In this specially-commissioned anthology, sixty accomplished authors share secrets and insights into their writing lives: on their inspirations, methods, wild ideas and daily routines; on the pleasure
From the enrapturing tales of H. G. Wells to the punishing dystopian visions of 1984 and beyond, the evolution of science fiction from the 1890s to the 1960s is a fascinating journey to undertake. Set
Unlike the Gothic, which tends to fixate on the past, the haunted, and the ghostly, early weird fiction tends to probe, instead, the very boundaries of reality, exploring the laws and limits of time,
First published in 1724 following a marked increase in pirate attacks on the Spanish Main and the resultant Wapping executions, Captain Charles Johnson's A General History of Pirates is the most famou
From the first cheese, dating to 5000 BC, food journalist Patrick McGuigan travels through Feta's relation to ancient faiths, the influence of monks on Munster, the rise of Roquefort and the global tr
The murder, a brutal stabbing, definitely took place on Guy Fawkes' night. It was definitely by the bonfire on the village green. There were definitely a number of witnesses. And yet, was it definitel
David Tompkins thinks it is a splendid idea to open a tea garden at his Kentish cottage. His wife, Germayne, is not so sure. The local villagers are divided on the matter, and not necessarily supporti
This stunningly illustrated new book focuses on 76 intricate, expressive and individual examples of calligraphy from the unparalleled collection of the British Library. The author, a renowned expert o
Science fiction has always confronted the concerns of society, and our concern over humanity's ecological impact on nature has inspired incredible stories for generations. In this new collection of st
On a dismally foggy night in Hampstead, London, a curious party has gathered in an artist's studio to weather the wartime blackout. A civil servant and a government scientist are matching wits in a ga
From the imaginations of Gothic short-story writers such as Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mary Shelley and H.P. Lovecraft came one of the most complex of villains - the mad scientist. Promethe
Strangling vines and meat-hungry flora fill this unruly garden of strange stories, selected for their significance as the seeds of the villainous (or perhaps just misunderstood) `killer plant' in fict
A splash of something huge resounds through the sea-fog. In the stillness of a dark room, some unspeakable evil is making its approach. This new selection offers the most chilling and unsettling of Ho
Between horror and fantasy lies a world in which the inexplicable remains unsolved and the rational mind is assailed by impossible questions. Welcome to the realm of Dark Fantasy, where safe answers a
London. 1945. The capital is shrouded in the darkness of the blackout, and mystery abounds in the parks after dusk. During a stroll through Regents Park, Bruce Mallaig witnesses two men acting suspici
A Christmas party is punctuated by a gunshot under a policemans watchful eye. A jewel heist is planned admist the glitz and glamour of Oxford Streets Christmas shopping. Lost in a snowstorm, a man fin
From the publication in 1595 of the first atlas by Flemish cartographer Gerhard Mercator, the term has become a universally adopted title for books containing accurate, uniform, and evenly spread maps
Polish off your magnifying glass and step into the shoes of your favourite detectives as you unlock tantalising clues and solve intricate puzzles. There are over 100 criminally teasing challenges to b
Adrian Gray was born in May 1862 and met his death through violence, at the hands of one of his own children, at Christmas, 1931. Thus begins a classic crime novel published in 1933, a riveting portra
John Wilkins meets a beautiful, irresistible girl, and his world is turned upside down. Looking at his wife, and thinking of the girl, everything turns red before his eyes the colour of murder. This a
As we look back upon past centuries, and can scarce repress our laughter at many of the absurd fancies in costumes our ancestors wore our present beloved fashions, equally in their turn may become sub
A classic book on two of English literature's most iconic chrarcters.First published in 1953, this is one of the earliest and best studies of Sherlock Holmes. S C Roberts searches Conan Doyle's storie
H. P. Lovecraft is best known for his tales of cosmic horror, in which unnameable nightmares torment the limits of human consciousness. This mastery of weird and unspeakable terror is underpinned by t
Through the double clamour of Big Ben and the shrill sound of the bell rang a revolver shot. A financier is found shot in the House of Commons. Suspecting foul play, Robert West, a parliamentary priva
This book tells the story of crime fiction published during the first half of the twentieth century. The diversity of this much-loved genre is breathtaking, and so much greater than many critics have
This book tells the story of crime fiction published during the first half of the twentieth century. The diversity of this much-loved genre is breathtaking, and so much greater than many critics have
Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia are centres for the preservation of local artistic traditions. Chief among these are manuscripts, a vital source for our understanding of Buddhist ideas and practice
Discover the world through the eyes of the greatest explorers in history. Find out how the world was first circumnavigated by a slave and how travellers overcame the challenge of not having enough to
Featuring twelve stories by a roster of classic SF authors including Arthur C. Clarke, H.G. Wells and John Wyndham. Before the Apollo 11 mission succeeded in landing on the Moon in 1969, writers and v
These ten short stories from the golden age of science fiction feature classic SF writers including H.G. Wells, Ray Bradbury and J.G. Ballard, as well as lesser-known writers from the genre. An antiqu
Throughout history people have sought ways in which to map the heavens. From the sources of mathematics and mythology sprang the classic star chart, the finest examples of which are both scientific do
This is a short, entertaining and illuminating introduction to the history and culture of coffee, from the humble origins of the bean in northeast Africa over a millennium ago, to what it is today, a
Of the monsters that stalked the pages of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century fiction, the werewolf has continued to represent the beast lurking underneath the veneer of human civilisation to this
At 2pm on a Monday in 1966, Ned Balfour wakes in Corsica beside a beautiful woman. In the same instant, back in London, fellow art dealer and Dachau survivor Sam Weiss falls ten stories to his death.
The Second World War sparked the writing of hundreds of short stories, by servicemen and women as well as civilians. They appeared in magazines and collections during and after the war, and addressed
Leo Selver, a middle-aged antiques dealer, is stunned when the beautiful and desirable Judy Latimer shows an interest in him. Soon they are lying in each other's arms, unaware that this embrace will b
Beliefs & Ideas aims to illustrate to children how different strains of thought have evolved and influenced the world around them. Ancient civilisations and world religions are explored as well as the
A visitor from an alternate world is glimpsed in a snowy churchyard; a box contains a creature that resembles (but not quite closely enough) a human being; two schoolboys spend a holiday with a sinist
Locked-room mysteries and other impossible crime stories have been relished by puzzle-lovers ever since the invention of detective fiction. Fiendishly intricate cases were particularly well suited to
A woman is on trial for her life, accused of murder. The twelve members of the jury each carry their own secret burden of guilt and prejudice which could affect the outcome. In this extraordinary crim
