Are 'what if' stories coming into fashion?

A recent post in The Economist magazine congratulated Francis Spufford whose Cahokia Jazz won this year’s long-form class of the Sidewise Awards for Alternate History. The Economist went on to state: “The what-if genre of fiction is growing fast, with work of startling quality and originality. [Cahokia Jazz is] A noir thriller that takes […]

A taster of INCEPTIO: A revelation for our heroine

[Conradus Mitelus, Roma Nova ‘government employee’ speaks to Karen/Carina]

‘There’s something I must ask you,’ Conrad said, his expression serious now. ‘It’s why I was in Washington. What do you know about your family? I mean, your mother’s family.’

‘What’s that to you? Do you know […]

Slaves, damnati and freedmen in ancient Rome

In 161 BC, the Roman jurist Gaius wrote: “Slavery is a human invention and not found in nature. Indeed, it was that other human invention, war, which provided the bulk of slaves, but they were also the bounty of piracy … or the product of breeding.” (Institutiones)

A cold, yet trenchant statement. As in many […]