This richly illustrated book examines the changing significance of ruins as vehicles for cultural memory in Chinese art and visual culture from ancient times to the present. The story of ruins in China is different from but connected to “ruin culture” in the West. This book explores indigenous Chinese concepts of ruins and their visual manifestations, as well as the complex historical interactions between China and the West since the eighteenth century. Wu Hung leads us through an array of traditional and contemporary visual materials, including painting, architecture, photography, prints, and cinema. A Story of Ruins shows how ruins are integral to traditional Chinese culture in both architecture and pictorial forms. It traces the changes in their representation over time, from indigenous methods of recording damage and decay in ancient China, to realistic images of architectural ruins in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, to the strong interest in urban ruins in contemporary China, as shown in the many artworks that depict demolished houses and decaying industrial sites. The result is an original interpretation of the development of Chinese art, as well as a unique contribution to global art history.

MR. JEREMY TUFT became aware with a slight shock that he was lying in bed wide awake. He raised his head a little, stared around him, found something vaguely unfamiliar, and tried to go to sleep again. But sleep would not come. Though he felt dull and stupid, he was yet invincibly awake. His eyes opened again of themselves, and he stared round him once more. It was the subdued light, filtered through the curtains, that was strange; and as intelligence flowed back into his empty mind, he realized that this was because it was much stronger than it should have been at any time before eight o’clock. Thence to the conclusion that it was very likely later than eight o’clock was an easy step for his reviving faculties. Energy followed the returning intelligence, and he sat up suddenly, his head throbbing as he did so, and took his watch from the table beside him. It was, in fact, a quarter to ten. Arising out of this discovery a stream of possibilities troubled the still somewhat confused processes of his mind. Either Mrs. Watkins for some unaccountable reason had failed to arrive, or else, contrary to his emphatic and often repeated instructions, she had been perfunctory in knocking at his door and had not stayed for an answer. In either case it was annoying; but Mrs. Watkins’ arrival at half-past seven was so fixed a point in the day, she was so regular, so trustworthy, and, moreover, life without her ministrations was so unthinkable that the first possibility seemed much the less possible of the two. When Jeremy had thus exhausted the field of speculation he rose and went out of his room to speak sharply to Mrs. Watkins. His intention of severity was a little belied by the genial grotesqueness of his short and rather broad figure in dressing-gown and pyjamas; but he hoped that he looked a disciplinarian. Mrs. Watkins, however, was not there. The flat was silent and completely empty. The blinds were drawn over the sitting-room windows, and stirred faintly as he opened the door. He passed into the kitchen, but not hopefully, for as a rule his ear told him without mistake when the charwoman was to be found there. As he had expected, she was not there, nor yet in the bathroom. There was a quiet uncanny silence everywhere, so strange and yet at the same time so reminiscent of something that eluded his memory, that Jeremy paused a moment, head lifted in air, trying to analyze its effect on him. He ascribed it at last to the obvious cause of Mrs. Watkins’ absence at this unusually late hour; and he went further into the bathroom, whence he could see, with a little craning of the neck, the clock on St. Andrew’s Church in Holborn. This last testimony confirmed that of his watch. He returned to the sitting-room, struggling half-consciously in his mind with a quite irrational feeling, for which he could not account, that it was a Sunday. He knew very well that it was a Tuesday—Tuesday, the 18th of April, in the year 1924. When he came into the sitting-room he drew back the blinds and let in the full morning light, and by its aid he surveyed unfavorably his overcoat lying where he had thrown it the night before, coming in late from a party. He looked also with some disgust at the glass from which he had drunk a last unnecessary whisky and soda previous to going to bed. Then he paddled back wearily with bare feet to the narrow kitchen (a cupboard containing a gas-stove and a smaller cupboard), set a kettle on to boil, and began the always laborious process of bathing, shaving, and dressing. At the end he shirked making tea, or boiling an egg, and he sat down discontentedly to another whisky, in the same glass, and a piece of stale bread.

This collection is the first book to comprehensively analyse the relatively new and under-researched phenomenon of ‘ruin porn’. Featuring a diverse collection of chapters, the authors in this work examine the relevance of contemporary ruin and its relationship to photography, media, architecture, culture, history, economics and politics. This work investigates the often ambiguous relationship that society has with contemporary ruins around the world, challenging the notions of authenticity that are frequently associated with images of decay. With case studies that discuss various places and topics, including Detroit, Chernobyl, Pitcairn Island, post-apocalyptic media, online communities and urban explorers, among many other topics, this collection illustrates the nuances of ruin porn that are fundamental to an understanding of humanity’s place in the overarching narrative of history.

