Efram Sera-Shriar
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dreframss.bsky.social
Efram Sera-Shriar
@dreframss.bsky.social
Historian of occultism and science, Victorianist, anthropologist, associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, and bass player. Lover of classic videogames. 🎮 Views own. (https://www.eframserashriar.com)
Pinned
It is my great pleasure to share the cover for my new book **PSYCHIC INVESTIGATORS** which was published in June 2022 with the University of Pittsburgh Press.

More details here: https://upittpress.org/books/9780822947073/
Reposted by Efram Sera-Shriar
“Parlor Ornament”. Postcard from my collection, 1906.
November 26, 2025 at 6:25 AM
Reposted by Efram Sera-Shriar
Important role - new Chair of the Board of @ukri.org
£33k for one day a week. Closes 11 Jan. Would be good from my perspective to get someone who understands higher education and the value of the arts, humanities and social sciences!
plusportal.perrettlaver.com/VacancyDetai...
Perrett Laver - Leading Global Executive Search Firm
plusportal.perrettlaver.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Still working through my chapter on Henry Slade's alleged exposure by E Ray Lankester in 1876. There are so many wonderful woodcuts from the trial, including this one from The Graphic in October of that year.
November 25, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Do I have any contacts on here interested in the history of the Gamboy?
a white nintendo game boy with a game on the screen
ALT: a white nintendo game boy with a game on the screen
media.tenor.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Reposted by Efram Sera-Shriar
New publishing opportunity!

The London Record Society are looking for someone to edit a volume based on the archive of the Working Ladies' Guild, which supported impoverished women in late nineteenth-century Britain.

Further information and contact details in the text below.
November 24, 2025 at 8:00 AM
If you missed our online seminar for @royalsocietypublishing.org yesterday on British-Japanese science in the nineteenth century, you can now watch the recording here: cassyni.com/events/RGh39...
Cassyni | Science starts with a seminar
Seamlessly organise, run and publish academic research seminars. Get started in minutes.
cassyni.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Reposted by Efram Sera-Shriar
Mystified by how to approach an academic journal editor? Need help getting through the "revise and resubmit" doldrums? Our next #RSVPDigiEvent can help! Join us next Friday, Nov. 21 and hear from the editors of top #Victorian journals on "How to Get Published in a Academic Journal": buff.ly/ydJkKAK
How to Get Published in an Academic Journal – RSVP
Join us Friday, November 21 for a special professional development session on how to get published in an academic journal!
buff.ly
November 14, 2025 at 6:04 PM
I'm saddened to learn of the death of the legendary game designer Rebecca Heineman - who was the O.G. of video game competitions. Heineman won the Space Invaders championship in 1980! RIP 🪦

www.pcgamer.com/gaming-indus...
Legendary game designer, programmer, Space Invaders champion, and LGBTQ trailblazer Rebecca Heineman has died
Heineman's cancer fundraiser is now collecting for her funeral.
www.pcgamer.com
November 18, 2025 at 1:11 PM
What the auctioneers don't know is that Gladys is possessed by an evil spirit and every evening awakens to abduct a new victim to drag down to the underworld... 😈
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Rare Victorian mannequin to be auctioned in Banbury
The doll, known to the family as Gladys, belonged to renowned sculptor James Butler MBE.
www.bbc.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:50 AM
I'm giving a talk tomorrow for @royalsocietypublishing.org. It's on the Japanese anthropologist Baba Tatsui who worked with E.B. Tylor on the first English-language translation of the Kojiki. Baba also wrote an amazing book on Japanese ethnographic impressions of the British in Japan in 1875.
November 17, 2025 at 2:35 PM
This sounds super cool, and what a lineup!
This Saturday I'll be assisting at the wonderful @ForteanLondon 'Haunted Landscape VII: Ghosts, Magic and Folklore' at @ConwayHall. Speakers include @IcySedgwick @folklorepod @magicnotwitches @TheProfRog @odavies9 @CeriHoulbrook. Join us! forteanlondon.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-...
The Haunted Landscape 2025: Ghosts, Magic and Lore
Whose claws are scratching at the church door? What’s that ghost tumbling over the moor? Who’s that figure cut into the earth? What can I do...
forteanlondon.blogspot.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:24 AM
HORROR FANS WANTED!

My friend and colleague Mathias Clasen desperately needs horror fans to help with his new study. The survey below doesn't take long to complete, and your participation is appreciated by him and his collaborators.

