James Marriott

The world we knew is passing away and nothing will ever be the same again. Welcome to the post-literate society. Books are dying. Across the world the number of people reading is in free fall. Literacy is declining or stagnating in most developed countries. At universities, students are unable to read the books assigned to them. Addictive digital entertainment technologies have colonised our free time with infantilising ‘slop’. For the first time since the collapse of the Western Roman Empire ushered in the Dark Ages, the golden chain of knowledge linking reader to reader through the centuries is breaking. The decline in reading is the most important cultural shift of our time.The New Dark Ages is an impassioned defence of the written word and an attack on the trivial and meaningless culture of the screen. Drawing on history and classic works of literature and theory, The New Dark Ages argues that reading and writing are essential for innovation, creativity and critical thinking.Above all, the culture of print is essential to the functioning of modern democracies which require their citizens to grapple with ideas at length and in depth. And as print dies, we risk returning to the chaos, tribalism, and rage of a pre-literate society.

Pull back the curtain on more than a century of terrifying horror movies... if you dare. Packed with stills from the most terrifying scenes in cinema history, The Definitive Guide to Horror Movies is a comprehensive companion to the genre, tracing the story of horror film, decade-by-decade. Providing a witty and informative critique of more than 350 films and several TV series, this extensive handbook offers a superb introduction for newcomers to the genre as well as something new for the die-hard horror fan. Horror is one of the most popular and influential genres in cinema, a perennial favourite that just won't stay dead. This fully updated edition covers everything from all-time classics to hidden gems and big-budget duds to breakout foreign hits. This is your ultimate guide through a century of fear.