By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
‘One Dollar’s Worth’ is a short story by the American writer O. Henry, whose real name was William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). A trademark of the O. Henry story is the surprise twist ending, and ‘One Dollar’s Worth’ certainly has a few surprises in store for the reader in its closing paragraphs. The story is about a criminal who seeks vengeance on the judge who put him in prison, by intending to kill the judge’s daughter.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
‘No More “I Love You”s’ is one of those songs which few people probably realise is actually a cover version. The most famous rendition of this 1980s song was actually released slap bang in the middle of the 1990s, by the Scottish singer and former Eurythmic, Annie Lennox.
Let’s take a closer listen to ‘No More “I Love You”s’ and discover the song’s true meaning, and its curious origins in the work of a band you’ve probably never heard of.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
The novels of the Brontë sisters are some of the most important and influential books of the Victorian era. In just a few years, the siblings Anne, Charlotte, and Emily Brontë published seven remarkable full-length novels which continue to be read, enjoyed, and studied by countless people around the world.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
‘Motel Architecture’ is not one of the best-known short stories of the British author J. G. Ballard (1930-2009), but it’s one of his most prescient. And this is an author who anticipated everything from Ronald Reagan becoming US President (in the late 1960s) to videocalls and virtual socialising via a TV/computer screen (see his ‘The Intensive Care Unit’ for the latter).
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
The American author Michael Crichton (1942-2008) was a pioneer of what became known as the ‘techno-thriller’. He wrote novels informed by the latest up-to-date science on a range of issues, but what sets him apart is his willingness to adopt a contrarian position on scientific and technological developments, as well as social questions.