Conjure Wife

Conjure Wife is a supernatural horror novel by the American writer Fritz Leiber, first published in the magazine Unknown in April 1943 and issued as a book later. In 2019 it was given a Retro Hugo Award for Best Novel.

The premise is that witchcraft flourishes as an open secret among women. Norman Saylor is an up-and-coming young sociology professor at a small and conservative American college, and his discoveries begin when he finds out that his wife Tansy, who is also a witch, has been protecting him from something he cannot see.

Norman insists on treating her spells as superstition and makes her stop, and from that point his professional life begins to come apart. The story is told from his point of view, which means the reader learns what is happening at roughly the same rate he does, and the novel's influence has been wide: it is said to have been the basis for three films, made in 1944, 1962 and 1980. It has also been read as an early treatment of witchcraft as a hidden part of ordinary professional life.