Monthly Scribbles: A Study in Danny Pink And Other Stories

Well, that's another month gone by. As the shortest month of the year, February we hardly knew you. But before it sinks into the murky backwaters of our memories to be replaced by the bouncing baby March (yes, I know it's nearly a week old, sssh!), let's take a look at the things that shook the world this past month. And for 'shook the world' read 'relevant to me.'

New Doctor Who companion unveiled

In the Whoniverse, February brought the news that the Twelfth Doctor and Clara will be joined in Series Eight of the show by Danny Pink, played by Samuel Anderson. Danny (whose name is strangely reminiscent of Marc Warren's Hustle character, Danny Blue) will be a fellow teacher at Coal Hill School alongside Clara who was seen working at the school, which first appeared in Doctor Who's pilot episode 'An Unearthly Child', in November's The Day of the Doctor. While it waits to be seen what sort of character Danny will be - another love interest in the vein of past male companions Mickey and Rory? - it's a clever move by Moffat to mirror the Doctor's original two companions, Ian and Barbara, who both worked at Coal Hill. All we need now is the Doctor's granddaughter to join them in the TARDIS and the original TARDIS team will be recreated. Now if only a close relation of the Doctor's was still around to come back in the show, then we'd have a real 'generated anomaly'...

Writing Across the Web

For those loyal Scribble fans who eagerly await new material from this site (hello Mum), I apologise for the sparse number of posts over the last month but I've had my fingers in so many pies I didn't have any free to write blog posts with.
February saw me undertake numerous online endeavours including three articles for Whatculture. Fancy reading about Sherlock Holmes' ten weirdest adaptations? Or if you've got a hankering for a headache, why not spend some timey-wimey reading over the greatest time-travel orientated episodes of Doctor Who, either written by Steven Moffat or from the other talented timey-wimey writers to grace the show. If you are in the mood for some fiction, a flash fiction of mine, concerning the social media addiction of a super-villain, can be read over on The Flashnificents. Oh, and I almost forgot, I've also started writing for Hypable, and you can read a couple of news pieces I wrote up for them here. Phew.

Mini-Reviews

Shada

Based on the famed (at least in Doctor Who circles) untelevised story, modern Who scribe Gareth Roberts (whose episodes include 'The Lodger' and 'The Shakespeare Code') takes the baton from Douglas Adams in this fun romp - and I mean that in the best possible way - that merges the Adamsian Who of the late seventies with modern sensibilities.
Shada sees the Fourth Doctor and Romana in Cambridge to visit the Doctor's absent-minded old friend, Professor Chronotis. However, with the ruthless alien Skagra also in the area, it becomes a race to stop the most dangerous book in the universe from ever being read...
The book (that is the novel, not the dangerous universe-destroying one) is a delight, with Roberts treading exactly the right line between affectionate nods to Adams' style yet understanding not to attempt to write like him. While some of it may be familiar if you're a fan of Adams' work (after the TV story was abandoned, Adams used many plot details in his Dirk Gently novel), Shada is a treat for any Who fan or anyone who enjoys humorous science fiction.

Jonathan Creek: 'The Letters of Septimus Noone'

Last Friday night, the first full series in ten years of the Alan Davies-starring detective series, Jonathan Creek, began. I was once quite the fan of the show, with its impossible crimes and dedication to Holmesian logic. However, since Sherlock I'm afraid it's rather been knocked from the top spot of 'Cleverest Detective Show on TV.' Nevertheless, I was hopeful that the show could still deliver.
Sadly, this first episode left me a bit underwhelmed. An unorthodox 'mystery' (I.e. as an audience, we are shown the stages of the murder rather than being asked to work them out) meant that there was little of the customary guessing-game that one likes to play with shows like this. As well as narratively, the set-up of the show has changed as instead of being an eccentric bachelor in his wind mill, Jonathan is now retired from sleuthing and living in a country house - with a wife! As Polly, Sarah Alexander is a solid successor to Sheridan Smith's sidekick and, although it seems a tad too cosy, could make for an interesting development across the series. On the basis of this episode, while Jonathan is still a competent show and deserves this new series, it is not without its creaks.

Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane

After the rest of the world has long since devoured Neil Gaiman's latest offering, and a few weeks since I received a signed copy from the man himself, here, a little late to the party, is my review of the superb The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Don't be shy, dive in.

We all remember being scared as children. Of a curtain blowing in the wind from the window, of a misshapen shadow falling on the wall or, for this reviewer at a certain age, of a velociraptor in a chequered shirt coming up the stairs to eat you (don’t ask. No really, don’t). These sorts of memories can be some of the strongest that we retain from childhood. But, usually, there’s a relief at the end; a closing of the window, a switching on of the light, an …even bigger dinosaur protecting you. However, sometimes children have real reason to be scared. And the narrator of The Ocean at the End of the Lane certainly does.

After his family’s lodger, the opal miner, is found dead, our narrator is caught in a helpless situation as his cosy seven-year-old world is torn apart when an ancient entity with the power of a god is released. With designs for the flint lane on which he lives and the people in it.

