Magic

I’ve always enjoyed magic. I love magic shows. I’ve taught myself a bit of magic, though I’ve never been very accomplished. I can do this one trick with cards — just the one, maybe two — and I have a few magical decks and plenty of books.

Last night, I re-watched Now You See Me, since the sequel comes out this weekend. Initially, I thought the pacing was a little off, but I enjoyed it. It stands up to a second watching, though, quite well, and I have less issue with the pacing now that I’m seeing it again. I will probably see the sequel — soon, if not this weekend.

I’ve also been fascinated with the difference between illusion and magic — one being trickery, sleight of hand, acts of dexterity and misdirection; and the other being something more real.

I approach magic and illusion often in my stories, but never so directly as I did with the novella Pocketful of Smoke, Fistful of Glass. In this Midnight tale (no knowledge of Midnight required), nothing is as it seems. Ultimately, it is a confrontation between real magic and illusion. I enjoyed writing it, playing with the ideas and the characters. If you haven’t read it yet and decide to do so this weekend, note which characters have names and which are merely titled. And have fun with it.

Find Pocketful of Smoke, Fistful of Glass for your Kindle, or as one of several novellas in the paperback collection Tales of the Fantastic and the Phantasmagoric.