Sci-Fi, Magick, Queer L.A.: Sexual Science and the Imagi-Nation

Considering the overlooked importance of science-fiction fandom and the occult to queer history in the US

Science fiction and occult communities helped pave the way for the LGBTQ+ movement by providing a place for individuals to meet, imagine and create a life less restricted by societal norms. Focusing on Los Angeles from the late 1930s through the 1960s, this catalog follows the lives of artists, writers, publishers, early sci-fi enthusiasts and progressive communities such as the L.A. Science Fantasy Society (LASFS), the Ordo Templi Orientis at the Agape Lodge (O.T.O.) and ONE, Inc. Spanning sci-fi fandom, aerospace research, queer history and the occult, Sci-fi, Magick, Queer L.A.: Sexual Science and the Imagi-Nation reveals how artists, scientists and visionary thinkers such as Kenneth Anger, Lisa Ben, Margaret Brundage, Morris Scott Dollens, Renate Druks, Curtis Harrington and Jim Kepner worked together to envision and create a world of their own making through films, photographs, music, illustrations, costumes and writing.
Featuring seven original essays on topics drawn from its accompanying PST ART exhibition, authors Joseph Hawkins, Joan Lubin, Alexis Bard Johnson, Ben Miller, Judith Noble, Kelly Filreis and Susan Aberth illuminate this unique historical moment alongside a generous selection of illustrations from salacious pulps, ritual paintings and archival materials. It will appeal to amateurs and enthusiasts alike, introducing rarely discussed artists such as Morris Scott Dollens, Renate Druks and Wallace Smith. Widely known figures including Cameron, Lisa Ben and Kenneth Anger are also given renewed consideration within these new contexts.