Details 👇
app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/brighton/i...
Identifying the Relationship between personal concerns and enjoyment of horror films (Denmark)
Online surveys is a powerful, easy to use tool for creating online surveys. Run by Jisc, online surveys is used by over 300 different organisations in the UK...
app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk
November 12, 2025 at 9:56 AM
I'm spending the day writing about "The Slade Number" from the Medium and Daybreak from October 1876. The entire issue was devoted to a defence of Henry Slade who had recently been exposed by E Ray Lankester as a fake during a seance. At least that's the story according to Lankester.
November 12, 2025 at 9:14 AM
ONLINE EVENT: On Tuesday 18 Nov at 2PM (GMT) I will be co-presenting a set of papers about our special issue 'Transnational Studies of 19th-Century Japanese and British Science' with Bernie Lightman and Yoshi Kukuchi for the @royalsociety.org seminar series.

Details 👇
cassyni.com/events/RGh39...
Cassyni | Science starts with a seminar
Seamlessly organise, run and publish academic research seminars. Get started in minutes.
cassyni.com
November 10, 2025 at 6:59 AM
I've just been informed by the producers that the episode has already had a whopping 17 thousand listens in 5 days. 🤯
I did another interview, this time for "Tumble Science Podcast for Kids". Basically, kids ask questions to experts. My question from 6yo Lily was: Are ghosts real?

Listen here: www.sciencepodcastforkids.com/single-post/...

The producers also made this hilarious picture of me for the episode.
November 5, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Two years ago, @upittpress.bsky.social first shared with Bernie and me a mock-up of the cover for our collection, "Victorian Interdisciplinarity and the Sciences." I still love the design, which was originally suggested by @kingtekkers.bsky.social

Visit the website👇
upittpress.org/books/978082...
November 4, 2025 at 12:41 PM
I did another interview, this time for "Tumble Science Podcast for Kids". Basically, kids ask questions to experts. My question from 6yo Lily was: Are ghosts real?

Listen here: www.sciencepodcastforkids.com/single-post/...

The producers also made this hilarious picture of me for the episode.
November 3, 2025 at 8:21 AM
October 31, 2025 at 1:29 PM
I've just learned that my university will pay the open access fees for one of two articles that I have forthcoming. That's great news, and I am happy my university even has this scheme. However, it is still a bummer that my article on haunted houses in video games was not awarded the money...
patrick star from spongebob squarepants is holding a green flag and a yellow finger
ALT: patrick star from spongebob squarepants is holding a green flag and a yellow finger
media.tenor.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Fellow Victorianists - are any of you interested in potentially writing some short Forum-length pieces (2-3K) on adapting Victorians/Victorian Worlds to videogames? Get in touch if you are.
a man wearing a top hat and a coat is standing in front of a staircase .
ALT: a man wearing a top hat and a coat is standing in front of a staircase .
media.tenor.com
October 27, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Reposted by Efram Sera-Shriar
We're delighted to announce the CFP for our #PHRC26 annual conference on "Photography's Tacit Knowledge". As in the past few years, it'll be a hybrid conference, online and in Leicester, o 15-16 June. Send your abstracts by 9 January! photographichistory.wordpress.com/annual-confe... #photohist
Annual Conference 2026
Photography’s Tacit Knowledge Image: A reproduction photographer at work. 1934 (Deutsche Fotothek). Photographic History Research Centre, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK When: 15-16 June 2026…
photographichistory.wordpress.com
October 24, 2025 at 10:20 AM
No one, of course, except the Pumpkin King! 🎃

www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...
No One Knows How Big Pumpkins Can Get
A decade ago, the world’s heaviest pumpkin weighed 2,000 pounds. Now the 3,000-pound mark is within sight.
www.theatlantic.com
October 24, 2025 at 9:44 AM
I had a blast presenting my paper on Ghosts n Goblins for @gothicauob.bsky.social. Thanks to @katrinajan.bsky.social and @dremilyvincent.bsky.social for the invitation. The audience was also super lovely.
a video game screen says congratulations this story is happy end thank you
ALT: a video game screen says congratulations this story is happy end thank you
media.tenor.com
October 23, 2025 at 5:26 PM
I've done a little casual gaming this morning, playing some Ghosts n Goblins ahead of my talk this evening as part of @gothicauob.bsky.social's seminar series. It really is one of the toughest games ever made. Yeesh!
a screenshot of a video game shows a skeleton with a red cape and a top score of 35000
ALT: a screenshot of a video game shows a skeleton with a red cape and a top score of 35000
media.tenor.com
October 23, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Tomorrow! I hope you can join the fun.
It's officially spooky szn! 👻

We're back 😈

🎮 Video Game Gothic
🗣 Dr Efram Sera-Shriar
📆 Thurs 23rd Oct
🕔 5pm (BST)
📍Zoom

Efram is an Associate Professor at University of Copenhagen. He is currently working on representations of occulture in video games from late 70s & and mid-90s.

DM to join 👾
October 22, 2025 at 12:48 PM