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 cr...

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-prov...

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-prov...

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-prov...

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