Moss Witch

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The new collection of short fiction from the internationally recognised author is a compendium of stories inspired by science, accompanied by afterwords written by the scientists that consulted on each one, explaining the science behind it.

A bryologist enters an ancient British woodland to research a rare strain of moss, only to discover an even more exotic specimen…

A geologist explains the failures of the feminist movement to her teenage niece in terms of tectonic subduction…

Two Old Testament newlyweds scheme to make the most of their tightly negotiated dowry by applying 21st century genetic engineering techniques…

Each story in Sara Maitland’s new collection enacts a daring piece of alchemy, fusing together specific pieces of contemporary scientific research with an ancient myth or a folkloric archetype. As the laboratory smoke settles, we meet witches that can outwit botanists, religious soothsayers that read evolutionary biology in feverish dreams, scientists that fall in love with the birds they study….

What’s all the more extraordinary is each of these stories began as a collaboration with a scientist; and has grown out of a current piece of research. Each story also comes with a specially written afterword, penned by the scientist, and expanding upon the theory within the story – be it quantum mechanics, planetary physics, game theory, or nanotechnology…