"A modern-day bard."—Madeline Miller, author of Circe and The Song of Achilles "Shaw has so much wisdom and knowledge about the old stories, it emanates from his pores."—John Densmore, The Doors "Through feral tales and poetic exegesis, Martin Shaw makes you re-see the world, as a place of adventure and of initiation, as perfect home and as perfectly other. What a gift."—David Keenan, author of Xstabeth "I can still remember the first time I heard Martin Shaw tell a story. The tale that emerged was like a living thing, bounding around, throwing itself at us there listening. I had never heard anything like it before."—Paul Kingsnorth, Booker shortlisted author of The Wake Today, as we are confronted by not one, but many crossroads in our lives – identity, technology, love, seduction, politics – celebrated mythologist and wilderness guide Martin Shaw delivers Smoke Hole – three ancient myths that serve as metaphors for our world today. Assailed by the seductive promises of social media and shadowed by a pandemic that brought loneliness to an all-time high, Martin argues that we are losing our sense of direction, our sense of self. He invites us to use these stories to help find ‘a commons for the imagination, a place to breathe deeper, feel steadier and become acquainted with rapture.’ Smoke Hole is a passionate call to arms and an invitation to use these stories to face the complexities of contemporary life, from fake news to parenthood, climate crises, addictive technology and more. “When I started reading Smoke Hole , I noticed the hair on my body growing faster. Midway, my fingernails needed to be clipped sooner. By the end, my voice had dipped from a Barry Gibb falsetto to a Barry White baritone. If you dare...read with care.” —John Densmore, The Doors; New York Times bestselling author of The Seekers “Through feral tales and poetic exegesis, Martin Shaw makes you re-see the world, as a place of adventure and of initiation, as perfect home and as perfectly other. What a gift.” —David Keenan, author of Xstabeth “I read this book in one sitting. It was impossible not to. Enthralled by the first story (‘The Handless Maiden’) much as I might have been enthralled at face value by a childhood fairy tale, I read on. I began to delve deeper, drawing at first from his understandings and truths, then accepting his invitation ‘What are you going to do with it?’ (the story) to search for my own truths. Every now and then a book comes along which turns your world view inside out, and upside down. This is such a book – at once beautiful, enchanting, compelling, disarming, sobering –but ultimately liberating and enabling. Martin Shaw is a powerful storyteller, and what a story (of our times) he has to tell. We would do well to listen.” —Brigit Strawbridge Howard, author of Dancing with Bees “’The mess out there is because of a mess in here.’ With this, the fundamental teaching of all true paths, Martin Shaw launches into his great theme: what the wild, and the myths it gives birth to, can tell us about this baffling, broken moment. There is no way out without a return: maybe here you could find a story that will rescue you.” —Paul Kingsnorth, author of Alexandria “A beautiful, quietly radical book. Shaw opens the world of ancient mythology and applies it to modern life, offering the reader a poetic olive branch to help reconnect with – and, crucially, re-enchant – the fabric of life itself.” —Harry Sword, author of Monolithic Undertow “In Smoke Hole , Martin Shaw magnificently demonstrates how we need old stories to guide us through the very modern perils we are all now facing, from the pandemic to social media. His storytelling and use of language are dazzling, and through the prism of entrancingly poetic and vital tales of challenges and great testing, he illuminates the power, comfort and absolute necessity of the old stories. This is an important book: thought-provoking, heart-healing and life-enhancing; showing us how myths and metaphor can reconnect us to the wild, help us rediscover a sense of awe and find startling beauty in the strangest and most terrifying of times. Stories are always for those at a crossroads, says Martin Shaw, and as we all find ourselves at a monumental crossroads now, we need to look back to the old stories and let them show us the way forward. Martin Shaw enables us to see how if only we can learn, once again, to listen to the vital teachings and old-world wisdom held within ancient stories, they can, quite literally, save our lives. This is a book with a deep magic and a crucial message for our troubled times. To read it is to be taken on an enriching journey, to gain a new perspective, or maybe an old one. I absolutely loved it.” —Fiona Mountain, author of The Keeper of Songs “Ontological dynamite. Cutting through the techno-utopian verbiage of our age, Martin Shaw’s husbandry – his appreciation and respect for the power of modern tools; his