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In this paper we express certain multiplicities in modular representation-theoretic categories of type A in terms of affine p-Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials. The representation-theoretic categories we deal with include the categories of rational representations of GL(n), representations of the quantum group for gl(n), and representations of (degenerate) cyclotomic Hecke and Schur algebras, where the base field is an algebraically closed field of arbitrary prime characteristic. In order to approach this problem we define Soergel-theoretic versions of parabolic categories O in characteristic p. We show that these categories have many common features with the classical parabolic categories O; for example, they are highest weight. We produce a homomorphism from a (finite or affine) type A 2-Kac-Moody category to the diagrammatic version of the category of singular Soergel bimodules (again, of finite or affine type A). This leads to a categorical Kac-Moody action on the Soergel-theoretic categories O. Then we relate the representation-theoretic categories to Soergel-theoretic ones by proving a uniqueness result for highest weight categorical actions on Fock spaces.

We study modular ortholattices in the variety generated by the finite dimensional ones from an equational and geometric point of view. We relate this to coordinatization results.

The finite-dimensional restricted simple Lie algebras of characteristic p > 5 are classical or of Cartan type. The classical algebras are analogues of the simple complex Lie algebras and have a well-advanced representation theory with important connections to Kazhdan-Lusztig theory, quantum groups at roots of unity, and the representation theory of algebraic groups. We survey progress that has been made towards developing a representation theory for the restricted simple Cartan-type Lie algebras, discuss comparable results in the classical case, formulate a couple of conjectures, and pose a dozen open problems for further study.

This note is devoted to some questions about the representation theory over the finite field $\mathbb{F}_2$ of the general linear groups $\mathbb{GL_n(F_2)}$ and Poincar\'e series of unstable modules. The first draft was describing two conjectures. They were presented during talks made at VIASM in summer 2013. Since then one conjecture has been disproved, the other one has been proved. These results naturally lead to new questions which are going to be discussed. In winter 2013, Nguyen Dang Ho Hai proved the second conjecture, he disproved the first one in spring 2014. Up to now, the proof of the second one depends on a major topological result: the Segal conjecture. This discussion could be extended to an odd prime, but we will not do it here, just a small number of remarks will be made.

This is an expository article invited for the ``Commentary'' section of PNAS in connection with Y.-Z. Huang's article, ``Vertex operator algebras, the Verlinde conjecture, and modular tensor categories,'' appearing in the same issue of PNAS. Huang's solution of the mathematical problem of constructing modular tensor categories from the representation theory of vertex operator algebras is very briefly discussed, along with background material. The hypotheses of the theorems entering into the solution are very general, natural and purely algebraic, and have been verified in a wide range of familiar examples, while the theory itself is heavily analytic and geometric as well as algebraic.

This is an expository article invited for the ``Commentary'' section of PNAS in connection with Y.-Z. Huang's article, ``Vertex operator algebras, the Verlinde conjecture, and modular tensor categories,'' appearing in the same issue of PNAS. Huang's solution of the mathematical problem of constructing modular tensor categories from the representation theory of vertex operator algebras is very briefly discussed, along with background material. The hypotheses of the theorems entering into the solution are very general, natural and purely algebraic, and have been verified in a wide range of familiar examples, while the theory itself is heavily analytic and geometric as well as algebraic.

We show that superconformal ${\cal N}=4,2$ algebras are well-suited to represent some invariant constructions characterizing exotic $\mathbb{R}^4$ relative to a given radial family. We examine the case of ${\cal N}=4, \hat{c}=4$ (at $r=1$ level) superconformal algebra which is realized on flat $\mathbb{R}^4$ and curved $S^3\times \mathbb{R}$. While the first realization corresponds naturally to standard smooth $\mathbb{R}^4$ the second describes the algebraic end of some small exotic smooth $\mathbb{R}^4$'s from the radial family of DeMichelis-Freedman and represents the linear dilaton background $SU(2)_k\times \mathbb{R}_Q$ of superstring theory. From the modular properties of the characters of the algebras one derives Witten-Reshetikhin-Turaev and Chern-Simons invariants of homology 3-spheres. These invariants are represented rather by false, quasi-modular, Ramanujan mock-type functions. Given the homology 3-spheres one determines exotic smooth structures of Freedman on $S^3\times \mathbb{R}$. In this way the fake ends are related to the SCA ${\cal N}=4$ characters. The case of the ends of small exotic $\mathbb{R}^4$'s is more complicated. One estimates the complexity of exotic $\mathbb{R}^4$ by the minimal complexity of some separating from the infinity 3-dimensional submanifold. These separating manifolds can be chosen, in some exotic $\mathbb{R}^4$'s, to be homology 3-spheres. The invariants of such homology 3-spheres are, again, obtained from the characters of SCA, ${\cal N}=4$. Next we take into account the modification of the algebra of modular forms due to the noncommutativity of the codimension-one foliations of the homology 3-spheres. Then, the modification of modular forms is represented by the Connes-Moscovici construction ...

