Would some pow’r the gift to gie us

Had an interesting experience this week of watching an “as live” review of The Ephemera taking shape as it was being read. The reviewer was the very kind and legendary DF Lewis, and the review appeared story-by-story over a four day period. When you assemble a collection of short stories there are many considerations that […]

Songs in the Key of…S

It’s that time of the week again and my MP3 player’s got to the S’s. Here’s what it’s been dishing up today: S.I.C.K.O. – Fangs Save Me – Joan As Police Woman Same Old Stuff – The Feeling Sad Professor – REM Scarecrow People – XTC Sea Diver – Mott The Hoople See You – […]

Being Human

So, yay for me. I managed to watch an entire series of one of those TV shows that everyone’s been talking about. Being Human. I’m a bit late to it, of course, because I waited til the series had ended before watching it all in two big greedy gulps, but hopefully that’s a useful way […]

Songs in the Key of…L

Think I might make this a regular Friday feature. Still going alphabetically through the MP3 library on my phone. We’re at L now. Here’s the last dozen: Leeds United – Amanda Palmer Leggy Blonde – Flight Of The Conchords Leslie – King Creosote Let Down – Radiohead Let’s Dance – David Bowie Lick A 99 […]

Blog etiquette

I’m wondering if there is some unwritten rule in blog etiquette that readers don’t point out really ridiculous typos to the author? Sort of like pointing out when your boss has tomato soup on his tie or the convention speaker’s flies are down. Everyone just gets a little bit embarrassed and looks the other way. […]

I love Paris in the Springtime…vicariously

After a long trip down and back to London yesterday, I was cheered up by my young paramour’s stories of her visit to Paris over the weekend. It wasn’t the same as being there, but she painted an exciting picture (including documentary proof). The consolation patisserie helped too.

New book watch

For anyone looking for a something-to-read recommendation, two new books out this week which excite me: 1/ The Accord by Keith Brooke. I love Keith’s writing and anything – ANYTHING – new from him I consider an absolute treat. As soon as this hits the shelves in Glasgow I’m having it. 2/ Seeds Of Earth […]

Songs in the Key of G

For a while I’ve been suspicious that my mp3 playing phone is eschewing the supposed random nature of the shuffle mode I normally keep it on and, instead, has favourites that it insists on me listening to. I don’t mind it too much, but there’s hundreds of songs on there that I just don’t get […]

361

According to Scientists, this is now the minimum number of intelligent civilizations out there. 361. I’ve no doubt that this was in fact the figure that the algorithms spat out, but whatever happened to the kind of comfortingly woolly science reporting that used to come up with phrases like “perhaps a few hundred”. 361. Because […]

My favourite thing…

…in Interzone 220 was Rick Kleffel’s excellent interview with Jeffrey Ford. My favourite Ford novel is still The Portrait Of Mrs Charbuque (and my favourite story is still “Creation”), but I’m thinking of giving The Physiognomy et al another read. And of course picking up copies of The Drowned Life and The Shadow Year as […]