A review by softrosemint
The Night Wire: and Other Tales of Weird Media by Aaron Worth

3.5

given how present technology is in our daily lives nowadays, the technology subject to these stories can sometimes appear bizarre just based on how removed it is from our time. it is interesting to see what people's anxieties around the time were related to and how they compare to ours.

that being said, a line from "the devil's fantasia" by bernard capes:

"signor marconi," said i, "is confident that in a little while new york and land's end will be able to talk together without the need for wires."

"the whole world will be one whispering-gallery," said george. "if you sit here, johnny, an turn a deaf ear to me -- as you very often do -- i shall only have to show you my back, and speak a matter of twenty-three thousand miles into your other ear."

(...)

"i wish it was signor what's-his-name's theory exploded," said [lucy] quite plaintively. "(...) i must say i think this world is going to be made a detestable place for people who don't want to know everything."

what an accidentally accurate prediction of twitter from a time when the internet was not even invented yet.

favourite stories: "wireless" by rudyard kipling, "poor lucy rivers" by bernard capes,"benlian" by oliver onions, "the statement of randolph carter" by h.p. lovecraft, "the wind in the woods" by bessie kyffin-taylor, "the night wire" by h.f. arnold, "the found my grave" by marjorie bowen (who is also a pleasure as a feature), "uncle phil on tv" by j.b. priestey and "the telephone" by mary treadgold.