13 original routines and 7 thought-provoking essays in one gorgeous hardcover book specifically written for the most loyal and devoted magic enthusiasts.
Reality is Magic by Anson Chen is so much more than just another compilation of tricks. It is a celebration of our fascinating journey as magicians and a rare chance to view a world in which “real” magic can exist.
The only thing that rivals the contents is the book itself. Designed to perfection by The NEAT Review (the super talented creative team behind Derren Brown’s Notes From a Fellow Traveler), and complemented by spectacular linocut artwork from Dr. Will Houstoun, this will be a cherished addition to the library of any erudite.
Within the pages of this beautiful book, you’ll find 13 of the most closely-guarded routines from Anson’s 20+ year magical career. These road-tested effects span everything from close-up magic to parlor magic and even mind-blowing mentalism. Each one has astounded lay audiences and magicians alike across the globe.
Those seeking the real secrets though, will find them in the essay section where Anson shares invaluable advice on how to accelerate your progress as a student of magic and develop presentations that elevate simple tricks into veritable miracles that leave your audience with impossible memories.
This one-of-a-kind book is a must-read for any magician that seeks to:
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- Create a deeper emotional impact with their magic
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- Transform their tricks into memorable showpieces
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- Develop and integrate original scripts in a way that isn’t robotic
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- Leave their audiences with memories that are impossible to forget
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- Make magic REAL for both your audience AND yourself
Nothing sums up the value of Reality is Magic more perfectly than the foreword by Luke Jermay:
“For me this book is a great gift. In this book you will find beautiful magic, highly effective premises and clever methods. But it also holds challenging but valuable theoretical explorations from a performer who has taken his time. Anson has worked in the real world and diligently explored his own relationship to the mystery arts. His explorations have taken him far from the beaten path but always with the audience experience firmly in mind. He knows great tricks, he knows great methods, and he knows that a great trick with a great method is nothing without a great presentation. All of this is evident in the material you will soon learn.”
“Anson Chen is one of the greats of our time and this book is definitely going in my library!”
Christian Grace
“There’s a small subset of us who might actually be wizards. Anson is one of them.”
Jeremy Griffith
“This is not just a book that teaches you tricks… If you read it and follow its steps, by the end of the book you will have become a better magician.”
Avi Yap
“Reality is Magic? No. Anson Chen’s new book is magic. If you are serious about giving your audiences a dream like experience with practical methods, you have to check out Reality is Magic.”
Harapan Ong
“Over decades, I’ve watched Anson’s magic evolve and flourish. His book, a hidden treasure chest of enchantment, goes beyond tricks, creating a genuine bond between magician and audience. Anson’s secrets are rooted in the power of true attention, joy, unwavering focus, and exquisite taste. With captivating aesthetics and content, it’s a work of art that both pleases the eye and touches the soul, offering a journey into genuine wonder for all who explore its pages.”
Cyril Takayama
“This book is for you if you are serious about the art of magic. Every essay and trick in there gives me goosebumps. It has been a long time since I have actually felt sparks. Thanks for giving me back the feeling of real magic!”
Henry Harrius
“Anson Chen’s lecture was outstanding. Rarely do I attend a lecture and find material suited to my style, and even more rarely does someone make an observation that changes the way I have presented an effect for decades! Anson Chen’s lecture did both. I have already incorporated one of his effects into Hidden Wonders, and I will soon be adding another as well. A thought provoking and magical lecture all magicians should experience.”
Shawn Farquhar
“I’ve already recommended this book to every single one of my friends and I’m doing it now to you as well. Go grab it. It’s fantastic! Can’t recommend it highly enough.”
Dan White
Reality is Magic by Anson Chen is available now in limited quantities. Get your copy now before they sell out.
Here is a list of the contents:
1. REALITY IS MAGIC
A short opening essay/poem that sets the tone of the book.
2. WISHSTONE
An intimate miracle that involves a floating piece of paper transforming into something meaningful for the spectator. Simple in its concept, but profound in its impact.
3. REAL MAGIC IN FAKE MAGIC
Ann essay about how to unearth the ‘real’ magic in what we do – by infusing honesty, by shifting our perspectives, by ridding our performances of B.S.
4. BLINDSPOT
A dynamic coin routine presented as a lesson in attention control.
5. ABRACADABRA
Essay on scripting, wherein Anson brings to light the importance of word choice and then provides a 5-step process on how to develop your own scripts.
6. NON-DUALITY
A notable subtlety as part of an effect dealing in ‘Dual Reality’, as some of you might be familiar with. This one’s really clever, and will have many of you shaking your heads as you read this, thinking ‘why didn’t I think of that?’
7. OUT OF HONG KONG
A new take on Vernon’s Out of Sight, Out of Mind, developed by Anson and his friend Kelvin Chow. Removes a lot of the tedium from the original routine, resulting in a streamlined version with none of the B.S. and all of the punch. Oh, and for what it’s worth, it’s FASDIU.
8. THE MENTALISTS’S DILEMMA I
Essay/thought piece/anecdote on a confrontation Anson encountered after a performance in Bali. What would you do?, he asks.
9. THOUGHT CRIME
A two-phase prediction effect involving organic, everyday items. Combines several classic principles in a devious way.
10. CLOSING THE GAP
Another subtlety, this one touching upon how to improve the less favorable outcomes of a classic principle. In this example, Anson uses ESP cards, which should tickle the fancy of any mentalist reading this.
11. THOUGHT OF CARD TRANSPOSITION
Another winner that I’ve seen Anson fry spectators with live. Thought-of Card Across: simple, clean, elegant.
12. THE MENTALIST’S DILEMMA II
A continuation of pt. 1 of the essay with the same heading. In this follow-up, Anson explores the conundrum in more detail, giving the reader more thinking material to chew on.
13. CACTUS
For those fortunate enough to have all the requisite items needed for this effect, it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser, especially if performed during a spectator’s birthday, as Anson suggests in the text. Ends with a memorable souvenir for the spectator in question.
14. SERIAL KILLER
Anson employs his tactics of combining a handful of clever psychological gambits to create a practical routine using simple props that ends up playing big in the brain-busting department. This one also requires something ‘extra’, but is more simple to obtain.
15. UBER MIRACLE
Demonstrates how a simple instance of proper framing – in this instance, time travel – can elevate an amusement to the level of a miracle.
16. SHADOW PLAY
Anson’s handling of the Haunted Deck. Practical and visual.
17. THE FULL MOON
An exercise in imagination involving two imaginary coins transforming into real ones. Takes inspiration from Garrett Thomas’ modern classic “Imagination Coins.”
18. EVALUATE
Essay about Anson’s approach to critiquing, evaluating, and therefore improving one’s performance after a show. As Anson alludes to, this crucial activity is what separates the amateurs from the pros.
19. PHOENIX
One of the book’s topological effects, wherein a burned card miraculously reappears, unharmed, inside a sealed deck. What’s notable about this routine is its conditions: as Anson writes, “there is no complex loading procedure, the magician never gets near the sealed deck, the brand new sealed deck can be displayed in front of the audience the entire time, and the deck can be given away at the end.”
20. LOCKDOWN
Another instance where Anson takes a simple principle and makes it play much bigger by layering it with added psychology, gambits, and contextual framing.
21. BEST STORY WINS
The final essay, this one about the power of story. Which is not to say that it’s about telling fables per se, but about designing and influencing the type of stories your spectators will be left telling themselves and each other after your performance. Anson lists a fair amount of distinct examples in this essay too, which all add together to drive the point home.
