Poems
In the Bright Midwinter
A poem inspired by Christina Rossetti’s In the Bleak Midwinter, and by a sunny day in late December. […]
Year: 2015
Essays & Opinion
The Tao of Iain M. Banks’ Culture
In his Culture novels, Iain M. Banks depicted a utopian society which has a ‘way’ and a sense of destiny akin to those found in religion. The second of these novels, The Player of Games, illustrates how Banks’ atheism did not stop him believing that certain moral values will inevitably prevail. […]
Essays & Opinion
Blaming the Victims of Terror
Western apologists for radical Islamic terror should stop blaming the victims, and start addressing the perpetrators and supporters of terror who live in the West. […]
Essays & Opinion
The Rebel Alliance Won… Didn’t They?
The new Stars Wars film is clearly reiterating themes from the original trilogy – but can a really good story depend on a narrative of endless war? […]
Poems
Sunshine in the Autumn Forest
The leaves turn, half way through nature’s year.
Growth foreshadows decline; the sun bows lower.
Dappled by barer branches, but it still shines. […]
Stories & Skits
No Man’s Sky: First Day
An old school science fiction story about an individual marooned on a desert planet, inspired by No Man’s Sky, the new video game from indie developers Hello Games. […]
Essays & Opinion
File 770 Mob Hunts for Racists; Fails to find one
‘Fans’ of one science fiction website demonstrate a lot more interest in policing political thought than in admiring science fiction. […]
Essays & Opinion
Was Interstellar Inspiring?
Director Christopher Nolan said he wanted to inspire future astronauts with the science in his film. But then why are the protagonists so dependent on beings and forces they do not understand? […]
Stories & Skits
If Everyone Could Get Along
I imagined how things might look, if every person focused on what people have in common, and showed tolerance for our differences. […]
Essays & Opinion
Hardly Anyone Wants Dot Everyone
Baroness Lane-Fox had a cunning plan to get herself a new job. She asked the British public – via friends at the BBC – to sign a petition demanding the Prime Minister put her in charge of a new and aimless internet quango. Not surprisingly, the public ignored her. […]