#william t piper

[susiestamps]

US 1991 40¢ William T. Piper, aircraft manufacturer with his Piper Cub

[g4zdtechtv]

X-Play Classic - WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2007 Review

Don't just watch it... LIVE it!

[companion-showdown]

Anniversary Tournament

Last year for Doctor Who's anniversary I ran a tournament between Doctor Who stories, and I wanted to so something different again this year. A tournament between real people important to the history of Doctor Who, actors, writers, producers, directors, composers, production designers. Technically it'll be a tournament for the most infuential person to Doctor Who and its development over the years, but really I want it to be a celebration of all of these people, and not just the winner.

To that end, the nomination form, you can also submit nominations normally, ie sending me an ask or replying to this post, however I won't be accepting propaganda through those methods.

I'm thinking I'll close nominations on the 18th of November, that might change but probably not by much

Current Nominations:

if green then at least one person has submitted propaganda for them

Actors

Arthur Darvil

Billie Piper

Carole Ann Ford

Christopher Eccleston

Colin Baker

David Graham and Peter Hawkins

David Tennant

Frazer Hines

Freema Agyeman

India Fisher

Jacqueline Hill

Jodie Whittaker

John Simm

Jon Pertwee

Lisa Bowerman

Liz Sladen

Matt Smith

Ncuti Gatwa

Nicholas Courtney

Pat Gorman

Patrick Troughton

Paul McGann

Peter Capaldi

Peter Davison

Rodger Delgado

Sean Carlsen

Sophie Aldred

Stuart Fell

Sylvester McCoy

Tom Baker

William Hartnell

William Russell

Composer

Delia Derbyshire

Dudley Simpson

Murray Gold

Paddy Kingsland

Peter Howell

Rob Harvey

Ron Grainer

Segun Akinola

The BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Designers

June Hudson

Peter Brachacki

Raymond Cusic

Directors

Christopher Barry

Graeme Harper

Paddy Russell

Rachel Talalay

Richard Martin

Waris Hussein

Fandom

Marnal Gate

TARDIS wiki creator

The Audience

Craig Ferguson

Producers

Barry Letts

Graham Williams

John Nathan Turner

Philip Hinchcliffe

Verity Lambert

Julie Gardner

Writers (including script editors and showrunners)

Alan Moore

Anthony Coburn

Chris Chibnall

David Whittaker

Donald Wilson

Douglas Adams

Eric Saward

Gerry Davis

Grant Morrison

John Lucarotti

Johnathan Blum

Justine Richards

Kate Orman

Kit Pedler

Lance Parkin

Lawrence Miles

Marc Platt

Paul Cornell

Robert Holmes

Robert Shearman

Rona Munro

Russell T Davies

Steven Moffatt

Terrance Dicks

Terry Nation

Other/impossible to categorise

all the thousands of people who've worked behind the scenes

Michael Grade (BBC higherup who hated doctor who so so much)

Peter Cregeen (actually cancelled Doctor Who)

Sydney Newman

Nicholas Briggs

Gary Russell

John F Kennedy

Sue from Catering

The real historical figures who've appeared in the show

Shakespeare

[fandomtrash67]

Nu!Who Doctors/Companions and my thoughts on their gender/sexuality ect. (I'm almost finished with season 10, so this will only cover up to Capaldi. I will be doing the small companions like Jack, and also the master/missy)

THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION, IF YOU DISAGREE PLZ DNI. HATE COMMENTS WILL MAKE ME CRY. Thank you.

If you have any questions on the terms used, either look it up or leave a comment and i'll respond.

9th Doctor: Demiaro/demiace. He doesn't seem super interested in romance n' stuff until later (once he knows Rose a bit better lol). I want to say he/they, but I'm not sure on that. Def pansexual (most doctor's will be lol) not giving polyamorous, not giving monogamous. he's down bad for rose and that's all he knows.

Rose Tyler: MY BISEXUAL QUEEN!! Billie Piper confirmed that Rose would've loved the doctor if they regenerated into Whittaker!Doctor instead of Tennant!Doctor. She slays so hard, I love her.

Mickey Smith: I want to say straight but we all saw him and that one guy so I'm gonna say heteroflexible, which is mostly straight but with the occasional homo interaction (that's a terrible explanation just look it up)

10th Doctor: My boy! I love 10 so very much. Demiace, slightly less demiaro but still there. (this is mostly inspired by that one clip of David Tennant saying that 'the doctor is a fairly asexual character') I want to say mostly into women, but we all saw him and Jack. I'm gonna say ominsexual, with a small/medium preference for women. giving ambiamorous, but more towards monagomous, you feel me?

