Daniel Defoe's Railway Journey describes the odyssey undertaken by two eccentric pensioners as they travel on every mile of railway track in the UK. Surreal and poignant by turns, Stuart Campbell describes the people they meet and the unwanted adventures that befall them. He is aided and abetted by the ghost of Daniel Defoe, writer, soldier, businessman and spy who completed his own journey in the 1720s.

The impact of constant technological change upon our perception of the world is so pervasive as to have become a commonplace of modern society. But this was not always the case; as Wolfgang Schivelbusch points out in this fascinating study, our adaptation to technological change—the development of our modern, industrialized consciousness—was very much a learned behavior. In The Railway Journey, Schivelbusch examines the origins of this industrialized consciousness by exploring the reaction in the nineteenth century to the first dramatic avatar of technological change, the railroad. In a highly original and engaging fashion, Schivelbusch discusses the ways in which our perceptions of distance, time, autonomy, speed, and risk were altered by railway travel. As a history of the surprising ways in which technology and culture interact, this book covers a wide range of topics, including the changing perception of landscapes, the death of conversation while traveling, the problematic nature of the railway compartment, the space of glass architecture, the pathology of the railway journey, industrial fatigue and the history of shock, and the railroad and the city. Belonging to a distinguished European tradition of critical sociology best exemplified by the work of Georg Simmel and Walter Benjamin, The Railway Journey is anchored in rich empirical data and full of striking insights about railway travel, the industrial revolution, and technological change. Now updated with a new preface, The Railway Journey is an invaluable resource for readers interested in nineteenth-century culture and technology and the prehistory of modern media and digitalization.

This book contributes to the development of contemporary historical fiction studies by analysing neo-Georgian fiction, which, unlike neo-Victorian fiction, has so far received little critical attention. The essays included in this collection study the ways in which the selected twentieth- and twenty-first-century novels recreate the Georgian period in order to view its ideologies through the lens of such modern critical theories as performativity, post-colonialism, feminism or visual theories. They also demonstrate the rich repertoire of subgenres of neo-Georgian fiction, ranging from biographical fiction, epistolary novels to magical realism. The included studies of the diverse novelistic conventions used to re-contextualise the Georgian reality reflect the way we see its relevance and relation to the present and trace the indebtedness of the new forms of the contemporary novel to the traditional novelistic genres.

Before the Industrial Revolution, everyone lived within short walking distance of their workplace. However, all of this has now changed and many people commute large distances to work, often taking around one hour in each direction. We are now used to being stuck in traffic, crammed onto a train, rushing for connecting trains and searching for parking spaces close to the station or our workplace. Commuters explores both the history and present practice of commuting; examining how it has shaped our cities and given rise to buses, underground trains and suburban railways. Drawing upon both primary sources and modern research, Commuters tells the story of a way of life followed by millions of British workers. With sections on topics such as fictional commuters and the psychology of commuting;this is a book for everybody who has ever had to face that gruelling struggle to get to the office in time.

The Horror Beyond Life's Edge: 560+ Macabre Classics, Supernatural Mysteries & Dark Tales is a literary journey that transcends the commonplace, delving into the realms of the macabre, the supernatural, and the darkly mysterious. This anthology boasts a collection that spans a broad spectrum of literary styles, from gothic horror and eerie ghost stories to unsettling tales of the uncanny and supernatural investigations. The diversity and significance of the works included cannot be overstated, featuring standout pieces from the Victorian era to the early twentieth century, encapsulating the evolution of horror and mystery in literature. The anthology serves as a conduit to explore the depths of human fears, anxieties, and the unknown through a compendium of narratives that challenge the boundaries of imagination and reality. The contributing authors and editors of this collection represent a pantheon of literary giants, each bringing their unique voice and perspective to the overarching theme. From the psychological terror of Edgar Allan Poe to the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft; from the gothic romance of the Brontë sisters to the social critiques of Charles Dickens and the pioneering science fiction of H.G. Wells; these authors collectively contribute to the rich tapestry of horror and supernatural literature. The anthology aligns with various historical, cultural, and literary movements, enriching the readers understanding by offering a myriad of lenses through which to view the complexities of fear, the supernatural, and the human condition. The Horror Beyond Life's Edge: 560+ Macabre Classics, Supernatural Mysteries & Dark Tales is an indispensable volume for readers seeking to immerse themselves in the breadth and depth of gothic, horror, and supernatural literature. This anthology offers a unique opportunity to explore a multiplicity of perspectives, themes, and narratives within a single tome. It is a call to readers to delve into the abyss of the macabre, to confront the shadows lurking at the edges of life, and to explore the diversity of human expression found in the confrontation with the unknown. For scholars, enthusiasts, and casual readers alike, this collection stands as a monumental testament to the enduring power and appeal of the horror and mystery genre.