S.C Newland - Writer

'During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher.' Classic opening from The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe. He was born on this day in 1809. Best known for his Gothic horror short stories. If he was alive today he would be an impressive 216. Big cake! Imagine putting the candles on that - let alone blowing them out. Usher is  a truly haunting tale. Poe’s mastery in creating an atmosphere of dread and suspense is unparalleled. The story's eerie setting and psychological depth have a way of lingering in the reader’s mind long after the last sentence. If you’re in the mood for more spine-chilling reads, Poe’s "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Masque of the Red Death" a...

  Today (18th January) is the birthday of Winnie the Pooh, well actually his author A.A. Milne. And why shouldn't it be a bear's birthday too? Inspired by his son 'Christopher Robin', Winnie the Pooh was first published in a story in 1925, and subsequently in several books. Always enjoyed those stories and the poems. Credit must also go to E.H. Shepherd's wonderful original illustrations. Time to celebrate watching the movie 'Goodbye Christopher Robin' (2017) with a pot of honey. Oddly a week or so back, Bob, in the TWG mentioned a pod-cast where an actress read the A.A. Milne poem King John's Christmas. Quite longish, but very witty. Find it here:  Featured Poem: King John's Christmas by A. A. Milne - The Reader Happy Birthday Winnie - and cheers to many more!

Welcome to 2025 and incredibly - it's World Science Fiction day. So, got me thinking in a couple of ways. What are my top 10 favourite sci-fic books/stories. Had to fall back to the days of childhood. The ones that left an impression on me are: The Time Machine by HG Wells : Loved the imagination. Scientist builds time machine and travels a dystopian world of Eloi and Morlocks. What I really enjoyed was the Time Traveller just heading further and further into the future, Wells at his best.  War of the Worlds by HG Wells : The definitive alien invasion Earth novel. It all started here in Surrey, England. The pulsating fear of running from the Martian Fighting Machines to their 'vampiric' secret. Wow, what a ride as civilisation collapses. Typical Wells style throwing in religion and politics. A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs : This is swashbuckling pulp sci-fic at its best. ERB creates a host of memorable characters - from John Carter to Dejah Thoris to Tars Takk...