Monthly Archives: February 2022

Hooray! The BSFA shortlists are out, and as usual I've looked at how many people have the novels on Goodreads and LibraryThing. (Only two of the short fiction finalists are standalone publicatioons, and while four of the six non-fiction finalists … Continue reading →

Non-fiction 5 (YTD 16) Roger Zelazny, by F. Brett Cox Duran Duran: The First Four Years of the Fab Five by Neil Gaiman The Evil of the Daleks, by Simon Guerrier Pyramids of Mars, by Kate Orman Lost in Translation, … Continue reading →

Sun, 12:56: Interesting Australian analysis. https://t.co/ra1L0aiZq4 Sun, 14:48: RT @delfoo: 1/I am going to try to explain the irrational Russian Armed Forces behavior towards strategy, common thought, or even the chanc… Sun, 16:47: RT @reclamation2022: Cost of membership goes up … Continue reading →

So, as reported previously I’ve spent the last few days in Washington State, with one of my oldest friends, A, and his family, M and little E (and older F who I did not manage to catch on camera). It … Continue reading →

This is the latest post in a series I started in late 2019, anticipating the twentieth anniversary of my bookblogging which will fall in 2023. Every six-ish days, I've been revisiting a month from my recent past, noting work and … Continue reading →

Sat, 16:05: RT @leeuwengew: The Netherlands will supply Ukraine 200 anti-aircraft Stinger missiles. Other defence material already on its way. #WeStand… Sat, 16:24: RT @Ondrejcsak: Slovakia is giving to Ukraine: – 12,000 pieces of artilery amunition (120mm) – 10 million … Continue reading →

Current The Twinkling of an Eye, by Brian Aldiss Last books finished 84K, by Claire North Next books Lost in Translation, by Ella Frances Sanders The Space Machine, by Christopher Priest

Second paragraph of third chapter: ‘I’m looking for a record for my daughter. For her birthday. “I Just Called To Say I Love you”. Have you got it?’ Rob is thirty-five, about to turn thirty-six, and has just split up … Continue reading →

Fri, 12:56: RT @DmitryOpines: 1/ I see the “we poked the bear with a stick” line a lot, including from people far smarter and more moral than this… c… Fri, 15:36: RT @RealCynicalFox: Day 1 of Combat , Takeaways from … Continue reading →

So, I am in the USA, for the first time since the pandemic started, having been to Gallifrey One last weekend and now staying in Seattle with one of my oldest friends after a couple of extra days in DTLA … Continue reading →

Thu, 16:51: RT @scalzi: Today is a very good day to critically evaluate and reliably source the information that comes to you online and which is almos… Thu, 18:24: Breasts and Eggs, by Mieko Kawakami https://t.co/pXZ5w1zjHx Thu, 20:54: RT @ObsoleteDogma: … Continue reading →

Second paragraph of third chapter: 時計は四時を指しており、窓を見るとまだまだ強い日差しがびくともせ ずにガラスー面に張りついている。 The clock said four, but the window was a flume of sunshine. This was one of my impulse purchases in Paris last summer, arising from the realisation that I haven't read a lot … Continue reading →

Wed, 17:16: Multilingual ballot box in Santa Monica. How many of those languages can you identify? https://t.co/yJUwdw14oS Wed, 18:19: Aha! I worked out that the languages are in alphabetical order by their English name! So it’s probably: Armenian Chinese Farsi … Continue reading →

So, I’m on my flight out of LAX, having spent the weekend at Gallifrey One and then Monday and yesterday exploring Los Angeles. I arrived on Thursday with H, who I actually knew as a Doctor Who fan before we … Continue reading →

Tue, 12:56: RT @KenyaMissionUN: Kenya makes strong statement opposing the undermining of the sovereignty & territorial integrity of #Ukraine during the… Tue, 18:10: “Bloodchild”, by Octavia E. Butler; “Press Enter ◼️”, by John Varley; Neuromancer, by William Gibson https://t.co/KEvj4syX5j Tue, … Continue reading →

