Magic Is Dead

In the vein of Neil Strauss The Game and Joshua Foers Moonwalking with Einstein comes the fascinating story of one mans colorful, mysterious, and personal journey into the world of magic, and his unlikely invitation into an underground secret society of revolutionary magicians from around the world.Magic Is Dead is Ian Frischs head-first dive into a hidden world full of extraordinary characters and highly guarded secrets. It is a story of imagination, deception, and art that spotlights todays most brilliant young magiciansa mysterious club known as the52, who are revolutionizing an ancient artform under the mantra Magic Is Dead.Ian brings us with him as he not only gets to know this fascinating world, but also becomes an integral part of it. We meet the52s founding membersLaura London, Daniel Madison, and Chris Ramsayand explore their personal demons, professional aspirations, and what drew them to their craft. We join them at private gatherings of the most extraordinary magicians working today, follow them to magic conventions in Las Vegas and England, and discover some of the best tricks of the trade. We also encounter David Blaine; hang out with Penn Jillette; meet Dynamo, the U.K.s most famous magician; and go behind the scenes of a Netflix magic show. Magic Is Dead is also a chronicle of magics rich history and how it has changed in the internet age, as the young guns embrace social media and move away from the old-school take on the craft.As he tells the story of the52, and his role as its most unlikely member, Ian reveals his own connection with trickery and deceit and how he first learned the elements that make magic work from his poker-playing mother. He recalls their adventures in card rooms and casinos after his fathers sudden death, and shares a touching moment that he had, as a working journalist, with his childhood idol Shaquille ONeal. Magicthe romanticism of the inexplicable, the awe and admiration of the unexpectedis an underlying force in how we view the world and its myriad possibilities, Ian writes. As his journey continues, Ian not only becomes a performer and creator of magiceven fooling the late Anthony Bourdain during a chance encounterhe also cements a new brotherhood, and begins to understand his relationship with his father, fifteen years after his death. Written with psychological acuity and a keen eye for detail, Magic Is Dead is an engrossing tale full of wonder and surprise.