James Bennett – författare

''A thrilling fusion of myth and modernity'' Kevin Hearne, author of the Iron Druid Chronicles

''Blending together the best of action, adventure and urban fantasy . . . Chasing Embers is one of my highlights!'' The Eloquent Page

Fans of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher will revel in this fiery tale of magic, mayhem and modern-day mythology.

BEHIND EVERY MYTH THERE IS A SPARK OF TRUTH . . .

There''s nothing special about Ben Garston.

Or so he''d have you believe. He won''t tell you, for instance, that he''s also known as Red Ben. Or that the world of myth and legend is more real than you think.

Because it''s his job to keep all that a secret.

But now a centuries-old rivalry has resurfaced, and the delicate balance between his world and ours is about to be shattered.

Something is hiding in the heart of the city - and it''s about to be unleashed.

''Absolutely loving it. Gorgeous use of language, great humour, characterisation and storyline. New fan!'' Elizabeth Chadwick

Reader reviews for The Ben Garston novels:

''Ben Garston is one of my all time favourite characters''

''Brilliant and touching''

''This is a series I shall devour in flames, with each new instalment''

''This is a brilliant page-turner. And now Book 2 is out... there''s no excuse!''

The Ben Garston novels:

Chasing EmbersRaising FireBurning Ashes (coming 2018)

''Exciting, entertaining . . . This series is swiftly becoming a personal favourite!'' The Eloquent Page''You owe it to yourself to read this!'' Reader reviewFans of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher will revel in this fiery tale of magic, mayhem and modern-day mythology.Ben Garston has broken the Lore. Now it''s time to face the music . . .Life isn''t treating Red Ben Garston well. He''s lost everything he once held dear, including the love of his life. Still, at least he escaped the clutches of a malevolent spirit bent on total destruction. So there is that.Now Ben just wants to drink, and forget, and drink some more. But he can''t. Not yet.Because someone is stirring up trouble. Someone who wants to unleash a powerful ancient magic that could bring the realm of mythology crashing into the modern world.If Ben fails to stop them, the world will burn - and that''s the last thing he needs on his conscience.Praise for the Ben Garston novels:''A thrilling fusion of myth and modernity'' Kevin Hearne, author of the Iron Druid Chronicles''Blending together the best of action, adventure and urban fantasy . . . Chasing Embers is one of my highlights!'' The Eloquent Page''Absolutely loving it. Gorgeous use of language, great humour, characterisation and storyline. New fan!'' Elizabeth Chadwick''A superior piece of magical myth-making . . . An extremely promising debut'' SFF World''Bennett has done an extremely good job of creating some detailed and believable characters'' SFX''Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher are both fair comparisons to Bennett''s attempts to fuse fantasy with a modern-day setting'' SciFiNowReader reviews for The Ben Garston novels:''Ben Garston is one of my all time favourite characters''''Brilliant and touching''''This is a series I shall devour in flames, with each new instalment''''This is a brilliant page-turner. And now Book 2 is out... there''s no excuse!''The Ben Garston novels:Chasing EmbersRaising FireBurning Ashes (coming 2018)

''Magnificent'' Daily Mail''A thrilling fusion of myth and modernity'' Kevin Hearne on Chasing EmbersThe Lore is over. For Ben Garston, the fight is just beginning. The uneasy truce between the human and the mythical world has shattered. Betrayed by his oldest friend, with a tragic death on his hands, there isn''t enough whiskey in England to wash away the taste of Ben''s guilt. But for a one-time guardian dragon, there''s no time to sit and sulk in the ruins.Because the Long Sleep has come undone. Slowly but surely, Remnants are stirring under the earth, unleashing chaos and terror on an unsuspecting modern world. Worse still, the Fay are returning, travelling across the gulfs of the nether to bring a final reckoning to Remnants and humans alike.A war is coming. A war to end all wars. And only Ben Garston stands in the way . . .Fans of BEN AARONOVITCH and JIM BUTCHER will revel in this fiery tale of magic, mayhem and modern-day mythology. Praise for the Ben Garston novels:''Absolutely loving it. Gorgeous use of language, great humour, characterisation and storyline'' Elizabeth Chadwick''A superior piece of magical myth-making'' SFFWorld''Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher are both fair comparisons to Bennett''s attempts to fuse fantasy with a modern-day setting'' SciFiNow''Blending together the best of action, adventure and urban fantasy . . . Chasing Embers is one of my highlights!'' The Eloquent PageThe Ben Garston novelsChasing EmbersRaising FireBurning Ashes

