Back on a writing roll

Which is just as well, as We Will Destroy Your Planet is due for delivery at the end of this month... (And will be published at Halloween) - http://www.ospreyadventuresbooks.com/books/dark/

Oh, and it's not long until you get the Egyptology from me- The War of Horus And Set comes out on May 23rd - http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/The-War-of-Horus-and-Set_9781780969022

I'll also be one of a panel presenting a paper at The Sherlockian Summit (http://www.nplh.co.uk/2/post/2013/03/the-sherlockian-summit.html), at University College London, on the 21-22 June (I'll be on one a 10am on the 22nd, IIRC), relating to Steampunk and my upcoming A Study In Steampunk, the first mashup of Fringeworks's Moriarty Paradigm series.

And if I can find the time I may drop in on Eastercon for the Sunday, just to the bar.

Now, it's the spring equinox on wednesday, so where the fuck did all this snow come from? I feel a bit of Where Eagles Dare coming on as background...

Sign this

(But it will be triggery for some of you, so, like, be aware of that)

http://tinyurl.com/d2gumc8

What is it with this patriarchal rather than properly fucking isoarchal (yes, I've made that word up, but it works - go look up the Greek) media...?

Because every woman I've ever gone out with has been abused in some way, and I can't be the only guy in the world who never would, and who is so appalled that this caveman shit still goes on, and that a patriachal society and media are complicit in it - a society I do *not* want to be a part of, because I am *not* those guys, and don't want that type speaking for me.

Between this and the Indian police...

The Adventures Of Robin Hood

Watched the DVD with the full 1938 movie experience - newsreels, musical interlude, cartoon short...

I love this movie (you may have guessed, given that I regenerated the Master into Basil Rathbone, as seen in this movie, in a Dr Who book) and haven't seen it a few years.

It's still brilliant, despite the ludicrous anachronisms and primary-colour technicolor costumes (some of which, mainly Olivia de Havilland's outfits, but also Basil Rathbone's green/cream ensemble and Claude Rains's B7 Avon outfit, are pretty damn nice.)

Uh, yeah, Claude Fucking Rains, at one point dresses as 12th Century Avon - black, silver lame, and studs all present. Seriously.



The rest of the time, he appears to be channeling Liberace, sadly, but hey-ho.

But I digress - it's still brilliant, as I was saying, because it has some good casting, some very sly dialogue, and good direction. Not surprising, seeing as it had the (future) director of Casablanca behind it. Actually, that's probably also the reason that it's hilariously slashy in places. (John/Gisburne, John/Robin - John even starts calling him a cockerel...) And how they got the rightmost horn-blower before the archery competition past the censors without lengthening his tunic is beyond me...

Lesley suggested I should slash John and Gisburne, but since I'm not a fic writer, I'll leave it to others.

Errol Flynn slightly lets it down - he's not that good of an actor, though he's OK - but it all works nicely.

Rathbone, probably the greatest ever fencing actor, totally steals the show, mind you - great posture and poise, wish I could stand that straight. (Gisburne also, and it may just be me, must surely be Prince John's service top. No, seriously. I mean it.) Also watch this great look he does when he's standing behind Rains at his coronation - a really good "yeah, you're only King for life, mate, and I'm next" sort of thing, that really doesn't look like it was in the script, but so fucking works.

Ah, fantastic stuff...