Edward Shanks – författare

Trapped in a London laboratory during a worker uprising, a physicist and war veteran awakens 150 years later—on the eve of a new Dark Age!In The People of the Ruins, Edward Shanks imagines England in the not-so-distant future as a neomedieval society whose inhabitants have forgotten how to build or operate machinery. Jeremy Tuft is a physics instructor and former artillery officer who is cryogenically frozen in his laboratory only to emerge after a century and a half to a disquieting new era. Though at first Tuft is disconcerted by the failure of his own era’s smug doctrine of Progress, he eventually decides that he prefers the postcivilized life. But, when the northern English and Welsh tribes invade, Tuft must set about reinventing weapons of mass destruction.One of the most critically acclaimed and popular postwar stories of its day, The People of the Ruins captured a feeling that was common among those who had fought and survived the Great War: haunted by trauma and guilt, its protagonist feels out of time and out of place, unsure of what is real or unreal. Shanks implies in this seminal work, as Paul March-Russell explains in the book’s introduction, that the political system was already corrupt before the story began, and that Bolshevism and anarchism—and the resulting civil wars—merely accelerated the world’s inevitable decline.A satire of Wellsian techno-utopian novels, The People of the Ruins is a bold, entertaining, and moving postapocalyptic novel contemporary readers won’t soon forget.Edward Shanks (1892-1953) was an English author, poet, critic, and journalist. He was the editor of Granta just before serving in World War I and is perhaps best remembered today as a war poet. The People of the Ruins is his only science fiction novel.

"Hilaire Belloc: The Man and His Work" by C. Creighton Mandell and Edward Shanks is a comprehensive biographical and critical analysis of the renowned writer's life and literary contributions. This seminal work provides invaluable insights into Belloc's multifaceted career, capturing both his personal complexities and towering literary achievements. Mandell and Shanks skillfully navigate Belloc's upbringing, education, and ideological evolution, offering readers a nuanced portrait of the man behind the literature. Through meticulous research and scholarly rigor, they explore Belloc's diverse body of work, including his acclaimed poetry, essays, and influential political writings. This book celebrates Belloc's literary genius while examining the broader cultural and historical contexts in which his works emerged. It delves into the enduring relevance and significance of Belloc's oeuvre, shedding light on his profound influence on literature and society. With its insightful analysis and meticulous attention to detail, "Hilaire Belloc: The Man and His Work" stands as an indispensable resource for scholars, enthusiasts, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of this iconic figure in English literature. It remains a testament to Mandell and Shanks' dedication to preserving and contextualizing Belloc's legacy for generations to come.