Outside the bounds of the exact sciences and the Cartesian grid, magic denotes that which can’t easily be named or confined. Over the past months in working on this issue, we have come to see the rituals, incantations, illusions and arious acts of magic as legitimate worldbuilding strategies. Deployed intently and politically, these super-natural acts have served as a useful lens for understanding these dizzying and unmooring times.

Existing at the frayed edges and rich margins beyond dominant realities, what is often deemed as ‘magic’ defies logic and offends western enlightened sensibilities. This issue seeks to make visible rippling effects of magic through collaborative research, interviews, and contributions by students & alumni, activists, artists, and architects. These articles span colonial histories, nomadic dwellings, speculative fiction, special effects, floating universities and more.