books

135d

<p>finished reading <a href="https://eggplant.place/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/5RBsycpka556c9Y0QQcQHE" rel="nofollow">Contact</a> 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 <br>by Carl Sagan.</p><p>A message from outer space is detected, and humanity sets about decoding it, then attempts to make contact with the originators. Delves into the nexus of science & religion, the complexity of international collaboration, and the social upheaval of such a paradigm-shifting discovery. Some excruciating elite-level gaslighting. Surprising ending!</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/sff/" rel="tag">#SFF</a> <a href="/tags/sleepstory/" rel="tag">#SleepStory</a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>

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166d

<p>📚 Ship Breaker by: Paolo Bacigalupi</p><p>In America's Gulf Coast region, grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts by crews of young people. Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota-and hopefully live to see another day. </p><p>But when, by luck or by chanc...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/ship-breaker" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/ship-breaker"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/ship-break</span><span class="invisible">er</span></a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/libraries/" rel="tag">#libraries</a> <a href="/tags/juvenilenonfiction/" rel="tag">#juvenilenonfiction</a> <a href="/tags/sciencenature/" rel="tag">#sciencenature</a> <a href="/tags/actionadventure/" rel="tag">#actionadventure</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefiction/" rel="tag">#sciencefiction</a> <a href="/tags/dystopian/" rel="tag">#dystopian</a></p>

In America's Gulf Coast region, grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts by crews of young people. Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota-and hopefully live to see another day.

But when, by luck or by chance, he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life...

In this powerful novel, Paolo Bacigalupi delivers a thrilling, fast-paced adventure set in a vivid and raw, uncertain future.

A gritty, high-stakes adventure set in a futuristic world where oil is scarce, but loyalty is scarcer.

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166d

<p>finished reading <a href="https://eggplant.place/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/7h4lK28LeqWRIMWHBB7wKJ" rel="nofollow">Playground</a> 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 <br>by Richard Powers.</p><p>The glorious wonder of the ocean, the fraught love of competitive friends, our tangled dependence on both extraction & love of the natural world, the tempting appeal of AI. Felt like there was too much to wrap up in so short a space, but he pulls it off remarkably, leaving an uncertainty as to what was real and what imagined or simulated.</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> </p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1870.</p><p>Libraries of the University of Strasbourg and the City of Strasbourg at Temple Neuf are destroyed by fire during the Siege of Strasbourg in the Franco-Prussian War, resulting in the loss of 3,446 medieval manuscripts, including the original 12th-century Hortus deliciarum compiled by Herrad of Landsberg, the Apologist codex containing the only text of the early Epistle to Diognetus, and rare Renaissance books.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Strasbourg" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Strasbourg"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of</span><span class="invisible">_Strasbourg</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/libraries/" rel="tag">#libraries</a></p>

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1y

<p>American author, illustrator, and educator Anna Botsford Comstock died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1930.</p><p>The first female professor at Cornell University, her over 900-page work, The Handbook of Nature Study (1911), is now in its 24th edition. Comstock was an American artist and wood engraver known for illustrating entomological text books with her husband, John Henry Comstock including their first joint effort, The Manual for the Study of Insects (1885).</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Botsford_Comstock" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Botsford_Comstock"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Bot</span><span class="invisible">sford_Comstock</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/nature/" rel="tag">#nature</a></p>

Anna Botsford Comstock, ca. 1900, Nature Study Portrait.

Unknown author - John Henry and Anna Botsford Comstock papers, 1833-1955, 1874-1931, Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library

Anna is seated in a composed and introspective pose, her gaze directed slightly off to the side, suggesting contemplation. Her expression is calm and serene, conveying a sense of wisdom and quiet strength.

She is dressed in the fashion typical of the early 20th century, wearing a high-necked, long-sleeved blouse or dress, likely made of a dark, modest fabric.

A manual for the study of insects / by John Henry Comstock and Anna Botsford Comstock.
Comstock, Anna Botsford; Comstock, John Henry; Herrick, Glenn Washington - https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/pageimage/18343196

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1881.</p><p>Robert Louis Stevenson's children's pirate adventure novel Treasure Island begins serialization in the British magazine Young Folks as Treasure Island; or, The mutiny of the Hispaniola by "Captain George North". It was first published as a book on 14 November 1883 by Cassell & Co.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Island" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Island"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure</span><span class="invisible">_Island</span></a></p><p>Treasure Island at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/120" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/120</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Treasure Island, illustrated by George Wylie Hutchinson (1894).

