Fiction – Page 4 – Interesting Literature

Seven of the Best Modernist Short Stories Everyone Should Read

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

A number of modernist novels are praised as among the greatest novels of the twentieth century: James Joyce’s Ulysses, Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway, and Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness, to offer just three examples. But modernist fiction had its origins in the short story form, and many of its finest statements about art and the world are to be found in short stories.

Below we introduce seven of the most definitive and must-read modernist short stories. Would you add any authors or stories to this list of the best modernist short stories, or would you substitute any of our choices for a different story?

Who Wrote the First Novel in English? And Other Surprising Literary Firsts

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

We recently wrote a book, The Secret Library: A Book Lovers’ Journey Through Curiosities of History, which aims to uncover the best hidden facts and stories about classic and not-so-classic works of literature. One of the most fascinating things we discovered was how wrong we’d been on the topic of ‘firsts’. It seems there are a fair few origin myths out there, which are often taken as fact.

The Best Literary Spin-Offs from Elizabeth Bennet’s Housemaid to Sherlock Holmes’ Housekeeper

Martin Davies offers a Christmas guide to not-quite classic fiction

Christmas! Dreary outside, cosy inside – what better than to curl up with a good read? And if you’re in the mood for something reassuringly familiar, something rich but not entirely strange, what better than a tale firmly rooted in a novel you already know and love? Yes, it’s time for you to dip into the world of literary spin-offs, reimagined classics, crazy mash-ups and favourite characters resurrected from the literary grave. In publishing at the moment, standing on the shoulders of giants is all the rage.

Of course, writers have taken inspiration from the works of other writers since the invention of the pen (and probably long before that). But if you can’t tell your Sense and Sensibility (J Austen) from your Sense & Sensibility (J Trollope), here’s a quick gallop through some of the complexities of spin-off fiction.

Five Fascinating Facts about Michael Crichton

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

1. While studying English at university, he caught out one of his professors.

The precocious Crichton (1942-2008 – real first name John) began his writing career helping his classmates to write their school assignments.

Michael Moorcock: How to Write a Novel in 3 Days

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Ever fancied writing a novel, but don’t have oodles of spare time to set aside for such a thing? Michael Moorcock, a hugely influential and prolific writer, has the solution. Those of you who like the idea of #NaNoWriMo (or National Novel-Writing Month), but would rather set aside a few days to write rather than a whole month, may like ‘the Moorcock method’.