In this paper we study the derived categories of coherent sheaves on Grassmannians $\operatorname{Gr}(k,n),$ defined over the ring of integers. We prove that the category $D^b(\operatorname{Gr}(k,n))$ has a semi-orthogonal decomposition, with components being full subcategories of the derived category of representations of $GL_k.$ This in particular implies existence of a full exceptional collection, which is a refinement of Kapranov's collection \cite{Kap}, which was constructed over a field of characteristic zero. We also describe the right dual semi-orthogonal decomposition which has a similar form, and its components are full subcategories of the derived category of representations of $GL_{n-k}.$ The resulting equivalences between the components of the two decompositions are given by a version of Koszul duality for strict polynomial functors. We also construct a tilting vector bundle on $\operatorname{Gr}(k,n).$ We show that its endomorphism algebra has two natural structures of a split quasi-hereditary algebra over $\mathbb{Z},$ and we identify the objects of $D^b(\operatorname{Gr}(k,n)),$ which correspond to the standard and costandard modules in both structures. All the results automatically extend to the case of arbitrary commutative base ring and the category of perfect complexes on the Grassmannian, by extension of scalars (base change). Similar results over fields of arbitrary characteristic were obtained independently in \cite{BLVdB}, by different methods.

We review some recent advances in modular representation theory of symmetric groups and related Hecke algebras. We discuss connections with Khovanov-Lauda-Rouquier algebras and gradings on the blocks of the group algebras $F\Sigma_n$, which these connections reveal; graded categorification and connections with quantum groups and crystal bases; modular branching rules and the Mullineaux map; graded cellular structure and graded Specht modules; cuspidal systems for affine KLR algebras and imaginary Schur-Weyl duality, which connects representation theory of these algebras to the usual Schur algebras of smaller rank.

We determine the decomposition numbers of the partition algebra when the characteristic of the ground field is zero or larger than the degree of the partition algebra. This will allow us to determine for which exact values of the parameter the partition algebras are semisimple over an arbitrary field. Furthermore, we show that the blocks of the partition algebra over an arbitrary field categorify weight spaces of an action of type A quantum groups on an analogue of the Fock space. In particular, we recover the block structure which was recently determined by Bowman et al. In order to do so, we use induction and restriction functors as well as analogues of Jucys-Murphy elements. The description of decomposition numbers will be in terms of combinatorics of partitions but can also be given a Lie theoretic interpretation in terms of a Weyl group of type A: A simple module $L(\mu)$ is a composition factor of a cell module $\Delta(\lambda)$ if and only if $\lambda$ and $\mu$ differ by the action of a transposition.

This is the second part of the work where quasi-modular forms emerge from small exotic smooth $\mathbb{R}^4$'s grouped in a fixed radial family. SU(2) Seiberg-Witten theory when formulated on exotic $\mathbb{R}^4$ from the radial family, in special foliated topological limit can be described as SU(2) Seiberg-Witten theory on flat standard $\mathbb{R}^4$ with the gravitational corrections derived from coupling to ${\cal N}=2$ supergravity. Formally, quasi-modular expressions which follow the Connes-Moscovici construction of the universal Godbillon-Vey class of the codimension-1 foliation, are related to topological correlation functions of superstring theory compactified on special Callabi-Yau manifolds. These string correlation functions, in turn, generate Seiberg-Witten prepotential and the couplings of Seiberg-Witten theory to ${\cal N}=2$ supergravity sector. Exotic 4-spaces are conjectured to serve as a link between supersymmetric and non-supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories in dimension 4.

This paper is an introduction to the use of perverse sheaves with positive characteristic coefficients in modular representation theory. In the first part, we survey results relating singularities in finite and affine Schubert varieties and nilpotent cones to modular representations of reductive groups and their Weyl groups. The second part is a brief introduction to the theory of perverse sheaves with an emphasis on the case of positive characteristic and integral coefficients. In the final part, we provide some explicit examples of stalks of intersection cohomology complexes with integral or positive characteristic coefficients in nilpotent cones, mostly in type $A$. Some of these computations might be new.

We study asymptotic properties of the modular representation theory of symmetric groups and investigate modular analogs of stabilization phenomena in characteristic zero. The main results are equivalences of categories between certain abelian subcategories of representations of $S_n$ and $S_m$ for different $n$ and $m$. We apply these results to obtain a structural result for $FI$-modules, and to prove a result conjectured by Deligne in a recent letter to Ostrik.

A ghost over a finite p-group G is a map between modular representations of G which is invisible in Tate cohomology. Motivated by the failure of the generating hypothesis---the statement that ghosts between finite-dimensional G-representations factor through a projective---we define the ghost number of kG to be the smallest integer l such that the composition of any l ghosts between finite-dimensional G-representations factors through a projective. In this paper we study ghosts and the ghost numbers of p-groups. We begin by showing that a weaker version of the generating hypothesis, where the target of the ghost is fixed to be the trivial representation k, holds for all p-groups. We then compute the ghost numbers of all cyclic p-groups and all abelian 2-groups with C_2 as a summand. We obtain bounds on the ghost numbers for abelian p-groups and for all 2-groups which have a cyclic subgroup of index 2. Using these bounds we determine the finite abelian groups which have ghost number at most 2. Our methods involve techniques from group theory, representation theory, triangulated category theory, and constructions motivated from homotopy theory.

