Photo by Nitanti Alur

“A dragon without a rider is a tragedy. A rider without a dragon is dead.”

I'm not one to brush past a fantasy book. Although Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and Lord Of The Rings are some of my lifetime-favourite reads, there have been very few misses. And then . . . there’s the bottom-of-the-barrel Twilight. series.

Fantasy books are my safe haven, so I’m very careful about those I add to my book pile. So, when my Instagram algorithm — which currently only gives me book recommendations — sent rave video reviews for Fourth Wing, I knew I had to check it out.

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Culture Feature

The Real-Life Magic of "Lovecraft Country": Interview with a Korean Shaman

There is a growing movement to reclaim indigenous Korean culture, which has normalized the role of mudangs in Korean society.

South Korean Female Shaman

Photo by Jeon Heon-Kyun, Shutterstock

HBO's Lovecraft Country recently introduced mainstream America to a witchy Korean character called a "mudang."

This is not fiction, however; mudang is a real title given to real spiritual practitioners who are in high-demand in South Korea and the Korean diaspora community. The mudang depicted in Lovecraft Country is a pale comparison to real-life mudangs today. Who knows if the producers of the show even knew that mudangs were real (although plenty of people in Hollywood are aware, and some are even starting to consult with mudangs like Jennifer)?

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Why Matthew Gray Gubler Lives in a "Haunted Tree House"

Matthew Gray Gubler might love Halloween and live in a haunted treehouse, but the best gift that he's probably ever given the Internet was the following series of iconic photos.

Red-sweater Gubler clearly knows all the secrets of the universe, and he knows exactly which card you picked.

He is truly powerful in these photos, possessing a kind of queer, magical internal life force that burns through the screen and creates an intoxicating sense of calm. With a Criminal Minds revival on the horizonrevival on the horizon, there's no better time than now to revisit Gubler's most photogenic moments to date.

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TV Features

Netflix Adds a Little Haitian Voodoo to "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch"

It's a major step towards including Black spiritualism in TV storylines.

Netflix Logo -

Photo by David Balev (Unsplash)

As far as Netflix original series go, The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina The Teenage Witch is a well-curated playlist of supernatural entities, occult practices, and teenage angst.

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TV

"American Gods" Doesn't Understand the Importance of Black Spiritualism

"American Gods" committed an unnecessary diversity fail.

Photo by Sonika Agarwal Unsplash

American Gods, the TV show based on Neil Gaiman's award-winning novel of the same name, premiered in 2017.

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Top Stories

Illusionist Ryan Oakes To Perform At Charity Benefit In NYC

This Man of Mystery Is Performing for A Great Cause

Magic trick by Ryan Oakes at Toy Fair '13

Fresh Art is a NYC charity that creates artistic and personal development opportunities disadvantaged and undeserved adults.

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