A review of Triplanetory by E. E. “Doc” Smith. The first book in the Lensmen series. Classic Golden Age space opera. #booktok #sf #spaceopera vm.tiktok.com/ZN8B4CLPH/

Over the last week I’ve been listening to @theresthistory.bsky.social’s series on the period of The Terror during the French Revolution while also watching the Celebrity Traitors. The round table banishments in the latter really help explain many aspects of the former.

A review of the Mars Trilogy (Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars) by Kim Stanley Robinson. Epic, sweeping, future history telling the story of the colonisation and terraforming of Mars, covering the technology, the politics, and the people involved. #booktok #sf #mars vm.tiktok.com/ZN8BfqeqA/

A review of On by Adam Roberts. Intriguing and original fantasy novel set on a world that is entirely a vertical cliff face. #booktok #fantasy #fiction vm.tiktok.com/ZN8Brau1w/

A review of The Colour of Magic, by Sir Terry Pratchett. The first of the Discworld novels and easily one of my favourite books. A flat world balanced upon four elephants that themselves stand upon a giant turtle swimming through space. #booktok #fantasy #humour #fiction vm.tiktok.com/ZN8BLfTdb/

It’s a cliche oft quoted that there’s a crucial distinction between wanting to write a novel, and wanting to have written a novel. Generative AI is for people who want to have written a novel.

A review of Downbelow Station, by C. J. Cherryh. An epic, sweeping tale of future history, war, and revolution that won a well deserved Hugo Award in 1982. #booktok #sf #fiction #hugo vm.tiktok.com/ZN8k4xAPv/

A review of The Sky People, and In The Court Of The Crimson Kings by S. M. Stirling. Alternate history space exploration stories set in a universe where both Venus and Mars are habitable, and inhabited. #booktok #sf #fiction #alternatehistory vm.tiktok.com/ZN8kYMFh1/

When I visit Ireland, I feel like I'm struggling to balance three sometimes conflicting aspects: 1) my deep, genuine and I'd hope respectful interest in the history, politics and culture of my country's closest neighbour; [1/2]

Another in my vaguely ongoing series of thoughts about writing triggered by discussions with people who are just starting out in writing (a.k.a. the completely unqualified ramblings of some bloke who's wrote a bit). buttondown.com/TheNexusFile...

Ambiguity Belongs In Your Story, Not Your Text

A friend of mine has recently begun writing a novel, and he asked me if I could look over it. I’m always keen to give my inner editor a workout, but as with...

buttondown.com

Had a great time at @octocon.bsky.social (the Irish National Science Fiction convention). Met some lovely people. Cork's Clayton Hotel is a brilliant venue for a small to medium-sized convention. [1/3]

Panel at @octocon.bsky.social went well, but god it’s a depressing subject to debate.

Does anyone have any tips about how to avoid taking far too much food at a hotel breakfast buffet? Asking for a friend who’s currently at @octocon.bsky.social.

A review of And On That Bombshell: Inside the Madness and Genius of Top Gear, by Richard Porter. An insider’s view of the iconic BBC tv series by the man who was its script editor through all 22 seasons of the original trio’s run. #booktok #topgear #nonfiction #carshow vm.tiktok.com/ZN8h5w8M5/

I'll be at @octocon.bsky.social, the Irish National Science Fiction Convention, in Cork this weekend. Would you to meet up and chat with any of you guys that might be there!

A review of Strata by Sir Terry Pratchett. A story of a discworld that isn’t THE Discworld, written before the Discworld, and it’s science-fiction not fantasy, with more than a hint of Larry Niven’s Ringworld. #booktok #sf #pratchett vm.tiktok.com/ZN8rv5J98/

A review of The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie. Christie’s first published novel, and the novel that introduced the world to her Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. #booktok #mystery #fiction vm.tiktok.com/ZN8rVec9D/

Part of what might become a bit of a series, of thoughts about writing sparked by conversations with my daughter, who's getting into writing. This one's on how to structure your overall story about three key events. buttondown.com/TheNexusFile...

The Three Key Events Of A Story

My daughter's recently been getting into novel writing, which means that she and I have been having lots of conversations about writing, and how to structure...

buttondown.com

Did this architect really want to aggravate people with a bit of OCD?

A review of The Dungeon Book, as told by Cornelius the Skull, by my very good friend, Gareth Hanrahan. A lovely and engaging story with twists and turns in which a human child is raised by the denizens of a dungeon (i.e. the monsters). #booktok #fantasy #fiction vm.tiktok.com/ZGdQGCaJ6/

On why, thanks to bloody Generative AI, if I ever self-publish another novel, I won’t be paying artists to produce me cover artwork, but will instead just opt for for a very plain, stripped down, Penguin / Traveller style cover with no art whatsoever. #booktok #ai vm.tiktok.com/ZGdQgFxLg/

A review of Murder Before Evensong by the Reverend Richard Coles. A rare DNF review by me. #booktok #mystery #fiction vm.tiktok.com/ZGdQqYwcr/

A review of The Guns Of The South, by Harry Turtledove. Alternate history where the South wins the American Civil War, with a time travel twist. #booktok #civilwar #alternatehistory vm.tiktok.com/ZGdQ4MQVR/

You may or may not have been aware that Armadacon was in a bit of limbo, due to their previous hotel abruptly cancelling their booking at very short notice. Well they've now got a new location, in central Plymouth! It's the 7th and 8th of November, and I will be there. armadacon.org/location.php

A review of Chris Evans’s two autobiographies, It’s Not What You Think, and Memoirs of a Fruitcake. Entertaining and informative stories about his life and TV / radio career. #booktok #memoir #tv #radio vm.tiktok.com/ZGdQCRGoq/

A review of Moscow X by David McCloskey. Second novel by the former CIA analyst turned spy thriller author. #booktok #thriller #spy #cia vm.tiktok.com/ZGdQ97NRU/

In the tradition of names becoming verbs, can we now say that “to sheeran” is when by attempting to not take sides in a controversial situation because you don’t want to get involved, you end up not merely implicitly taking a side anyway, but taking the opposite side to the one you would have taken.

A review of The Man in the White Suit: The Stig, Le Mans, the Fast Lane and Me, by Ben Collins. An insider’s view of life working on Top Gear (and the book that cause a huge legal fuss). #booktok #topgear #tv vm.tiktok.com/ZGdQH1rcH/

A review of Dragonfly: The Terrifying Story of Mir, Earth’s First Outpost in Space, by Bryan Burrough. Detailed, informative, and entertaining account of the Mir-Shuttle programme. #booktok #spacestation #nasa vm.tiktok.com/ZGdQaKjEW/

Watching Max Verstappen vs 100 on Disney+, where Max races 100 famous social media personalities. I’ve know Max Verstappen. I know Mo Gilligan, who’s one of the two hosts.