A lot has been said about the novel's themes of memory and reflection yet, although these are integral to the atmosphere of the piece, what must not be forgotten is that Gaiman weaves together a gripping story which at its core is about the terror and triumph of childhood. What separates this from Gaiman’s other works that feature children against otherworldly forces – for instance, The Graveyard Book and Coraline – is that the novel is a recollection of an adult narrator back to his childhood and the horrors that he faced. Because of this, probably why it was a book aimed at adults rather than children, there is a stronger air of hopelessness to proceedings; a feeling of being totally lost in a grown-up world. Thankfully, though, there is some light at the end of the lane…

For this reader, the Hempstocks are the stars of the piece. The three women of varying ages, who live on the old farm at the street’s end, are ancient, wise beings themselves. ‘The ocean’ of the title sits in their land – it’s actually a duckpond, but one with a few secrets. As a child, I think we all dreamt that something or someone where we lived was different and out-of-the-ordinary and Gaiman personifies this perfectly in the heroic Hempstock women.

However, heroes and monsters are all well and good but perhaps when the novel is at its most involving is in its mixing of this other world the boy encounters and his own family. As a child, our family is our bedrock and when it is at risk there’s nothing more terrifying. We can all find something we recognise in our own family in the one the author creates and so, when the cracks appear in it and his parents fail to help their son in his predicament, Gaiman's exquisite prose takes us all back to being a scared, defenceless child.

Overall, the book is an excellent composite between the author’s adult fiction and his output for younger audiences, and is really suitable for the young and old, who will read it from different perspectives. Give it a go and you’ll find it’s easy to get lost in the ocean of fear and magic and fairy tale that runs through the heart of Gaiman's novel. The Ocean at the End of the Lane may make you revisit a time of moving curtains, lingering shadows and shirted dinosaurs but you might just feel richer for it.

A Day with Neil Gaiman

Faithful readers of this blog most likely know of my admiration for the works of the eminent and messy-haired fantasy author Neil Gaiman (which I have commented on here, here and here. Oh, and - well, you get the idea). Yesterday, on a trip over the water to Portsmouth (for overseas readers, that's on the south coast of the UK), I was very thankful to meet the man himself. And I am pleased to say he was as friendly and funny as his reputation suggests.

The day itself was a perfect day for any Gaiman fan to attend. Portsmouth being Neil's hometown, I leapt at a ticket when I found out he was holding a talk there, part of his worldwide book tour for his latest novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane. However - there was more - that very day an unnamed road leading to the beach was to be officially renamed The Ocean at the End of the...Lane in a ceremony led by Neil that afternoon. Yes, I was going. 

My day started as odd as it was going to continue. Myself and my self-confessed fan of 'fictitious worlds' sister (known to the blogging world as Miss Misspent Youth) wandered into the Canoe Lake Cafe which we knew to be near Neil's road to ask directions. It turned out there was no need, as Neil himself was dining inside. 

I know!

Arriving at the road with plenty of time, it was great to see so many fellow Gaiman fans there - and to watch the already-substantial crowd grow as Passing Portsmouth Pedestrians stopped to have a look at what was going on. The ceremony was entertaining enough but afterwards was the icing on the fantasy-author-flavoured cake. Once the official people of the event had left, Neil stayed behind to chat, sign and pose for photographs with fans. It's a considerate gesture and one I hadn't expected. My thoughts on the occasion are summed up perfectly in the tweet below:

Just complimented @neilhimself's tiny Cyberman. Not sure how my day can get any stranger.
— Christian Bone (@ChristianABone) August 18, 2013

The Cyberman in question is a small pin that Mr Gaiman was wearing on his lapel which can sort of be seen in this photo. 

You know, that silver speck. Trust me, it's cool.

The talk later on was great fun and extremely informative for anyone interested in the behind the scenes of his writing. It must also be the only event I've been to that, while waiting for it to start, most of the audience were avidly reading novels, comics and other Neil-affiliated materials. Assisted by an interviewer and, naturally of course, a Dalek, Neil talked about everything from his latest projects to being a villain in The Simpsons. He also gave two great readings, one from his newest children's book Fortunately, the Milk which had the whole place laughing. 

The signing afterwards clearly exceeded the organisers' expectations, as such was the number of fans eager to meet him that Mr Gaiman was signing all the way up to one in the morning (the talk finished about 9.45)! When I eventually met him again, Neil was as amiable and chatty as he was at the unveiling, thanking people for waiting so long to see him, and even taking the time to provide a mini-illustration alongside his signature. Plus, on a personal note, he shook my hand, saying 'it's a pleasure to meet another writer' (I told him, by the way, he doesn't have a sort of sixth sense for perceiving writing folk. Though maybe he does, I wouldn't tell people if I did, would you?).

It was, overall, an extremely enjoyable day and it was a pleasure to meet someone who's a great inspiration as a leading player in a field I'd like to break into. An added bonus was that he turned out to be so nice. Also, weirdly but wonderfully, I met someone I previously only knew on the internet through her site, namely Katie Edwards of Katie's Book Blog, who has also written an account of the day over on her blog, in which I, ahem, feature in a supporting role. Go check it out! In a paragraph's time...

I've been saving up to read The Ocean at the End of the Lane until after this event, feeling that this was a perfect introduction for the book. I look forward to plunging myself into it right away, though, and, have no fear, will be inflicting my views on the book to you all in an upcoming post. Till then, I'll leave you with the scrawlings and scribble creatures of Neil Gaiman himself. A lovely chap, don't you know.

Favourite Fictional Characters Blogathon - Would you like to contribute?

