Gods, demons, angels, etc. deal with bureaucracy and support groups in some short fantasy stories. “Magicians at Law” by Grace Seybold has arbitration and a kitty-cat: “Hm. I’m assuming, given the smell, this was a standard demonic service contract?” “…
innovation, death, sorcery and meaning
Two short, triumphant fantasy stories about well-worn prophecies and magical customs that take a left turn. “Another End of the Empire” by Tim Pratt (audio version): “The probability witches hit an impasse.” A short story by Dyce (a.k.a. Sarah Blackwel…
“Our overall goal is to follow the lead of Oregon”
Seattle Votes to Decriminalize Psilocybin and Similar Substances [ungated] – “Seattle’s city council voted unanimously to relax its rules against naturally occurring drugs, joining a handful of other cities that have decriminalized psilocybin and simil…
“People like him love standard procedure”
Two short scifi/fantasy stories in which customer service folks get to reward customers who treat them well, or punish those who treat them badly. Dyce writes about an isolated refueling station: “Out-of-hours fuelling requires a prior appointment.” Ai…
Excommunicated Spanish ‘witch’ village turns curse into tourist cash
Embracing its strange past is a blessing for Trasmoz as thousands flock to its witchcraft attractionsTucked into the foothills of northern Spain, the village of Trasmoz attracts thousands of tourists each year. For many, the allure is not its half-ruin…
Bookfilter: Magical Economies
In Ask Metafilter, miles per flower asks, “I’ve recently enjoyed a couple books that dive deep on what magic costs — Sanjena Sathian’s Gold Diggers and Naomi Novik’s A Deadly Education — and I’m looking for more to read along those lines: detailed mech…