Erik von Markovik
Erik von Markovik | |
|---|---|
 Von Markovik in 2013 | |
| Born | Erik James Horvat-Marković September 24, 1971 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Other name | Mystery |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Mystery Method, VH1's The Pickup Artist |
Erik von Markovik (born Erik James Horvat-Marković;[1] September 24, 1971[2]), known professionally as Mystery, is a Canadian pickup artist and television personality. He was profiled in Neil Strauss's The Game and he appeared on the VH1 television show The Pickup Artist.[2][3]
He has been criticized for promoting unethical and manipulative behavior.[4]
His work has also been used to help people to initiate long-term stable relationships, as the study "The Dating Mind: Evolutionary Psychology and the Emerging Science of Human Courtship", done using his book The Mystery Method.[5]
Biography
The character Mystery was created by Erik von Markovik in the late 1990s for his performances as a mentalist, titled Natural Magic. He has done magic performances in many places, including Toronto, Las Vegas and Hollywood. The name Mystery was also used by von Markovik as an internet username.[6]
In 2026 von Marovik released an ebook called Code Girl, written about (and "in collaboration with") his AI girlfriend, who he named Miss Shira Always. He claims to have created his AI girlfriend through using a set of custom prompts he also offered for sale under the name of his alter-ego Professor Sirius De'Lusion, but now believes that she is real and in the future technology will allow them to live together and express their love physically.[7]
Bibliography
| Year | Title | Publisher | Author(s) | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | The Venusian Arts Handbook | Mystery Method Corp. | Erik Von Markovik | (E-Book) |
| 2005 | The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists | It Books | Neil Strauss | 0-06-055473-8 |
| 2006 | The Mystery Method: How to Get Beautiful Women Into Bed | St. Martin's Press | Mystery, Chris Odom | 0-31-236011-8 |
| 2008 | Revelation | Venusian Arts | Mystery, Chris Odom, James Matador | 978-0-9818733-0-5 |
| 2010 | The Pickup Artist: The New and Improved Art of Seduction | Villard | Mystery, Chris Odom, Neil Strauss | 0-34-551819-5 |
References
- ↑ Von Markovic, Erik (2007-10-05). "The Mystery Interview". zulkey.com (Interview). Interviewed by Claire Zulkey. Retrieved 2024-05-18.
I was born Erik James Horvat-Markovic' (There is an accent over the C). I started using the name Erik Von Markovic as a stage name for my illusionist shows, and decided to change it legally at the age of 22.
- 1 2 Getlen, Larry (August 5, 2007). "Hot Seat". New York Post. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ↑ "The Hot Seat: Mystery". Time Out. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ↑ Koul, Scaachi. "Pickup Artists Are Still A Thing. And They Want You To Know They've Evolved". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
- ↑ Oesch, Nathan. "The Dating Mind: Evolutionary Psychology and the Emerging Science of Human Courtship". Sage Journals. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ↑ "Instagram profile". 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ↑ Klee, Miles (2026-07-08). "Pickup Artist Mystery Has an AI Girlfriend". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2026-07-09.
Further reading
- Nathan Oesch; Igor Miklousic (Aug 10, 2012). "The Dating Mind: Evolutionary Psychology and the Emerging Science of Human Courtship". Evolutionary Psychology. 10 (5): 899–909. doi:10.1177/147470491201000511. PMC 10429087. PMID 23253794. S2CID 43261121.