Dear all,

For no other special reason than fun, I'm hoping to soon play host to a blogathon with the theme of favourite fictional characters and so am looking for wonderful people who would like to get involved. Whether you're a blogger or not, I'd love you to get in contact if you're interested in writing a guest post for this blog on your favourite character from all of fiction. If you would like to contribute, let me know by sending an email at chalbo@outlook.com, tweet me at Chalbo100 or leave a comment below.

Thanks folks!

Chalbo

Meet Silas and Smedley

Hello all of you out there in blogger-land, I thought I'd let you know I've created a new blog...

The Assembled Experiences of Silas and Smedley is a blog dedicated to short fiction I've written that features two original characters; the mysterious Victorian gentlemen, Silas and his loyal companion, Dr Smedley. Yes, they are in part a pastiche of Holmes and Watson but, I hope, they also stand up by themselves. From inside their big spooky country home, the two friends often encounter some supernatural occurence that leads to suspenseful (and often humorous) consequences.

The blog so far has seven posts up and so is still in its early stages but I hope to update it fairly regularly when I feel its time for a new story for my intrepid adventurers.

For more information, I'll let Dr Smedley speak to you himself in this message from the 'About' page of the blog;


Dear reader,

Many thanks for visiting this, the treasure trove of sensation, suspense and scares that is the assembled experiences of my dear friend, the enigmatic Silas and my good self, Dr James J Smedley, formerly of her Majesty's army.
A long time ago, for you, I gathered my notes on the times I shared in the company of Silas and secured them in the vaults of a high-security bank to be opened a hundred years into the future and shared with the world - for I felt sure that the world of the 21st century would be ready for the tales that I collected.
And now my wish has been fulfilled. Here you will find regularly delivered tales of our encounters in which we often found ourselves with the weird yet wonderful in this world . Of course, some adventures are just too much for the public to handle at any time - alas, the strange case of the Miniature Elephant of Java and its like will have to stay between myself and the estimable character of Silas for the rest of time.

Yours sincerly,

Dr Smedley


If this interests you please pop over and have a look. And perhaps leave a comment; I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Elementary, My Dear Bloggers

Although it's already been on screens both sides of the Atlantic for several weeks now, hang up your deerstalkers and grab your 'I<3 NYC' caps as today I'm taking a look at the US' take on a modern-day Sherlock Holmes...

I've known what to expect from Elementary for ages. When I first heard that an American version of Sherlock was to be made I was less than thrilled - as I was of the opinion that it would be a mere diluted copy of the original. As time went on, however, it became clear that Elementary was going to take Sherlock Holmes to somewhere different; literally, by being set in New York and figuratively, by having a female Watson.
As a Holmesian, I wasn't best pleased with the changes but I tried to reserve my judgement till after I had seen the show.

Now I have seen it, it's time to unleash it.

Firstly, Elementary is not as good as Sherlock. This isn't a harsh criticism as not many shows (if any) are and I wasn't expecting it to be. Instead, Elementary is a decent police procedural drama and seems quite happy being so. Comparing both shows does neither justice but I'm going to do so anyway.
Whereas Cumberbatch's Sherlock has great, big adventures involving royal scandals, giant dogs and dramatic falls, Lee Miller's rendition is a specialist in homicide, as Captain Gregson tells us in the pilot, working with the police to bring killers behind bars. Clearly then, Elementary's plots are a lot less puzzlebox than a Sherlock but they are still enjoyable if you enjoy those sort of story lines. (In one episode involving a serial killer known as the Balloon Man, I felt a little short-changed that I saw all the twists coming before Holmes himself did but I'll forgive that.)

However, as with all these crime dramas, its the lead characters that make the show different so Elementary's success very much relies on how well Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Lui perform as the intrepid investigators. In my opinion, its half-and-half.
Lucy Lui doesn't do it for me as Watson. While not actually against the transformation of the good Doctor to a woman, I feel, in this case, it has had the effect of reducing the character. While Martin Freeman of course has the role of surrogate audience figure who is there to react in shock at the great detective, he also gets a clear character, a brave ex-soldier who craves the adventure as much as Sherlock. Lui's Watson doesn't have this development. By taking out the traditional parts of the doctor's character, little is put in its place apart from a unexplored back story concerning her failure to save a patient on the operating table. It's a strange thing to apply to a character the audience is supposed to automatically side with and is not what is needed.
On the other hand, as an admirer of his performance(s) alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in Danny Boyle's Frankenstein stage play, I was already predisposed to like Jonny Lee Miller in the role. Thankfully, what I've seen has confirmed this hope, as he gives an enjoyable turn in the role . Without the ice and arrogance of Cumberbatch and the original, his Holmes is a man with all the intellectual prowess you would expect but also, as we are forthrightly told in the pilot by Watson, a deep-down longing to understand people.To demonstrate a difference between the two, after discovering a dead body from one of his deductions Lee Miller says 'sometimes I hate it when I'm right' - something I can't imagine being said by Sherlock's Sherlock. On the whole, I think Lee Miller has delivered a quirky, engaging character - I just don't see him as Sherlock Holmes. Which leads nicely in to my next point.

