Scorpion

Louise M. Pryke is an Honorary Associate and Lecturer at the University of Sydney. She is the author of Scorpion (Reaktion, 2016), Ishtar (2017) and Gilgamesh (2019).

"The book is packed with fascinating facts, figures and stories elucidating our long relationship with these amazing arachnids . . . While the sting is doubtlessly the dominant characteristic in the human cultural definition of what is a scorpion?, Louise M. Pryke shows that, despite their capacity to kill, our framing of the scorpion has never been simple . . . The book is amply illustrated with good quality photos of scorpions and related art." - Atropos"Erudite and jargon-free, Louise M. Pryke’s book is a genuine page-turner that ranges from biology to history, from myth to culture, from astrology to science. You may be tempted to look under your bed as you read it. But worry not. Britain is scorpion-free for now." - Morning Star"Scorpions in today’s video games, tattoo art, and films carry a long history of human interpretation and re-interpretation. Rather than focusing on their natural history, this book discusses their human history . . . The scorpion’s nature unites these themes and provides meaning for all." - Choice