Science Fiction is usually thought of as a modern genre, something that could only be ‘invented’ in these more modern times where technology and imagination combine to bring us thrilling stories. That, of course, is true, but these authors in the 19th Century were far ahead of their own times, and perhaps, still of ours.1 - Sci-Fi Stories Written in the 19th Century - An Introduction2 - A Thousand Deaths by Jack London3 - The Tachypomp by Edward Page Mitchell

In this series we listen to short stories that are NOT by perhaps the most well-known author of this type. But the many other rich talents in the volume may have treated the subject matter a little differently, or were perhaps just over-looked in the stampede to applaud the winner, but these authors are of equal merit.Each of their works is laden with talent, has purpose, and is rich and textured in this gloried niche of literature.1 - Dystopian Stories That AREN'T Fahrenhe...

A fascinating journey through the history of railways, packed with first-hand accounts of innovation, triumph, and tragedy.From the earliest steam engine to the high-speed bullet trains of today, A Short History of the Railway reveals the hidden stories of railway history across the world - the inspired engineering; the blood, sweat, and tears that went into the construction of the tracks; the ground-breaking innovations behind the trains that travelled along them;...

We’ve all imagined not just being some place else but being at a different time too. Either fast forwarding to what might be or returning to a previous time to re-run our lives with a different and better outcome. When our authors amplify that amazing things happen as their narratives glide around the portals of time creating clever literature in their wake.

Short stories have always been a sort of instant access into an author’s brain, their soul and heart. A few pages can lift our lives into locations, people and experiences with a sweep of landscape, narration, feelings and emotions that is difficult to achieve elsewhere.In this series we try to offer up tried and trusted ‘Top Tens’ across many different themes and authors. But any anthology will immediately throw up the questions – Why that story? Why that author?The theme ...

In this series we turn the pages of classic short stories to put together the literary building blocks of how a particular genre or theme began, how it built its foundations to become the well-loved and well-worn genre that it is today.Do authors have the same ideas at more or less the same time? Or can they sniff out an opportunity as to which way the tastes of an audience are moving.Success undoubtedly builds success and in literary terms we can more politely say that imi...

In this series we turn the pages of classic short stories to put together the literary building blocks of how a particular genre or theme began, how it built its foundations to become the well-loved and well-worn genre that it is today.Do authors have the same ideas at more or less the same time? Or can they sniff out an opportunity as to which way the tastes of an audience are moving.Success undoubtedly builds success and in literary terms we can more politely say that imi...

We all know ‘time’ as that singular thing that journeys us from the present to the future. In this volume its really not like that at all. These stories jump backwards and slip forwards and sometimes set themselves on repeat just because that is the intention of our talented authors. They love to play with their imaginations and take us along for the ride.

Throughout the long centuries of human history is the want, and the need, to share information, to exchange ideas and for that knowledge and experience, for curiosity and learning, to be the basis of a civil society.In literature the ambition is much narrower. In order to be known, to be popular, you had to be published. And for that people had to know you existed and your ideas worth reading. Obviously for most of humanity’s time people couldn’t read and texts couldn’t be publishe...

Throughout the long centuries of human history is the want, and the need, to share information, to exchange ideas and for that knowledge and experience, for curiosity and learning, to be the basis of a civil society.In literature the ambition is much narrower. In order to be known, to be popular, you had to be published. And for that people had to know you existed and your ideas worth reading. Obviously for most of humanity’s time people couldn’t read and texts couldn’t be publishe...

In this series we listen to short stories that are NOT by perhaps the most well-known author of this type. But the many other rich talents in the volume may have treated the subject matter a little differently, or were perhaps just overlooked in the stampede to applaud the winner, but these authors are of equal merit.Each of their works is laden with talent, has purpose, and is rich and textured in this gloried niche of literature.01 - Classic Sci-Fi Stories Not by Isaac As...

Richard Horatio Edgar Wallace was born on the 1st April 1875 in Greenwich, London. Leaving school at 12 because of truancy, by the age of fifteen he had experience; selling newspapers, as a worker in a rubber factory, as a shoe shop assistant, as a milk delivery boy and as a ship’s cook.By 1894 he was engaged but broke it off to join the Infantry being posted to South Africa. He also changed his name to Edgar Wallace which he took from Lew Wallace, the author of Ben-Hur.In ...