While I can take the more ordinary crime plots and the fuzzy characterisation, my main gripe with Elementary is how 'unHolmesian' it is. Its starved of references to the canon so much they seem to have a strict quota of 'one nod per episode' as the pilot revealed that Holmes kept bees while another episode focused on his erratic sleeping pattern. During the episodes, I was crying out for any sign that what I was watching was Sherlock Holmes. Not much came.
Also, the two leads are so far removed from their literary counterparts they might as well be different characters. Even their dynamic has changed. While the originals are best friends, pure and simple, Elementary employs a needlessly complex relationship which sets Dr Watson up as Holmes' live-in sober companion to help him keep off his addictions. What would have been easier to swallow was if, as this reviewer suggested, they were meant to be descendants of the Victorian versions which would have allowed them their significant changes. As it stands, the writers will need to do some work to make them the inseparable duo Holmes and Watson should always be.

Overall, Elementary really isn't a bad show with a very good leading man, decent crime plots and is peppered with some gentle humour. To enjoy it most you need to dissociate it in your mind from both Sherlock and Sherlock Holmes in general. However, for this reviewer, as the main character is supposed to be Sherlock Holmes, it's a hard thing to do.

A Blog Post for Burton

With his new stop-motion animated film, Frankenweenie, released in the UK this week, I thought it about time I dedicated a blog to my favourite director, the estimable Mr Burton. The creator of the man with the scissorhands, that skeleton who sings a lot and the Batman movie franchise. Yes, that's right. Bow down to him.

I'm not quite sure how I first encountered Burton's work but I know I found his films not just entertaining but fascinating as a child. And also pretty scary; his horror film Sleepy Hollow - which I probably shouldn't have been watching at a young age - certainly made an impression on under-10 me. I imagine it was his singular style, making the macabre and the grotesque lovable which interested me. I'm not the biggest fan of films (I do like films though, don't get me wrong) but I've always connected with Burton's work and can still say - and I think I'm in a minority here - that I haven't seen a film that he's directed I don't like. Yes, some are certainly better than others and some I only like while others I really like but all of them are good, original, entertaining films. Mainly because they are directed by Tim Burton.

In case you're not familiar with his films but would like to give them a go (and as you can probably tell, I would recommend it) here's my top five films directed by him (so there's no Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas - ironically not actually directed by the man). So why not book yourself a holiday in a gothic castle or haunted town and take some of these films for company... And watch out for those things lurking in the night. Though they may well just be misunderstood.


Edward Scissorhands

Seen by many as Burton's masterpiece, Scissorhands sees the innocent, abandoned creation of a mad inventor, Edward, a man with - well, you know that part - taken from his castle home to a bright, sunny town where he unwittingly causes a stir among the neighbourhood. Its a wonderful expressionistic film upon which every following Burton film is judged next to. Johnny Depp is superb while Winona Ryder also performs exceedingly well alongside him. Engrossing, funny and tear-jerking.


Batman Returns

While Burton's first Batman film is still fun, its sequel, Returns, is an improvement even though/because its one of the director's darkest offerings. Not the superhero blockbuster many were expecting, its largely a film about a strange batch of severely oddball, psychologically-interesting characters, particularly its villains with De Vito's Penguin, Pfieffer's Catwoman and Walken's Shreck chewing up most of the screen time away from its star. It doesn't have much of a plot but its still great to see the Batman world through a Tim Burton kaleidoscope.


Ed Wood

While not exactly a box office hit, this is probably Burton's most critically lauded film - and deservedly so. Its a biopic telling the tale of 1950s sci-fi/horror director Ed Wood (Johnny Depp - who else?), known by many as the Worst Director of All Time. Filmed in black-and-white (a trick Burton is using again for Frankenweenie) it properly captures the feel of the sort of movies the real Wood made and avoids the obvious route of making fun of Wood. Instead it views him as an optimistic individual with dreams bigger than his talent could match.


Sleepy Hollow

A rare proper horror film from Burton, Sleepy Hollow is a lavish production that looks great as well as being a genuinely well-told story. Based on the classic spooky tale by Washington Irving, lateral-thinking detective Icabod Crane is called to the creepy New England town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate tales of the fabled Headless Horseman - and has his beliefs tested to the limit. Part-horror, part-whodunnit supported by a fantastic cast, this remains one of Burton's most entertaining films.


Corpse Bride

Truth be told, even if I could include Nightmare on this list, Corpse Bride would still get the place. Although I'm extremely fond of its counterpart, I prefer Corpse's style and think Burton's experience shows in the film's confidence. It also possesses a stronger story; Victor Everglott has been forced into an arranged marriage, terribly nervous about his upcoming wedding he practises his vows in a forest only to accidentally wed Emily, the corpse bride, and becomes embroiled in the ironically lively world of the dead. At the moment, it's my favourite of Burton's stop-motion films but I'm hoping Frankenweenie will give it a run for its money.



In other news: I write for WhatCulture! now Whatculture! is cool.

If you're interested, please read my first article for the good people at Whatculture! titled '7 Doctor Who Monsters Who Most People Forget.' Go check the site now to see which of the show's array of beastly baddies made it on to the list. Oh, and watch that space for future articles. See you there.

Review: Doctor Who - S7 Ep 2-4

In preparation for the mid-season finale this Saturday, Steven Moffat's sure-to-be grand 'The Angels Take Manhattan', I've reviewed the three previous episodes in this terrific mini-series of Doctor Who. If I have one major complaint, it's that there are not enough; just five featuring the Ponds and the annual Christmas special in which Jenna-Louise Coleman making her first appearance as the Doctor's companion proper. However, this all should mean we can look forward to a bumper crop of episodes next year, the show's fiftieth anniversary. But enough of the future, let's look to the adventures we've just seen...

