by Fireclown
Suggested reading for the confused AMC reader, with some pointers on locating as well as content, not comprehensive and extremely subjective.
Basic Books:
Liber Null & Psychonaut, Peter J. Carroll
This is the best basic intro, goes into much theory and some practice primarily rooted in Austin Spare, Aleister Crowley, etc...gives good info on Chaoist Jargon, such as use of the ideas 'chaos, kia, paradigm paradox modulated, etc. The sigils section is born out of the works of Austin Osman Spare, and are simple and basic. His work on the Alphabet of Desire might mean something to him, but in view of Spare I can't tell where he came up with the stuff. Good practical work in many sections, much odd theorizing, such as what happens to the Kia after death. All and all, an impressive work, which should be read by anyone interested in magick.
Chaos Condensed, Phil Hine, original chapbook, 1992 Phoenix Publications and Chaos International.
I love this book. It is short, extremely practical, often hilarious, and is everything that the book of the same name, published 1995 by New Falcon fails to be at four times its length.
The Book of Results, Ray Sherwin,1978, 1980, 1983, 1992.
The '92 edition published by Revelations 23 Press. This is perhaps my favorite Chaotext. Sherwin co-founded the IOT, and left sometime later, I can't recall when. Fifty pages of highly directed, highly intelligent, highly practical work using sigils to perform magick in all areas of life. The Caltrops of Chaos banishing is very strange, though I've never used it to any great effect. "This guy's intense -- and I thought I was militant" Fra. Animus Accipio 3° IOT
Stealing the Fire from Heaven, Stephen Mace, privately printed, in New Haven, Connecticut, my copy is Fourth Edition, Revised and Enlarged, 1984.
This is, to my style of work, the most important book on the magick of Austin Spare, outside of the originals. Mace, like Sherwin, has rightly taken the position that Sigils lead to their own system of magick. Mace prepares a fine body of practice, which should suit most solo sorcerers of the Zos Kia Cultus bent just beautifully. Unpompous, clear, concise, self published, everything I want in a book and less. Less Dreck, that is. 106 pages.
SSOTBME, no author (Ramsey Dukes). 1979 Nigel Grey-Turner, London, distributed by Samuel Weiser.
This book made me realize I was a magician, not insane. Or at least both a magician, and insane. Great, funny, a Grimoire disguised as an essay, only 96 pages long (I like short books, and often, short women), as well as the best book to give to people if you want them to think you are smart and goofy, as opossed to stupid and psychotic. Find it. Buy it. Read it blind drunk the first time, maybe the second time too...
Chaos, the Broadsheets of Ontological Anarchy, Hakim Bey, no copyright 1985 Grim Reaper Books.
Can more easily be had as part of a longer book, T.A.Z.-the Temporary Autonomous Zone, also Hakim Bey, Autonomedia, sometime in the last few years. Cheap, too. The first is a whopping 46 page large print book, the better be assimilated by blind or really stoned people in ill lit squats. Fine theory/poetry inspirational work, pretty much like one of those 'thought for every day' tomes published by that Twelve Step Publisher. However, there are only thirteen chapters. I expect this is because Bey figured his readers to be unrepentant burnout perverts (UBP), and knows what the memory can get like... The UBP Sorcerers Bible. Read in conjunction with SSOTBME whilst hitchiking across country, navigation courtesy of the Tao Teh King, and you may turn out like me. Highly recomended.
Practical Sigil Magick, Frater U.D., Llewellyn, year unknown,
I sold mine to get Visual Magick. As I recall, a good intro text on sigils, much easier to get but nowhere as good as the Sherwin/Mace combo. Solid work, good writing, someone else can review it, not really my style. Easy to find, though, and well worth reading.
Visual Magick - A Manual of Freestyle Shamanism, by Jan Fries, Mandrake (of Oxford, there are at least two Mandrakes) 1992.
This book, however, IS really my style. Probably the best moderately available text on the subject. Fries does not use 'Chaos Magick' as a term, but the sources are the same, and the angle of approach is quite different. Filled with useful technique, sanity (but not too sane) Fries blends Spare/Crowley/Neuro-Linguistic Programming/Behavioral Psych. and paganism into a fine and heady brew for those who work and experiment more than they theorize. 136 pages, indexed.
Chaos & Sorcery, Nicholas Hall, Nick Hall Published 1992.
To my knowledge, there are only 300 copies of this book in English, and I don't know if the German edition ever saw the light of day. I hope so, because it is the only book of its kind. A solid, powerful work of sorcery, as defined by the book: "The art of using material bases to enhance a magickal conjuration, the outcome of which is determined by the sorcerer's will." I will quote a quote here, from an unknown source: "sharp, fast, unsentimental". This book is actually enough to get you into and out of all sorts of trouble. Chapter Titles should make the content clear: 1) Tools of Sorcery. 2) Techniques of Sorcery. 3) Malicious Doll Magick. 4) Beneficial Doll Magick. 5) Word Weaving. 6) Chaos and Sorcery. 111 pages, every one devoid of morality, in other words, a truly fine work.
Prime Chaos, Phil Hine, Chaos International,1993.
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Excellent work mostly focused on group Chaos Magick, therefore the only work of it's kind to date. One of the most firmly rooted in the modern world texts on Chaoism to be had. I think there were no more than 4-500 made. Sure to be re-released in a big print run in the next year or two. I hope... This book and others by Mr. Hine are why I don't like the New Condensed Chaos.
Chaos Ritual, Steve Wilson, Neptune Press 1994.
This book, I can only describe as 'rad'. I am, after all, a born and bred Kalifornian, and it is therefore permitted. BOOM! Goes this book, heading in a very different way than all other books on Chaos Magick, and a good, helpful, practical and enjoyable ride it is. A strange work in three parts, one of Chaos Yoga (for lack of a better description), another on Medicine Wyrd (Chaos Shamanism) and the third, the Chaoetia, which as you might have guessed, it rather like a Chaos Goetia. Buy This Book, it 'Rocks'.
In Chaos,
Fireclown
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