Captain Jack Harkness: Most of the actors/writers/etc. say bisexual, but also admit to omnisexual, because he does get freaky with aliens. I feel like if you don´t think aliens are included in bisexual, then pansexual would be a better fit, but whatever. I'm not sure on this one, but he's def queer and also super freaky, so we stan. polyamorous if i've ever seen one

Martha Jones: I'm really unsure on this tbh. I think she doesn't really use labels, but def kisses men and women. kinda ambiguous on this, my bad.

Donna Noble: Bisexual. No evidence, gut feeling. I will not be explaining.

Simm!Master: that is a homosexual. he had a wife n shit ik, but that felt wrong. gay for the doctor. it's that simple. (i do want to clarify that he would still love fem!doctor, but like. hes gay. you feel me? timelords get that ambiguity.)

11th Doctor: hmm. hMM. he's silly. Giving pansexual. does not see gender. (danced with all the men and women equally at the Ponds wedding, was confused why the men were shy. an icon, truly) less on the demiaro, more on the demiace. (not super sexual except with River) I'd say monagomous but between River and Clara, he's most certainly not. ambiamorous.

Amy Pond: Pansexual. would kiss women, but loves Rory to death. She/they, we all know the scene i'm thinking about.

Rory Williams: bisexual. ik ik he had that whole 'im not gay' scene, but it was giving 'im not gay im bi' energy. I have no evidence for this claim, just trust me.

River Song: what a pansexual queen. canonically had at least two wives. in love with the doctor. an icon. Very much NOT asexual. Do NOT let her and Jack Harkness meet. They'd match each others freak and end up killing people.

Clara Oswald: canon bisexual, literally kissed Jane Austen. giving she/they. of all the people to fall for, fell for the doctor in his 'post-pond-depression-wet-cat-era', worst choice she ever made and i love that for her. she is babygirl, i will not explain.

12th Doctor: I'm currently on his last season right near the end, going to cry when he leaves. giving true pansexual, no preference. i have no evidence, i just think that all the doctors are pan, but some have preference, hence the omni. he/they, idfk. less on the demiaroace then all his previous regenerations, but i don't think any doctor is truly allosexual/romantic. you get the vision?

Bill Potts: !!!! My girl!! a lesbian queen!! basically the doctor's granddaughter!! queen!! her and heather are so flipping cute istg-

Nardole: literally cannot picture him with anybody. i hesitate on aroace, but also; he's def aroace.

Missy: a queen. love her so much. she/they pansexual. i feel like greyasexual/aromantic, but thats a bit hesitant. I feel like she's down for love and sex n shit, but unfortunately she fell hardcore for the doctor (and clara, to an extent), so she's just stuck. someone help her, she deserves so much better (currently on the vault era, if you couldn't tell.)

Alrighty!! that's all for now, I'll reblog and add my opinions on newer dw as I watch. lmk if I missed anyone (I don't think I did), and tell me your dw headcannons!!

Inspo:

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in February 2024

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Struggling to keep up with all the amazing queer books coming out this month? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Remember to #readqueerallyear! Happy reading!

❤️ We Ate the Dark by Mallory Pearson 🧡 The Paper Boys by D.P. Clarence 💛 Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada 💚 Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine 💙 A Vicious Game by Melissa Blair 💜 Clarion Call by Cayla Fay ❤️ Relit: 16 Latinx Remixes of Classic Stories edited by Sandra Proudman 🧡 The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Pacton 💛 Truthfully, Yours by Caden Armstrong 💙 Outsider by Jade du Preez 💜 Cross My Candy Heart by A.C. Thomas 🌈 The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

❤️ An Education in Malice by S. T. Gibson 🧡 The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Ann Older 💛 Never a Bridesmaid by Spencer Greene 💚 The Rewind by Nicole Stiling 💙 Good Christian Girls by Elizabeth Bradshaw 💜 The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha ❤️ The Terrible by Tessa Crowley 🧡 Blood Rage by Ileandra Young 💛 Call of the Sea by Emily B. Rose 💙 Sign Me Up by C.H. Williams 💜 Ways and Means by Daniel Lefferts 🌈 Peaceful in the Dark by A.A. Fairview

❤️ We Are Only Ghosts by Jeffrey L. Richards 🧡 Dead Ringer by Robyn Nyx 💛 Somacultural Liberation by Dr. Roger Kuhn 💚 Stormbringer by Erinn Harper 💙 A Saga of Shields & Shadows by A.J. Shirley 💜 Ghost Town by R.E. Ward ❤️ I Heard Her Call My Name by Lucy Sante 🧡 The Night Alphabet by Joelle Taylor 💛 Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr 💙 Bloom by N.R. Walker 💜 Entwined by Alex Alberto 🌈 Queer Newark edited by Whitney Strub