                                     Dinosaurs On A Spaceship

After 'Asylum...’s dark opener, ‘Dinosaurs on a Spaceship’ decides to focus on fun and frivolity – and makes completely the right choice as it certainly is fun. With the title such as it is, how could it not be? You can easily imagine many internally – or perhaps externally, also – squealing upon seeing those words in the opening credits, feeling eight years old again. 

As DOAS is such an ensemble piece its success relies largely on its cast to bring the premise of the Doctor having a gang to life. Thankfully, they’re all rather brilliant. Rupert Graves (Riddell) and Rian Steele (‘Neffy’) give entertaining turns as their respective characters while playing the viscous bounty hunter/space pirate/ murderer Solomon comes easily to David Bradley. However, it’s Mark Williams who shines the most of the guest cast as Rory’s hapless dad, Brian. As in all his roles, Mr Williams makes, er, Mr Williams endearing and you feel you’re not laughing at him but with him.  

On the other hand, while the cast gave it their all, this reviewer felt the script wasn’t quite as refined as usual Who. Personally, not all of the gags worked (perhaps one to many innuendos?) and, although this can be forgiven as there was so much to fit in, the characterisation of Riddell and Neffy was sketchy.  That said, there were some fine moments such as the foreshadowing of Amy and Rory’s exit from the Doctor’s life in that ‘you’ll be there till the end of me’ conversation and that wonderful final scene of Brian eating his lunch while looking at the Earth below; exactly the stuff that’s Doctor Who’s made of.

              

                                    A Town Called Mercy

While the previous two episodes were dark and twisty-turny or fun and joke-filled, Mercy takes another entirely different direction; it’s a full-blooded western full of death, inner demons and morality. Once again showing the dexterity of Doctor Who. It’s safe to say that no other show on television could tell three such diverse stories in three weeks.

Speaking of westerns, writer Toby Whithouse proves he really knows the genre as he packs in several references to classic western films; from the obvious to the sly (I’m sure the undertaker sequences are inspired by a similar joke in comedy film Carry on Cowboy). If westerns aren’t for you, though, there is much else to enjoy here.  It britstles with wonderful drama that never lets up throughout the forty-five minutes including the parallels between Jex and the Doctor and the Frankenstein-like origins of the Gunslinger. Whithouse also injects a lot of hilarious moments too, especially in the episode’s first half; special mention goes to the ‘she’s called Susan’ gag which should go down as one of Doctor Who’s funniest ever lines.

While the episode is hugely enjoyable it has its faults. My biggest bone to pick with ATCM is how it sadly underuses Amy and Rory; although there’s a great scene where Jex sees Amy as a mother and she is instrumental in brining the Doctor back from over the brink she gets little else to do and Arthur Darvill (as Rory) surely only gets three lines in the entire thing. Seeing as our time with these characters is very limited it would have been nice to see some more of them.

However, as it stands A Town Called Mercy is a sophisticated drama that leaves you lots to think about with some spot-on comedy moments. Also, in contrast to the previous two stories, it’s not afraid to let the action simmer a bit more to tell a perhaps deeper story. While others might not benefit from a slower pace, it certainly works here.

                                         The Power of Three

As the Pond Farwell is just next week, their penultimate adventure needed to be something special, a last hurrah for them before the last day arrives. ‘The Power of Three’ was, of course, something special; a gentle, touching but also very funny episode that is rightly all about our terrific trio of time travellers.

The true strength of this episode is how Chibnall turns up the nostalgia and emotion all the way. The best examples here are of that tremendous scene of the Doctor and Amy talking by the waterside, answering the question perhaps some of us have been wondering this year: ‘why does the Doctor keep coming back for the Ponds?’ Another moment comes courtesy of Brian (oh, why wasn’t Mark Williams’ introduced earlier!) who gives his blessing for his son and daughter-in-law to go off into the universe. On the nostalgic side of things, as a fan, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into. The inclusion of UNIT in any form would have been exciting enough but for it to be led by the legendary Brigadier’s daughter, Kate, adds another level of geek mouth-watering to proceedings. I’m sure many are wishing for a return.

However, while the human side of things is very well done indeed there are problems with the plot. The fab idea of the cubes, that acts as a nice commentary on humanity’s tendency to scavenge,  is used well in the opening half a but when everything suddenly kicks off in the closing minutes it takes no time at all for it to then be sorted out.  The Shakri look great if a little like a Sarah Jane Adventures alien but are/is underused. And what are those gasmask-esque hospital porters about?

Crucially though, despite the nit-picks, this episode flourishes as it shines a new light on the Pond’s relationship with the Doctor and his with them. It’s only fitting that this happened this week right before ‘The Angels Take Manhattan’, when the TARDIS lands in New York, and that light will be extinguished forever.  

Doctor Who: Asylum of the Daleks - Review

Hello there! Yes, I know I'm a bit behind the times, what with Doctor Who's seventh series opener being broadcast three weeks ago, but due to time constraints a review of the episode had to wait til now - and by time constraints I mean I've spent most of my time since Asylum jumping like a five-year old and shouting 'Who's back!' I really need to learn to prioritise my tasks.

                  Geronimo! Just like previous Moffat openers, Series Seven started with a bang!