Chums serialization of “Treasure Island,” which ran from 29 Aug 1894- 2 Jan 1895.

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164d

<p>Earlier this evening I took part in my first <a href="/tags/esperanto/" rel="tag">#Esperanto</a> book club. I was nervous in the beginning, as I still don't feel very confident using the language. But the group was so nice and friendly, and the book we're reading is well suited for learners (M. Boulton's Faktoj kaj fantazioj). It was great fun and I can't wait for the next week's meeting!</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/bookclub/" rel="tag">#bookclub</a> <a href="/tags/zoom/" rel="tag">#zoom</a></p>

(no description)

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164d

<p>📚 All That We See Or Seem by: Ken Liu</p><p>Julia Z, a young woman who gained notoriety at fourteen as the orphan hacker, is trying to live a life of digital obscurity in a quiet Boston suburb.</p><p>But when a lawyer named Piers—whose famous artist wife, Elli, has been kidnapped by dangerous criminals—barges into ...</p><p><a href="https://bookblabla.com/book/all-that-we-see-or-seem" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="bookblabla.com/book/all-that-we-see-or-seem"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">bookblabla.com/book/all-that-w</span><span class="invisible">e-see-or-seem</span></a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <a href="/tags/libraries/" rel="tag">#libraries</a> <a href="/tags/fiction/" rel="tag">#fiction</a> <a href="/tags/sciencefiction/" rel="tag">#sciencefiction</a> <a href="/tags/cyberpunkfiction/" rel="tag">#cyberpunkfiction</a> <a href="/tags/thrillers/" rel="tag">#thrillers</a> <a href="/tags/technological/" rel="tag">#technological</a></p>

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163d

<p>Mary Wollstonecraft, The Woman Who Laid the Foundation for Feminism</p><p>"Think 18th-century feminism must be outdated? Think again—there is still so much to learn from the life and writing of Mary Wollstonecraft."</p><p><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/mary-wollstonecraft-woman-laid-foundation-feminism/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.thecollector.com/mary-wollstonecraft-woman-laid-foundation-feminism/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.thecollector.com/mary-woll</span><span class="invisible">stonecraft-woman-laid-foundation-feminism/</span></a></p><p>Wollstonecraft at PG:</p><p><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/84" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/84"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/84</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Mary Wollstonecraft by John Opie

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163d

Any recommendations for holiday fiction reading?

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265d

<p>With A Boat And Some Help, You Can Read Moby Dick In A Day</p><p>'All my means are sane, my motive and my object mad'</p><p>By Riley MacLeod</p><p><a href="https://aftermath.site/moby-dick-marathon-mystic" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="aftermath.site/moby-dick-marathon-mystic"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">aftermath.site/moby-dick-marat</span><span class="invisible">hon-mystic</span></a></p><p>Moby Dick at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2701" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2701</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#Literature</a></p>

Moby Dick in a 1902 edition

I. W. Taber - Moby Dick - edition: Charles Scribner's Sons, New York

Illustration of the final chase of Moby-Dick.

Moby Dick, the great white whale, dominates the composition — massive, pale, and thrashing as it battles Captain Ahab's whaleboats. The whale is shown lunging or rearing from the ocean, its enormous body twisting, eyes fierce, and mouth open in defiance. The water surges violently around it, emphasizing the force of its movement.

Around Moby Dick, tiny whaleboats are depicted — fragile and dwarfed by the whale’s size. Sailors are shown in disarray; some clinging to the boats, others tossed into the sea. Captain Ahab, distinguishable by his grim posture and harpoon, caught in the fatal moment of his obsession.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby-Dick#/media/File:Moby_Dick_final_chase.jpg

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1y

<p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1889.</p><p>Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde are entertained together at dinner at the Langham Hotel, London, by the American Joseph Marshall Stoddart of Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, who commissions from them respectively the stories The Sign of the Four and The Picture of Dorian Gray, which appear next year in the magazine.</p><p>The Sign of the Four at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/2097" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/2097</a></p><p>The Picture of Dorian Gray at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/4078" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/4078</a><br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/174" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/174</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

One of the coversheets to the original serial publication of the novel in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine.

