Category Archives: pointless things of wonderfulness

Dear Edgar 62 ~ Mellonta Tauta

Posted on July 21, 2026 by Mark Hayes

In Mellonta Tauta, our Dear Edgar imagines the world a thousand years in his future and writes a letter from it. All be it a letter not address to us, but sealed in a bottle and thrown into the ocean by its writer just before the balloon, on which they will be traveling, collapses into the sea Continue reading →

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Dear Edgar 57 ~ The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether

Posted on March 25, 2026 by Mark Hayes

Once upon a dark time of tribulation and despair, whence an ancient nation state lay beneath the uncaring heel of a feared tyrants regime*. Grim dark clouds that circled those that once sang of ghost towns and a race of rats left the safety of there fellows and that which was special ceased to be, and thence they became fun boys a three…
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Dear Edgar 53 ~ The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade

Posted on January 29, 2026 by Mark Hayes

Truth, as the old saying goes, is stranger than fiction. It is also on occasion harder to believe. Fiction has the advantage of the internal logic of the story. Truth has to actually be true, even if that truth is … Continue reading →

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Oceans of the mind

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Mark Hayes

The ocean is never calm, even when the surface seems calm the currents beneath are ever moving changing and washing up against strange shores. So the ocean is never calm, even when it might seem so to others and to be calm is an athame to the ocean. The waters must move, ever change, be they the depths or the shallows, crashing upon the shore, or out passed all horizon. Fed by rivers and seas, pulled by the moon in tides of gravity, while in the deepest places the heat of the earth pushes through mountains. Continue reading →

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The fate of Eels

Posted on October 29, 2024 by Mark Hayes

When inspiration flows, it creates cycles. We might think about this as being akin to other natural cycles, like the way water moves through the world. Inspiration is supposed to flow and move, hoarding it doesn’t work. The person who jealously guards their creative energy will find they have less of it, not more. Continue reading →

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The Return of a Semblance of Hope

Posted on August 19, 2024 by Mark Hayes

Time has past… Strange epochs are upon us, the stars are finally right and the thing that was prophesied will now come to pass… Also there make be coco! Continue reading →

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Friday Flashbacks… 1

Posted on May 31, 2024 by Mark Hayes

As this blogs been around the block a few times, (754 posts over the last 8 years or so…) , I’ve decided it would be nice to dig out some old post that regular readers may never have come across … Continue reading →

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Dear Edgar #18 Blackwood

Posted on March 11, 2024 by Mark Hayes

‘How to Write a Blackwood Article’ and ‘A Predicament’ are two parody’s written by Poe and published in the same edition of the magazine, American Museum. One serves as an introductory piece for the other and in effect they form … Continue reading →

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Monkeys! a guest post by Will Nett

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Mark Hayes

Sir William Nettleton IV, once married a monkey called Kevin. He was drunk at the time (Kevin, not Sir William) which was the only reason he agreed to the marriage, which it is believed was never consummated. At least, as … Continue reading →

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The Toads of Hull

Posted on November 6, 2023 by Mark Hayes

If you walk around Hull today you can find nineteen colourful giant toads. The toads have been there since 2010 when they were installed along with twenty one of there brethren (which were removed) to celebrate the life and work … Continue reading →

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