❤️ Tristan by Jesse Roman 🧡 How to Live Free in a Dangerous World by Shayla Lawson 💛 Daniel, Deconstructed by James Ramos 💚 Of Socialites & Prizefights by Arden Powell 💙 Lost Harbor by Kimberly Cooper Griffin 💜 Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair by Laura Piper Lee ❤️ Bunt! Striking Out on Financial Aid by Ngozi Ukazu & Mad Rupert 🧡 How You Get the Girl by Anita Kelly 💛 Blackmailer’s Delight by David Lawrence 💙 Tile M for Murder by Felicia Carparelli 💜 Impulse Buy by Jae 🌈 Live for You, Die With You by Kalob Dàniel

❤️ Fairest of All by A.D. Ellis 🧡 Goddess of the Sea by Britney Jackson 💛 A Taste of Earth by Nico Silver 💚 The Moorings of Mackerel Sky by M.Z. Emily Zack 💙 How the Boogeyman Became a Poet by Tony Keith 💜 V is for Valentine by Thomas Grant Bruso ❤️ Crushed Ice by Ashlyn Kane & Morgan James 🧡 When Tomorrow Comes by D. Jackson Leigh 💛 Bugsy & Other Stories by Rafael Frumkin 💙 The White and Blue Between Us by Kiyuhiko 💜 Guide Us Home by CF Frizzell & Jesse J. Thoma 🌈 The Friendship Study by Ruby Barrett

❤️ Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender 🧡 Heart2Heart edited by Annabeth Albert 💛 No Time Like Now by Naz Kutub 💚 Bless the Blood by Walela Nehanda 💙 Vengeance Planning for Amateurs by Lee Winter 💜 Who We Are in Real Life by Victoria Koops ❤️ Prove It by Stephanie Hoyt 🧡 Mewing by Chloe Spencer 💛 Awakenings by Claudie Arseneault 💙 Born of Scourge by S. Jean 💜 Disciples of Chaos by M.K. Lobb 🌈 To Cage a God by Elizabeth May

❤️ Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K Reilly 🧡 What Feasts At Night by T. Kingfisher 💛 You Had Me at Merlot by Melissa Brayden 💚 Turning Point by Cathy Dunnell 💙 For the Stolen Fates by Gwendolyn Clare 💜 Season of Eclipse by Terry Wolverton ❤️ These Haunted Hills by Jana Denardo 🧡 Samson & Domingo by Gume Laurel III 💛 Lies that Bind by Rae Knowles & April Yates 💙 We Got the Beat by Jenna Miller 💜 The Diablo's Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa 🌈 Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh

❤️ Out There by Iris Eliot 🧡 At Her Service by Amy Spalding 💛 Green Dot by Madeleine Gray

[kosmos2999]

In what ways did William Shatner's portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk differ from the way the character was originally written?

You really have to look at the difference between Captain Christopher Pike (portrayed by Jeff Hunter in the first Star Trek pilot, “The Cage”) and Captain James Kirk (portrayed by William Shatner in the second Star Trek pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before”) to see the evolution of the Captain in Star Trek.

As originally written, the Captain of the USS Enterprise was a rather dark, tormented man who was already thinking of resigning his Starfleet commission (in the pilot episode) because he was fed-up with the demands of leadership. That was Jeff Hunter’s portrayal of Christopher Pike.

^^^ Jeff Hunter’s Captain Pike appeared as almost a reluctant commander. He was introspective and self-doubting and mostly humorless, and he didn’t want the responsibility of issuing life-or-death orders and leading others into deadly situations.

He didn’t like women on the bridge, either, except for his First Officer Number One (because she had no obvious feminine personality).

Pike was also aggressive. He barked most of his lines, he glared a lot, and he was even violently intimidating (choking a frightened and physically-frail Talosian, for example, and directly threatening to burn a hole through the alien at close range).

^^^ If looks could kill, right. No wonder the Talosians concluded that humans were "too violent and dangerous a species for our needs.”

NBC rejected the first Star Trek pilot for several reasons, including Jeff Hunter’s Christopher Pike, who was considered too intense, angry and not very likable. Gee, wonder why?

Could it be because Jeff Hunter’s controlling wife was often on the set, badgering Hunter as well as the producer and director? That probably made Hunter’s job many times more difficult, and I think it showed in his performance.

When NBC requested a second Star Trek pilot, it was decided to rewrite some characters and do away with others. For example, First Officer Number One was entirely removed from the script; Spock was promoted to First Officer as well as Science Officer; Doctor Boyce (Ship’s Physician and bartender) was also eliminated from the script and replaced with a more down-to-earth country doctor (this was Doctor Piper, who quickly evolved into Doctor McCoy); and Christopher Pike was to be rewritten as a kinder, gentler, more likable Captain.

