"Sex and Rockets" by John Carter

 This is a biography of rocketry pioneer Jack Parsons which explains the 'rockets' part of the title. He was also a leading member of a group of ceremonial magicians following the Thelema school of magic of Aleister Crowley; the 'sex' part of the title presumably refers to the fact that sex magic was used during their rites.

The introduction, by Robert Anton Wilson, focuses on another key alleged interest of Jack Parsons, suggesting that he was a leading communist. This is unmentioned in the body of the biography.

At times, the book's scholarship lapses. For example, there is the claim that the original owner of the house Parsons leased, in which the rites of Thelema were practised, was Arthur Fleming, “a noted philanthropist and Nobel Prize winner who had made a good deal of money in the Canadian logging industry.” (Ch 5) A very small amount of research shows that he didn't win a Nobel Prize, although a Pasadena newspaper said he was awarded a noble [sic] prize for Civic Duty. There is also a flavour of credulity, for example where it mentions “An unconfirmed statement attributed to conspiriologist John Judge claimed that Parsons may have flown with the pilot Kenneth Arnold, who in 1947 saw several silver discs over Mount Rainier in Washington state and coined the term ‘flying saucer’ to describe them.” (Ch 10) The multiple qualifications - 'unconfirmed', 'attributed to' and 'may have' - mean that this statement is so far from 'evidence' that it really shouldn't have been included in a respectable work.

A far better biography of this fascinating man is Strange Angel by George Pendel.

Selected quotes:

• “The priest ... was a lean, dynamic little man with bright, light blue eyes, driven by a virulent hatred of God. ... he was the son of a British clergyman who must have been the real target of that savage animosity.” (58)
• “The rapport between Jack and Betty, the strong affection, if not love, they had for each other, despite their frequent separate sextracurricular [sic] activities, seem pretty permanent and shatterproof.” (94)
• “He must learn that the sparkle of champagne is based on sound wine; pumping carbonic acid into urine is not the same thing.” (95, quoting Crowley)

June 2026; 203 pages

Published by Feral House in 2004

This review was written by

the author of Bally and Bro, Motherdarling 

and The Kids of God

Do What Thou Wilt is a fascinating biography of Aleister Crowley, for those with an interest in him.