Roger Luckhurst
@theprofrog.bsky.social
1.1K followers 1.4K following 320 posts

academic/freelance writer, on Gothic, Science Fiction. Next up: Graveyards: A History of Living with the Dead (October 2025).

Roger Luckhurst is a British writer and academic and since 2020 the Geoffrey Tillotson Chair of Nineteenth Century Studies at Birkbeck College. He was appointed professor in modern and contemporary literature in the Department of English, Theatre, and Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London in 2008 and was distinguished visiting professor at Columbia University in 2016. He works on Victorian literature, contemporary literature, Gothic and weird fiction, trauma studies, and speculative/science fiction. Luckhurst is notable for his introductions and editorships to the Oxford World's Classics series volumes -- Late Victorian Gothic Tales, Dracula, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, The Portrait of a Lady, H.P. Lovecraft's Classic Horror Tales, King Solomon’s Mines, and The Time Machine -- and for his books on J. G. Ballard (1997), The Invention of Telepathy (2002), Science Fiction (2005) The Trauma Question (2008), The Mummy’s Curse: The True Story of a Dark Fantasy, and Zombies: A Cultural History. He has also written two books for the British Film Institute classic film series on The Shining and Alien. .. more

Philosophy 28%
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theprofrog.bsky.social
Today’s gravestone: ‘The Kiss of Death’, Poblenou Cemetery, Barcelona

theprofrog.bsky.social
At #LFF2025 ‘Becoming Human’ is a lovely contemplative exploration from Cambodia of the limbo/bardo between death and rebirth with wonderful sense of place and some admirably recalcitrant spirits. Fab debut film.

theprofrog.bsky.social
Just sent some early reader reaction to my Graveyards book
iandunt.bsky.social
Calling English a 'rip-off degree' is one of the most blatant exhibitions of personal barbarism I've ever seen. You've demonstrated nothing but the poverty of your own mind.

theprofrog.bsky.social
God,I’m terrible at properly annotating my photo files, so this is either a recent shot from the Mars rover or the audience assembling at Manchester Central for Kemi Badenoch’s speech

theprofrog.bsky.social
Accurate plot summary, at least, but does contain spoilers

theprofrog.bsky.social
Overheard in hipster caff: “He’s 45, but he’s still very active.”

Reposted by Roger Luckhurst

theprofrog.bsky.social
The first burial, Père Lachaise, Paris, 1804
mikeachim.bsky.social
Damn. This is amazing. £325 per week, paid monthly, for 3 years - and the result was a profit for the Irish economy:
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...
Post from Threads user rodneyowl: "Ireland has declared the Basic Income for Artists scheme permanent. This will be officially announced in tomorrow’s budget. Details to follow. Congratulations to all who fought for it and the present and future artists of all sorts in Ireland. That includes me 👌We’re just comin to the end of a 3 year pilot scheme. It’s been a roaring success. For every €1 paid out to the 2000 participants, the government got €1.46 back. Can’t argue with that. Other countries are already taking note."

theprofrog.bsky.social
Churchyard in Aldeburgh, Suffolk 2020

theprofrog.bsky.social
October 2021, the time in Brompton Cemetery where I came across a pile of coffins and only slowly realised they were film props

theprofrog.bsky.social
Just back from my 2-3.30pm stint as French Prime Minister, most people not back from lunch so couldn’t get much done malheureusement

theprofrog.bsky.social
Mortsafes in Greyfriars, Edinburgh, designed to prevent bodysnatchers

theprofrog.bsky.social
Assistens Cemetery, Copenhagen

theprofrog.bsky.social
Not sure about the brother — there was a great exhibition about the city in 1945 this summer, ranging from Jaspers coming back for the chancellorship to a snapshot of Marlene Dietrich on the castle battlements in army gear!

theprofrog.bsky.social
In Heidelberg, disenchanted…

theprofrog.bsky.social
This is a fascinating book!
princetonupress.bsky.social
@theprofrog.bsky.social calls John Blair’s Killing the Dead “authoritative and compelling” in the October issue of @historytoday.com. Learn more about this “fascinating history” here: hubs.ly/Q03M4M2F0.
Killing the Dead: Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World by John Blair
princetonupress.bsky.social
@theprofrog.bsky.social calls John Blair’s Killing the Dead “authoritative and compelling” in the October issue of @historytoday.com. Learn more about this “fascinating history” here: hubs.ly/Q03M4M2F0.
Killing the Dead: Vampire Epidemics from Mesopotamia to the New World by John Blair

theprofrog.bsky.social
Morning acupuncture session on my achy tennis elbow, but I do wonder if they’re taking it a bit far

theprofrog.bsky.social
Wise man!
eve.gd
That's my reading sorted for a bit, thanks to @theprofrog.bsky.social. The graveyard is certainly a great subject!
A picture of me with Roger Luckhurst's book, Graveyards

Reposted by Roger Luckhurst

eve.gd
That's my reading sorted for a bit, thanks to @theprofrog.bsky.social. The graveyard is certainly a great subject!
A picture of me with Roger Luckhurst's book, Graveyards

theprofrog.bsky.social
He’s quoting Object-Oriented Ontology now?

theprofrog.bsky.social
Agreed! Hard to describe but they have put an actual shallow grave on the cover!

Reposted by Martin Paul Eve

theprofrog.bsky.social
Publication day is October 2nd tomorrow. Launch tonight for the first day of the London Month of the Dead at Highgate Cemetery!

theprofrog.bsky.social
Starmer looks confidently to the future

theprofrog.bsky.social
Woke myself up before 6am from a dream where I was arguing with a man sitting next to me on an aircraft about the relative merits of the early poetry of Thom Gunn #thuglife