Category Archives: Books

William Gibson’s Agency

Posted on 31st July 2020 by Gary Whitehouse

The protagonist of Agency is Verity. She’s a San Francisco-based evaluator of artificial intelligence, hired to test a new product. The subject and hero of Agency is Eunice, the product. Verity is supposed to be conducting a sort of Turing … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 5th of July: four American baseball films, an opera by John Gay, live music from from Mavis Staples, dim sum in Hong Kong, Middle-Earth maps and much more!

Posted on 5th July 2020 by Reynard

To the people who insist they really do have a great idea but they just can’t write, I’d say that given some of the books I’ve read, or at least started to read, it would appear that not being able … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 14th of June: fey ethnography courtesy of Terri Windling, a song from Peter Beagle and other fascinating things.

Posted on 14th June 2020 by Reynard

“I am no king, and I am no lord. And I am no soldier at arms,” said he. “I am none but a harper, and a very poor harper That has come hither to wed with thee.” Peter S. Beagle’s … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 17th of May: Béla Bartók’s Hungarian folk tunes, Oysterband live, a bacon cookbook, Golden Age sf from Poul Anderson, Cropredy reviewed, Darjeeling tea, space opera and much more!

Posted on 14th May 2020 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

There’s nothing for your comfort in the place where I was born Someone’s got the roses ’cause my people got the thorns; My people are the poor ones, their country made of stones  Their wealth is in persistence, in stories and in bones … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 19th of April: Psychedelic Turkish music And Cuban Jazz, E.B. White biography, Tricksters, Music of a Heavenly Nature, On Tap in Our Pub, and other cool matters

Posted on 19th April 2020 by Reynard

For every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 23rd of February: ’De Herinacio: On the hedgehog’, Don’t Talk About It by Australian expat Ruby Boot, live Irish Music from De Dannan & Skara Brae, Hobos, Mary-Sues, Live from Here replaces Prairie Home Companion and other matters

Posted on 22nd February 2020 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Most times we only see things for the way we are. But we’re good at lying to ourselves. Sometimes we need somebody who’s not living in our skin to point out how things really are.  ― Charles de Lint’s The … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 26th of January: Music from the Chieftains and the Bothy Band, German chocolate redux, a guide to mysteries and much more

Posted on 26th January 2020 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

She looks like the wizened old crone in that painting Jilly did for Geordie when he got into this kick of learning fiddle tunes with the word ‘hag’ in the title: ‘the Hag in the Kiln,’ ‘Old Hag You Have … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 29th of December: New Riders of The Purple Sage, Beatrix Potter’s gardens, German chocolate bars, Anime, Northumbrian music, Garner’s The Owl Service, Welsh mythology and quite a bit more!

Posted on 29th December 2019 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

That Blod-woman was pretty poor,” said Roger, “however you look at it.” “No,” said Huw. “She was made for her lord. Nobody is asking her if she wants him. It is bitter twisting to be shut up with a person … Continue reading →

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C. J. Cherryh and Jane S. Fancher’s Alliance Rising

Posted on 7th December 2019 by Gary Whitehouse

Alliance Rising is the approximately umpteenth book set in Cherryh’s Alliance-Union Universe, a space opera series that starts on near-future Earth and extends far into the future and a good way into our galactic neighborhood. It takes place, as the … Continue reading →

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What’s New for the 1st of December: An Irish Music guide, Gingerbread, Amano Artisan Chocolate, Frank Zappa live, de Lint’s Crow Girls, Asimov’s Foundation trilogy, two live music cuts, a guide to Irish music and much more

Posted on 1st December 2019 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

  We keep our cats as happy as we can. — Anna Nimmhaus Remember I mentioned recently that we got snow? Well now it’s quite different, as it’s a steady, icy rain and a gusting wind which has kept every … Continue reading →

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