BIRD's EyeView of Books

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. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 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. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 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. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 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. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 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. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mathbird.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mathbird.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mathbird.substack.comA special seasonal episode where Math reads his short story: Optimum tui instar esto: a folk horror tale for Christmas and the New Year or any dark winter's night.

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. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 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. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit 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. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mathbird.substack.com/subscribe