THIS EXACTLY (h/t @shvetathakrar.com ) www.theguardian.com/film/filmblo...

Joanna Lumley is right: Idris Elba shouldn’t play Bond – in fact, no one should

An emotionless character that belongs to a grotesque tradition should be shelved, and all speculation over who should play him needs to end

theguardian.com

Suzannah Rowntree@suzannahrowntree.bsky.social · 3h ago

I am not going to get my wish but once again I am begging them not to cast a female or POC Bond. please let's not wokewash one of popular culture's most enduring symbols of patriarchy/imperialism. the character IS an exploitative power fantasy and that won't change no matter who they cast.

This exactly. The Craig Bond movies are the only ones I find watchable because they deconstruct the character, but from here you can only either regress, switch to using the character as an antagonist of someone else's story, or denature the character to the point he's unrecognisable.

Zach the Autumn Lord@maximumrider217.bsky.social · 3h ago

Also, even on just a basic storytelling level, what is there even left to do with the character? The Daniel Craig era was the closest they got to actually critiquing the character and I fail to see what stories they can possibly still tell.

I am not going to get my wish but once again I am begging them not to cast a female or POC Bond. please let's not wokewash one of popular culture's most enduring symbols of patriarchy/imperialism. the character IS an exploitative power fantasy and that won't change no matter who they cast.

Ah, I forgot that every time a new RINGS OF POWER season is coming out I have only to mention in public how much I love it for SOME DUDE I've never spoken to before in my life to tell me I must be joking

Working on the 7th WATCHERS OF OUTREMER book, cranking through Benjamin Kedar's landmark article on the 1099 Jerusalem Massacre and SURE ENOUGH here's a swing at Steven Runciman: "contains some glaring examples of misunderstanding or plain error"

There is literally nothing authors like better than writing books about things. Sometimes you can make more money off writing books on how to write books than you can on writing books.

Antony Johnston@antonyjohnston.bsky.social · 3d ago

Seeing complaints online that authors 'gatekeep' information…! Absolute nonsense. There is no industry or craft in the world which is so comprehensively written about, studied, and discussed as fiction writing, and every author I know welcomes new writers who are serious about giving it a go.

Spyder grammarian, spydere grammarian Doth all thinges a spyder may

tfw your bestie tells you to get with the programme and read something by one of her favourite living academics and then you find out he already follows you on Bluesky

Homer Simpson Blushing Emoji Hedge

ALT: Homer Simpson Blushing Emoji Hedge

static.klipy.com

Both a dog and a cat have spotted you from inside Samuel van Hoogstraten's amazing View Down a Corridor, 1662. Not to mention the parrot in its cage! But the people are oblivious.

Duality 🌷🗡

I just saw a man complaining about Nolan's ODYSSEY being "woke" and "21st century feminist" because Penelope tells Telemachus she's qualified to be king of Ithaca. No one tell him about Irene of Athens who in the 8th century AD murdered her own son rather than give up the imperial throne to him.

The thread. The replies. 😘👌🏼

Vituperative Erb@vituperativeerb.bsky.social · 5d ago

If you’re a Gondorian soldier your experience with hobbits is a tiny guy shows up with a wizard and is immediately taken in the Steward’s counsel. He saves Faramir when the Steward goes mad. A second tiny guy arrives with the Rohirrim and kills the Witch King. The first one then goes on campaign …

On #YorkshireDay, enjoy this lovely railway poster of the Yorkshire Dales by Ladybird artist Ronald Lampitt

There's so much fiction out there written by millennials that is full of excitement and magic and sense of wonder, but — oh yeah. That's right. Fantasy doesn't count. Romance doesn't count. Thrillers don't count.

The Atlantic@theatlantic.com · 5d ago

Why are so many Millennial novels so boring? Hillary Kelly on a new novel that encapsulates the trap of her generation’s fiction:

I LOVE HER

RossyDoesDrawings (commissions open)@rossydoesdrawings.bsky.social · 5d ago

One time someone commissioned me to draw Circe as a goblin, thank you very much for doing so. It is based of course on Circe Invidiosa by John William Waterhouse.

