-
Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Archives
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
- April 2005
- March 2005
- February 2005
- January 2005
- December 2004
- November 2004
- October 2004
- September 2004
- August 2004
- July 2004
- June 2004
- May 2004
- April 2004
- March 2004
- February 2004
- January 2004
- December 2003
- November 2003
- October 2003
- September 2003
- August 2003
- July 2003
- June 2003
- May 2003
- March 2003
- February 2003
- December 2002
- March 2002
- February 2002
- January 2002
- December 2001
- December 2000
- December 1999
- January 1999
Categories
Meta
Monthly Archives: January 2016
January Books
Non-fiction: 6 Lois McMaster Bujold, by Edward James Perilous and Fair: Women in the Works and Life of J. R. R. Tolkien, eds. Janet Brennan Croft and Leslie A. Donovan Baptism of Fire: The Birth of the Modern British Fantastic … Continue reading
Interesting Links for 31-01-2016
Naomi Long: ‘When I got the first death threat I wasn’t worried for myself, I was scared for mum, who was very sick’ Life in politics.(tags: northernireland ) The End of Twitter It may all be over soon…(tags: twitter )
Extracts from the autobiography of Double Deckers script editor, Glyn Jones
I'm on the road this weekend, so no time to finalise my write-up of Happy Haunting, I'm afraid. Instead, please enjoy these extracts from No Official Umbrella, the 700-page autobiography of Glyn Jones, who was the script editor of Here … Continue reading
Interesting Links for 30-01-2016
Quality of life in European cities Best: Oslo & Zurich, followed by Aalborg, Vilnius and – Belfast!(tags: eu Life ) The 2016 Hugo Awards: A Few Thoughts as Nominations Open Abigail reflects.(tags: sf hugos )
Friday reading
Current Watership Down, by Richard Adams (a chapter a week) No Official Umbrella, by Glyn Jones Ancillary Mercy, by Ann Leckie Europe at Midnight, by Dave Hutchinson Last books finished Touch, by Claire North Streetlethal, by Steven Barnes Sorcerer to … Continue reading
Comments Off on Friday reading
Links I found interesting for 29-01-2016
If not ‘ever closer union’, what next for Europe? @AndrewDuffEU looks at future options.(tags: eu ukpolitics ) The Horror Dawned Slowly Challenger, as reported at the time.(tags: space ) How Trump Bungled the Deal of a Lifetime – Bloomberg View … Continue reading
Comments Off on Links I found interesting for 29-01-2016
Hamilton
Encouraged by here and here, I bit the bullet and forked out €15 (the first time I’ve bought a music album for myself for over a decade) for the Broadway cast recording of Hamilton, the musical about the life of … Continue reading
Interesting Links for 28-01-2016
A Map of Every City Yep.(tags: maps ) Man saves money on train fare by flying from Sheffield to Stansted via Berlin @telegraph clickbait but interesting.(tags: travel ) Look Homeward, Democracy Promoter Tom Carothers casts a cold eye.(tags: uspolitics elections … Continue reading
Comments Off on Interesting Links for 28-01-2016
Sorcerer to the Crown, by Zen Cho
A book set in a magical nineteenth-century England, with strong shades of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and also Mary Robinette Kowal, and of course pastiche of Jane Austen if she had been interested in scientific magic; but by bringing … Continue reading
Comments Off on Sorcerer to the Crown, by Zen Cho
Interesting Links for 27-01-2016
How Iowa Hijacked Our Democracy POLITICO on one of the worst features of the awful quadrennial cycle.(tags: uspolitics elections ) Luxembourg: Europe’s Bellwether What’s up with the Grand Duchy.(tags: luxembourg ) Proxima Centauri and the Imagination Fiction about our nearest … Continue reading
Comments Off on Interesting Links for 27-01-2016
Streetlethal, by Steven Barnes
I’d read several of Barnes’ collaborations with Larry Niven, but this was my first time reading a solo novel by him – also I think his own first solo novel, published in 1983. It’s a decent techno thriller set in … Continue reading
Comments Off on Streetlethal, by Steven Barnes
Interesting Links for 26-01-2016
The Pope’s digital guru His Holiness online.(tags: religion ) Don’t call this Government pro-European A Moldovan speaks out.(tags: moldova ) Cameron on Muslim women: shoddy and shameful Good on @RobinLustig.(tags: ukpolitics migration islam ) Toxic Workers Great paper by @MichaelHousman … Continue reading
Comments Off on Interesting Links for 26-01-2016
Touch, by Claire North
I greatly enjoyed last year’s The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. Harry August has an unusual experience of consciousness: every time he dies, he is reborn again and has the chance to re-live his life from the beginning. It … Continue reading
Comments Off on Touch, by Claire North
Pictures from yesterday’s Bristol event with the Double Deckers
As posted on Twitter, by several people who were there: #TeamBristol caught up with the cast of the Double Deckers at @wshed for the @SlapstickFest for #Clueless pic.twitter.com/PZPdc9vMGd — BBC Radio Bristol (@bbcrb) January 24, 2016 @SlapstickFest @DrMatthewSweet A quite … Continue reading
Interesting Links for 25-01-2016
Affiches d’un autre Âge Posters for and against Swiss women getting the vote.(tags: switzerland sexandgenderandsexuality elections ) Toxic Workers Great paper by @MichaelHousman and Dylan Minor on the cost of hiring assholes.(tags: work ) Don’t call this Government pro-European A … Continue reading
#RetroHugos1941 Some Best Dramatic Presentation thoughts
In 2014 for the 1939 Retro Hugos, we did not have a Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form) category because there were not enough nominations to make the category viable. (I confess I had not heard of most of the possible … Continue reading
Comments Off on #RetroHugos1941 Some Best Dramatic Presentation thoughts
Royal Blood, by Una McCormack
Possibly the last Twelfth Doctor / Clara novel, or at least the last we’ll have for a while, this has the TARDIS arriving in a medieval-style society where knights have lasers. It’s good fun, particularly the invocation of the Holy … Continue reading
Comments Off on Royal Blood, by Una McCormack
Interesting Links for 24-01-2016
File 770 Destroys Poetry Pastiche by pixel.(tags: sf poetry ) Texas Gun Lovers Start to Think Open Carry not such a Great Idea Ohdearwhatapity.(tags: guns uspolitics ) Affiches d’un autre Âge Posters for and against Swiss women getting the vote.(tags: … Continue reading
Comments Off on Interesting Links for 24-01-2016
Which of David Bowie’s 100 favourite books have you read?
