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Haunted Histories and Troubled Pasts: Twenty-First-Century Screen Horror and the Historical Imagination
Haunted Histories and Troubled Pasts speaks to how a transnational array of recent screen entertainments participate, through horror, in public discourses of history, the social and creative work of reshaping popular understanding of our world through the lens of the past.Contemporary film and television – and popular screen cultures more generally – are distinguished by their many and varied engagements with history, including participation in worldwide movements to reconcile past losses and injuries with present legacies. The chapters in this collection address themselves to 21st-century screen horror's participation in this widespread fascination with and concern for the historical - its recurrent reimagining of the relation between the past and present, which is part of its inheritance from the Gothic. They are concerned with the historical work of horror's spectral occupations, its visceral threats of violence and its capacity for exploring repressed social identities, as well as the ruptures and impositions of colonization and nationhood.Trauma is a key theme in this book, examined through themes of war and genocide, ghostly invasions, institutionalized abuse, apocalyptic threat and environmental destruction. These persistent, fearful reimaginings of the past can take many lurid – sometimes tritely generic – forms. Together, these chapters explore and reflect upon horror's ability to speak through them to the unspoken of history, to push the boundaries and probe the fault-lines and ideological impositions of received historical narratives – while reminding us that history and the historical imagination persist as sites of contention.
Haunted Histories and Troubled Pasts: Twenty-First-Century Screen Horror and the Historical Imagination
by Amanda Howell and Stephanie GreenHaunted Histories and Troubled Pasts speaks to how a transnational array of recent screen entertainments participate, through horror, in public discourses of history, the social and creative work of reshaping popular understanding of our world through the lens of the past.Contemporary film and television – and popular screen cultures more generally – are distinguished by their many and varied engagements with history, including participation in worldwide movements to reconcile past losses and injuries with present legacies. The chapters in this collection address themselves to 21st-century screen horror's participation in this widespread fascination with and concern for the historical - its recurrent reimagining of the relation between the past and present, which is part of its inheritance from the Gothic. They are concerned with the historical work of horror's spectral occupations, its visceral threats of violence and its capacity for exploring repressed social identities, as well as the ruptures and impositions of colonization and nationhood.Trauma is a key theme in this book, examined through themes of war and genocide, ghostly invasions, institutionalized abuse, apocalyptic threat and environmental destruction. These persistent, fearful reimaginings of the past can take many lurid – sometimes tritely generic – forms. Together, these chapters explore and reflect upon horror's ability to speak through them to the unspoken of history, to push the boundaries and probe the fault-lines and ideological impositions of received historical narratives – while reminding us that history and the historical imagination persist as sites of contention.
Reading Tolkien in Chinese: Religion, Fantasy and Translation (Perspectives on Fantasy)
by Mr Eric ReindersApproaching translations of Tolkien's works as stories in their own right, this book reads multiple Chinese translations of Tolkien's writing to uncover the new and unique perspectives that enrich the meaning of the original texts. Exploring translations of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, The Children of Hurin and The Unfinished Tales, Eric Reinders reveals the mechanics of meaning by literally back-translating the Chinese into English to dig into the conceptual common grounds shared by religion, fantasy and translation, namely the suspension of disbelief, and questions of truth - literal, allegorical and existential. With coverage of themes such as gods and heathens, elves and 'Men', race, mortality and immortality, fate and doom, and language, Reinder's journey to Chinese Middle-earth and back again drastically alters views on Tolkien's work where even basic genre classification surrounding fantasy literature look different through the lens of Chinese literary expectations.Invoking scholarship in Tolkien studies, fantasy theory and religious and translations studies, this is an ambitious exercises in comparative imagination across cultures that suspends the prejudiced hierarchy of originals over translations.
