I'd studied 16th century science and magic. I thought it was strange that people were interested in the same kinds of things my research was about. The more I thought about it, the more intriguing it became and pretty soon I was writing a novel about a reluctant witch and a 1500-year-old vampire.
Deborah HarknessIt was a brutal picture, a tug-of-war between two equal but opposing impulses. It had the ring of truth, however.
Deborah Harknessthereโs nothing more powerful than human fearโnot magic, not vampire strength. Nothing.
Deborah HarknessI saw the logic that they used, and the death of a thousand cuts as experimental scientists slowly chipped away at the belief that the world was an inexplicably powerful, magical place. Ultimately they failed, though. The magic never really went away. It waited, quietly, for people to return to it when they found the science wanting.
Deborah Harkness