We define a new modular functor based on Kac-Wakimoto admissible representations and the corresponding D-module on the moduli space of rank 2 vector bundles with parabolic structure. A new fusion functor arises which is related to representation theory of the pair "osp(1|2),sl(2)" in the same way as the fusion functor for the Virasoro algebra is related to representation theory of the pair "sl(2),sl(2)"

String and particle braiding statistics are examined in a class of topological orders described by discrete gauge theories with a gauge group $G$ and a 4-cocycle twist $\omega_4$ of $G$'s cohomology group $\mathcal{H}^4(G,\mathbb{R}/\mathbb{Z})$ in 3 dimensional space and 1 dimensional time (3+1D). We establish the topological spin and the spin-statistics relation for the closed strings, and their multi-string braiding statistics. The 3+1D twisted gauge theory can be characterized by a representation of a modular transformation group SL$(3,\mathbb{Z})$. We express the SL$(3,\mathbb{Z})$ generators $\mathsf{S}^{xyz}$ and $\mathsf{T}^{xy}$ in terms of the gauge group $G$ and the 4-cocycle $\omega_4$. As we compactify one of the spatial directions $z$ into a compact circle with a gauge flux $b$ inserted, we can use the generators $\mathsf{S}^{xy}$ and $\mathsf{T}^{xy}$ of an SL$(2,\mathbb{Z})$ subgroup to study the dimensional reduction of the 3D topological order $\mathcal{C}^{3\text{D}}$ to a direct sum of degenerate states of 2D topological orders $\mathcal{C}_b^{2\text{D}}$ in different flux $b$ sectors: $\mathcal{C}^{3\text{D}} = \oplus_b \mathcal{C}_b^{2\text{D}}$. The 2D topological orders $\mathcal{C}_b^{2\text{D}}$ are described by 2D gauge theories of the group $G$ twisted by the 3-cocycles $\omega_{3(b)}$, dimensionally reduced from the 4-cocycle $\omega_4$. We show that the SL$(2,\mathbb{Z})$ generators, $\mathsf{S}^{xy}$ and $\mathsf{T}^{xy}$, fully encode a particular type of three-string braiding statistics with a pattern that is the connected sum of two Hopf links. With certain 4-cocycle twists, we discover that, by threading a third string through two-string unlink into three-string Hopf-link configuration, Abelian two-string braiding statistics is promoted to non-Abelian three-string braiding statistics.

1Queen Lucia

By E. F. Benson

E. F. Benson was born at Wellington College in Berkshire, where his father, who later went on to become the Archbishop of Canterbury, was the first Headmaster. He wrote 105 books in all.<br /><br />Queen Lucia (first published in 1920) was the first of Benson’s ‘Mapp and Lucia’ novels of which there were six. This first book is a comedy of manners based in the provincial village of Riseholme, where Emmeline Lucas (the Queen Lucia of the title) presides over the social and artistic universe of the gullible residents. Her aide-de-camp in these matters is the somewhat effete Georgie Pillson and the chief competitor for her ‘crown’ is Daisy Quantock. The scandal of the Guru, the psychical goings on with Princess Popoffski and the arrival into the sleepy village of a famous Prima Donna all conspire to threaten her supremacy… </br>(summary by Martin Clifton)

2Miss Mapp

By E. F. Benson

E. F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia series, consists of six novels and three short stories. The novels are: Queen Lucia, Lucia in London, Miss Mapp (including the short story The Male Impersonator), Mapp and Lucia, Lucia's Progress (published as The Worshipful Lucia in the U.S.) and Trouble for Lucia. <br/><br/>The novels feature humorous incidents in the lives of (mainly) upper-middle-class British people in the 1920s and 1930s, vying for social prestige and "one-upmanship" in an atmosphere of extreme cultural snobbery. Most of these works are set in the fictional village of "Tilling", which is based on the village of Rye, Sussex, England. "Mallards", the house with the garden room inhabited by Miss Mapp, and later by Lucia, is based on Lamb House, Benson's own home in Rye. Earlier, the house was the Sussex home of writer Henry James. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia by Karen Merline.)

3Life in a Mediaeval City, Illustrated by York in the XVth Century

By Edwin Benson

A short and gentle overview of mediaeval life in a large city. It lightly covers the class structure of society, local government, guilds, pageantry and punishment. The author has an easy, rhythmic style which leaves the reader wanting to find out more. (Summary by Peter Yearsley)

4Lord of the World

By Robert Hugh Benson

“Mr. Benson sees the world, four or five generations hence, free at last from all minor quarrels, and ranged against itself in two camps, Humanitarianism for those who believe in no divinity but that of man, Catholicism for those who believe in no divinity but that of God.” <BR><BR>This apocalyptic novel from the early 1900's is sometimes deemed one of the first modern dystopias. (Summary from an original London Times review and Wikipedia)

Come Rack! Come Rope! is a historical novel by the English priest and writer Robert Hugh Benson, a convert to Catholicism from Anglicanism. Set in Derbyshire at the time of the Elizabethan persecution of Catholics, when being or harboring a priest was considered treason and was punishable with death, it tells the story of two young lovers who give up their chance of happiness together, choosing instead to face imprisonment and martyrdom, so that "God's will" may be done. <br><br>The book was written nearly nine years after Benson's reception into the Catholic Church. The inspiration for the story comes from Dom Bede Camm's account of the recusant Fitzherbert family in Forgotten Shrines (1910), and from Benson's own visit in 1911 to Padley, home of the Fitzherberts, and scene of part of the novel, in order to preach at the annual pilgrimage there. The title of the book is taken from a letter of Saint Edmund Campion in which, after torture, he assured Catholics that he had revealed "no things of secret, nor would he, come rack, come rope." Most of the characters in the book are historical people; only the hero and heroine, their parents, and some minor characters are fictional. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia)