Introducing the collection, James Bennett explains how television as digital media is a non-site-specific, hybrid cultural and technological form that spreads across platforms such as mobile phones, games consoles, iPods, and online video services, including YouTube, Hulu and the BBC’s iPlayer. Television as digital media threatens to upset assumptions about television as a mass medium that has helped define the social collective experience, the organization of everyday life, and forms of sociality. As often as we are promised the convenience of the television experience “anytime, anywhere,” we are invited to participate in communities, share television moments, and watch events live. The essays in this collection demonstrate the historical, production, aesthetic, and audience changes and continuities that underpin the emerging meaning of television as digital media.

Contributors. James Bennett, William Boddy, Jean Burgess, John Caldwell, Daniel Chamberlain, Max Dawson, Jason Jacobs, Karen Lury, Roberta Pearson, Jeanette Steemers, Niki Strange, Julian Thomas, Graeme Turner

Haven’t we all once cried out I’m “going through Hell”? James Bennett examines that feeling more closely: If heaven and hell represent an intellect and body that have become polarized and destructively antagonistic, what does that suggest for healing? Come into this book and experience the images of the dark realm beneath consciousness: the wrathful deities, threatening serpents, cold long-barrows, loss of everything in death. The meanings of those myths may only come to us through intuition, so “Allow the stories, pictures and images to sit with you and speak to you, to spark your own connections and open doors for you in unexpected meaningful ways.” Let us see if we can translate the ancient legends of journeys through Hades into modern guidebooks for therapy; to stand in the space between the worlds, and see beyond suffering to renewal. Could that renewal be not only of self but also of global cultures?

Intercollegiate Athletics, Inc. examines the corrupting influence and damaging financial effects of big-time intercollegiate athletics, especially football and to a lesser extent basketball, on American higher education.

Including historical and contemporary perspectives, the book traces the growth of intercollegiate sports from largely student-run activities supervised by faculty to the gargantuan, taxpayer-supported spectacles that now dominate many public universities. It investigates the regressive student fees that have helped subsidize big-time sports at public universities and prop up chronically unprofitable athletic departments, as well as the corrosive effects of athletics on the university’s academic enterprise. A review of the alleged salutary effects of massive sports programs, such as spurring alumni donations and student applications, reveals that such benefits are largely illusory, more myth than real. The book also pays special attention to the often prescient, if largely unsuccessful, opponents of these developments, and considers the alternatives to big-time athletics, from abolition to professionalization to club sports.

Students, scholars, sports fans, and those interested in learning how big-time football and basketball have cast such an enormous—and often baleful—shadow upon American colleges and universities will profit from this provocative and engagingly written book.

Intercollegiate Athletics, Inc. examines the corrupting influence and damaging financial effects of big-time intercollegiate athletics, especially football and to a lesser extent basketball, on American higher education.

Including historical and contemporary perspectives, the book traces the growth of intercollegiate sports from largely student-run activities supervised by faculty to the gargantuan, taxpayer-supported spectacles that now dominate many public universities. It investigates the regressive student fees that have helped subsidize big-time sports at public universities and prop up chronically unprofitable athletic departments, as well as the corrosive effects of athletics on the university’s academic enterprise. A review of the alleged salutary effects of massive sports programs, such as spurring alumni donations and student applications, reveals that such benefits are largely illusory, more myth than real. The book also pays special attention to the often prescient, if largely unsuccessful, opponents of these developments, and considers the alternatives to big-time athletics, from abolition to professionalization to club sports.

Students, scholars, sports fans, and those interested in learning how big-time football and basketball have cast such an enormous—and often baleful—shadow upon American colleges and universities will profit from this provocative and engagingly written book.