'Every. Dalek. Ever!'

That was what the viewing public was promised to get from this episode. And, thanks to prequel mini-series Pond Life and a teaser tweet from Steven Moffat, we were also told to expect the break-up of Dear Pond One and Two's marriage. These were the two hooks for the episode. And, boy, were they good hooks. Enough to get any Who fan salivating at the thought of seeing the Special Weapons Dalek again (what may seem inconsequential to a casual viewer can mean the world to a Doctor Who fan) or any Pond-lovers sobbing and curious to see how Amy and Rory's 2000 year old relationship could possibly be ending. So we all sat down to watch with high expectations which the first five minutes or so definitely reached. Skaro! Dalek-Human Puppets!  Amy and Rory not speaking to each other (I can't put an exclamation mark here, it's too sad). And the Dalek's best line ever 'ROR-Y WILL-IAMS IS RE-QUIRED!'

And then Jenna Louise Coleman showed up. And millions of jaws hit the floor.

Yes, this review has to focus on Jenna as it clearly is her episode. Stuff the Daleks, apologies Amy and Rory, but most of the running time is swallowed up by the sexy, hilarious, genius, heart-breakingly sad character of Oswin Oswald whom will have many theories about her appearing on fan forums till Christmas. Coleman plays the part superbly and lifts the character from Moffat stock feisty woman to something more believable. Of course, if Oswin is to be Jenna's regular part she will need to be fleshed out considerably more but for now she worked completely and more than whetted our appetite.

However, the focus on Oswin sadly meant the show's current companions were shunned slightly, which is a great shame as this episode concerned a major point in their relationship. Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill are as ever excellent in their roles and there's that wonderful scene in the Asylum where we get the reason for their separation but overall the story of their near-divorce is reduced to its basics. In my books, more Amy and Rory is always a good thing so its sad to see them pushed to the side but I see that for the good of the other elements of the story it had to be done.

Speaking of other elements, I think its time to cover this episode's titular stars. As with many other episodes of the Moffat era, despite the showy title, Asylum of the Daleks is really about its main characters than those mad, bad pepper pots. Having said that, there is a lot of all-new Dalek stuff to wallow in. The Parliament of the Daleks, for one,  is a wonderful idea. The scene there at the beginning deftly shows the animosity that the Doctor and the Daleks have for each other which is then wonderfully switched at the climax when the Doctor gets to laugh in their faces as they have no idea who he is. The Daleks' completely forgetting their great enemy is a bold and exciting move from Moffat, cunningly linking in the 'Doctor Who?' running theme which will be intriguing to see unfold.

Overall, Asylum of the Daleks is an absolute cracker of an episode. Brimming with brilliant ideas, its also important to give credit to the flawless direction of Nick Hurran who really gives the episode the giddying spectacle and 'Mini-Movie' feel it's going for. It would be unwise to expect such a cinematic episode of Doctor Who every week but this one, with its inclusion of Who's best aliens, strong characters and featuring the most well-kept secret Doctor Who has ever had and likely ever will have, it was a blast. Egg- egg-egg -excellent, you might say.

     The Daleks retreat into the snow as they see what's up next: Dinosaurs on a Spaceship!

A Nod to Neil

While watching the terrific film adaptation of Neil Gaiman's creepy children's novel Coraline, I had a thought; I've never dedicated a blog post to Neil Gaiman, Master Storyteller and my favourite author. Ever. I intend to put this unfortunate mistake on my part right. Right now.

For those of you who don't know him, Neil Gaiman is a British fantasy novelist who mainly lives in America. Apart from his critically-acclaimed, multi-award winning novels which are increasingly being made into films (Coraline and Stardust are two films based on his works and another, a film version of the Graveyard Book is being developed now) he is also known as the writer of the Sandman comic book series (which I really mean to get around to reading) and as an occasional scriptwriter; he wrote last year's Doctor Who episode 'The Doctor's Wife.'

It's not too easy to say why I like his writing so much. His work is of course incredibly witty and clever, his style of prose captivating but I think it's something more than that. Something on a deeper level.
 Like I connect with the films of Tim Burton, I really feel for the characters in Neil Gaiman books and get incredibly sucked into whatever world it is he has created. Usually it's a world not too different from our own, just a lot more fun. His writing has such a real heart, I think. Basically, I'd describe his writing as magic. There's not really another word for it. Even when his stories don't involve magic, which, on the whole, they don't, they are magic.

Of course, him writing ghost stories, Doctor Who, fairy tales, Batman, dreams and Sherlock Holmes - all areas I am interested in - doesn't hurt.

If you haven't read any Gaiman I highly recommend you should. In turn, you'll be surprised, shocked, humoured, thoughtful, entertained and even tearful. Below, are my five favourite examples of his stuff. If you are interested in reading any do check them out.




Good Omens
Although not much of a Terry Pratchett fan, I love this combined effort of both author's talents concerning the run up to Armageddon. First and foremost, it's hilarious. Totally written for laughs, we get to know a host of bizarre characters as they all attempt to prevent the Anti-Christ destroying the Earth. The angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley are my favourites; after being stuck on Earth since Creation, the two have formed a close friendship despite the fact they are meant to be on opposite sides. Great fun!



Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?
And now for something completely different. The conceit of this comic, that Gaiman was asked to write as 'the final Batman comic', is that the Dark Knight is dead. All his greatest friends and enemies are gathered at his wake to pay respect to Gotham's now-late Hero. If this all sounds a bit of a downer the twist comes as we realise Batman, in the form of a ghostly apparition, is a guest at his own funeral (don't worry, this isn't a spoiler). It's heart-warming stuff which provides all the reasons why you should get into Batman and love Gaiman's work in general.


Smoke and Mirrors
One of the best things about Gaiman's writing is the chance to dive into his singular imagination. And what better way to do that then in a collection of his short stories which features a plethora of great tales and ideas. Read about the cat who protects his owner's family every night from the devil or the old woman who finds the Holy Grail in a charity shop or what happens to the world when a cure for cancer is discovered - that also has some unexpected side-effects.
Smoke and Mirrors has something for everyone, whether you like fantasy, fairy tale, sci-fi or just great storytelling.

Doctor Who: The Doctor's Wife 

Well, obviously I love this one. A Doctor Who episode written by Neil Gaiman. Duh! It's a fab idea for a Who episode though; what if the TARDIS became a person? It's title is a bit misleading but I forgive it that cos it's a radical, shake-em-up concept that you knew would only last an episode (like the Doctor's Daughter). It makes you look at the show in a new light. And for that to be done to a 49 year old programme is no small credit to Gaiman's talents.

 The Graveyard Book

Most probably my favourite Gaiman novel. A Gothic riff on Kipling's classic the Jungle Book, this tells the story of a boy raised by ghosts in a graveyard. Just the idea of that is amazing for me but it's followed through superbly. Gaiman's prose and story-telling abilities are at their sharpest. Each chapter moves the story onward a few years so we see the boy, Nobody 'Bod' Owens, grow older. We follow Bod on adventures involving witches, trolls, werewolves and - worst of all! - his first day at school. It's a book for older children primarily but I think it's great joy is that anyone can get something from it. Much like Gaiman's writing on a whole.

A Pile of Poems

For the poetry module of my creative writing course we had to submit a mini-collection of our own poems for assessment. So, while compiling them, I thought I'd show my avid blogollowers (no, I don't think it will catch on either) a mini-collection of my poetry mini-collection. Hope you like them. Any feedback would of course be greatly appreciated.

The Man in the Mirror

The Mirror hangs on the wall

Above the fireplace

Ornate and oblong with golden frame

And decorative jewels

This attic room is layered in the dust of ages

But not the mirror

I am fascinated by it

Without knowing why

When I turn my head to look away

I get my answer

The Man in the Mirror

He doesn’t move an inch

The Blackbird

The blackbird sits on the gravestone

With eyes alert

Protector of the Dead

Or searching for bread crumbs

The Guard

My place is in the corner of the gallery

I am the first to see the visitors as they arrive

They never give me more than a glance

I see them peering at each artwork

With either intellectual passion or faux interest

I am alone with the pieces during the quiet of the night

I sometimes think the painted, sculpted eyes will move

But I know it is impossible

I have been trying to for years

And damn this nagging itch I can’t reach!

The above are all free-verse poems as we mainly focussed on modern poetry but anyone who likes their poetry to rhyme I hope you enjoy this one:

A Sonnet in Scarlet

Eighteen Ninety Five, London laced with fog

An impossible crime in a locked room

Is made, seen by no one caught in the smog

Lestrade will be lost, no solution looms

And, what’s more, a strange cipher by his side

Is this the work of James Moriarty,

A name which makes policemen run and hide?

I’m at the scene but have a friend with me

Domed head, drawn face, deerstalker and clay pipe

He’s mastered the science of deduction

His calculating mind is always ripe

But drug habits cause his self-destruction

The best and wisest man whom ever lived

Sherlock Holmes, the World’s Greatest Detective

And, finally, for those who like experimental poetry, here's one made from cut-and-pasting (yup, really). I had two newspaper articles and alternately used a phrase from each article to form the lines of this poem:

News of the Day

Officials insist

The collsions created

Were not reckless

Particle physicists are

Creating widespread shortages

In supersymetry

The political storm

Transmits the weak nuclear force

Potentially jeopardizing safety

The like would be a serious headache

Forget the rules

The lack of imminent threat

In two dimensional layers

Would be awkward and perverse

Aaaaand, for those of you who don't like poetry at all you may be consoled with the fact this will probably be the last poetry post on this blog for a while -if ever - as I don't plan on doing the form again in my university course.

Happy times and places; see you in April, folks!

For Valentine's Day...

As it's Valentine's Day, I thought I'd reward all of you, my wonderful Blog-Followers (I'd say how much I love you all here but I'm not sure you feel the same) by posting a sonnet I've written about the special day especially for you. Please enjoy, and do read with any near-by loved one. Here goes.




The Love of the Loch Ness Monster

On St Valentine’s Day, all pair off
Romance heightened, like a piece by Van Gough
Only one is alone, you'll never guess,
This hurt soul is the monster of Loch Ness
For this poor creature, it's always the same
Swimming solitary; there's no Loch Ness Dame
No scaled Juilet to his green Romeo
But that in the water what's that - Oh!
Nessie's enchanted, like never before
'It's a lady monster no doubt,' he swore!
As he greets his muse, he scares a young boy
For she is just a child's big rubber toy
But Nessie doesn't know, he never saw
He thinks they'll be together evermore

Hope you liked it. What? I wasn't gonna write a straight-forward love poem.
I tried to include some of the 'rules' of the sonnet like the twist in the narrative at the end of line eight/start of line, the last two lines rounding it up and ten syllable lines (although on line seven you have to say 'Rom-yo' to make that work).

