Showing results by author "David Matthews" in All Categories

For decades, the medical community has looked to a variety of reasons for why we age, and the consensus is that no-one dies of old age; they die of age-related diseases. That's because ageing is not a disease - it is inevitable. But what if everything you think you know about ageing is wrong? What if ageing is a disease? And that disease is curable. In Lifespan, Dr David Sinclair, one of the world’s foremost authorities on genetics and ageing, argues just that.

The word medieval conjures images of the “Dark Ages”. But the myth of darkness obscures the truth; this was a remarkable period in human history. The Bright Ages recasts the European Middle Ages for what it was, capturing this 1,000-year era in all its complexity and fundamental humanity, bringing to light both its beauty and its horrors. The Bright Ages takes us through 10 centuries and crisscrosses Europe and the Mediterranean, Asia, and Africa, revisiting familiar people and events with new light cast upon them.

Auf Befehl des Kriegsherrn Horus brennt die gesamte Galaxis und jeden Tag verlieren Millionen Menschen ihr Leben. Doch einst stand der Titel des Kriegsherrn für Ehre, Loyalität und den grimmigen Stolz auf die Stärke der Space-Marine-Legionen. Vielleicht lässt sich etwas Licht in dieses Dunkel bringen, indem man den unzähligen Fäden des Schicksals und des Widerstands folgt, die sich schon immer um die Primarchen und ihre Söhne rankten. Vielleicht lässt sich so die Bitterkeit verstehen, die selbst an der standhaftesten Seele nagt.

Japan is a land of complexity, contrast and contradictions. The world's third-largest economy, it is a powerhouse of innovation and a pioneer in technology, fashion and pop culture. But it also has a rich, ancient heritage and a deep reverence for custom, ritual and tradition. This illuminating two-part radio collection traverses the different aspects of this fascinating country, from its famous historical figures to its diverse cultural landscape.

Beware of the night, for it shows no mercy. Anxieties run rampant as the last sprinklings of light twinkle out on the inky horizon. The shadows dance their choreography in the damp, dusky air. Night is taking over, and it knows how to keep a dark and deadly secret, for it allows no witnesses. And that screaming you hear nearby? Watch out, because you might be next. The Sinister Supernatural Stories series brings you delicious horror that focuses on elements of the supernatural. Pull up a chair and dig in, but never after dark—everyone knows bad things always happen after dark.

What do you get if you put a comedian, a scientist and an internet expert in a room together? The answer is Great Unanswered Questions, a panel game in which resident funnyman Colin Murphy teams up with brainiac Dr David Booth and computer geek Matthew Collins to tackle ludicrous questions and provide the correct (or at least the funniest) answers.

By the early ninth century, the Carolingian empire was at the height of its power. The Franks, led by Charlemagne, had built the largest European domain since Rome in its heyday. Though they jockeyed for power, prestige, and profit, the Frankish elites enjoyed political and cultural consensus. But just two generations later, their world was in shambles. Civil war, once an unthinkable threat, had erupted after Louis the Pious’s sons tried to overthrow him—and then placed their knives at the other’s neck. Families who had once charged into battle together now drew each other’s blood.

Join the adventure through dystopian worlds, to outer planets and into a speculative future. Welcome to the Future Days Anthology. Seventeen authors imagine a future with thrilling tales, starships, unlikely heroes, and exotic aliens, all of which combine to make Future Days a must-listen sci-fi fantasy short story collection.

Fifty years after the moon landings, the commercialization of space travel is finally here, but do we still know how to dream? Final Frontier recalls the heady thrill of the Apollo era and glimpses wonders yet to come. Inside, find a dozen uplifting stories of humor, tragedy, sacrifice and good old fashioned cussedness by today's award-winning authors - plus a healthy dose of optimism. All that, plus a forward by a NASA astronaut and a piece by Spider Robinson, inspired by Robert Heinlein. The Final Frontier is open for business!

Yog-Sothoth, known as the Key and the Gate and a host of other names, is H.P. Lovecraft's most enduring creation after the Necromnomicon and Great Cthulhu itself. An eldritch god that occupies all time and space, Yog-Sothoth is most known for his role as the antagonist in The Dunwich Horror but has played a role in many other Cthulhu Mythos stories. Tales of Yog-Sothoth features several stories centered around the creepy deity and its monstrous intelligence.