Reading Tolkien in Chinese: Religion, Fantasy and Translation (Perspectives on Fantasy)
by Mr Eric ReindersApproaching translations of Tolkien's works as stories in their own right, this book reads multiple Chinese translations of Tolkien's writing to uncover the new and unique perspectives that enrich the meaning of the original texts. Exploring translations of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, The Children of Hurin and The Unfinished Tales, Eric Reinders reveals the mechanics of meaning by literally back-translating the Chinese into English to dig into the conceptual common grounds shared by religion, fantasy and translation, namely the suspension of disbelief, and questions of truth - literal, allegorical and existential. With coverage of themes such as gods and heathens, elves and 'Men', race, mortality and immortality, fate and doom, and language, Reinder's journey to Chinese Middle-earth and back again drastically alters views on Tolkien's work where even basic genre classification surrounding fantasy literature look different through the lens of Chinese literary expectations.Invoking scholarship in Tolkien studies, fantasy theory and religious and translations studies, this is an ambitious exercises in comparative imagination across cultures that suspends the prejudiced hierarchy of originals over translations.
Divergent Series Four-Book Collection (Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant, Four)
by null Veronica RothThe internationally bestselling Divergent series that inspired major motion pictures starring Shailene Woodley. These editions features exclusive content from Veronica Roth. DIVERGENT For sixteen-year-old Tris, the world changes in a heartbeat when she is forced to make a terrible choice. Turning her back on her family, Tris ventures out, alone, determined to find out where she truly belongs. Shocked by the brutality of her new life, Tris can trust no one. And yet she is drawn to a boy who seems to both threaten and protect her. The hardest choices may yet lie ahead…. INSURGENT As war surges in the factions of dystopian Chicago all around her, Tris attempts to save those she loves – and herself – while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. In times of war sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become ever more irrevocable. Radical new discoveries and shifting relationships mean that Tris must fully embrace her Divergence – even though she cannot know what might be lost in doing so. ALLEGIANT What if a single revelation – like a single choice – changed everything?What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected? Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent. FOUR: A DIVERGENT COLLECTION Readers first encountered Tobias Eaton as "Four" in Divergent. His voice is an integral part of Allegiant. Readers will find more of this charismatic character's backstory told from his own perspective in Four: A Divergent Collection. When read together, these long narrative pieces illuminate the defining moments in Tobias Eaton's life.
Robyn Silver 2: The Darkest Dream (Robyn Silver Ser. #2)
by Paula HarrisonThe boldest, brightest new heroine is back: and Robyn Silver's life hasn't got any quieter since defeating the evil vampire Pearl in The Midnight Chimes. She's now a fully fledged Chime Child and monster-hunter-in-training alongside best friends Aiden and Nora. The three suddenly start seeing nightmares - in the form of black beetles - appear around town. Who wants the people of Grimdean to be losing sleep - and why?.
Nur the Vlogger Fairy (Rainbow Magic #1154)
by Daisy MeadowsNur the Vlogger Fairy is planning Fairyland's biggest vlogger meet-up ever - Magic Vlog Con! But jealous Jack Frost wants to become a vlogging superstar and has stolen Nur's magical objects. Without them, vloggers can't make fun videos. Nur needs Rachel, Kirsty, Gracie and Khadijah's help to get her enchanted objects back and show Jack Frost that vlogging is for expressing yourself, not becoming famous. Can the fairy friends find Nur's lucky ring light, her cool camera and her magic microphone and save Magic Vlog Con? 'These stories are magic; they turn children into readers!' ReadingZone.comIf you like Rainbow Magic, check out Daisy Meadows' other series: Magic Animal Friends and Unicorn Magic!
Young Hag: A girl’s epic quest through Arthurian legend - from the award-winning illustrator
by Isabel GreenbergOnce there was magic in Britain. There were dragons and wizards and green knights and kings who pulled swords out of stones. But now, the doors to the Otherworld have closed.'Gamechanger... Will win legions of fans' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE‘I couldn't put it down. Pure magic’ MARISSA MEYER'Timeless' KATE BEATONYoung Hag has grown up believing her mother and grandmother are the last witches in the land. But when tragedy strikes, she turns her back on these tales. Where is their magic when they really need it?Then one day they find a changeling in the woods. Confronted with real magic at last, Young Hag has no choice but to believe. She sets off on the greatest quest of her life; but can Young Hag bring the magic back? Or will she become a footnote in the tale of famous kings and wizards?From the acclaimed creator of Glass Town and The One Hundred Nights of Hero comes a dazzlingly imaginative escape into the world of myth. Young Hag ingeniously reinvents the women in Arthurian legend, transforming the tales of old into a heart-warming coming-of-age story.
