Sara Maitland Book order

Princesses who never wanted to be rescued... debutantes who are unwilling to keep quiet about politics just to preserve their marriage prospects... fairy tale characters who question key motivations in their own, now-famous stories... The protagonists of Sara Maitland’s remarkable short fiction all seem to be bursting at the seams of their own characterisation, challenging our understanding of age-old narratives, and showing even the fundamentals of storytelling to be fluid, malleable and unreliable. Spanning over 40 years of writing, Sara Maitland’s Selected Stories brings together highlights from a phenomenal career in short fiction. Traditional folk stories, myths and fairy tales are expertly interrogated, modernised and given feminist and scientific re-readings. Drawing from classical, Norse, Inuit and other pagan mythologies, these stories find folkloric archetypes alive and well in every conceivable modern context. Formally innovative, emotionally edgy and deeply imbued with a sense of landscape, they speak to our abiding concerns about humanity’s relationship with the natural world, and the past’s uncanny ability to creep into our present and re-shape it, according to its own needs.

Performing a deft metaphorical evisceration of Sigmund Freud’s classic 1919 essay that delved deeply into the tradition of horror writing, this freshly contemporary collection of literary interpretations reintroduces to the world Freud’s compelling theory of das unheimliche —or, the uncanny. Specifically designed to challenge the creative boundaries of some of the most famed and respected horror writers working today—such as A. S. Byatt, Christopher Priest, Hanif Kureishi, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Matthew Holness, and the indomitable Ramsey Campbell—this anatomically precise experiment encapsulates what the uncanny represents in the 21st century. Masterfully narrated with the benefit of unique perspectives on what exactly it is that goes bump in the night, this chilling modern collective is not only an essential read for fans of horror but also an insightful and intriguing introduction to the greats of the genre at their gruesome best.

The book examines the evolving role of Christian women, particularly those identifying as feminists, within the church context over the past fifteen to twenty years. It highlights how these women are inspired by the contemporary Women's Movement to challenge the sexism and patriarchal structures traditionally associated with both Catholic and Protestant denominations. Sara Maitland explores their efforts towards spiritual renewal and improving the status of women in Christianity, offering insights into the intersection of faith and feminism.

Sara Maitland asks how we have arrived in a culture that values individualism, personal autonomy, independence and fulfilment higher than ever before in human history but at the same time is terrified of solitude. Delving into history to answer this question, she examines our changing culture through the ages and asks why and how we have periodically praised and then feared the practice of being alone, and those who seek it.

Exploring the profound connection between fairy tales and forests, the book delves into how these ancient narratives evoke a range of emotions, from beauty and magic to spookiness and horror. Maitland highlights the interplay between the enchanting landscapes and the secrets they hold, revealing the dual nature of these tales as both gifts and perils. Through this lens, readers are invited to reconsider the cultural significance and psychological depth of fairy tales in relation to their natural settings.

A magical exploration of the ancient landscape of forests and the ancient genre of fairytales, drawing fascinating and surprising connections between the two, by the author of the bestselling A Book Of Silence

A bryologist enters an ancient piece of British woodland to research a rare strain of moss, only to discover an even more exotic specimen; a geologist explains the failures of the feminist movement to her teenage niece in terms of tectonic subduction; two Old Testament newlyweds scheme to make the most of their tightly negotiated dowry by applying 21st-century genetic engineering techniques...Each story in this collection of short fiction fuses together specific pieces of scientific research with an ancient myth or folkloric archetype. In these stories, readers will encounter witches that can outwit botanists, religious soothsayers that read evolutionary biology in feverish dreams, and scientists who fall in love with the birds that they study. A specially written afterword penned by a scientist follows each story, expanding upon the theory within the story, be it quantum mechanics, planetary physics, game theory, or nanotechnology.

In this book, Professor Ramsey attempts to show how the concern of contemporary philosophy with language has implications for theology--its claims and apologetic, its problems and controversies. He argues that, far from being necessarily irreligious, logical empiricism provides us with a tool that can be of the greatest service to theology, making possible, between philosophy and theology, not only a new cooperation but a new venture altogether.

A deeply thoughtful, honest and illuminating memoir about a phenomenon too often neglected in the contemporary world.

This collection features fifteen enchanting fairy tales that explore themes of transformation and empowerment. Readers will encounter a mermaid, embark on an erotic adventure with a mysterious stranger, and follow women who learn to fly and become fairy godmothers. Each story weaves the magic of myth into contemporary women's experiences, highlighting their journeys of self-discovery and liberation.