The Butterfly Who Dreamt He Was a Man : Metamorphoses, Entomological and Human

Author: Boria Sax

Wildlife: butterflies, other insects & spiders

Published on 15 June 2026 by REAKTION BOOKS in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 280 pages, 41 illustrations, 13 in colour
216 x 138 | 0g

From ancient fables to modern science, insects and their metamorphoses have long inspired human understanding of life’s transitions. This original and engaging book traces how these transformations have shaped rituals around birth, marriage and death, while also provoking deep questions about identity. Through stories that connect Zhuang Zhou’s butterfly dream to figures such as Kafka, Merian and Dürer, it explores the strange, beautiful and sometimes unsettling ways in which cultures have understood insects – as miracles, messengers or monsters. Blending humour, history and environmental insight, Boria Sax offers an imaginative lens on the growing crisis of insect extinction. More than just a natural history, this is a cultural and philosophical journey that shows why losing insects means losing part of ourselves.