The Static and Blackout


Book Description

The Static 'We all have sick thoughts. It doesnae matter what you think, it's what you do that counts. Trouble is, my thoughts do things. Don't believe me? Just watch.' Sparky is a bright but volatile 15-year-old boy on the brink of permanent exclusion from school. Then one day he falls under the spell of a seemingly psychic girl called Siouxsie and develops his own kinetic superpower. But will it save him or push him over the edge? The Static is a coming-of-age love story about what happens when our darkest dreams come true. Blackout 'A small room, bright lights, white walls, a metal door. Oh my God! Imagine you wake up in a jail cell and you don't know how you got there.' Blackout is the true story of a 15-year-old boy charged with attempted murder who tries to piece together the events in his life that have brought him into a secure care unit and threaten to keep him there. This short play packs a big emotional punch with its stylistic economy and razor-sharp storytelling. The Static was originally produced by ThickSkin for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and UK tour 2012. Blackout was commissioned for NT Connections and produced by ThickSkin at the Edinburgh Fringe 2010, winning the Arches Brick Award and subsequently touring the UK.




Analysis of Ratings


Book Description







The Mothman Prophecies


Book Description

The New York Times bestseller long regarded as a classic in the literature of the unexplained—the basis of the 2002 film starring Richard Gere. “The Mothman remains a potent piece of American folklore.” —CNN West Virginia, 1966. For thirteen months the town of Point Pleasant is gripped by a real-life nightmare culminating in a tragedy that makes headlines around the world. Strange occurrences and sightings, including a bizarre winged apparition that becomes known as the Mothman, trouble this ordinary American community. Mysterious lights are seen moving across the sky. Domestic animals are found slaughtered and mutilated. And journalist John Keel, arriving to investigate the freakish events, soon finds himself an integral part of an eerie and unfathomable mystery. “An essential read. Even if you just enjoy good suspense, when Keel talks of his own experiences with Men in Black, stolen evidence, and intimidation via eerie phone calls and visitations, you’ll want to keep reading.” —Strange Horizons










The Michigan Technic


Book Description




The Messenger


Book Description

“Dylan Kane leaves James Bond in his dust!” FROM AWARD-WINNING USA TODAY & MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR J. ROBERT KENNEDY SOMETIMES IT’S ALL IN THE WAY THE MESSAGE IS DELIVERED. When former Delta Force operator Sergeant Major Dax Laurier and his team are massacred in Afghanistan, drone footage shows an unknown person taking photos of the dead American soldiers immediately after the attack. And the same strange action was observed only weeks before. A string of ambushes in normally restful areas of the war-torn country are now under investigation, with Dax’s former comrades, including CIA Operations Officer Dylan Kane and Delta’s Bravo Team, leading the charge. What they find is shocking. And a clear and unmistakable message must be sent. In The Messenger, award-winning USA Today and multi-million copy bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy once again delivers a pulse-pounding, action-packed thriller torn from the headlines, where justice—and revenge—are demanded. If you enjoy Bond, Bourne, and Hunt, you’ll love Dylan Kane. Get your copy of The Messenger now, and revel as vengeance is delivered for an unprecedented attack on our troops… WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE DYLAN KANE SERIES ★★★★★ “The action sequences are particularly well-written and exciting, without being overblown.” ★★★★★ “I love how the author explains what’s needed but doesn’t just ramble on in narrative.” ★★★★★ “The events in this adventure are so real and so heart pounding you can’t put it down. Mr. Kennedy is by far my favorite writer.” ★★★★★ “Don’t mess with Kane, he takes no prisoners, especially when you target his friends.” ★★★★★ “This is one of the best stories I have ever read. The action and plot is believable and exciting and of course the climax is nail biting stuff. This author sure knows his stuff - if not, he does a great job of convincing his reader that he does!” ★★★★★ “Fast paced international spy thriller with good old American values among its main characters. I’d like to think we really do have agents like Kane.” USA Today bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy’s novels are ideal for fans of Dan Brown, Clive Cussler, James Rollins, Tom Clancy, and James Patterson, and those who enjoy intense action and intrigue with a healthy dose of humor and a touch of romance. Readers interested in action adventure, archaeological mysteries, historical fiction, men’s adventure, conspiracies and ancient mysteries, will love the James Acton Thrillers. If spies and espionage is your thing, then check out the CIA Operations Officer Dylan Kane Thrillers for riveting tradecraft action. And for those who prefer the team approach and Special Forces, check out the Delta Force Unleashed series for exciting military thrills. Or maybe you just feel like a mystery? Check out the Detective Shakespeare Mysteries for dark, intense psychological thrillers. Into the Templars? Then the Templar Detective Thrillers are for you!




Future Modern Distribution Networks Resilience


Book Description

Future Modern Distribution Networks Resilience examines the combined impact of low-probability and high-impact events on modern distribution systems' resilience. Using practical guidance, the book provides comprehensive approaches for improving energy systems' resilience by utilizing infrastructure and operational strategies. Divided in three parts, Part One provides a conceptual introduction and review of power system resilience, including topics such as risk and vulnerability assessment in power systems, resilience metrics, and power systems operation and planning. Part Two discusses modelling of vulnerability and resilience evaluation indices and cost-benefit analysis. Part Three reviews infrastructure and operational strategies to improve power system resilience, including robust grid hardening strategies, mobile energy storage and electric vehicles, and networked microgrids and renewable energy resources. With a strong focus on economic results and cost-effectives, Future Modern Distribution Networks Resilience is a practical reference for students, researchers and engineers interested in power engineering, energy systems, and renewable energy. - Reviews related concepts to active distribution systems resilience before, during, and after a sudden disaster - Presents analysis of risk and vulnerability for reliable evaluation, sustainable operation, and accurate planning of energy grids against low-probability and high-impact events - Highlights applications of practical metrics for resilience assessment of future energy networks - Provides guidance for the development of cost-effective resilient techniques for reducing the vulnerability of electrical grids to severe disasters




Power Grid Complexity


Book Description

“Power Grid Complexity” introduces the complex system theory known as self-organized criticality (SOC) theory and complex network theory, and their applications to power systems. It studies the network characteristics of power systems, such as their small-world properties, structural vulnerability, decomposition and coordination strategies, and simplification and equivalence methods. The book also establishes four blackout models based on SOC theory through which the SOC of power systems is studied at both the macroscopic and microscopic levels. Additionally, applications of complex system theory in power system planning and emergency management platforms are also discussed in depth. This book can serve as a useful reference for engineers and researchers working with power systems. Shengwei Mei is a Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University, China. Xuemin Zhang is a Lecturer at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University, China. Ming Cao is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.