Here’s one from the Strange Attractor Press-A unique collection of essays taken from 3rd Stone, a magazine published from 1994 to 2003 dedicated to earth mysteries. The title of the magazine came courtesy of a song by The Jimi Hendrix Experience and the magazine was written by Danny Sullivan and his eventual wife, Jo-Anne Wilder.

The Strange Attractor Press ran a promotional run of the first 200 copies receiving a set of postcards, a sticker and a copy of the first issue of Site Hound a small press zine created by Neil Mortimer. Thankfully I got one in time!

This is a collection of the decade of their ok writing about archaeology, British folklore and mythology and the mysteries connected to the landscape. It ran at a time when the printed magazine still had a place and a commercial viability and this publication managed to bring together some of the leading writers of the day.

3rd Stone showcased a collection of both academics and enthusiasts who shared a common passion in understanding and uncovering ancient mysteries through discussion and a sharing of ideas at a time when the Neo-Pagan movement had really begun to take a renewed shape.

This publication is typical of Strange Attractor Press, they publish some of the most interesting and obscure literature to be found in stylish formats which breathes new life into the subjects. I am a big fan of taking retrospective works and bringing them to a new and wider audience and this reminds me of a time when the new issue of any magazine would bring eager anticipation and in a world of instant gratification at the expense of quality I miss that. The letters page has been replaced by a comments section prone to Spam and whilst a genuine comment on a post is always appreciated you can’t beat receiving a letter!

This collection features good arguments for the revaluation of ley lines and the work of Alfred Watkins, the legend and importance of Stonehenge, corpse ways, standing stones and circles and the Neo-Pagan movement, forgotten books and television series. Yes, the photographs and text invoke a sense of nostalgia but the subject matter, as old as time is becoming increasingly relevant in a digital age. I wonder if social media will begin to wane and the dawn of AI leaves many wanting something more real and tangible. If so, books and magazines like this provide an escape from that and a means to connect to something science still struggles to truly fathom.

Whether you are a believer or a science purist there are many unsolved mysteries and phenomena that science has been unable to explain and whilst much of what these contributors wrote is very much open to interpretation and scrutiny, they are often still waiting to be proven wrong. Personally, I envy people who are so passionate about a subject be it science, religion or folklore, I may not agree but I do want to hear what they have to say and what this book makes clear is the energy and enthusiasm these writers had for uncovering such mysteries.

Readers of 3rd Stone could attend meetings and quite literally get the t-shirt. There is a lovely piece where one t-shirt design is presented to the editor with the question “it’s not too saucy?”

There’s a brilliant reference section at the end of each chapter for books and films you’ve never heard of or forgotten all about and as you’d imagine plenty of photographs and illustrations. These contributors were serious about their work and it shows, there is a good mix of the analytical and the romance of understanding our earliest ancestors.

Related reading:

Pagans Progress

Folklore, Myths and Legends of Britain

The Lore of the Land