Robert Hugh Benson was the youngest son of Edward White Benson, the Archbishop of Canterbury and his wife Mary. Benson was was a prolific and popular writer during his time, and in 1903 he became a prominent convert to the Roman Catholic Church from Anglicanism . In 1904 he was ordained a Catholic priest.<br><br>This book is his personal story of his journey to the Catholic faith, containing comparisons between Catholicism and the Anglican religion. (Summary by Maria Therese)

Robert Hugh Benson, who was educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, was ordained an Anglican priest in 1895 by his father, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Eight years later, after weighty consideration, Robert Benson converted to Roman Catholicism. In 1904 he was ordained a Roman Catholic priest and took up residence in Cambridge, where he ministered to Roman Catholic students as their unofficial chaplain. In 1911, he was made a monsignor. Despite the brevity of his earthly life, Benson was a prolific writer whose literary productions span the gamut from devotional works, such as The Friendship of Christ, to sacred drama, children's books, apologetic works, historical fiction, and even science fiction.<br><br>The Friendship of Christ, which bears an imprimatur, is based on sermons Benson preached in London and Rome in 1910 and 1911. In the first part of this book, he shows how one enters into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the purgative and illuminative ways. In the second part, he discusses several modes in which Christ offers us His friendship here and now, such as in the Eucharist, in the Church, in the priest, in the saint, in the sinner, in the average person, and in the sufferer. In Part III, Benson recalls how Jesus Christ proved the depth of His friendship with us by willingly accepting death on the cross for our sake, and how He raises His friends to everlasting life with Him. (Introduction by dave7)

8Living Alone

By Stella Benson

This is not a real book. It does not deal with real people, nor should it be read by real people. But there are in the world so many real books already written for the benefit of real people, and there are still so many to be written, that I cannot believe that a little alien book such as this, written for the magically-inclined minority, can be considered too assertive a trespasser. -- Stella Benson (author)<br /> <br />Published in 1919, and set in London during the First World War, <i>Living Alone</i> tells of the meeting of a recluse and a witch, then rambles through magic, morality and aerial dogfights on broomsticks. There isn't too much in the way of a plot, but with its curious blend of fantasy and practical detail of a country in war-time, it's a charmingly weird novel that I hope will entertain witches, wizards and muggles alike. -- Cori Samuel (narrator)

9Dodo Wonders

By E. F. Benson

"Dodo Wonders" is the third and last of the "Dodo" novels by E.F. Benson, author of the "Mapp and Lucia" series as well as numerous stand-alone novels and short stories. Dodo was rumored to be based on Lady Margot Asquith; when questioned about it, Lady Asquith reportedly replied that Benson had taken nothing from her for the character of Dodo "except her drawing-room." <br /><br /> "Dodo Wonders" takes Benson's characters, the glittering socialite Lady Dodo Chesterford, her husband, and friends into World War I-era England. The story follows Dodo and her peers through the build-up, outbreak, and catastrophic years of the war. Benson is clever as always in putting his characters in situations where they must either adapt or break and never loses his sense of humor while doing it. "Dodo Wonders" manages to be as cheerful and bubbly as the other novels in the series while retaining a basic sense of sobriety about its subject matter.<br /><br /> Dodo is a charming, vivid heroine with whom it becomes almost a pleasure to move through wartime.

10This Is the End

By Stella Benson

Some books have plots that drive relentlessly toward a conclusion. Others, like "This Is The End", just meander. It is the story of a Family halfheartedly searching for a missing relation who does not want to be found, while just off-stage, World War I is raging on the continent. It is a story about ordinary people trying to live ordinary lives in extraordinary times. The things they do are less important than the ways in which they do them: often comic, occasionally tragic, but always touching and true to life. It reminds us that Poetry and Romance can be found anywhere, hidden beneath the surface of the most commonplace things. (Summary by Peter Eastman)

11Dodo's Daughter

By E. F. Benson

The second in the "Dodo" sequence of novels. (Summary by Crowgirl)

12Dawn of All

By Robert Hugh Benson

In a former book, called "Lord of the World," I attempted to sketch the kind of developments a hundred years hence which, I thought, might reasonably be expected if the present lines of what is called "modern thought" were only prolonged far enough; and I was informed repeatedly that the effect of the book was exceedingly depressing and discouraging to optimistic Christians. In the present book I am attempting -- also in parable form -- not in the least to withdraw anything that I said in the former, but to follow up the other lines instead, and to sketch -- again in parable -- the kind of developments, about sixty years hence which, I think, may reasonably be expected should the opposite process begin, and ancient thought (which has stood the test of centuries, and is, in a very remarkable manner, being "rediscovered" by persons even more modern than modernists) be prolonged instead.<br><br>We are told occasionally by moralists that we live in very critical times, by which they mean that they are not sure whether their own side will win or not. In that sense no times can ever be critical to Catholics, since Catholics are never in any kind of doubt as to whether or no their side will win. But from another point of view every period is a critical period, since every period has within itself the conflict of two irreconcilable forces. It has been for the sake of tracing out the kind of effects that, it seemed to me, each side would experience in turn, should the other, at any rate for a while, become dominant, that I have written these two books. (From the preface of The Dawn of All)

