BIRD's EyeView of Books

Winter can make us more reflective and susceptible to hauntings, old memories, places, and long-forgotten deeds of the past. In this episode, Math looks at the haunted side of winter with ghosts both real and imagined as explored through three engrossing books.He begins with Miranda Corcoran’s Haunted States (Repeater Books, 2024), which, with its blend of travelogue, history, and cultural criticism, takes us on a journey across America to explore the American Gothic and how its stories and monsters help shape the American landscapes and cultural consciousness.We then delve into the realms of the ghost story anthology and look at two fairly recently published collections: Ghosts of Christmas Past (John Murray, 2017), where tales both humorous and dark give us time for fearful, quiet reflection during those long winter nights.And closing with The Haunting Season (Sphere, 2021), a modern collection of atmospheric, Victorian-inspired gothic tales that explore our darkest traits and fears amid supernatural landscapes and haunted buildings where confinement marries with isolation. Get full access to BIRD's EyeView at mathbird.substack.com/subscribe

In this Halloween-themed episode, Math delves into two haunting tales, Ray Bradbury’s The October Game and Edith Wharton’s All Souls, and explores Halloween’s long-standing tradition of spine-tingling stories that probe our deepest fears. Get full access to BIRD's EyeView at mathbird.substack.com/subscribe

Part 3 of a special three-part series exploring the core of UK crime fiction in the turbulent, transformative 1970s. The 70s in the UK were a time of economic struggles, political unrest, and cultural shifts. The crime fiction from this decade, and the ones that followed, not only entertain but also serve as a mirror and a critique of these transformations, making it a significant and thought-provoking genre. In Part 3, Math shifts his focus to contemporary crime fiction set in the 1970s. In this final episode of this special three-part series, he explores how one modern author has revisited and reimagined the decade, weaving historical accuracy with modern sensibilities and also takes an in-depth look at his own 1970s-based crime novel, Welcome to Holyhell. Get full access to BIRD's EyeView at mathbird.substack.com/subscribe

Part 2 of a special three-part series exploring the core of UK crime fiction in the turbulent, transformative 1970s. The 70s in the UK were a time of economic struggles, political unrest, and cultural shifts. The crime fiction from this decade, and the ones that followed, not only entertain but also serve as a mirror and a critique of these transformations, making it a significant and thought-provoking genre. In Part 2, Math delves into some UK crime novels that defined 1970s Britain. He explores seminal works that were not only published during this decade but also encapsulated the essence of the times. From gritty noir and urban realism to police procedurals and detective stories, these novels did more than entertain; they reflected and critiqued the political, social, and cultural atmosphere of 1970s Britain. Get full access to BIRD's EyeView at mathbird.substack.com/subscribe

Part 1 of a special three-part series exploring the core of UK crime fiction in the turbulent, transformative 1970s. The 70s in the UK were a time of economic struggles, political unrest, and cultural shifts. The crime fiction from this decade, and the ones that followed, not only entertain but also serve as a mirror and a critique of these transformations, making it a significant and thought-provoking genre. In Part 1, Math sets the scene and transports us back to the 1970s to explore the backdrop against which UK crime fiction flourished. From the political unrest and economic turmoil that characterised the decade to the explosion of punk music and groundbreaking television that challenged societal norms, he paints a vivid picture of the era that crime fiction authors were living in and responding to. Get full access to BIRD's EyeView at mathbird.substack.com/subscribe

Math spotlights two of Flintshire’s finest literary sons, Emlyn Williams and Emyr Humphreys, and explores the themes that define their literary legacy and the ways in which Flintshire has influenced their storytelling and shaped their national perspectives and contributions to Welsh literature. Get full access to BIRD's EyeView at mathbird.substack.com/subscribe

Math explores how three Flintshire-born writers use their short stories to navigate the intricate social and cultural landscapes straddling the Welsh-English border. Get full access to BIRD's EyeView at mathbird.substack.com/subscribe

Math explores the ghost stories of M. R. James, what makes a ghost story Jamesian and how recent writers have used these elements in their supernatural fiction. Get full access to BIRD's EyeView at mathbird.substack.com/subscribe

Math looks at Welsh Crime Fiction, specifically where Crime and Literary fiction converge and where this coming together of genres has been used to explore Wales’s south, west, and northeast regions. By discussing four selected Welsh crime novels, Math looks at each novel’s approach to the Welsh region it represents. Get full access to BIRD's EyeView at mathbird.substack.com/subscribe

Math shares a preview and some insights on his occult-noir thriller Witches Copse. Then, he shares his take on Charles Dickens’s classic ghost story, The Signal-Man and how the narrator of this eerie tale can be viewed in a different light when we add a little more context. Get full access to BIRD's EyeView at mathbird.substack.com/subscribe