On the 23rd of November 1963, the day after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, a science fiction legend was born.
After its very low-key start, “the BBC expected Doctor Who to last a couple of years at the most”, the iconic programme has gone on to become the longest running science fiction show of all time, celebrating its sixtieth anniversary this year. It is still hugely popular and we in the library can’t wait to see the major Doctor Who exhibition coming to Tākina, Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2024. In celebration of the anniversary, we are planning a few posts and podcasts about various aspects of this iconic science fiction series.
Bethany G. Rogers debut short story collection Kaleidoscopes in the Dark is a collection of twisted fairy tales and more modern dark themed tales that primarily draw on the English gothic tradition.
The book is full of black humour, macabre events and radical reimagining’s of traditional folktales. Her work has been compared to the writing of Angela Carter, the adult work of Roald Dahl (especially his Tales of the unexpected series) and even the darker elements of Dickens. Many of the more modern stories will also enchant fans of the TV show Black Mirror. Readers can expect unexpected twists and turns at every juncture and to be surprised and drawn into each tale. It is a delightfully, frightful short read.
The collection took eleven years to write and was helped to completion by Creative New Zealand and The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa (PEN NZ) Inc’s mentorship programme for emerging writers.
Bethany G. Rogers lives in Queenstown and originally hails from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK. Many of the stories are influenced by her Northeast England upbringing.
So, when we got the opportunity to interview the Bethany G. Rogers about her Kaleidoscopes in the Dark, we jumped at it!
We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Bethany G. Rogers for taking the time to answer our questions about Kaleidoscopes in the Dark and her writing practice, and for providing such an illuminating insight into her world and work.
You can watch this fascinating and insightful interview below, or by visiting our YouTube channel here.
Kaleidoscopes in the Dark / Rogers, B. G
“Bethany G. Rogers debut short story collection Kaleidoscopes in the Dark is a collection of twisted fairy tales and more modern dark themed tales that primarily draw on the English gothic tradition. Full of black humour, macabre events and radical reimagining’s of traditional folktales. Her work has been compared to the writing of Angela Carter, the adult work of Roald Dhal’s (especially his Tales of the unexpected series) and even the darker elements of Dickens, many of the more modern stories will also enchant fans of the Black Mirror TV show.” ( Adapted from Catalogue)