A picture of the cover of the July, 1890 edition of Lippincott's Monthly Magazine, where "The Picture of Dorian Gray" was first published (also simultaneously published in London).

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1y

<p>English poet Agnes Bulmer was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1775.</p><p>Bulmer’s most famous work is Messiah's Kingdom, an epic poem consisting of 14 books and over 14,000 lines, written in blank verse. The poem, which took over 9 years to complete, was published in 1833. It is is is probably the longest work in verse ever composed by a woman.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_Bulmer#" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_Bulmer#"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agnes_Bu</span><span class="invisible">lmer#</span></a></p><p>Messiah's Kindgdom is available at <span class="h-card"><a href="https://mastodon.archive.org/@internetarchive" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>internetarchive</span></a></span>:<br><a href="https://archive.org/details/messiahskingdomp00bulm" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="archive.org/details/messiahskingdomp00bulm"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">archive.org/details/messiahski</span><span class="invisible">ngdomp00bulm</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/poetry/" rel="tag">#poetry</a></p>

Title page of Messiah's Kingdom. A Poem. In Twelve Books. By Agnes Bulmer.

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1y

<p>American author Gertrude Chandler Warner died <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1970.</p><p>She is best known for creating The Boxcar Children series, a popular series of children's books. The book was well-received, and Warner later revised it in 1942, making it more accessible to younger readers. This revised version became a classic, and Warner went on to write 18 more books in the series.</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Chandler_Warner" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Chandler_Warner"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude</span><span class="invisible">_Chandler_Warner</span></a></p><p>Books by Gertrude Chandler Warner at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/41863" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/41863"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/41863</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Gertrude Chandler Warner.

The portrait of Gertrude Chandler Warner, the beloved American author best known for creating The Boxcar Children series, typically captures her as a dignified, thoughtful figure, reflecting her nurturing and imaginative nature.

In the portrait, Warner is often depicted as an older woman, befitting her most productive years as a writer. She has short, neatly styled gray hair, often curled or softly waved, lending her an air of quiet elegance. Her expression is gentle and kind, with a warm, grandmotherly presence that aligns with her role as a creator of children's literature. Her eyes, often behind round or oval spectacles, are lively and intelligent, conveying her lifelong dedication to teaching and writing.

Warner is usually dressed modestly, in simple but tasteful clothing, such as a blouse with a high collar or a cardigan, reflecting her practical New England upbringing.

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1y

<p>English novelist and playwright Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was born <a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1797.</p><p>She wrote the Gothic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus (1818), which is considered an early example of science fiction. She also contributed five volumes of Lives of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and French authors to Dionysius Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopaedia.</p><p>Books by Mary Shelley at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/61" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/61"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/61</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a> <a href="/tags/literarycriticism/" rel="tag">#literarycriticism</a></p>

Richard Rothwell's portrait of Shelley was shown at the Royal Academy in 1840, accompanied by lines from Percy Shelley's poem The Revolt of Islam calling her a "child of love and light".

In the portrait, Mary Shelley is depicted as a youthful and ethereal figure, embodying the Romantic ideals of beauty and intellect. Her face is delicately rendered, with soft, refined features that convey a sense of calm and introspection. Her skin is pale, almost luminescent, contributing to the portrayal of her as a "child of love and light," echoing the lines from Percy Shelley's poem The Revolt of Islam that accompanied the painting's exhibition.

Her dark hair is styled in loose waves, framing her face and adding to the gentle, almost melancholic mood of the image. She is dressed in period-appropriate clothing, often imagined as a simple yet elegant dress that reflects her status as a literary figure. The color palette of the portrait is subdued, with soft tones that enhance the delicate and introspective atmosphere.

Edited 1y ago

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165d

<p>I'm going to Vietnam and would like to read up on it. </p><p>I'm looking for a non-fiction book that will tell me about Vietnam, not about the americans or the french. </p><p>About Vietnamese history and culture, preferably going beyond the wars.</p><p>A book about who they are not about what was done to them. </p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span> <a href="/tags/vietnam/" rel="tag">#vietnam</a> <a href="/tags/bookrec/" rel="tag">#BookRec</a> <a href="/tags/history/" rel="tag">#history</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a></p>