The Architecture of Ruins: Designs on the Past, Present and Future identifies an alternative and significant history of architecture from the sixteenth century to the twenty-first century, in which a building is designed, occupied and imagined as a ruin. This design practice conceives a monument and a ruin as creative, interdependent and simultaneous themes within a single building dialectic, addressing temporal and environmental questions in poetic, psychological and practical terms, and stimulating questions of personal and national identity, nature and culture, weather and climate, permanence and impermanence and life and death. Conceiving a building as a dialogue between a monument and a ruin intensifies the already blurred relations between the unfinished and the ruined and envisages the past, the present and the future in a single architecture. Structured around a collection of biographies, this book conceives a monument and a ruin as metaphors for a life and means to negotiate between a self and a society. Emphasising the interconnections between designers and the particular ways in which later architects learned from earlier ones, the chapters investigate an evolving, interdisciplinary design practice to show the relevance of historical understanding to design. Like a history, a design is a reinterpretation of the past that is meaningful to the present. Equally, a design is equivalent to a fiction, convincing users to suspend disbelief. We expect a history or a novel to be written in words, but they can also be delineated in drawing, cast in concrete or seeded in soil. The architect is a ‘physical novelist’ as well as a ‘physical historian’. Like building sites, ruins are full of potential. In revealing not only what is lost, but also what is incomplete, a ruin suggests the future as well as the past. As a stimulus to the imagination, a ruin’s incomplete and broken forms expand architecture’s allegorical and metaphorical capacity, indicating that a building can remain unfinished, literally and in the imagination, focusing attention on the creativity of users as well as architects. Emphasising the symbiotic relations between nature and culture, a building designed, occupied and imagined as a ruin acknowledges the coproduction of multiple authors, whether human, non-human or atmospheric, and is an appropriate model for architecture in an era of increasing climate change.

Dare to find out why readers are binging on this complete post-apocalyptic romance series from Jami Gray! In a world gone to hell, better to choose the devil you know… The world didn't end in fire and explosions, instead after an intensifying panic of disease, food shortages, wild weather, and floundering economies, it collapsed like slow falling dominoes, until what remained of humanity battles for survival in a harsh new reality. As a ‘Hound, Charity puts the lethal survival skills learned at an early age to use by sniffing out pivotal secrets for one of the most powerful leaders on what remains of the west coast. Her work is deceptive, deadly, and best performed solo, but when her path crosses with a member of the notorious mercenary group known as Fate’s Vultures, she’s faced with a less than stellar choice – join the sexy as hell Ruin in a mockery of teamwork or waste her valuable time shaking him loose. As one of Fate’s Vultures, a nomadic band of ruthless arbitrators, Ruin knows well the type of carnage created by the corruption and greed of what remains of humanity, so when he rides into a brutal murder scene and discovers his friend has been taken hostage, he’ll use whatever resources he can to save him. Even if one of those resources is a damn ‘Hound who’s clearly trouble. Trouble, Ruin knows he should avoid, especially since the suspicious circumstance of Charity’s involvement leaves every cell of his body skeptical - and painfully aroused. But Fate has other plans, especially when Ruin and Charity realize they have a common enemy. Can they set aside their distrust to achieve their mutual goal of justice and revenge? Sometimes, it's better to stick with the devil you know... ****** ****** ****** ****** ****** ****** ****** ****** Dare to find out why readers are binging on this complete post-apocalyptic romance series from Jami Gray with this first in series, LYING IN RUINS and claim your copy now! Meet a new breed of warriors, Fate’s Vultures, a mercenary band who live by a code in a world gone to hell – loyalty to each other, but for the right price, they’ll be the shield for those without. In the ravaged aftermath of the post-apocalyptic these evocative couples will stop at nothing to claim their future. Welcome to the world of The Collapse. "This is a sexy Mad Max that keeps you turning the pages." - Amazon Review "I'm always looking for a good post-apocalyptic romance to sink my teeth into. This book delivered!" - Amazon Review ****** ****** ****** ****** ****** ****** ****** ****** *This is a revised edition of previously released title

Once upon a time, the world was created by colors. They lived in harmony, until they did not. Red became power-hungry, and the other colors had to stop it. They created a child, perfect for Red, and set her loose to bind Red once and for all. But the child had other plans. The great Tsvuku failed the colors - or did she?

In 'The History of the Ancient Civilizations' by Max Duncker, readers are presented with a comprehensive exploration of various ancient civilizations from a scholarly perspective. Duncker's detailed analysis of the rise and fall of these civilizations, including their religious beliefs, social structures, and political systems, offers readers a deeper understanding of the complexities of ancient societies. Written in a clear and engaging style, this book serves as a valuable resource for anyone interested in history and anthropology, providing a thorough overview of key events and developments in ancient civilizations. Duncker's approach to storytelling is both informative and captivating, making this book a must-read for enthusiasts of ancient history. Max Duncker's background as a renowned historian and scholar gives him the expertise needed to craft this insightful and well-researched book. His passion for unraveling the mysteries of the past is evident throughout the pages, as he delves into the intricacies of ancient civilizations with precision and expertise. With its meticulous research and engaging narrative, 'The History of the Ancient Civilizations' is a compelling read that will broaden readers' knowledge and appreciation of the ancient world, making it a valuable addition to any history lover's bookshelf.