Category Archives: Books

What’s New for the 20th of October: ‘Pierre De Grenoble’ by Malicorne, Black cat awareness month, Philip Glass’ “portraits”, the folklore and folkways of American Indians, Ursula le Guin on Coyote, and her Buffalo Gals fantasy.

Posted on 3rd October 2019 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Coyote is an anarchist. She can confuse all civilised ideas simply by trotting through. And she always fools the pompous. Just when your ideas begin to get all nicely arranged and squared off, she messes them up. Things are never … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Commentary, Music | Comments Off on What’s New for the 20th of October: ‘Pierre De Grenoble’ by Malicorne, Black cat awareness month, Philip Glass’ “portraits”, the folklore and folkways of American Indians, Ursula le Guin on Coyote, and her Buffalo Gals fantasy.

What’s New for the 29th of September: A Glen Cook series, a novel that comes with its own soundtrack, people with ‘special powers,’ … and Maddy Dances, Danish jazz, the folklore of bees, and other bits and bobs as well

Posted on 29th September 2019 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

The novel should be understood as a structure built to accommodate the greatest possible amount of cool stuff. — Steven Brust in this Strange Horizons interview The Huddled Masses Ensemble just sent us several cases of Pendle Witches Brew, an ale with a thick, malty, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Commentary, Film, Food and Drink, Graphic Literature, Music, Stories, What Nots | Comments Off on What’s New for the 29th of September: A Glen Cook series, a novel that comes with its own soundtrack, people with ‘special powers,’ … and Maddy Dances, Danish jazz, the folklore of bees, and other bits and bobs as well

What’s New for the 24th of September: Traffic’s version of ‘John Barleycorn’, Dissing neo-paganism, Vess’ Book of Ballads and Sagas and other matters

Posted on 15th September 2019 by Reynard

If I told you the whole story, your head would burst. There is no one story, there are branches, rooms… corridors, dead ends. — The Storyteller as played by a John Hurt in Jim Henson’s The Storyteller It’s definitely not Summer here … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Commentary, Music, Stories, What Nots | Comments Off on What’s New for the 24th of September: Traffic’s version of ‘John Barleycorn’, Dissing neo-paganism, Vess’ Book of Ballads and Sagas and other matters

What’s New for the 1st of September: June Tabor does grim ballads, a Latina rocker named Cecilia Villar Eljuri, Lucky Peach’s guide to cider, a Breton peasant’s memoir, music by Guy Clark, a film from Guillermo del Toro, a noir comic, and other matters…

Posted on 1st September 2019 by Reynard

Only thin, weak thinkers despise fairy stories. Each one has a true, strange fact hidden in it, you know, which you can find if you look. — Diana Wynne Jones in Fire and Hemlock Now it is by some storytellers said … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Commentary, Film, Food and Drink, Graphic Literature, Music, Stories | Comments Off on What’s New for the 1st of September: June Tabor does grim ballads, a Latina rocker named Cecilia Villar Eljuri, Lucky Peach’s guide to cider, a Breton peasant’s memoir, music by Guy Clark, a film from Guillermo del Toro, a noir comic, and other matters…

What’s New for the 1st of September: A Firefly novel, our most criticised review, a pair of dark mangas, recreating Medieval English Ales, Balkan music history, ‘Excitable Boy’ in Bluegrass style, Emma Bull’s favourite tune, on blackberries and less tart matters…

Posted on 1st September 2019 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

“Stories,” he’d said, his voice low and almost husky, “we are made up of stories. And even the one’s that seem the most like lies can be our deepest hidden truths.” — Jane Yolen’s Briar Rose We raise a lot of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Commentary, Film, Food and Drink, Graphic Literature, Music, Stories | Comments Off on What’s New for the 1st of September: A Firefly novel, our most criticised review, a pair of dark mangas, recreating Medieval English Ales, Balkan music history, ‘Excitable Boy’ in Bluegrass style, Emma Bull’s favourite tune, on blackberries and less tart matters…

Neal Stephenson’s Reamde

Posted on 28th July 2019 by Gary Whitehouse

I’ve liked everything I’ve read by Seattle speculative fiction writer Neal Stepehson, starting with Snow Crash and The Diamond Age but haven’t kept up with him since 2010’s Anathem. With a new book out in 2019 that is apparently a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books | Tagged | Comments Off on Neal Stephenson’s Reamde

What’s New for the 21st of July: Elizabeth Hand’s favourite libation, Chicago’s ‘Saturday in the Park’ and other matters

Posted on 21st July 2019 by Reynard

Saturday in the park,  I think it was the Fourth of July — Chicago Care to sample our newest Summer ale? It’s called White Chalk Horse IPA and has a nice, light taste. It’s been very popular. It’ll go well with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Commentary, Food and Drink, Graphic Literature, Music, Stories | Comments Off on What’s New for the 21st of July: Elizabeth Hand’s favourite libation, Chicago’s ‘Saturday in the Park’ and other matters

What’s New for the 7th of July: Two Batman graphic novels, Terri Windling on hedgehogs, fiction from Hannu Rajaniemi, fantastic Victoriana, 10,000 Maniacs live, Balinese gamelan, and some other things as well…

Posted on 7th July 2019 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

My grandmother didn’t teach me Appalachian ballads on our back porch and I had no banjo-strummin’ pappy to sing to me in the cradle. I didn’t attend tent revivals. I never saw or heard a chain gang, or worked in … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Commentary, Food and Drink, Music, Stories | Comments Off on What’s New for the 7th of July: Two Batman graphic novels, Terri Windling on hedgehogs, fiction from Hannu Rajaniemi, fantastic Victoriana, 10,000 Maniacs live, Balinese gamelan, and some other things as well…

What’s New for the 23rd of June: Canadian children’s literature, Spanish-born accordionist Victor Prieto live, mythologist John Campbell considered, Horslips perform ‘Drive The Cold Winter Away’, Trad Arranged, Robert Johnson and other matters…

Posted on 23rd June 2019 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Toss the pot, toss the pot: let us be merry, And drink till our cheeks be as red as a cherry. We take no thought, we have no care, Still we spend and never spare ’til all of money our purse … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Music, Stories | Comments Off on What’s New for the 23rd of June: Canadian children’s literature, Spanish-born accordionist Victor Prieto live, mythologist John Campbell considered, Horslips perform ‘Drive The Cold Winter Away’, Trad Arranged, Robert Johnson and other matters…

What’s New for the 9th of June: Byrds live, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, Conan the Barbarian, Indonesian Pop, Elizabeth Bear reads us a story, a history of ice cream and other tasty matters…

Posted on 9th June 2019 by Iain Nicholas Mackenzie

Some stories are literally true; some of them are figuratively true; some of them are wrong. That’s the nature of stories, isn’t it? They show us all the highlights of the world, but they never leave us certain we can … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Commentary, Film, Food and Drink, Graphic Literature, Music, Stories | Comments Off on What’s New for the 9th of June: Byrds live, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, Conan the Barbarian, Indonesian Pop, Elizabeth Bear reads us a story, a history of ice cream and other tasty matters…