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165d

<p>“Don’t get me wrong, I can’t do anything to change the way things are. That’s not why I went into politics, to make changes for the better for people like you. I went into politics to make sure things stay the same for people like me.” ~~ from 'Clown Town' by Mick Herron (spoken by Peter Judd, a very Boris Johnson-like character)</p><p><a href="/tags/wednesdaybookquote/" rel="tag">#WednesdayBookQuote</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/reading/" rel="tag">#reading</a> <span class="h-card"><a href="https://fedigroups.social/@bookstodon" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>bookstodon</span></a></span></p>

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164d

<p>finished reading <a href="https://eggplant.place/search?r=1&q=https://reviewdb.app/book/6TO7WvawlYsBFOWSry4U6s" rel="nofollow">Bookshops & Bonedust</a> 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 <br>by Travis Baldree.</p><p>A worthy prequel to Legends & Lattes. New friends come together to reinvigorate a bookshop, with a couple of baddies dealt with along the way. Loved Satchel the animated skeleton. Moist!</p><p><a href="/tags/bookreview/" rel="tag">#BookReview</a> <a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/bookstodon/" rel="tag">#Bookstodon</a> <a href="/tags/sff/" rel="tag">#SFF</a> <a href="/tags/fantasy/" rel="tag">#Fantasy</a> <a href="/tags/cosyfantasy/" rel="tag">#CosyFantasy</a></p><p><span class="h-card"><a href="https://aus.social/@wildwoila" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>WildWoila</span></a></span> @wildwoila@wyrms.de<br></p>

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165d

<p>What Happens When an Entire Generation of Scientists Changes Its Mind</p><p>Total reversals in scientific thinking are rare—but earth-shattering</p><p>By Charles C. Mann edited by Josh Fischman</p><p><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-happens-when-an-entire-scientific-field-changes-its-mind/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-happens-when-an-entire-scientific-field-changes-its-mind/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.scientificamerican.com/art</span><span class="invisible">icle/what-happens-when-an-entire-scientific-field-changes-its-mind/</span></a></p><p>Michelson & Morley experiment at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/70888" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/70888</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/historyofscience/" rel="tag">#historyofscience</a></p>

Michelson's 1881 interferometer. Although ultimately it proved incapable of distinguishing between differing theories of aether-dragging, its construction provided important lessons for the design of Michelson and Morley's 1887 instrument.

This is a technical line drawing labeled Fig. 3, illustrating the layout of Michelson’s original interferometer apparatus. The instrument rests on a central pedestal base with adjustable legs for leveling.

From the center extends two perpendicular arms of equal length, each supporting various optical components.

At the left end (marked a), a light source directs a beam toward a half-silvered mirror or beam splitter (labeled m) placed at the center.

The beam is divided into two paths—one traveling along the horizontal arm (b–c) and the other along the vertical arm (b–d).

Each arm contains mirrors and adjustable mounts (labeled l, k, etc.), which reflect the light back toward the center.

At the center, the returning beams interfere with each other, producing an interference pattern observable through an eyepiece or telescope (u).

The drawing shows precision details such as the rotatable table, the fine adjustment screws, and the mechanical supports, emphasizing the delicate alignment required for the experiment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelson%E2%80%93Morley_experiment#/media/File:Michelson1881c.png

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135d

<p>A peace prize winner worth remembering</p><p>In 1930, Addams published her memoir of the next 20 years, describing her further involvement in Hull-House, her social and political reform work, and her activism for world peace, which won her a share of the 1931 Nobel Peace Prize. The public domain wins The Second Twenty Years at Hull-House in 20 days.<br> <br>By John Mark Ockerbloom</p><p><a href="https://everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/12/a-peace-prize-winner-worth-remembering/" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="everybodyslibraries.com/2025/12/12/a-peace-prize-winner-worth-remembering/"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">everybodyslibraries.com/2025/1</span><span class="invisible">2/12/a-peace-prize-winner-worth-remembering/</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/publicdomaindaycountdown/" rel="tag">#publicDomainDayCountdown</a></p>

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165d

<p>How a Book Marketing Ploy Almost Ruined Edgar Wallace, Literature’s “King of Thrillers”</p><p>Edgar Wallace wanted to promote his first novel with more than just traditional ads—but his brilliant idea almost became his downfall.</p><p>By Jane Alexander</p><p><a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/literature/authors/edgar-wallace-four-just-men-contest-financial-ruin" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.mentalfloss.com/literature/authors/edgar-wallace-four-just-men-contest-financial-ruin"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.mentalfloss.com/literature</span><span class="invisible">/authors/edgar-wallace-four-just-men-contest-financial-ruin</span></a></p><p>Edgar Wallace at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/999" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/999"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/autho</span><span class="invisible">r/999</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Cover page of Room 13

Author: Edgar Wallace

Original publication: London: John Long, Limited, 1924

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/76168/pg76168-images.html

The cover features a dramatic, illustrated scene in a vintage 1920s art style.