This carved stone plaque was found in St Francis' Row in Cashel, and it is believed to be the sign for a tavern that was known as The Cat & Bagpipes, that once stood on the main street. It may date to as early as the 16-17th century, and offers a glimpse of Cashel's social life from centuries ago

This is the Violet-backed starling, also known as the amethyst starling for its beautiful iridescent wings! Found in sub-Saharan Africa, only the males are purple - the females are speckled brown and look more like a thrush. 🪽

Stuart & Revett's The Antiquities of Athens found bricked up in a fireplace -- Book returned to NSW library 150 years after being borrowed -- ABC Australia www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07...

Library book returned after 150 years, $28k fine waived

A NSW library has a book returned rather late, but the policy of fining people for the offence was dropped at some point during the 150 years since it was borrowed.

abc.net.au

My BOY 🥰🥰🥰

History and Heritage Yorkshire@handhyorkshire.bsky.social · last wk.

🧵Hull born abolitionist and philanthropist William Wilberforce died on this day 29 July in 1833, He was buried in Westminster Abbey. The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 passed its second reading in the House of Commons unopposed on 22 July 1833, just a week before Wilberforce

I want to see Chris Nolan take on THE DIVINE COMEDY. How'll he manage to fit a shocking twist and a climactic battle into the final act of a beatific vision consisting entirely of philosophy and scintillating light

Jesse Hawken@jessehawken.bsky.social · last wk.

Studio execs are going to want to adapt more poems for the big screen now

I'm so lucky to have spent half my life in this manner

Seva@seva.bsky.social · last wk.

the ideal academic life is being an eccentric Victorian lord. Invent a stamp licking machine at 22. Get elected to the Royal Academy for counting the beetles on your estate. Die in an arsenic explosion. The perfect life.

greek tragedy: the gods are out to get you shakespearean tragedy: you are out to get you tolkienian tragedy: the gods are down on their knees begging you just ONCE to make better decisions.

Anyway I think Emily Wilson is so real for turning into a hater when her favourite book got a critically acclaimed adaptation that became an instant cultural landmark. I also have an essay on why Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings fails on every level

On THE ODYSSEY, a lot of people have noted the facelessness of the gods, but it's only today that I've seen someone note the facelessness of the Trojans (Prof Emily Wilson, as cool as whom I will never be) but the thing is: I think everyone is missing the significance of this to the story

13 hours left to get the Kickstarter special editions of all the Shattered World books before they go away forever! notes: *we have "pledge over time" for big 6-book packages *the site will go down for maintenance for 45mins in 4 hours *ONLY 13 HOURS LEFT!! www.kickstarter.com/projects/wrg...

Splintered World: An Early Release Special Edition Hardback

Gothic Urban Fantasy with slowburn romance, low spice & a magic Tea House. Manic Pixie Madman X Sensible Woman with Sciatica.

kickstarter.com

With respect, you have only to read an interview or two with Nolan or his cast to find out that in his polite and phlegmatic way he was ripping the top of his head off and screaming at the right to stop being so evil about immigration, but with artistic integrity.

Matthew Downhour @matthewdownhour.bsky.social · 2w ago

The Odyssey has the potential to be a culture war turning point loss for the Right partially because I really don’t think Christopher Nolan has any desire to be a ‘woke’ director. He literally just wanted to make a massive movie with the best actors he could find

This year Amazon has started being really slow/unwilling to price match my books to free when I set them to free on other stores. You've always had to email customer service to request a price match to free. This year you have to battle an AI chatbot and then yell at customer service for a week.

Actually this is probably why Númenor from THE RINGS OF POWER makes me SO HAPPY. It actually looks like a medieval city with brightly clad medieval people.

Suzannah Rowntree@suzannahrowntree.bsky.social · 2w ago

I recently saw the UPRISING trailer and on the one hand it's nice to see a historical movie about the Peasants' Revolt but on the other hand. Like. I have never seen a director work so hard to expunge every trace of colour from his film. LOOK AT THIS NONSENSE