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...

Science has brought us many benefits for our health, our understanding, and our quality of life in all sorts of positive ways. We are all the better for it. But there is also a darker side when science reaches into the shadows. It claims that a fuller knowledge would benefit everyone, it must investigate. But, let’s be honest, some in science have lost their true calling and their ideas and notions come from these darker impulses. Their thoughts become muddled, their path more for themselv...

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 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...

The bookshelves of British literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors. From these Isles their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure. Among them is Constance Cotterell.

During the Victorian era the publishing of magazines and periodicals accelerated at a phenomenal rate. This really was mass market publishing to a hungry audience eager for literary sustenance. Many of our greatest authors contributed and expanded their reach whilst many fledging authors also found a ready source for their nascent works and careers.Amongst the very many was ‘The Yellow Book’. Although titled as ‘An Illustrated Quarterly’ it was sold as a cloth-bound hardback and wi...

Love. Perhaps the one word solution for everything. An emotion, a state of mind that we strive for, search for. A wondrous force that binds, inspires, and a force that can spin out of control; unbalanced and fragile. Love reflects, changes and embraces us all.In this series we explore the many facets of love through literary talents that span both time and country.Love should be simple, should be sincere and from the heart. But other souls, darker souls use it to obtain and...