13Swamp Island

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

Late entry in the Penny Parker teen girl mystery series (1939-47) by one of the early ghostwriters (as Carolyn Keene) of Nancy Drew concerns an escaped embezzler, his revenge on the reporter whose articles helped convict him, and a long missing $50 grand. - Summary by BellonaTimes

14Clock Strikes Thirteen

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

Penny Parker is a teen-aged sleuth and amateur reporter who has an uncanny knack for uncovering and solving unusual, sometimes bizarre mysteries. The only daughter of widower Anthony Parker, publisher of the "Riverview Star," Penny has been raised to be self-sufficient, outspoken, innovative, and extraordinarily tenacious. Her cheerful, chatty manner belies a shrewd and keenly observant mind. Penny was the creation of Mildred A. Wirt, who was also the author of the original Nancy Drew series (under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene). Wirt became frustrated when she was pushed to "tone down" Nancy Drew and make her less independent and daring. With Penny Parker, Wirt had a freer hand and received full credit. Wirt once said, " 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is." In "The Clock Strikes Thirteen," Penny is confronted by two mysteries that ultimately converge. First there is the odd extra chime from the Hubell Clock Tower at midnight and the inexplicable replacement of the dedicated old clock tower caretaker by a shiftless friend of a real estate developer. Then there is a series of terrorizing attacks of local farmers, including a barn burning. The attacks appear to be the work of a band of thugs known as the "Night Riders." With the help of her friend Louise, Penny works to solve the dual mystery before an another attack and to save an innocent man from jail. - Summary by Cheryl Adam

15Behind the Green Door

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

Penny Parker is a teen-aged sleuth and amateur reporter with an uncanny knack for uncovering and solving unusual, sometimes bizarre mysteries. The only daughter of widower Anthony Parker, publisher of the "Riverview Star," Penny has been raised to be self-sufficient, outspoken, innovative, and extraordinarily tenacious. Her cheerful, chatty manner belies a shrewd and keenly observant mind. Penny was the creation of Mildred A. Wirt, who was also the author of the original Nancy Drew series (under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene). Wirt became frustrated when she was pushed to "tone down" Nancy Drew and make her less independent and daring. With Penny Parker, Wirt had a freer hand and received full credit. Wirt once said, " 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is."<br><br> In BEHIND THE GREEN DOOR, the Parkers' long-planned trip to the Pine Top ski resort for the Christmas holiday is upset when the "Riverview Star" is sued for libel. Publisher Anthony Parker remains behind to deal with the crisis while Penny is sent to Pine Top. There, she encounters multiple mysteries, including an elderly recluse who keeps his granddaughter a prisoner in his remote cabin and the unexplained presence of a reporter from a rival newspaper. Worse, the man suing the "Star" also shows up in Pine Top. Penny's nose for news combined with her penchant for dare-devil skiing soon land her in the middle of a dangerous tangle she must unravel to save both the "Star" and the ski resort. - Summary by Cheryl Adam

16Clue of the Silken Ladder

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

In THE CLUE OF THE SILKEN LADDER, Penny investigates multiple mysteries. What is the purpose of the singular silken ladder made by the secretive and somewhat sinister old Japanese curio shop owner? How can the "Riverview Star" obtain evidence that a popular troupe of spiritualists really are heartless con artists? Last, who is perpetrating the gravity-defying burglaries that have rocked the town ? Meanwhile, the Parker housekeeper, Mrs. Weems, has come into an inheritance and plans to leave Riverview, much to the Parkers' dismay. Can Penny change her mind? PENNY PARKER is a teen-aged sleuth and amateur reporter with an uncanny knack for uncovering and solving unusual, sometimes bizarre mysteries. The only daughter of widower Anthony Parker, publisher of the "Riverview Star," Penny has been raised to be self-sufficient, outspoken, innovative, and extraordinarily tenacious. Her cheerful, chatty manner belies a shrewd and keenly observant mind. Penny was the creation of Mildred A. Wirt, who was also the author of the original Nancy Drew series (under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene). Wirt became frustrated when she was pushed to "tone down" Nancy Drew and make her less independent and daring. With Penny Parker, Wirt had a freer hand and received full credit. Wirt once said, " 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is." - Summary by Cheryl Adam

17Wishing Well

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

PENNY PARKER is a teen-aged sleuth and amateur reporter with an uncanny knack for uncovering and solving unusual, sometimes bizarre mysteries. The only daughter of widower Anthony Parker, publisher of the "Riverview Star," Penny has been raised to be self-sufficient, outspoken, innovative, and extraordinarily tenacious. Her cheerful, chatty manner belies a shrewd and keenly observant mind. Penny was the creation of Mildred A. Wirt, who was also the author of the original Nancy Drew series (under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene). Wirt became frustrated when she was pushed to "tone down" Nancy Drew and make her less independent and daring. With Penny Parker, Wirt had a freer hand and received full credit. Wirt once said, " 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is." In THE WISHING WELL, the once-grand, now abandoned Marborough Estate and its legendary stone wishing well have become the center of odd happenings. The reclusive owner unexpectedly returns, only to lock herself secretively away in the mansion. Soon after, an ancient stone is unearthed on the estate, upon which is carved a 400-year-old message. Or is it a hoax? Who are the two strangers who repeatedly visit the wishing well in the dead of night? Penny boldly investigates, certain that danger threatens her new friend Rhoda, a gifted, but poverty-stricken artist. - Summary by Cheryl Adam

