The Hand Of Fear.

The lovely Lisa in her Sarah Jane Smith costume from the classic, and unforgettable, Doctor Who and The Hand Of Fear. I remember the night Elizabeth Sladen walked out of our lives, with Sarah jane Smith walking out of the Tardis. I had no idea that years later the best was yet to come. The return of Sarah Jane feels a little bitter sweet now, with the wonderful Elizabeth Sladen no longer with us. Yet that body of work and the love that drove it will always be with us.

From My Sketchbook.

The Smoky God.

Found this interesting looking book on a recent book haul. Did not know what to expect as I read the title wrong, thinking it was called The Smokey God, which for some reason seemed to make more sense to me. Anyway, when I read the flyleaf explaining what the book was about I half expected the map of a lost continent to fall from behind the dust cover or Kenneth Moore to show up and ask me to accompany him on a trip to the centre of the earth. Neither actually happened.Could this be a true story? Probably not. But then again it could be. Although it does read as a little bit bonkers. But what story of adventures of ien in extremis does not sound a little bonkers. I remember5 being gripped by a biography of Sir Enerst Shackleton with his men in an icy hell actually living the meaning of the word ENDURANCe and I could not help thinking he, and they, were all a little bit potty to put themselves through such terrifying experiences. Mind you, I have always liked reading about the adventures of others not actually having them myself. A lot of pulp storytelling has not aged gracefully, or tastefully, but I try not to project modernity into less enlightened times. there are tropes which cause more than just an eyeroll 9Might not sound like much of an action but with the right eyebrows it can be devastating.) You just have to look at some of the interior sketches to see where I am coming from with that obsevation. Overall though, its the kind of adventurous journal i really enjoy, which I did with this one. It may not quite be Shangri-La but it is a lost horizon of sorts. It was a fast read and one I enjoyed. I am something of a Jules Verne armchair adventurer. Should I ever reach the North Pole it will be in a cardigan and carpet slippers, using gin as fuel for adventure.

Dr Yon Sin; The Mystery Of The Dragon's Shadow.

I found a couple of old pulp mystery and adventure reprints in an amazing collec tion of old science fiction and pulp adventure books in the Oxfam bookstore in Ann street Belfast. A collection of a lifetime genorously donated to the charity after the passing of the collector, his family hoping the charity would be well served by her loved ones years of collecting. From the most obscure science fiction to hard boiled pulp, this was a collection worth sharing. These two pulps were the first thing that jumped out at me. The lurid covers doing their job, hooking my imagination with first glance.Two pulpy anthologies which would no doubt strike most viewers as Sax Rohmer Fu Manchu knock offs, but I was more than willing to discover with the reading if that was indeed the case. Modernity oft scoffs at such notions and most would quite rightly also scoff along, but I try to see history as the way it was rather what we hoped it would be, acknowledging the fault rather than erazing it. How else might we learn for the world that is to come and how we chose to navigate it. The adventure begins in a fog shrouded part of er, Washington.This capitol city having its own East End Of Londoninspired Chinatown. Yet is strongly suggested this part of town is a crime ridden Gotham of a place. i warmed to how much the two male leads warmed to each other, even in the heat of adventure they clearly only have eyes for each other. Its charmingly benign, no subtext, just comradely affection. Men can be like that. So can badgers I suppose. its all unintentional off course, Doc Savages men are written in this way and Monk and Ham only ever fought together and never fell in love. Pulp tropes perhaps but their origins began somewhere. There is also a beautiful maiden to be rescued from a life of crime, which is in itself a pulpy trope. With a good person being black mailed into criminality by wicked ones holding their family hostage. The illustrations within this reprint echo all these tropes, if thats how you care to think of them. Some of them verge on racey. (More tea, Vicar?) It was thrilling glimpse into a world of publishing which has passed. One that barrels along at a rocketing pace. A two mug of tea read.

Marmalade And All That Jazz.

Good old Paddington.

A Midsummer Tempest.

Its been fifty years since this book by Poul Anderson first saw print. Five decades and counting yet I only stumbled across it last week during a book trawl in a nearby Oxfam Books.It was the title that grabbed me to begin with, also the almost school library artwork adorning the cover. A midsummer tempest tells a story set in a world where William Shakespeare was a historian, not a playwright, where everything he wrote was a historical fact. Set in 17th century England, to begin with, we follow Prince Rupert as he fights the Puritans, in defense of King Charles. Its a multiverse of sorts, where well known characters in the works of William Shakespeare were historical beings, their life stories the stuff of daily life. The stuff of reality in a way. And such stuff are dreams built upon.Prince Rupert and his followers rail against the joyless Puritans, a plague on those who would sieve all the joys of this world, always sure their way is the right way. So some events ring with the truth of plausibility and history although perhaps not always in that order. For the truth is that in this version of reality the forc es of magic are as potent as the forces of science. The world of Faerie, of Titania and Oberon and their magical legions are as real as any combatants in the war for human minds and souls. Its period stuff, written in an era which is now itself period. And oh boy, how well it is written. It is set out like a stage play, with settings appropriately setting the place, necessary directions in a tale that moves between fictional worlds as much as real world locations. Events differ as then world unfolds at a different pace, with the enlightenment moving at a more influential speed. Its so beautifully written it feels almost musical. I cannot stress how much this wrong footed me as I was swept up in its Shakespearian cadences. The characters are so well formed, some based on real people , some an amalgram of others. Rich and very,very human.Truly a wee treat of a book. Feel fortunate to have come across it.

