Deirdre Loughridge & Thomas Patteson, "The Museum of Imaginary Musical Instruments" (Reaktion, 2026)

About this episode

This episode features a discussion with Deirdre Loughridge and Thomas Patteson about their book exploring fictional musical instruments and their cultural significance.

The Museum of Imaginary Musical Instruments (Reaktion, 2026) by Dr. Deirdre Loughridge & Dr. Thomas Patteson is a guided tour through centuries of instruments that never existed. From ancient myths to futuristic media, these imagined devices appear in literature, theory, video games and art, at times echoing real instruments, other times pushing far beyond the bounds of technology. This book presents a wide-ranging collection of such creations, showing how they reflect changing ideas about sound, invention and the limits of the possible. At once a cultural history and a study of creative thought, it uncovers unexpected links between music, design and the human urge to make meaning through sound. These are not just fictional artefacts – they are windows into what music might mean, even when it cannot be played. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your…

People in this episode

Host: Miranda Melcher

Guests: Deirdre Loughridge, Thomas Patteson

Topics covered

• imaginary instruments
• cultural history
• music and design
• creative thought
• sound and meaning

Keywords

• musical instruments
• cultural history
• sound
• creativity
• design
• music theory

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Reaktion

Books & works: The Museum of Imaginary Musical Instruments

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