Freedom Is a Two-Edged Sword and Other Essays

This compilation of essays by the late rocket scientist and adherent of Aleister Crowley, Jack Parsons, is stirring in its best moments, though it is too often hackneyed and derivative. There are convincing arguments made in the titular essay, where Parsons seems to distill the spirit of Crowley into a fiery and effective political manifesto. After this, we are presented with Parsons thoughts on magick in a series of essays that are for the most part comprised only of surviving fragments. With these, Parson's begins to lean on abstractions with little exposition, throwing around terms like love and freedom as though they were concrete in and of themselves. His voice turns artificial, attempting to mimic Crowley's poetic phrasing as a show more vehicle for ideas far less interesting than those of his predecessor. The foremost essay offers valuable insights, but the same cannot be said for the remaining sections here. show less