From the Heart of EuropeFrom the Heart of Europe - LiveJournal.comThe Worst Who stories- June 29, 2008 Sparked by a debate between blue_condition and myself, I must ask the following questions:View Poll: 1213297http://nhw.livejournal.com/1056032.html June Books 48) The Lost and Left Behind- June 29, 2008 48) The Lost and Left Behind: Stories from the Age of Extinctions, by Terry GlavinThis is a polemical book about diversity - both biodiversity, in terms of species (and even different breeds of cultivated crops and animals), and ethnic diversity, in terms of languages spoken. Glavin argues passionately that we are losing vast amounts of what makes the world special, and points out that the disappearance of human languages is closely linked geographically to the extinction of species. It is a...http://nhw.livejournal.com/1055794.html Four Sixth Doctor stories- June 29, 2008 Well, much to be said about yesterday's episode - though I won't say it here, except that I agree with those who believe that surely we will be getting a cop-out of some kind at the start of next week's 65-minute climax, no doubt involving the hand.Instead I'm writing up the four Sixth Doctor stories from Season 22 I watched on the laptop yesterday, lying in bed. Two of these are rather meh, the other two awful.I've said before that very few Cybermen stories actually make sense. Attack of the...http://nhw.livejournal.com/1055612.html June Books 46) Longitude 47) Fatal Attraction- June 29, 2008 46) Longitude: The True Story of a Lome Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time, by Dava Sobel47) Fatal Attraction: Magnetic Mysteries of the Enlightenment, by Patricia FaraBack to my former intellectual stamping ground, the history of science. Both of these books are for a popular rather than academic audience; Fara's perhaps more didactic (she is a historian of science), Sobel's more for entertainment (she is a journalist).Sobel's book is the more old-fashioned. It is a..http://nhw.livejournal.com/1055454.html Recap of Season 2- June 29, 2008 Bring down the Cybus Corporation!http://nhw.livejournal.com/1055168.html June Books 45) Masters of the Fist- June 28, 2008 45) Masters of the Fist, by Edward P HughesA rather dismal Baen collection of short stories about a village in post-Holocaust Ireland where the head honcho is the only fertile man left in the world, and has to grapple with the awful responsibilities of impregnating the local women. Oirish and sexist clichés abound. Amusingly, the head honcho's unofficial partner's name is Celia Larkin (and these stories were written in the 1980s, so I suppose it is coincidence).http://nhw.livejournal.com/1054965.html June Books 39-44) The Season 19 novelisations, plus a Missing Adventure- June 28, 2008 Two good ones among this lot, and one total dud.39) Doctor Who - Castrovalva, by Christopher H BidmeadThis is rather good: Bidmead has a convincing intensity as he takes us through the narrative, and while it would be going too far to say that it all makes sense, it does at least hang together: there is a feeling that this is the beginning of a new era. The story is very much about the Doctor's regeneration, and somehow this comes over better on the printed page. An impressive start for the...http://nhw.livejournal.com/1054675.html Enlightenment and Frontios- June 27, 2008 These were the last two Fifth Doctor gaps in my list. Frontios is not too bad; Enlightenment sheer genius.I don't think I had seen a single minute of this story before, and boy had I missed out. It is simply superb, the best story of the Davison era. Perhaps my appreciation was enhanced by watching it immediately after my operation this morning and needing to be cheered up, but I loved every moment: the creepiness of Striker's crew, the glorious Lynda Baron as Captain Wrack, the MarrinerTegan...http://nhw.livejournal.com/1054411.html June Books 38) Abarat- June 27, 2008 38) Abarat, by Clive BarkerA YA novel about a teenager from a boring American town who is sucked into a fantasy parallel world which she must save. I enjoyed a couple of Barker's fantasy novels for adults many years ago; wasn't really so grabbed by this one, kindly lent to me by cassave. The illustrations, which I guess are Barker's own from the lack of any separate credit, are a bit jarring as well.http://nhw.livejournal.com/1053965.html Punctured at both ends- June 27, 2008 I broke a tooth on an olive stone on Wednesday night. It had been twinging for a couple of weeks, and no doubt would have gone sooner or later, but it was annoying none the less. Found a dentist round the corner from the office yesterday, and got them to have a look at it. They shook their heads sadly and said it was basically unsalvageable and will need a full crown, as its counterpart on the other side had two years ago. They also said I would need my remaining two wisdom teeth whipped out in.http://nhw.livejournal.com/1053706.html |