Happy Valentine's Day!

Review: Being Human S4 E1 - 'Eve of the War'

For my Creative Non-Fiction module we were asked to write a review of something to workshop (that's where you read out your work and others give feedback, non-Creative Writers). I, as is evidently clear by this blog's title, reviewed the first episode of 'Being Human' which I really think you shou- well, I don't need to say anything more it's all below.

                                                          The new line-up for Series Four.

As I sat down to watch the first episode in a new series of supernatural comedy-drama Being Human, I was a little apprehensive. For the uninitiated, Being Human has the quirky premise – that also sounds like the start of a bad joke – of ‘what if a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost shared a house?’ The stories, in practise, revolve around the trio trying to forge an ordinary life despite their horror–story handicaps. What I have always liked about its previous series is the mix of big plots with a keen sense of humour which prevented it from taking itself too seriously. I also found myself caring about what happened to the characters next – which is really what you want from any good story.

So, even though I enjoy Being Human, the reason I was apprehensive about this new series was, because most of the main cast had left, it was being promoted as something of a ‘reboot’, a term often used to describe new versions of film franchises. I wasn’t totally against the idea of a reboot as the amount of additional characters that had joined the show meant it had maybe become a bit bloated – for example, the premise of last year’s series was more ‘three werewolves, two vampires and a ghost share a house.’ However, as I as a big fan of the show I was worried this reset would go awry. Thankfully, it didn’t and I really enjoyed it.

Firstly, this opening episode really hits the ground running, or perhaps sprinting would be more accurate. We are immediately shown a ‘Terminator’-style future Earth where vampires have taken over before returning to the present day to find Annie (she’s the ghost) comforting a grieving George (he’s the werewolf) who’s girlfriend was apparently not long ago killed by the fanged fiends – it’s shocking news although annoying this big event happens off-screen.

 If this all sounds a bit solemn then there’s plenty of fun to be had when the vampires turn up, hatching plans for world domination, no less, relishing their amorality as they go. Special marks here go to Mark Williams (Ron’s Dad in Harry Potter) who gives an entertaining turn as the geeky ‘Vampire Recorder.’ The mention of whose name elicits the sarcastic ‘‘I’m sorry for a second there I thought you had a stupid name.’’ Also, for those of us who like noticing little in-references, their hideaway is an old warehouse named ‘Stoker’s Imports and Exports’, a nod to the Dracula author.

The whole thing culminates with another cast member biting the dust (I’m not telling who) in a genuinely poignant scene which acts as closure for the series’ past, followed by a look to the future as new resident nice vampire, Hal is introduced. Overall, there could have been more humour but with the amount of game-changing plot the episode was stuffed with I’m willing to forgive. I’m sure the balance will be redressed as the series progresses. Based on this episode, I think I’ll definitely stick around to see it.

                                                Latest 'resident nice vampire' Hal (Damien Molony)
                                                 

So what do you think? If I was writing it for this blog first no doubt it would have been a lot gushier, the fan that I am, and a whole paragraph would have consisted of 'I LOVE BEING HUMAN. I LOVE BEING HUMAN. I LOVE BEING HUMAN' but I was aiming for a more professional tone and for it too appeal to those who don't watch the show. Thankfully, someone said that they liked how anyone could read it so I think I reached my goal. I enjoyed writing this review actually so I might end up doing a couple more about the series over the coming weeks. Watch this space.

Cut and Paste and Post.

Greetings everyone out there in Internetland. The first month of 2012 is almost over and, boy, hasn't it flown? Christmas feels like yesterday, yet it was last year. Anyhow, quantum mechanics isn't the theme of today's post. Most certainly not, in fact, as today I've got a very different piece of fiction for you. The other day for my Creativity module, we were told to bring scissors and glue to the session. Yes, I am still at university. And, yes, I am taking a proper course. We were looking at ways to be creative (as any good writer needs to do) and so were tasked cut up random phrases or sentences that jumped out at us from sheets of pulpy science fiction novels we were given. With these, we were compose something new out of them. I thought I would share the result of mine here with you.



It's a Pendulum Professor

In the distance, night fell.  Moonlight.

He gave his attention to the straightening of his papers by tapping the bottom edges of the podium. He would have looked menacing, but his tiny mouth and chin spoiled the effect.

Pausing for a moment to scan the crowd, Matsui took a deep breath.

‘We believe the killer to be insane. This is disturbing enough, of course.’ He gazed at a spot just over Bach’s left shoulder. ‘If we’re going to push knowledge forward, we will escape our past.’

Heads nodded in the audience.

‘You can raise the ‘nuclear annihilation’ demon.’ Chesnutt chuckled.

‘You will have guessed by now that we intend using you as bait.’

Chesnutt grimaced.

Matsui pushed his hands deep into his pockets. ‘Psychology section says our killer is probably male. Which does not rule out our female suspects.’

‘Good speech, sir’ Henderson stood quietly for a minute. Her eyes were open, and strangely peaceful.

‘I’m sorry.’ From the back of the room, a woman hurried for the door.

Matsui finished his speech. Maybe he was getting too old for the back-stabbing politics of the university.