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods (Gods Beyond the Skies #1)
by Molly X. ChangRed Queen meets These Violent Delights and Iron Widow in an epic anti-colonial YA fantasy from debut author Molly X. Chang. 'A thrilling tale of magic and murder, intrigue and betrayal.' Cassandra Clare'Hauntingly poetic prose' Xiran Jay Zhao'A tender and brutal fantasy that will leave readers breathless and eager for more' Rebecca RossKnown as The Girl Blessed By Death, Ruying wants only to survive, but when her magic is discovered by an enemy prince she must decide if saving her family is worth betraying her country.For as long as Yang Ruying can remember, the empire of Er-Lang has been occupied by Romans, whose advanced science and military make them Gods. But these Gods are not kind. Their only gifts: cruelty, opian, and destruction.When Antony, the second Prince of Rome, uncovers Ruying's power, she becomes what she always feared: the perfect assassin. As tensions mount and rebellion stirs, Ruying can no longer deny that peace is a death sentence for Er-Lang. A death she may not be willing to deliver.
Tiny Dogs: Bea’s Secret Friends (Tiny Dogs #1)
by Rose LihouTiny dogs, big adventures!Meet the tiny dogs in this first book from debut author-illustrator Rose Lihou, with full-colour illustrations throughout.Bea and her mum are moving in with her grandparents, which will mean a new school, new friends, and big changes for Bea. . .All Bea can remember about Granny and Grandad's house is their big, beautiful garden with its colourful flowers and secret hide-and-seek spots, but when Bea and her mum arrive, the garden has grown sad and neglected.The wild garden feels like the perfect place for Bea to hide away from all the changes in her life, but when she hears a strange noise in the long grass, she can't quite believe what she finds. . .FOUR TINY DOGS, NO BIGGER THAN MICE!Follow the adventures of Bea and the tiny dogs as they become friends and work together to save the garden!
Prophet: 'Fabulous...a page-turner' Neil Gaiman
by Helen Macdonald Sin BlachéYOUR HAPPIEST MEMORY IS THEIR DEADLIEST WEAPON‘Fabulous… Present-day science fiction that feels like the best sort of spy novel’ NEIL GAIMAN***A mysterious eventAn all-American diner appears overnight in a remote British field. More and more objects materialise: toys, fairground rides, pets and other treasured mementos of the past.A weapon like no otherThe deaths quickly follow. A devastating weapon – Prophet – is bringing these memories to life, then stifling innocent people with their own joy. But nobody knows who created it, or why.A fight for the futureSunil Rao and Adam Rubenstein are tasked with investigating this strange new reality. After a troubled past together, they are drawn closer than ever to defend what they both hold most dear…***‘Prophet is a blast’ Sunday Times‘Brilliant. Hypnotically enthralling… I loved it’ CHRIS WHITAKER‘A fast-paced techno-thriller…immense fun’ GuardianREADERS LOVE PROPHET:‘It’s a wild ride and I loved it!’‘What an amazing novel…totally compelling’‘An endlessly inventive sci-fi thriller’‘Thoroughly enjoyable…full of action, drama, sci-fi twists’‘Absolutely brilliant’
The Shadow Key: The brilliant new novel from the Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author of Pandora
by Susan Stokes-ChapmanThere's something mysterious about the village of Penhelyg. Will unlocking its truth bring light or darkness?Meirionydd, 1783. Dr Henry Talbot has been dismissed from his post in London. The only job he can find is in Wales where he can't speak the language, belief in myth and magic is rife, and the villagers treat him with suspicion. When Henry discovers his predecessor died under mysterious circumstances, he is determined to find answers.Linette Tresilian has always suspected something is not quite right in the village, but it is through Henry's investigations that a truth comes to light that will bind hers and Henry's destinies together in ways neither thought possible.PRAISE FOR THE SHADOW KEY'An alluring, immersive Gothic mystery from an impressively talented writer. Susan