Open Secrets: The Popular Fiction of Britain's Occult Revival, 1842-1936

Published by Oxford University Press in 2023, this academic work explores the complex relationship between late Victorian and Edwardian occultism and the development of popular fiction. Christine Ferguson, a professor of English literature, examines how esoteric practices and the burgeoning interest in the supernatural during the late 19th and early 20th centuries were not merely niche pursuits, but were deeply integrated into mainstream literary culture and public discourse.

The book traces the history of this influence from 1842 to 1936, analyzing how authors utilized occult tropes to navigate the anxieties of modernity, science, and secularism. By situating popular fiction within the context of Britain's occult revival, Ferguson argues that these texts acted as essential conduits for disseminating hidden knowledge to a wider audience, ultimately revealing the profound extent to which speculative belief systems shaped the narrative conventions of the era.