TALES OF NYARLATHOTEP is the fourth book of the Books of Cthulhu series by Crossroad Press (Tales of the Al-Azif, Tales of Yog-Sothoth, The Book of Yig). It is an anthology featuring pulpy tales of horror starring Outer God and his myriad plots as well as games. Nyarlathotep is functionally omnipotent and treats humanity like ants underneath a magnifying glass. He is impossible to kill but perhaps capable of being thwarted. Or maybe that's just what he wants you to think.

Ex-All Black Matthew Ridge and his quirky sidekick David Ring team up from the sunny South of France to push boundaries and tackle the tough stuff. Expect unfiltered opinions, humor, and chaos as they dissect norms, challenge stereotypes, and ask the awkward questions. Buckle up for a cheeky antidote to cancel culture and a wild ride through the madness of the modern world. Join the odd couple nobody knew they needed—it's a car crash you won't want to miss.

Hastur was not a creation of H.P. Lovecraft but an adaptation of concepts created by Ambrose Bierce and Robert W. Chambers. Nevertheless, Hastur, AKA The King in Yellow, has since gone on to become one of the most iconic Great Old Ones. Whether the mysterious Lord of Leng in the Dreamlands or Cthulhu’s alleged half-brother, he is a figure who haunts the dreams of those mortals who touch upon even the barest knowledge of his existence.

Earth is home to us, but to others it is a prison planet, where alien convicts are imprisoned in human bodies. Four tales by veteran Cthulhu Mythos authors explore the collisions between humans and unwilling visitors among us.

The Necronomicon was not the first book by H.P. Lovecraft to terrify readers with tales of dark and twisted horrors from beyond. No, the Al-Azif, or Book of the Insect, is the first work that told mankind of Cthulhu, Azathoth, and other terrors. Indeed, it was the book that inspired "The Mad Arab" Abdul Al-Hazred to write its more famous successor.

The Boys in the Band's debut was revolutionary for its fictional but frank presentation of a male homosexual subculture in Manhattan. Based on Mart Crowley's hit Off-Broadway play from 1968, the film's two-hour running time approximates real time, unfolding at a birthday party attended by nine men whose language, clothing, and behavior evoke a range of urban gay "types." Although various popular critics, historians, and film scholars over the years have offered cursory acknowledgment of the film's importance, more substantive research and analysis have been woefully lacking. The film's neglect among academics belies a rich and rewarding object of study. The Boys in the Band merits not only the close reading that should accompany such a well-made text but also recognition as a landmark almost ideally situated to orient us amid the highly complex, shifting cultural terrain it occupied upon its release-and has occupied since.

The ability to manage and recover from stress is crucial for resiliency and cognitive, medical, mental, and social health. Burnout is the enemy of productivity, creativity, and overall business success. Until recently, it was difficult for leaders to get reliable data on people's ability to perform at their best and understand levels of burnout within the business. The Heart(beat) of Business presents the science behind peak performance and how stress and burnout destroy people's health and devastate business outcomes.

The Coronavirus Bible is what happens when a bunch of Christian comedians get together (virtually) during quarantine to raise money to support those in need. This coronavirus comedy bible will not only raise a laugh, but also raise funds to help those in need. And since laughter is also good medicine, you’ll be helping yourself, too. Honest.

Detective Rita Hobbes’ life has been mysteriously erased, and her day isn’t about to get any better. All Rita wants is to abandon dreary Blackpool and start over somewhere new. But when she triggers a magical hex that renders her invisible and traps her in her hometown, escape seems impossible. Rita soon finds that Blackpool has some hidden secrets: magical artifacts fashioned in heaven, a fallen angel buried beneath the sea in a glass prison, and living nightmares in fine suits and animal masks that can turn your mind to soup.

Three butchered witches. An unknown killer. One big mistake: they left the familiar alive. Stella Familiar was created by the London Coven to protect the city from the monsters that lurk in the shadows. She’s fought against the darkness for decades, but now something new has come to town. Something that’s torn her world apart. This monster did the impossible: it murdered the three most powerful witches in London, putting the city in peril, and leaving Stella alone for the first time to fight back against a power she doesn’t understand.