Conjuring Magic

Reviews of Conjuring Asia: Magic, Orientalism and the Making of the Modern World by Chris Goto-Jones and Making Magic: Religion, Magic, and Science in the Modern World

By Randall Styers

REVIEWED BY MICHELLE AINSWORTH

“Just about anything can be magic, but almost nothing is.”

—Chris Goto-Jones, Conjuring Asia

“Theoretical debates over magic have persisted because of their resonance with broader contemporary social concerns.”

—Randall Styers, Making Magic

How was the magic of distant lands perceived in the 20th century? In his 2016 book Conjuring Asia: Magic, Orientalism, and the Making of the Modern World, philosopher Chris Goto-Jones discusses western stage magicians’ use of Asian themes in their acts and writings, as a vehicle for discussing the meaning of magic today. In the 2004 book Making Magic: Religion, Magic, and Science in the Modern World, religion professor Randall Styers discusses how anthropologists and other scholars analyzed “native” magic over the past century. Both books frame discussions of magic around modernity, including the dominance of science.

In Conjuring Asia Goto-Jones attempts a potentially compelling discussion of the relationship between 20th century Anglo-American entertainment magic and Asia. He has rich material to draw on, including the trend among early 20th century Western magicians of adopting faux Asian personae, and the turn of the century writings by stage magicians about Asia or the supernatural. Skeptics will find a lot to value in the book, including discussions of the late 19th century occult revival and stage magician’s critiques of its frauds, the familiar Arthur C. Clarke dictum that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” the question of entertainment magicians being portrayed as having “real” magical powers, and prominent appearances by skeptical magical entertainers Darren Brown and Penn & Teller.