Authors Electric

The 21st of May, one month to freedom (or so our rulers say). Three full lockdowns, two stolen years to stop us all from dying (or so our rulers feared). A single day equals fifty-three million  masks in landfill, as many unseen smiles and muffled protests (that our rulers suppressed). Enjoy your new normal! Six people in a soggy bubble drinking alfresco from takeaway cups, fully vacc'ed yet tracked and traced (our rulers say just in case). While behind locked doors, the lonely seek solace from Facebook friends never met and scammers they don't suspect, conspiring to explain what makes zero sense in this infinite emergency. Five virus deaths today (subject to change). Statistics are fantastic! Mightier than words when used on the innumerate to frighten and control (as our rulers well know). One month to unlocking when the truth will hit the fan. Might need to open more slowly, find a positive spin for economic meltdown, negative interest rates, a million new variants, mental he...

Imagine living under an all-powerful leader who has gone insane. One act of madness follows another, until even his closest advisers and friends begin to realise he is not who they thought he was when he ascended to power. No, I'm not talking about a 21st century leader - however tempting the comparison! I am talking about Rome in the 1st century, when we were merely a barbaric outpost known as Britannia, and the Emperor Caligula was in charge. Caligula was a nickname, given to the emperor when he was a small boy and accompanied his father on campaign wearing miniature war sandals. It means 'Little Boots', which sounds rather sweet to me, and maybe he was sweet at that age. But, after he ascended the throne in AD 37, something changed. Acts of madness and cruelty abounded, until Caligula's reign as emperor ended with his assassination in AD 41 and his uncle Claudius took over. It was a turbulent period in Rome, giving rise to many rumours, including one that Caligula ma...