“… if you’re stupid enough to be biased against SF you will read SF stupidly…”

An insightful quote from Chris Gavaler on theguardian.com :   “… when readers who are biased against SF read the word ‘airlock’, their negative assumptions kick in – ‘Oh, it’s that kind of story’ – and they begin reading poorly. So, no, SF doesn’t really make you stupid. It’s more that if you’re stupid enoughContinue reading ““… if you’re stupid enough to be biased against SF you will read SF stupidly…””

the international diversification of sci-fi…

I enjoyed this interesting article from the BBC about the international diversification of sci-fi: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20181203-what-our-science-fiction-says-about-us Nothing ever stays the same and it is very good for the genre to bring in new ideas and new voices. On the other hand we are seeing an increasingly aggressive China and Russia exerting themselves militarily in several regionsContinue reading “the international diversification of sci-fi…”

Online Science Fiction Book Club: Robert Heinlein Society Panel interview, June 2018…

I’m feeling very pleased and honoured to have had one of my questions about the science fiction writer Robert Heinlein answered in a recent panel interview organised by the Online Science Fiction Book Club (https://www.facebook.com/groups/130411676997908/ ). Heinlein is one of my all-time favourite writers with  published work spanning from 1947 to 1987, and posthumously inContinue reading “Online Science Fiction Book Club: Robert Heinlein Society Panel interview, June 2018…”

“Spectral” – Netflix (2016)…

Just finished watching ‘Spectral’ on Netflix – yep, it’s a 2016 movie that I just got around to watching. That’s actually pretty up to date for me, I’m usually 5-10 years behind! An ‘OK’ hokum entertainer of pseudo-baffle ‘science’ lashed together with soldier-dudes and plenty of gun play. Don’t let that mislead you though… asContinue reading ““Spectral” – Netflix (2016)…”

“Born with the Dead” – Robert Silverberg, 1974

I’ve just finished re-reading Robert Silverberg’s 1974 novella ‘Born with the Dead’ and loved it all over again… I first read this story in the early ’80s and it really stuck with me. I’ve probably given away around a thousand books over the past 30 years, including this one. However, Silverberg was my favourite sci-fiContinue reading ““Born with the Dead” – Robert Silverberg, 1974″