In the foreground, a woman dressed in a tailored mauve suit and white blouse is shown in motion, pushing a door closed with a determined expression. Her short, wavy hairstyle and fashion reflect the modern 1920s “flapper” style. Her body language suggests urgency or fear, as if she is trying to keep someone out.

Behind the door, a man in a dark suit is partly visible, leaning through the opening, his expression alert and intent.

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165d

<p>Stoking creative fires: Counting down to Public Domain Day 2026</p><p>Until I saw it performed earlier this month, I had doubts that one could successfully adapt an unthemed magazine issue into a stage play. But that’s what the New Classics Collective did with the first and only issue of <a href="https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/serial?id=fire1926" rel="nofollow">Fire!!</a>, a literary magazine “devoted to younger Negro artists” published in Harlem in 1926. The <a href="https://www.quintessencetheatre.org/fire" rel="nofollow">play, which premiered at the Quintessence Theatre</a> in my Philadelphia neighborhood, laid a light dramatic frame over a set of performances of plays, poems, stories, drawings and essays from the magazine’s sole issue, including early work by authors like <a href="https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/who/Hughes%2c%20Langston%2c%201902%2d1967" rel="nofollow">Langston Hughes</a> and <a href="https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/who/Hurston%2c%20Zora%20Neale" rel="nofollow">Zora Neale Hurston</a> who are still known to many readers today.</p><p>As a <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/arts/theater/review-fire-quintessence-theatre-20251023.html" rel="nofollow">review in fhe Philadelphia Inquirer notes</a>, the play, like the magazine issue that inspired it, is a bit of a hot mess as a whole, but has a lot of talent going into its various parts, and it impressed a sold-out multiracial audience the night I went. The magazine itself perished after its first issue, after a fire destroyed the publication’s office. But both the then-new magazine and the new play that’s just been created from it are bold creative experiments, and I’m confident that the people who produced and experienced the play will go on to create more and better work, whether it’s new versions of what I saw in the play’s premiere, or other work inspired by it, just as the authors and artists in the magazine did.</p><p>Along with the people who produced it, we have the public domain to thank for the experience. All 1926 publications <a href="https://everybodyslibraries.com/2021/12/01/coming-soon-to-the-public-domain-in-2022/" rel="nofollow">joined the public domain in the United States</a> just a few years ago. That makes it possible for anyone who’s found an unburnt copy of Fire!! to digitize it and put it online without needing permission from anyone, as <a href="https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/serial?id=fire1926" rel="nofollow">several online book collections now have done</a>. And it means that the New Classics Collective, or anyone else intrigued by the magazine’s content, can freely adapt and repurpose it as they like, without needing to work out deals with all of the creators whose works were adapted for the play. These new versions will have their own copyrights for a time, just as the original 1926 pieces did. But eventually, when they too join join the public domain, they will be free for all of us to remember, share, preserve, and renew as part of our common cultural heritage.</p><p>Fifty days from today, the public domain will grow further for many people around the world. In the United States, <a href="https://everybodyslibraries.com/2024/11/01/the-remainder-of-the-roaring-20s-about-to-join-the-public-domain/" rel="nofollow">the last copyrights for 1920s publications</a> (except for sound recordings) joined the public domain here last year. This coming January 1, a new wave of copyright expiration will reach the start of the 1930s, with all remaining publication copyrights from 1930 expiring (as well as 1925 sound recording copyrights). And starting tomorrow, I’ll be featuring selected works that will be joining the public domain here, in short daily posts that will appear on this blog, and also on some social media networks. On <a href="https://joinmastodon.org/" rel="nofollow">Mastodon</a> and other services on the “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fediverse" rel="nofollow">fediverse</a>“, you can follow this blog by following the user <span class="h-card"><a href="https://everybodyslibraries.com" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@<span>everybodyslibraries.com</span></a></span>, or the hashtag <a href="/tags/publicdomaindaycountdown/" rel="tag">#PublicDomainDayCountdown</a>. I’ll also boost the posts from my own personal Mastodon account (<a href="https://mastodon.social/@JMarkOckerbloom" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="mastodon.social/@JMarkOckerbloom"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">mastodon.social/@JMarkOckerblo</span><span class="invisible">om</span></a>). That account uses the Bridgy Fed service to connect to Blue Sky, where I believe you should be able to follow the user @JMarkOckerbloom.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy. I’m not aware of any way to automatically get my posts on other large commercial social media, but folks relying on sites dependent on the likes of Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg may want to diversify their information sources in any case.</p><p>If you follow my posts, I hope you’ll hear about a number of works and creators you know and love, as well as ones you might not be familiar with. You can get an even more diverse and inclusive set of works and perspectives if you also check out other sources that will be promoting the public domain (which I expect to include <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_public_domain" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a>, the <a href="https://publicdomainreview.org/" rel="nofollow">Public Domain Review</a>, the <a href="https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/" rel="nofollow">Center for the Study of the Public Domain</a>, and the <a href="https://archive.org/" rel="nofollow">Internet Archive</a> as we get closer to the new year). Enjoy the countdown!</p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#Books</a> <a href="/tags/copyright/" rel="tag">#copyright</a> <a href="/tags/film/" rel="tag">#film</a> <a href="/tags/publicdomain/" rel="tag">#publicDomain</a> <a href="/tags/publicdomaindaycountdown/" rel="tag">#PublicDomainDayCountdown</a> <a href="/tags/writing/" rel="tag">#writing</a></p>

