Distinguished Professor of Shakespeare Releases Latest Novel

Dr. Andrew Hartley, UNC Charlotte Distinguished Professor of Shakespeare and New York Times bestselling author, has released his latest science fiction novel, Cathedrals of Glass: A Planet of Blood and Ice. The book offers a foreword by Blink-182 guitarist Tom DeLonge and is now available for purchase or download.

The novel explores the story of a group of teens who are banished to a faraway land but encounter unforeseen circumstances before crash landing on an ice plant. As the group becomes familiar with the landscape, they learn that there is much more to the terrain than meets the eye.

Dr. Hartley, who writes fiction under the name A.J. Hartley, has a collection of work that includes stories for middle grades, young adults and adults. He has also produced novelizations of two Shakespeare tragedies, Macbeth and Hamlet (written with David Hewson). Hartley and DeLonge have previously co-authored Sekret Machines Book 1: Chasing Shadows, a science fiction novel.

When he is not penning novels, he teaches Renaissance theatre history and Shakespeare, blending literary and historical critical practices with a material sense of contemporary theatre. Hartley also leads the department’s Shakespeare in England spring break course. Additionally, the British-born novelist also works as a dramaturg and occasional director for campus productions of early modern drama. Among his scholarly publications are two books published in 2014: Julius Caesar (Shakespeare in Performance), published by Manchester University Press, and Shakespeare on the University Stage, published by Cambridge University Press.