Stokes-Chapman conjures the beauty and darkness of eighteenth-century Wales in this simmering, splendid novel' Jennifer Saint'A haunting, transporting mystery…kept me completely enthralled' Elodie Harper‘I was gripped… the story was so dark and clever’ Stacey Thomas‘Wonderful. . . an intricate plot, beautiful writing, and a clever exploration of evil. If you like my books, then you’ll love [this]’ Laura Sheperd-Robinson'A gripping, beautifully executed historical thriller, full of arcane magic and Welsh mythology' Rosie Andrews'A tale of chilling suspense, occult secrets and cunning folklore that delicately captures that entanglement of the Welsh landscape and the myths that inhabit it' Cari Williams
Cassandra in Reverse: The unforgettable Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick
by Holly SmaleIf you had the power to change the past. . . where would you start? Cassie has never really fitted in. She remembers everything. Understands nothing. And consistently says the wrong thing.So when she gets dumped, fired AND her local café runs out of banana muffins - all in one day - it feels like the end of the world.But then Cassie discovers she has the power to go back and change things.With endless chances to get it right, can she stop it all from going wrong?As featured on Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 2 Book Club, The Times & Daily Mail_________________________'A time-twisting delight' REESE WITHERSPOON'Utterly brilliant!' ZOE BALL'Everyone should read it and everyone will love it' LINDSEY KELK'Totally absorbing' GRAEME SIMSION'Sharp, funny, quirky, insightful and so very, very relatable' JOANNE HARRIS'Hilarious and heartwarming' WOMAN'S OWN'Gut-warmingly funny' EMMA JANE UNSWORTH'Truly original novel' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS'Very clever' IRISH EXAMINER'IWonderful' DAILY MAIL'This is THE book for anyone who has ever wished life came with an undo button' SOPHIE IRWIN'Smart [and] funny' THE TIMES'A triumph' SUN'Clever [and] unusual' DAILY EXPRESS'Brilliantly clever' SARAH HAYWOOD'A witty read' SUN ON SUNDAYFirst published in the UK as The Cassandra Complex.
Millennium People
by null J. G. BallardViolent rebellion comes to London’s middle classes in the extraordinary new novel from the author of ‘Cocaine Nights’ and ‘Super-Cannes’. When a bomb explodes at Heathrow, it looks like just another random act of violence to psychologist David Markham. But when he discovers that his ex-wife is among the victims he is compelled to further investigate the mysterious and shocking circumstances surrounding her death. Acting on police suspicions he immerses himself in the strange world of London’s fringe protest movements. A quiet rebellion against middle-class normality is taking place. However as civic responsibility and the trappings of consumer society are jettisoned the movement grows steadily more bellicose and Markham is increasingly lured by the idea of revolution and terror.
Crash: The Collector's Edition
by null J. G. BallardThe definitive cult, post-modern novel – a shocking blend of violence, transgression and eroticism. When Ballard, our narrator, smashes his car into another and watches a man die in front of him, his sense of sexual possibilities in the world around him becomes detached. As he begins an affair with the dead man's wife, he finds himself drawn with increasing intensity to the mangled impacts of car crashes. Then he encounters Robert Vaughan, a former TV scientist turned nightmare angel of the expressway, who has gathered around him a collection of alienated crash victims and experiments with a series of auto-erotic atrocities, each more sinister than the last. But Vaughan craves the ultimate crash – a head-on collision of blood, semen, engine coolant and iconic celebrity. First published in 1973 Crash remains one of the most shocking novels of the second half of the twentieth century and was made into an equally controversial film by David Cronenberg. Ballard’s autobiography Miracles of Life was published in 2008 and Extreme Metaphors, a collection of interviews with the author, is due out in 2012.