These three all won Hugo and Nebula Awards presented in 1985 for work published in 1984. (So the 1985 Hugo, but the 1984 Nebula.) “Bloodchild” has no chapters or sub-sections. The third paragraph is: But my mother seemed content to … Continue reading →

Mon, 12:56: RT @Emily_Rosina: This made my weekend! It’s been wonderful hearing people talk so fondly about our Doctor Who Lockdown times and lovely to… Mon, 16:05: RT @BernardineEvari: 1/3. The media’s obsession with so-called ‘cancel culture’ is dangerous. Marginalised … Continue reading →

This is the latest post in a series I started in late 2019, anticipating the twentieth anniversary of my bookblogging which will fall in 2023. Every six-ish days, I've been revisiting a month from my recent past, noting work and … Continue reading →

Sun, 12:56: Thread! https://t.co/LcQdahQHnO Sun, 14:57: What awful news. I enjoyed banter with Chris for almost twenty years, going back to when he won my election prediction contest for the 2003 Assembly election. Thoughts with his family. Really sad. https://t.co/y04LKtbGTB … Continue reading →

I'm not sure if I saw Pyramids of Mars when it was first broadcast in 1975; I know I did catch the edited rebroadcast in November 1976, which got a larger TV audience than any previous episode of Doctor Who, … Continue reading →

Sat, 14:48: RT @reclamation2022: We can’t wait to see you at Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre London Heathrow, 15th to 18th of April 2022. Don’t f… Sat, 17:35: Saturday reading https://t.co/TJp2peLJN2 Sat, 18:01: RT @lise_andreasen: Yes! Read the debarkle! #SadPuppies … Continue reading →

The eleventh of the generally excellent Black Archive series of short books on individual Doctor Who stories addresses The Evil of the Daleks, the last story of the fourth season of the show, first broadcast soon after I was born … Continue reading →

Fri, 12:56: RT @archivetvmus71: Happy Birthday Graeme Garden, born this day in 1943. https://t.co/eAjresYc59 Fri, 16:05: RT @DmitryOpines: I don’t care how much of a Tankie anti-imperialist you are, Ukraine is not about to launch an attack on Russian backed … Continue reading →

Current 84K, by Claire North Last books finished The Dreamer’s Lament, by Benjamin Burford-Jones Scherven, by Erik de Graaf Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir Fireheart Tiger, by Aliette de Bodard The Postmistress, by Sarah Blake Doctor Who: The Evil … Continue reading →

Moving up my queued Doctor Who reviews in honour of my presence at Gallifrey One this weekend, here are a novella and novel in the generally good Lethbridge-Stewart spinoff series. Second paragraph of third chapter of The Flaming Soldier, by … Continue reading →

Thu, 12:56: RT @RRRDonner: #OTD My great-great-aunt Mildred Harnack was beheaded on Hitler’s direct order. Born in Milwaukee, she was 26 when she moved… Thu, 18:15: The [Unofficial] Dr Who Annual [1965], by David May https://t.co/7Q5MFSaTS3 Fri, 02:23: @DrMatthewSweet Are … Continue reading →

Second paragraph of third chapter ("The Space Buoy", by Paul Vought): He flicked a switch on the control panel and waited for an image to appear on the monitor. Seconds ticked by, the screen remained black. Although it normally took … Continue reading →

Wed, 18:36: March 2015 books https://t.co/f3RgFOVgmK Wed, 19:24: Waiting for the 337 @delijn at Leuven station. Ten minutes late (and this is the first stop of the route), miserable weather, with nowhere to sit. As usual, no explanation and no … Continue reading →

This is the latest post in a series I started in late 2019, anticipating the twentieth anniversary of my bookblogging which will fall in 2023. Every six-ish days, I've been revisiting a month from my recent past, noting work and … Continue reading →