Books

A Bite of Stars, a Slug of Time, and Thou - Episode 8

Kat Stevens joins Mark Sinker and Elisha Sessions to talk about Choose Your Own Adventure books, speaking with animals, and “Build Up Logically”, an unclassifiable short story written in 1950 by Howard Schoenfeld. It’s about two men who can summon the entire universe from thin air but spend most of their time at parties. Elisha dramatises the story at the front of the programme in case you haven’t read it.

wedding season again

it’s the time for tying up loose ends, setting projects on the shelf, letting bygones be bygones and preparing to go meet the world. school’s out, but not forever — who’d want that? the promise of this escape relies on being secretly ready for the reassuring itchiness of our return.

in the meanwhile we may just allow a blitheness to unsettle our hearts and carry us away to someplace Else. for a space. but before THAT there’s the concluding episode of the slug of time radioshow, airing this tuesday on resonance FM at 10pm but quite possibly available as a sneak peek here first, as a thank you to our listener(s).

bon voyage, bon vivants!

A Bite of Stars, a Slug of Time, and Thou - Episode 7

Ken Hollings joins Mark Sinker and Elisha Sessions to talk about “The Tactful Saboteur”, a tale of civil servants and their multi-phase sexual life cycles. Written by Frank Herbert in 1964, it’s read by Elisha at the front of the programme. Music this week is “Funiculaire” by Readymade.

Next - “Build Up Logically” by Howard Schoenfeld

A Bite of Stars, a Slug of Time, and Thou - Episode 6

Al Ewing joins Mark Sinker and Elisha Sessions to talk about “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury, the famed 1952 story about a dinosaur safari gone wrong. Lots of other Bradbury and time travel tales get a look in, and Elisha reads the story at the front of the programme in case you haven’t.

Next - “The Tactful Saboteur” by Frank Herbert

A Bite of Stars, a Slug of Time, and Thou - Episode 5

Dave Queen joins Mark Sinker and Elisha Sessions to talk about the outrageous 1927 short story “The Red Brain”, written by Donald Wandrei when he was supposedly 16 years old. Elisha reads the story at the front of the programme and music comes courtesy of Budgie, Rush and Bad Brains.

Next - “The Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury

because nothing says cosmic horror like a kitty in a flower

omg - best book cover ever designed??

i mean, aside from the fact that dashiell hammett never wrote a story called “the red brain”. a little misleading, that! anyhow, tonight’s episode of slugs and stars features the 1927 title story - which was already WELL retro by the time this book came out (1965)

via this excellent, high quality collection of old paperback covers: http://www.flickr.com/photos/calenture/

Our Year oF Agatha Christie Covers: 7: Nemesis

Why this particular cover. I think this is the first in this series where Aggie’s name is her signature. This is has been quite standard in the last twenty years as part of her branding, giving the visuals a particular stamp. A signature edition, personally certified by the woman. And it throws up interest questions about how we view the signature in British media. Christie was a writer, a signature is the simplest piece of writing she would have done. Though it was not a signature she used often, after she divorced her first husband and took on her later married name one assumes her cheques would not have been signed Agatha Christie.

… read on …

A Bite of Stars, a Slug of Time, and Thou - Episode 4

Martin Skidmore joins Mark Sinker and Elisha Sessions to discuss the first space-travel story of the series, and the first truly obscure find, “Beyond the Reach of Storms” by Donald Malcolm. As always, Elisha reads excerpts at the front of the programme. Music includes “Firekeeper” by Red Planet.

Next - “The Red Brain” by Donald Wandrei

A Bite of Stars, a Slug of Time, and Thou - Episode 3

Alan Trewartha joins Mark Sinker and Elisha Sessions to discuss “Segregationist”, one of Isaac Asimov’s famous robot stories from 1967. Music includes “Nobody Loves a Computer Because a Computer Does Not Dance”, by Computer. Elisha reads from the story in case you haven’t.

Next week - “Beyond the Reach of Storms” by Donald Malcolm

Our Year Of Agatha Christie Covers: 6: Partners In Crime

Two this week as last weeks as missed out as I wasn’t here (well I wasn’t on FT much, I was at work). And since we went from terrible late doors Tommy and Tuppence, lets try an old edition of one of their first outings - a short story collection no less called Partners In Crime. I believe there was a whole series of eighties TV T&T adaptations which used that title which you can stumble upon ITV3 every now and then.

… read on …