The Complete Riftwar Saga Trilogy: Magician, Silverthorn, A Darkness At Sethanon
by Raymond E. FeistThis ebook contains the entire trilogy The Riftwar Saga by bestselling author Raymond E. Feist, master of magic and adventure. The ebook includes Magician, Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon.
The Drowned World
by null J. G. BallardWhen London is lost beneath the rising tides, unconscious desires rush to the surface in this apocalyptic tale from the author of ‘Crash’ and ‘Cocaine Nights’. Fluctuations in solar radiation have melted the ice caps, sending the planet into a new Triassic Age of unendurable heat. London is a swamp; lush tropical vegetation grows up the walls of the Ritz and primeval reptiles are sighted, swimming through the newly-formed lagoons. Some flee the capital; others remain to pursue reckless schemes, either in the name of science or profit. While the submerged streets of London are drained in search of treasure, Dr Robert Kerans – part of a group of intrepid scientists – comes to accept this submarine city and finds himself strangely resistant to the idea of saving it. First published in 1962, Ballard’s mesmerising and ferociously imaginative novel gained him widespread critical acclaim and established his reputation as one of Britain’s finest writers of science fiction.
Extinction: a blockbuster thriller about the dangers of genetic engineering perfect for fans of Jurassic Park
by Douglas PrestonAn epic thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston, perfect for fans of Michael Crichton. Extinction explores the very real effort to resurrect the woolly mammoth and other extinct megafauna from the Pleistocene Age.Erebus Resort, occupying a magnificent hundred-thousand acre valley deep in the Colorado Rockies, offers guests the experience of viewing woolly mammoths, Irish Elk, and giant ground sloths in their native habitat, brought back from extinction through the magic of genetic manipulation. When a billionaire's son and his new wife are kidnapped and murdered in the Erebus back country by what is assumed to be a gang of eco-terrorists, Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Frances Cash partners with county sheriff James Colcord to track down the perpetrators.As killings mount and the valley is evacuated, Cash and Colcord must confront an ancient, intelligent, and malevolent presence at Erebus, bent not on resurrection... but extinction.Reviews for Extinction'A creepy and creative variation on Jurassic Park... as smart and spine-chilling as the best of Michael Crichton.' Publishers WeeklyA thriller as breathlessly riveting as you would expect from a genre master like Douglas Preston, but much more too: it's meaty and thought-provoking, and tells us a lot about our distant past - and our immediate future. Spectacular!' Lee Child'One of the most heart-stopping, terrifying climaxes of any novel I've read in recent years. Preston ingeniously combines real-life science and technology into his novels, and Extinction brings it all together in a thriller that's truly thrilling!' Tess Gerritsen'Preston is a master storyteller. I'm still thinking about Extinction which is both entertaining and frightening, every page like a tasty treat. You have to read this!' Steve Berry
Blood Justice (Blood Debts)
by Terry J. Benton-WalkerBlood Justice is the hotly anticipated sequel to Terry J. Benton-Walker's debut Blood Debts.'An extravaganza' Chloe GongCristina and Clement Trudeau have conjured the impossible: justice. Having restored their family's stolen throne, the time has come to look forward to a brighter future for the magical community. But for Valentina Savant, she lost everything and is hellbent on revenge. And lucky for her, she's not the only one. Hateful anti-magic protesters and a ruthless detective with a personal vendetta sabotage their reign at every turn. Worst of all, to protect the boy he loves, Clem has summoned a brutal god that stalks them from the shadows. Shocking murders, disappearances, and new alliances are changing the game forever - and not everyone will survive the final round.'Sings with hope and barely disguised rage'TJ Klune
Conan the Barbarian: The Official Story of the Film
by John WalshIn 1982, Robert E. Howard's iconic literary anti-hero, Conan, slashed his way from page to screen after a perilous decades-long journey. With its potent mix of epic vistas and bloody battles, Conan the Barbarian thrilled moviegoers around the world and launched the career of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Forty years after its release, this cult-classic film is celebrated in Conan the Barbarian – The Official Story of the Film, a lush hardback volume that tells the full story of how the film was made. Brand new interviews with cast and crew, as well behind-the-scenes photography from the set and concept art created for the production, give fascinating insights into the development of one of the best-loved fantasy films of the 1980s.
