{"title":"Books by Mike Ashley","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780712353717","title":"Yesterday's Tomorrows","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the enrapturing tales of H G Wells to the punishing dystopian visions of 1984 and beyond, the evolution of science fiction from the 1890s to the 1960s is a fascinating journey to undertake. Setting out this span of years as what we can now recognise as the ‘classic’ period of the genre, Mike Ashley takes us on a tour of the stars, utopian and post-apocalyptic futures, worlds of AI run amok and techno-thriller masterpieces asking piercing questions of the present.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis book does not claim to be definitive; what it does offer is an accessible view of the impressive spectrum of imaginative writing which the genre’s classic period has to offer. Towering science fiction greats such as Asimov and Aldiss run alongside the, perhaps unexpected, likes of C S Lewis and J B Priestley and celebrate a side of science fiction beyond the stereotypes of space opera and bug-eyed monsters; the side of science fiction which proves why it must continue to be written and read, so long as any of us remain in uncertain times.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43204051534002,"sku":"9780712353717","price":20.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780712353717_7015ab4a-190b-402b-a3c2-b10fc644a696.jpg?v=1786014773"},{"product_id":"9781841195513","title":"A Brief History of British Kings \u0026 Queens","description":"\u003cp\u003eHere is the whole of recorded British royal history, from the legendary King Alfred the Great onwards, including the monarchies of England, Scotland, Wales and the United Kingdom for over a thousand years. Fascinating portraits are expertly woven into a history of division and eventual union of the British Isles - even royals we think most familiar are revealed in a new and sometimes surprising light. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis revised and shortened edition of The Mammoth Book of British Kings \u0026amp; Queens includes biographies of the royals of recorded British history, plus an overview of the semi-legendary figures of pre-history and the Dark Ages - an accessible source for students and general readers.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308035060085,"sku":"9781841195513","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781841195513_89c4b328-52f2-4b1f-9ca4-6c2d05aeaf0d.jpg?v=1786028188"},{"product_id":"9781849013024","title":"A Brief History of King Arthur","description":"\u003cp\u003eWho was the real King Arthur? What do the historical documents tell us about the Knight of the Round Temple? It is just a chivalric fantasy? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe story of Arthur has been handed down to us by Medieval poets and legends - but what if he actually existed and was in fact a great king in the early years of Britain's story. Mike Ashley visits the source material and uncovers unexpected new insights into the legend: there is clear evidence that the Arthurian legends arose from the exploits of not just one man, but at least three originating in Wales, Scotland and Brittany. The true historical Arthur really existed and is distantly related to the present royal family.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308534509941,"sku":"9781849013024","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781849013024_b526b7e5-47c9-4b21-b33c-7a307decf3e8.jpg?v=1786029029"},{"product_id":"mammoth-book-of-time-travel-sf","title":"The Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis thought-provoking collection not only takes us into the past and the future, but also explores what might happen if we attempt to manipulate time to our own advantage. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese stories show what happen once you start to meddle with time and the paradoxes that might arise. It also raises questions about whether we understand time, and how we perceive it. Once we move outside the present day, can we ever return or do we move into an alternate world? What happens if our meddling with Nature leads to time flowing backwards, or slowing down or stopping all together? Or if we get trapped in a constant loop from which we can never escape. Is the past and future immutable or will we ever be able to escape the inevitable? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThese are just some of the questions that are raised in these challenging, exciting and sometimes amusing stories by Kage Baker, Simon Clark, Fritz Leiber, Christopher Priest, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Robert Silverberg, Michael Swanwick, John Varley and many others.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57484196938101,"sku":"9781472100252","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781472100252.jpg?v=1786266240"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-mike-ashley.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}