When magic malfunctions, things get interesting.

A misspoken incantation. A miscalculated potion. A wish made in desperation, or a spell cast with too much confidence. Magic Malfunction is an anthology that explores the consequences, both comic and catastrophic, when the arcane arts—or the pacts to acquire them—go awry.

Storytellers and readers have been fascinated by this theme for centuries. "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" goes back to the 18th century, and the Faustian bargain has its origins five hundred years before that, yet both are retold and re-set in multiple forms—novels, films, operas, symphonies, ballets, comics, manga, and anime—with every passing generation.