18Secret Pact

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

PENNY PARKER is a teen-aged sleuth and amateur reporter with an uncanny knack for uncovering and solving unusual, sometimes bizarre mysteries. The only daughter of widower Anthony Parker, publisher of the "Riverview Star," Penny has been raised to be self-sufficient, outspoken, innovative, and extraordinarily tenacious. Her cheerful, chatty manner belies a shrewd and keenly observant mind. Penny was the creation of Mildred A. Wirt, who was also the author of the original Nancy Drew series (under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene). Wirt became frustrated when she was pushed to "tone down" Nancy Drew and make her less independent and daring. With Penny Parker, Wirt had a freer hand and received full credit. Wirt once said, " 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is." In THE SECRET PACT, Penny sees a man savagely pushed off a bridge into the river one foggy night. The man is rescued, but his stubborn denial of the attack, combined with the grotesque octopus tattoo he bears on his back, alerts Penny to the possibility of a deeper mystery. When her editor father, reporter friends, and even the highschool newspaper all reject her story about the incident, she takes matters into her own hands. With her friend Louise's help, Penny starts her own local paper, operating out of a formerly abandoned newspaper plant. As new clues emerge to the "Octopus tattoo" mystery, she enlists the help of anyone willing, even persuading Mrs. Weems to go "under cover." Nothing, not even threats and an unexpected tornado, can deter the determined Miss. Parker. - Summary by Cheryl Adam</p>

19Dodo: A Detail of the Day

By E. F. Benson

Fashionably controversial bestseller at the time of appearance (1893), portraying London "society" in the Fin de Siècle. Dodo is a young woman who enjoys belonging to the high society. At the start of the book, she is about to make an advantageous marriage, to a man with money and a title - just what she needs. This audiobook includes Volume 1 & 2 (the complete novel) - Summary by Anna Simon

20Hoofbeats on the Turnpike

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

Penny Parker is a teen-aged sleuth and amateur reporter with an uncanny knack for uncovering and solving unusual, sometimes bizarre mysteries. The only daughter of widower Anthony Parker, publisher of the "Riverview Star," Penny has been raised to be self-sufficient, outspoken, innovative, and extraordinarily tenacious. Her cheerful, chatty manner belies a shrewd and keenly observant mind. Penny was the creation of Mildred A. Wirt, who was also the author of the original Nancy Drew series (under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene). Wirt became frustrated when she was pushed to "tone down" Nancy Drew and make her less independent and daring. With Penny Parker, Wirt had a freer hand and received full credit. Wirt once said, " 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is." In HOOFBEATS ON THE TURNPIKE, Penny is drawn to a remote hill community by a tantalizing tale of a headless horseman who ranges the countryside at night. While investigating the bizarre tale, Penny and her best friend Louise Siddell encounter a quirky array of hill folk, including a feisty "granny woman" who is at war with a wealthy landowner. The headless horseman seems to be targeting the landowner, who has ignored repeated warnings that the dam he owns is unsafe. The tale takes an unusually serious turn when the dam breaks, flooding the community. Trapped by the flood, Penny heroically does what she can to help the community and to get the story out to the world. - Summary by Cheryl Adam

21Flash Evans, Camera News Hawk

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

Jimmy 'Flash' Evans, 17, ace photographer for The Brandale Ledger, tries his hand at the newsreel game in this upbeat, pre-war adventure. The listed author, Frank Bell, was actually the prolific Mildred Wirt Benson, most famous for writing the early Nancy Drew novels under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. - Summary by Matt Pierard

This 1898 book is the result of a survey of 107 hymn-books. The thirty-two hymns are ranked in order of popularity. The texts in this recording are said only, not sung, along with a few explanatory notes for each hymn (some footnotes, not all, here recorded). The texts are preceded by two essays concerning hymns and their standards. Benson (1855-1930) was an American Presbyterian minister who edited several hymnals. - Summary by David Wales

A collection of fourteen short stories, grouped under the headings of "Blackmailing Stories", "Spook Stories", "Cat Stories", "Crank Stories", and "General Stories". From the preface: "[S]uch readers as are in search merely of the lighter...aspects of life, will be able to avoid like poison so innocent-looking a title as "The Countess of Lowndes Square," for surely they would not find therein the fashionable descriptions of high life which they might reasonably anticipate, but would merely cast the book from them in disgust, when they discovered that one who had been the wife of an Earl, and ought therefore to have known ever so much better, belonged to the most contemptible of the criminal classes." - Summary by Devorah Allen

24By What Authority?