Look Its Greyfriars Bobby.

When In Arkham.

My Living room wall. Yes, its a room for living in.

Leaves.

(From my sketch book.) The council do not seem to have collected the fallen leaves so much this year. They gathered, dried, blew around and are now turning to slippy messes. One feels seasonably melancholy. Until one falls on ones hoop. It feels like the debris of twenty three, seasons come and go, we pop up and think none of it would make sense without us to see it. is that hubris or just self-awareness? Either way, its slippery.

The Metatemporal Detective

The Multiverse unfolds in this thrilling collection of pulpy detective yarns, eleven great stories with glorious titles, such as "The Case Of The Nazi Canary" and The Pleasure Garden Of Felipe Sagitatarius". They might be short stories but they bulge with a creative heft. More of a Moorcockverse than a multiverse, a much overused description in the current shared cultural zeitgeist. There are familiar situations and pulp tropes that lean in a swarthier direction than might first appear, more British pulp than American. I do not suggest that in an adversorial fashion, merely pointing out the tonal differences. Its all good after all, the observation is not intended as a qualification of quality. What would I know,after all. Genres ripple with Overton Windows, the unspoken and the outspoken, the obvious brushing shoulders with the not so obvious. With the unfathomably talented Michael Moorcock setting the tone rather than following someone elses. His avatar Seaton Begg, crosses into worlds where scientific progress has taken different paths, and proceeded at different rates, creating societies that mirror each other in cracked actor stylee. In some there are electric cars, Oh how sci-fi, (as if that could ever happen in the real world."It will never happen, they will never catch on-" Coppernicus Magillicutty, 1666) in others there are airships filling the sky in retro steampunk fashion. The Court Of The Faerie Queene persists, illuminating and alchemically enriching. Empires that gloriously fell in our world, remain stubbornly intact. There are familiar faces from his own extended multiverse, as much as our own pantheon of riches. Elric of Melnibone reappears in the dastardly form Count Zenith. As does Una Persson and Lady Rose of Von Bek ( A character I am not too familiar with. But that will come in time. )The adventures in this book ripple out in kalidiscopic waves. Resulting in a colourful collection of densely formed tales which feel just perfect for these dark months. The dark months which can feel endless in this part of Northern Ireland. Life on the slow path, eh? Might as well make it as artistically fulfilled as it is possible for ape descendants to enjoy. I'm felling pretty Metatemporal myself tonight.

Happy Ninetieth birthday Tom Baker.

The Doctor walks in eternity and so does Tom's iteration of Our Hero. Happy Birthday to the greatest time-Lord of them all.

Very Merry Ncutti.

The Church On Ruby Road is on Christmas Day, signalling the return of a beautiful yuletide-centric ( Very Christmassey in other words.)tradition and also truly signalling the beginning proper of a whole new era of Doctor Who. Something new built out of something old.I have always been traveling in Tom Baker's Tardis, so to speak, so everything we have got since has just been delicous gravy to me and this year it looks like we are about to get a double helping of sauce. Ugh, Not sure why I went all foodieholic there but eating is also something I really enjoy. Got a chance to read an interview with Ncutti Gatwa and I was very impressed with what this smart young man had to say. His personal insights were right on the money, beautifully explaining why the character of the Doctor has such a broad appeal. Particularly to those who grow feeling socially awkward, those who spend their time being chased by the pack rather than running with it. I am not one to get emotional reading interviews but one of the things he had to say really connected on a personal level. A terrifically understated reasoning about a very complex set of emotional variables. One of those life lessons you can tell he lived through rather than got out of a book. Bravo Ncutti, you got a wise old head on those young shoulders. Russel T Davis really gets to work with some of the most talented and unique individuals. And what a fine fellow Ncutti seems to be. Bursting with energy and a warm vulnerability. I was wondering how Russel T Davis finds them as he has a way of wringing career bests from the people he works with. I suspect they seek him out given his remarkable presence in the world of television and creative writing in general.He is a writer and producer whos always on top of his game. He is like a jolly Welsh Wizard, a Gandalf figure constantly changing and evolving his fellowship. Taking us all with him on his adventures. Off course, it could all be talk, a good actor can make us believe anything (Really! Its a special ability a few individuals possess.) but my sense of it is he is all that he appears to be, inside and out. And boy is he out! A beautiful human being who is about to materialise in our living rooms. Light a wee candle to guide him home.