The Year of Darkness
How a volcano gave us Frankenstein and the bicycle
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Beschreibung
Discover how a volcanic eruption in 1815 caused a global winter that led to the invention of the bicycle and the horror novel.
"The Year of Darkness – How a volcano gave us Frankenstein and the bicycle" connects a geological catastrophe in Indonesia to the culture of Europe. In 1815, Mount Tambora erupted, spewing enough ash to block the sun. The following year, 1816, became known as "The Year Without a Summer." Snow fell in June, crops failed, and horses starved to death.
Historian Julian Ash details the ripple effects. Trapped indoors by the incessant rain in Switzerland, Mary Shelley and Lord Byron held a ghost story contest, leading to the creation of Frankenstein and the modern vampire myth. Meanwhile, in Germany, because oats were too expensive to feed horses, Karl Drais invented a human-powered running machine—the precursor to the bicycle.
"The Year of Darkness" illustrates the interconnectedness of the world. It shows how a single geological event on the other side of the globe can alter literature, technology, and transportation forever.
Autor*in
Julian Ash
Author
Themen in »The Year of Darkness«
Year Without a Summer 1816 Mount Tambora Frankenstein Climate Change Invention of Bicycle Karl Drais