Grant Allen

The Thames Valley Catastrophe Illustrated Grant Allen

A strange and unexpected disaster happens in the Thames Valley... The Thames Valley Catastrophe (published December 1897 in The Strand Magazine) describes the destruction of London by a sudden and massive volcanic eruption. A novella about a massive volcanic event in the Thames valley: the narrator escapes on his bicycle, pedalling to London with an all-consuming wall of fire just minutes behind him. The juxtaposition of the peaceful countryside he passes through with the coming disaster is quite surreal, and well-described. I just wished this story was longer.