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164d

<p>8 Times Scientists and Inventors Tragically Died for Their Experiments</p><p>Innovation can be deadly.</p><p>By Gayoung Lee</p><p><a href="https://gizmodo.com/8-times-scientists-and-inventors-tragically-died-for-their-experiments-2000684271" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="gizmodo.com/8-times-scientists-and-inventors-tragically-died-for-their-experiments-2000684271"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">gizmodo.com/8-times-scientists</span><span class="invisible">-and-inventors-tragically-died-for-their-experiments-2000684271</span></a></p><p>Science at PG:<br><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/51" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/51"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje</span><span class="invisible">ct/51</span></a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Death of the German physicist Georg Wilhelm Richmann (1711–1753), who was shocked by lightning during one of their electrical thunderstorm experiments in Saint Petersburg.

In the center of the scene, Richmann is shown collapsing backward as a sudden bolt of lightning or electric discharge strikes the metal rod of his experimental apparatus. His face is contorted in shock, and his body is thrown off balance.

To one side, a laboratory assistant or observer recoils in terror, his arms raised and face turned away from the flash. Objects in the laboratory—papers, instruments, and tools—are scattered or thrown into the air by the blast.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Wilhelm_Richmann#/media/File:Richmanns_Tod_1753.jpg

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44d

The best recent science fiction, fantasy and horror – review roundup <small class="notice" x-post-type-data="None"> Takahe has limited support for this type: <a href="https://lemmy.world/post/44204489">See Original Page</a> </small>

the-best-recent-science-fiction-fantasy-and-horror-review-roundup

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1y

<p>"Sunlight is the life-blood of Nature."<br>Ch. 19.</p><p><a href="/tags/otd/" rel="tag">#OTD</a> in 1889.</p><p>Jerome K. Jerome's comic fictional English travelogue set on the River Thames, Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog), is published in Bristol. Its sequel is Three Men on the Bummel (also known as Three Men on Wheels, 1900).</p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Men_in_a_Boat" rel="nofollow" class="ellipsis" title="en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Men_in_a_Boat"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Me</span><span class="invisible">n_in_a_Boat</span></a></p><p>Three Men in a Boat at PG:<br><a href="https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/308" rel="nofollow"><span class="invisible">https://</span>gutenberg.org/ebooks/308</a></p><p><a href="/tags/books/" rel="tag">#books</a> <a href="/tags/literature/" rel="tag">#literature</a></p>

Frontpage Jerome Three Men in a Boat 1889

Titlepage of the first edition of Jerome K. Jerome (1889) Three Men in a Boat: (To Say Nothing of the Dog), Bristol: J.W. Arrowsmith OCLC: 213830865.

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