him, and even if it doesn’t end in his death – the shattering revelations will almost certainly change him for life…

Oh, and in case you were wondering... Yes I really enjoyed the novel and went on to read the rest (which were equally good!)
To my knowledge, Mike Carey usually writes comics, I think he did Lucifer and Ultimate Fantastic Four and possibly wrote for the Hellblazer series too (now the comparibly terrible movie, Constantine). To his credit, I think his novels are better than his comics, they flow really well and feel strangely compact - no doubt a a virtue of his comic book writing credentials.

Anyway, if you've read something good with a magical (or even magickal) theme, why not share it with us?

I read The Houdini Girl quite a few years ago; can't really remember too many details, but I do recall thinking it was a very good read. Here's a quote from the book...

"Why are magicians so obsessed with bondage and penetration?"

Any magicians here care to respond?

I would recommend this book. You can read more about The Houdini Girl by clicking on the image below...

I don't think it's so much a case of magicians being more inclined to bondage and penetration than anyone else...
... More that; people may not be so inclined to coo and clap when a car mechanic or plumber ties up a beautiful woman and cuts her in half.

PS I'll check out your recommendation, thanks.

"The Magician" by Sol Stein (published in 1971) is a good read.

Mike.

Sorceres by Jacob Needleman (1986) is a very good book.
http://www.amazon.com/Sorcerers-Novel-Jacob-Needleman/dp/0916515109/ref=sr_oe_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1195961230&sr=1-1

Sherlock Holmes and the Houdini Birthright by Val Andrews

Two stories. In the first, Holmes helps Houdini unmask a fake medium who is a lot like Margery. The second describes some strange events after Houdini's death, and features several well-known magicians, including Walter Gibson and Milbourne Christopher.

Confessor by John Gardner

A modern-day spy thriller, with magic and magicians featuring heavily in the plot. It includes a broken-wand ceremony and a detailed description of a mentalism performance.

Death from a Top Hat by Clayton Rawson

A sealed room murder mystery, filmed under the title "Miracles for Sale". The detective, victim and suspects are all magicians.

The Magic Shop by HG Wells

Short story describing a very unusual shop, reputedly based on an early incarnation of Davenports.

Barry

I like the sound of the Wells and Gardner novels, keep 'em coming

Hey, I couldn't restrain myself!
The Man Who Was Magic really is pretty awesome.
It's about a city of magicians that only magicians can find, and a real magician who goes there, and doesn't know about OUR kind of magic. I did really like it.

Here's a link:
http://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Was-Magic ... 882&sr=8-1
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Ah you are unread. Carter beats the Devil is a great book and a door step of a book to boot.

Yes The Paul Galico book The Man Who Was Magic might make a few magicians realise what they are really like!
My friend Val A also wrote in his many Sherlock Holmes novels, SH & The Egyptian Hall Mystery & SH & The Theatre Of Death & I can't remember whether magic was represented in SH At The Varieties.
These can be obtained from Russ Hall, Magick Enterprises, Sheffielod.

Also from the past also there is
Lost Empires by JB Priestly; first published in 1965 by Wm. Heinemann Ltd. I have the reprint from 1966.
John Castle played Ganga Dun imposing oriental the illusionist. Oliver played the broken down comic brilliantly.
David Hemingway devised and staged the magic in the TV version including the great illusiion where a cyclist rides thriough a door frame and doesnt come out the other side!

A number of magicians, I spoke to, who saw the film, The Prestige didn't seem to realise that it came from a book by Christopher Priest. I was presented with it and the dvd of the film yesterday on my birthday.

Allen Tipton

And I forgot the Comics. When I went to train as a Drama Teacher in 1955 my mother gave away all my copies of The Wizard. Ouch.
So for 40 years everytime my wife and I went to London we searched the Soho secon hand shops for copies which contained the story 'Four Challenges From Z Island.' 8 episodes were written.A great ex pro illusionist threw out challenges to the World's magicians to perform for a huge sum if he couldn't tell them 'how they did it'. Of course he could and I learned the Indian Basket, a levitation( projected onto smoke) the sword through body amongst other tricks. All this mixed with murder & mystery.When as Head of Drama I had my own Theatre I'd hope to stage it as a Magic Musical but couldn't find the story anywhere & couldn't remember the details of all the plot. Then:
Just before my birthday in 2004, I'd just gone onto the Internet, a young man e mailed me with details of Rover/Wizard reprints from May 1965 onwards, of the story. He had 3 episodes which he copied and sent, free to me. What a birthday present.
Last year again just before my birthday, I found 7 of the Rover'Wizard reprints in a Leicester second hand comic shop. They'd sold the FIRST episode 2 weeks before. ouch again! So I still have to find that illusive first episode, published 10th. April 1965.
The comics were a bit fragile but copied well onto the PC and printed off clearly. Whew!
In The Adventure Comic there was also Mysto The Mighty a world travelled illusionist & in another ( could have been The Wizard) was travelling magician with a portable stage which moved down from his 'caravan'. he was called either Nostro or even Nostradamus.

Great days, Great magic stories which fed & fired my magic ambitions a good deal.
Allen Tipton

Don't forget this chap !

Mandrake wrote:Don't forget this chap !

I managed to find scouring the net some of the old 1939 tv show of this. And it was rather good. I do like an old B movie. I was after some of the comics but alas i couldnt find any. Then again i didnt look that hard.

The Murder Artist by John Case is an excellent book - a pair of 7 year-old twins go missing at a 'knights-of-the-round-table' country fayre thing. The story follows the Dad in his hunt for them - I don't want to spoil anything, but he meets a few magicians on the way. Gripping stuff, especially in the light of recent news stories of missing children.

I can also thoroughly recommend Carter Beats the Devil by Glenn David Gold.

You will not be disappointed with either book.

Then there's 'Conjurer Dick' I think by Charles Dickens who also wrote another book/short story dealing with magicians. Found a reference to it years ago but what???? A NOTE from Mandrake tells me it is by Professor Hoffman/Angelo Lewis and is available on The Learned Pig Project site.
Thank you Mandrake.
A book Goodliffe serialised in the short lived Magic Monthly ( for boys & girls) I wagged 1/2 a day off school to be the first to get this from a local newsagents when he opened. The magazine also featured Dante! Goodliffe had read it in his youth and thought others should. A boy's name was the title; something like Joe Strong, Boy Magician.

Then there's the short story; 'The Magic Shop' by H.G. Wells. Frightened me a lot when I was 11.

And don't forget the Clayton Rawson books like Death In A Top Hat and Footprints On the Ceiling! Think the hero/magician was The Great Merlini but I haven't read them since the late 40's!

Allen Tipton