As seems somehow appropriate, there are several different lists in circulating, each claiming to be the authentic tally of David Bowie’s 100 favourite books. I’m using the one from www.davidbowie.com which seems most likely to be canonical. (One of the … Continue reading
Uprooted, by Naomi Novik
This has been widely tipped as a potential Hugo finalist, and among the BSFA long list was second on both Goodreads and LibraryThing by number of owners, topping my statistics overall. I am not sure that it will go all … Continue reading
Comments Off on Uprooted, by Naomi Novik
Starstruck: Episode 4 of Here Come The Double Deckers
Before I start: A reminder to friends in the Bristol area that Billie and Tiger are appearing tomorrow at the Watershed, 1 Canon’s Road, Harbourside at 11.15 am. Episode 4: Starstruck (variously also referred to as Star-Struck and Star Struck) … Continue reading
Comments Off on Starstruck: Episode 4 of Here Come The Double Deckers
Interesting Links for 23-01-2016
Cameron on Muslim women: shoddy and shameful Good on @RobinLustig.(tags: ukpolitics migration islam ) Moldova Needs Us to Support Reforms, Not Governments GMFUS comments.(tags: moldova ) Andy Duncan on his last conversation with David Hartwell Very moving.(tags: sf deaths )
Friday reading
Current Watership Down, by Richard Adams (a chapter a week) Touch, by Claire North Streetlethal, by Steven Barnes Sorcerer to the Crown, by Zen Cho Last books finished Dry Pilgrimage, by Paul Leonard and Nick Walters Uprooted, by Naomi Novik … Continue reading
Interesting Links for 22-01-2016
2015 was warmest year on record. Official.(tags: climatechange ) Confessions of a politics lecturer The truth about StatesmanorSkatesman.com(tags: ukpolitics funny ) After Empire: An Era of British Decline @petemartin7 on the past, present and future.(tags: ukpolitics eu uspolitics ) Everything … Continue reading
Interesting Links for 21-01-2016
The Illegitimacy of Aragorn’s Claim to the Throne Fair points.(tags: tolkien ) Disarmament is key Kazakh foreign minister wants to get rid of nukes. (Rightly.)(tags: kazakhstan nuclear ) How the UK’s housing crisis builds a case for Brexit Everything is … Continue reading
Comments Off on Interesting Links for 21-01-2016
Interesting Links for 20-01-2016
Referendum madness Direct democracy's attractive flaws. (tags: netherlands eu democracy voting ) Carswell wrong on snooper rights Quelle surprise. (tags: ukpolitics eu humanrights internet ) Headline on Malheur occupation is inaccurate, irresponsible Ursula Le Guin writes to the Oregonian. (tags: … Continue reading
Comments Off on Interesting Links for 20-01-2016
Interesting Links for 19-01-2016
The tube at a standstill – why TfL stopped people walking up the escalators Clearing bottlenecks by standing still(tags: london ) Fifty years ago today, the United States of America dropped four nuclear bombs on Spain. *gulp*(tags: usa spain war … Continue reading
Dry Pilgrimage, by Paul Leonard and Nick Walters
Next in sequence of the Virgin Bernice Summerfield novels, this time featuring a voyage by sea with an alien species whose life cycle and religious beliefs are worked out in interesting detail, of course largely driving the plot. I thought … Continue reading
Interesting Links for 18-01-2016
The Most-Edited Wikipedia Pages Over The Last 15 Years An odd corner of the Zeitgeist.(tags: wikipedia ) Scholar, courtier, magician: the lost library of John Dee I’m going to have to find a way of going to this.(tags: magic historyofscience … Continue reading
Comments Off on Interesting Links for 18-01-2016
Interesting Links for 17-01-2016
This is what makes Republicans and Democrats so different Repubs believe in (wrong!) ideas, Dems in people.(tags: uspolitics ) Why are Pluto and Charon so different? Pluto stole Charon’s atmosphere!(tags: astronomy ) When Video-Game Worlds End Experiencing online apocalypse.(tags: internet … Continue reading