By Robert Hugh Benson

Two wealthy families are neighbors in Elizabethan England; one is staunchly Catholic and the other is devoutly Protestant. The attractive young scions of the families are drawn to each other in friendship and love, but are kept apart by their opposing religions. Life is very difficult for Catholics during those times. They are subject to fines, imprisonment, torture and ignominious death for practicing their faith. On the other hand, for various reasons some Catholics give up their inherited faith, and even betray and persecute their fellow-religionists. As the threads of plot are woven tighter, heroes emerge, sometimes most unexpectedly, as they grapple with theological doubts and conflicts, and undergo extreme suffering and loss. The many characters we meet ring true, whether they are brilliant or superstitious, stalwart or wavering, pious or violent; and it is a great privilege to spend time with such towering historical figures as St. Edmond Campion and Queen Elizabeth herself. Love, history, theology, suspense, and an array of colorful characters are sewn inexorably together in this large and compelling story. (Intro by Carol Pelster)

25Where No Fear Was: A Book About Fear

By Arthur Christopher Benson

Surely all of us know fear, and know the different types of fear we can experience. In this book, Arthur Christopher Benson walks us through these different types, going through a range of different topics, among others childhood fears many of us will remember, to the fears plaguing us in other periods of our lives, the origins of different fears, and essays on what a number of notable authors (of fiction) had to say about the subject. It should be noted that this book is not a scientific study, though written by an eminent scholar. Instead, all of Arthur Christopher Benson's remarkable talents as a story teller are shaping these chapters. - Summary by Carolin

26Missing Formula

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

Orphan Anne Fairaday faces a life of poverty upon the death of her father. The only thing that can prevent it is finding his latest experiment. She enlisted her new found friend, Madge Sterling, an outdoors girl who has a knack for finding missing things. But they must race against time as there are also several people who will stop at nothing to get it first. (Summary by Mary Escano)

27Light Invisible

By Robert Hugh Benson

Fifteen short ghost stories by the Anglican then Roman Catholic priest, Robert Hugh Benson (1871-1914). The form of the book is of an old English Roman Catholic priest telling stories to his young friend. Benson wrote prolifically in many genres. His horror and ghost fiction are collected in The Light Invisible (1903) and A Mirror of Shalott (1907) - David Wales

Fourteen stories of the strange by the Anglican then Roman Catholic priest, Robert Hugh Benson (1871-1914). The form of the book is of stories told by a gathering of Roman Catholic clergy. Benson wrote prolifically in many genres. His horror and ghost fiction are collected in The Light Invisible (1903) and A Mirror of Shalott (1907) - Summary by David Wales

These stories have been written in the hopes of giving some pleasant qualms to their reader, if by chance, anyone be occupying in their perusal a leisure half-hour before he goes to bed when the night and the house are still, he may perchance cast an occasional glance into the corners and dark places of the room where he sits, to make sure that nothing unusual lurks in the shadow. For this is the avowed object of ghost stories and such tales as deal with the dim unseen forces which occasionally and perturbingly make themselves manifest. The author therefore fervently wishes his readers a few uncomfortable moments. Preface - by E.F. Benson

Twenty, Stella Benson’s first poetry collection, was first published in 1918. It deals with topics such as personal independence, the First World War and London’s landscape. (Summary by Newgatenovelist)

"Colin" tells the story of the Stanier family who come from Stanier, near Rye, in the county of Sussex. The first section recounts their history from around 1600 when the first Colin Stanier made a Faustian pact with the devil in order to win success in life - don't miss the cameo of Queen Elizabeth I, who was captivated and seduced by Colin - and then jumps to 1900 when his namesake, another Colin Stanier who bears a striking resemblance to the former, tries to lie and sin his way to snatching the family inheritance away from his older twin brother, Raymond. <br> Here is a contemporary review at the time of publishing:<br> "A reasonable explanation for many young men of the present day is here provided: Their ancestors sold their souls to the devil and the paper, discounted three centuries ago, has just come due." ~The Bookman's Guide to Fiction, 11/1923<br> - Summary by Jake Malizia

A tale of all types of human pain (physical, spiritual, and psychological), this book teaches what it means to be truly human. An interesting and witty story although the plot is somewhat grim. - Summary by Mozartjr

A beautiful play perfect for Christmas time by Robert Hugh Benson. (Summary by Mozartjr)<br><br> <b>Cast List</b><br><br> Narrator: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16368">Mozartjr</a><br> Narrator: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/8425">Larry Wilson</a><br> Abel: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/17662">Inkell</a><br> Balthazar / Uzziel: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/8011">Greg Giordano</a><br> Ben-Ezra / Appendix: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/6924">Rapunzelina</a><br> Choir Member: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/11884">Gillian Hendrie</a><br> Choir Member: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16798">Anna Goss</a><br> Choir Member: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16573">llamaart</a><br> David: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/10542">David Purdy</a><br> Eliphaz: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/17752">redrun</a><br> Ezra: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/12980">Wayne Cooke</a><br> Gaspar / Nadab: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/18543">Agnes Robert Behr</a><br> Herald: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/8425">Larry Wilson</a><br> Martha: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16561">blueriveriris</a><br> Mary: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/16484">Therese Lindholm</a><br> Melchoir: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/13577">Adrian Stephens</a><br> Tobias / Zachary: <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/7170">Alan Mapstone</a><br>

34The Necromancers

By Robert Hugh Benson

Following the death of his fiancée, Laurie Baxter becomes consumed by an obsession with the supernatural. Attempting to reach his deceased bride, he attends rituals and séances, delving ever deeper into the dark embrace of the occult. But instead of reconnecting with his lost love, Laurie is brought into contact with forces far more sinister. (Summary from storytel.com)