Fox Bites
by Lloyd Markham'a new original voice' – Joanne Harris 'A unique voice... in Markham those who feel that they are voiceless or trapped have found a distinct champion.' – Wales Arts Review When Taban wishes for the world to end something out there . . . hears him. Soon the young boy is being stalked by a fox whose salivating jaws drag him into strange dreams. Dreams where he is a revolutionary with ancient psychic powers fighting against a tyrannical regime. He awakes with glowing scars that only he can see and the lingering embers of telekinetic abilities. Honing this flicker of power over years he plots revenge on the bullies who've abused him. In exchange he will become the conduit for the world's end. But what if he changes his mind? Surely we can all come back from the edge? Can we? Set in Zimbabwe during the early 2000s, amidst a backdrop of political turmoil, Fox Bites is a dark coming-of-age horror fantasy about pain, loneliness, and stepping back from the abyss.
Small Hours: the spellbinding new novel from the author of ISAAC AND THE EGG
by Bobby Palmer'Powerful' JOANNA GLEN'Beautiful' KATE SAWYER'A triumph' JENNIE GODFREYThe eagerly awaited new novel from Bobby Palmer, author of the critically acclaimed debut Isaac and the Egg.If you stood before sunrise in this wild old place, looking through the trees into the garden, here's what you'd see:A father and son, a fox standing between them.Jack, home for the first time in years, still determined to be the opposite of his father.Gerry, who would rather talk to animals than the angry man back under his roof.Everything that follows is because of the fox, and because Jack's mother is missing. It spans generations of big dreams and lost time, unexpected connections and things falling apart, great wide worlds and the moments that define us.If you met them in the small hours, you'd begin to piece together their story.'A magical, comforting read that touches on father-son relationships, male mental health and the healing power of nature' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING'A beautiful examination of love and loss' HEAT'Tender and touching' GLAMOUR PRAISE FOR ISAAC AND THE EGG'A tender story of love, grief and the transformative power of friendship' Guardian'Truly one of the most beautiful stories you will ever read' Joanna Cannon'Will linger longer after the final page' Independent'Unique, tender and funny' Pandora Sykes'A future classic' Clare Mackintosh'Like nothing I've ever read before' Stylist'An arresting debut novel about grief in the most wonderfully oblique way' Reverend Richard Coles'Just magic' Kate Sawyer
Planet of the Apes (Cinema Classics Ser.)
by Pierre BoulleRead the classic, chilling dystopian novel that inspired one of the world's most iconic film franchises'A scintillating mix of sci-fi adventure and allegory' Los Angeles Times In a spaceship that can travel at the speed of light, Ulysse, a journalist, sets off from Earth for the nearest solar system. There he finds Soror, a planet which resembles his own, but where humans behave like animals, and are hunted by a civilised race of primates.Captured and sent to a research facility, Ulysse must convince the apes of their mutual origins. But such revelations will have always been greeted by prejudice and fear...'A drastic warning about where mankind's apparent desire to destroy itself might lead' The Mirror
The Queen’s Resistance (The Queen’s Rising #2)
by null Rebecca RossThe epic sequel to THE QUEEN’S RISING: a tale of love, rebellion, alliance and betrayal, from the extraordinary Sunday Times and New York Times number-one-bestselling author of DIVINE RIVALS. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J Maas and Shelby Mahurin. Brienna and her new family have restored the rightful queen to the throne of Maevana. Now begins the difficult task of uniting the land’s fourteen proud, rebellious houses – and ensuring justice is served to the Lannons, the tyrannical monarchs who ruled over Maevana for so many years. Brienna is fast becoming Queen Isolde’s most trusted counsellor; and with every day, the love she shares with Cartier deepens. But there are those who do not accept Brienna, unable to see beyond her past, while some remain faithful to the Lannons and would do anything to tear the new queen down. And when Brienna discovers the true, shocking identity of someone within the castle, it threatens everything she holds dear . . .