Inspiration

THE BODY A BOOK OF CONJURING is a multi-POV dark fantasy inspired by the early artistic history of anatomical exploration. As a visual communications and critical theory scholar, I was very interested in medical historical representations of the body, and I stumbled upon Flemish physician Andreas Vesalius’s astounding seminal text, De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septum, 1543. On the Structure of the Human Body in Seven Books represents the artistry of the “golden age” of early anatomical exploration and imagery, which continued through the 19th century. The result was a collection of fantastical imagery with not only close detail of the body, but also cultural references, landscapes, and memento mori, of course. I was hooked, and I always wanted to share the wonder and dramatic symbolism of this anatomical imagery, but with an understanding of the moral debates and challenges that come with the use of human bodies.

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Of course, THE BODY A BOOK OF CONJURING is a fantasy novel, but there are many historical references in it that dimensionalize the world of Rina Lux, resurrection body men, and Black Rendering, and serve as resonant touchpoints for history-heads everywhere!