A satiric novel of manners written in Benson's classic style of gently poking fun at class structures and the people who fill them. This time he includes New York, London, and the railways of the English countryside. - Summary by Beeswaxcandle

36Visible and Invisible

By E. F. Benson

The second collection of short stories from the pen of E.F. Benson. Found within are stories with a touch of the authors penchant for melodrama and the macabre, sometimes venturing into the realm of Science Fiction, often delving into the nature of the spirit. Some of the stories seem quirky, almost quaint, but several others are quite powerful and have been admired by some of the greatest practitioners of the genre. - Summary by Andy Sames

37Ghost Beyond the Gate

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

PENNY PARKER is a teen-aged sleuth and amateur reporter with an uncanny knack for solving unusual, sometimes bizarre mysteries. The only daughter of widower Anthony Parker, publisher of the "Riverview Star," Penny is self-sufficient, outspoken, and extraordinarily tenacious. Penny was the creation of Mildred A. Wirt, who was also the author of the original Nancy Drew series (under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene). Wirt once said, " 'I always thought Penny Parker was a better Nancy Drew than Nancy is." In THE GHOST BEYOND THE GATE, Penny's father mysteriously disappears in the wake of an accient. Penny must take over running the Riverview Star while trying to locate the missing editor and investigate a series of audacious thefts. - Summary by Cheryl Adam

38Best Ghost Stories

By E. F. Benson, Ambrose Bierce, Algernon Blackwood, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Ellis Parker Butler, Daniel Defoe, M. R. James, Rudyard Kipling, Leopold Kompert, Brander Matthews, Vincent O'Sullivan, Arthur B. Reeve and Various

Collected together here by master anthologist Joseph Lewis French are some of the finest ghost stories ever to be put to paper. From the early influential tales of Daniel Defoe and Edward Bulwer-Lytton to more contemporary masters of the terror tale such as M. R. James, Algernon Blackwood and E. F. Benson, this collection brings together a bounty of riches sure to keep you awake into the dark, dreadful night! - Summary by Ben Tucker

39Cry at Midnight

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

Late one night, amateur sleuth Peggy Parker and her friend see an unexplained light and hear a terrifying scream from an abandoned old monastery outside of town. Upon further investigation, they discover that the building is not abandoned after all but is the home of a mysterious cult! Join Peggy on multiple adventures while she works to solve the mystery of the “Cry at Midnight.”

40Danger at the Drawbridge

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

The groom fails to show up for his wedding at a mysterious old estate, and Penny Parker is there to solve the mystery! (Summary by Amanda Leung)

41Voice From the Cave

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

Penny Parker and her father go on vacation accompanied by a mysterious woman and end up engrossed in a hunt for foreign spies! (Summary by Amanda Leung )

In the third book in the Mapp and Lucia series, provincial snob and social climber Mrs. Emmeline Lucas, known to her friends as Lucia, and her husband come into a legacy that enables her to expand her reach beyond Riseholme into the highest levels of London society. - Summary by Beeswaxcandle

43Signal in the Dark

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

During a school break, Penny convinces her father to give her a job as a reporter at the Riverview Star. She deals with a jealous co-worker and gets her first big story covering an explosion at the Conway Steel Plant. While helping a fellow reporter who is down on his luck, Penny uncovers a scheme to sell a fake explosive device and exposes the culprits!

Written during World War I but set before the war, David Blaize is a coming-of-age story set in an all-boys boarding school. We follow David from prep school to Marchester College prep school, navigating friendships, studies, and the ever-present cricket. - Summary by TriciaG

45Saboteurs on the River

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

A bridge is blown up and Burt Ottman is accused, but Penny Parker is not convinced he is guilty. Penny works with her friends and an old man on an ark named Noah to uncover the truth! - Summary by Amanda Leung

46Guilt of the Brass Thieves

By Mildred A. Wirt Benson

Brass is being rationed for the war effort when someone begins stealing it from a factory. Through a series of her typical adventures Penny Parker solves the case! - Summary by Amanda Leung

47Tracks in the Snow

By Godfrey R. Benson

A rector in rural England solves the murder of a diplomat. - Summary by Brian Fullen

A mysterious dying man! A hidden diamond! Conspiracy to murder! Ghostly visitations! All this in more in this intriguing and unique story written in a round robin fashion by several of the great fiction writers of the day. The celebrated contributors include humorist Jerome K. Jerome , mystery novelist Eden Phillpotts, ghost and weird fiction author E. F. Benson, Irish author of historical fiction F. Frankfort Moore, and humor and horror fiction author Barry Pain. Together they have written a one-of-a-kind tale! (Summary by Ben Tucker)

49Child of the Dawn

By Arthur Christopher Benson

Ready to explore the depths of the human mind and soul? This book explores the themes of morality, spirituality, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world. Benson ponders the deeper questions of life and existence from his own experiences. - Summary by kirkz202

50Joyous Gard

By Arthur Christopher Benson

Joyous Gard was the castle of Sir Lancelot in the Morte D'Arthur, into which he retired, in the intervals of war and business, for rest and mirth. In this book called by its name, the author pleads that many men and women could make for themselves a stronghold of the mind where they could follow according to their desire the track of things beautiful, intellectual, and spiritual, not from a sense of duty but for recreation and enjoyment, as a respite from daily work and trivial cares. - Summary by The Publisher