However, there was a contractual problem, inasmuch as Jeff Hunter had signed to do only one pilot and a series (if NBC bought it)…but he didn’t sign to do two pilots and a series. Gene Roddenberry and Desilu Studios really wanted Jeff Hunter to continue working on the show, but they knew they’d have to cajole Hunter (and his overbearing wife) into signing for a second pilot.

So, Roddenberry called Jeff Hunter in for a post-rejection screening of The Cage to discuss character revisions and signing another contract for another pilot. This is where it got messy.

Desilu production head Herbert Solow was at the screening and described it best:

“In the eyes of the New York and Los Angeles television world, Star Trek was already a failure. But we knew differently and looked forward to running the completed pilot for our star, Jeff Hunter. We hoped it would convince him to do another pilot. Gene and I waited in the Desilu projection room for him to arrive. He never did. Arriving in his stead was actress Sandy Bartlett, Mrs. Jeff Hunter. We traded hellos, and I nodded to Gene. He flicked the projection booth intercom switch. ‘Let's go.’

“As the end credits rolled, and the lights came up, Jeff Hunter's wife gave us our answer: ‘This is not the kind of show Jeff wants to do, and besides, it wouldn't be good for his career. Jeff Hunter is a movie star.’ Mrs. Hunter was very polite and very firm. She said her good-byes and left, having surprisingly and swiftly removed our star from our new pilot.”

–Herb Solow, Inside Star Trek: The Real Story

So, Jeff Hunter just vanished from Star Trek. He wasn’t fired, as some claimed…he quit. Or, more precisely, his beast of a wife quit for him. Two years later (1967), after Star Trek was a success, Jeff Hunter divorced his wife.

As it happened, there was another actor invited to that same screening (quietly taking notes), and that actor was Bill Shatner, who was waiting in the wings when Jeff Hunter opted out.

Thus entered the new Captain of the Enterprise, James R. Kirk.

^^^ Yep, he was actually named James R. Kirk in his first Star Trek appearance: It says so on his tombstone in “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” the second Star Trek pilot.

Shatner’s Kirk was basically just the opposite of Hunter’s Pike. Captain Kirk was thoughtful but not deeply introspective; he was not tormented but was supremely confident and never self-doubting; he loved his ship and crew, but was willing to take life-or-death risks with both; he was perfectly comfortable with women on the bridge (or just women in general); and he could be humorous, if a little irritating.

^^^ Captain Kirk was a more likable, humorous and confident alternative to Christopher Pike.

Captain Kirk, unlike Captain Pike, was always a ready negotiator, offering an olive branch first and only turning to violence as a last resort; indeed, even in violent scenes, Kirk was typically defending himself.

In short, Shatner portrayed Kirk as a role model for kids. Shatner fully realized that Star Trek was a kids’ show, first and foremost, so he played a kid’s idea of a starship captain…and nailed it.

It became apparent from the second pilot onward that Kirk’s human warmth was a perfect balance for Spock’s icy Vulcan logic (which evolved as the first season of Star Trek progressed). Their dynamic became pure gold for the series and the movie franchise.

^^^ DeForest Kelley’s emotional and quick-tempered Doctor McCoy assumed the role of a counter-character playing against Spock, while Kirk became the reasonable middle-man between the two, and so was born the legendary trio.

By Charles Austin Miller, Investigative Journalist and Publisher.

Found at Quora:

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

Star's 300 Follower Celebration

Hi everyone! So here's the official layout for how my 300 follower celebration is going to go!

Pick a character and a theme from the following lists and send an ask to my inbox with each!

Characters

Top Gun

Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell

Tom 'Iceman' Kazansky

Ron 'Slider' Kerner

Sam 'Merlin' Wells

Bill 'Cougar' Cortell

Charles 'Chipper' Piper

Marcus 'Sundown' Williams

Charlotte 'Charlie' Blackwood

Leonard 'Wolfman' Wolfe

Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw

Top Gun Maverick

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw

Jake 'Hangman' Seresin

Natasha 'Phoenix' Trace

Robert 'Bob' Floyd

Reuben 'Payback' Fitch

Mickey 'Fanboy' Garcia

Javy 'Coyote' Machado

Penny Benjamin

Star Trek (AOS/TOS/SNW - Please specify which timeline if you're interested in Star Trek!)

James T. Kirk

S'chn T'gai Spock

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy

Nyota Uhura

Pavel Andreievich Chekov

Hikara Sulu

Montogomery 'Scotty' Scott

Christina Chapel

Keenser

Christoper Pike

Number One

Star Wars

Luke Skywalker

Leia Organa

Han Solo

Chewbacca

The Ewoks

Anakin Skywalker

Padme Amidala

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Boba Fett

The Mandalorian (Din Djarin)

Grogu

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Natasha Romanoff

Tony Stark

Steve Rogers

Clint Barton

Bruce Banner

Thor Odinson

Scott Lang

Hope Van Dyne

Wanda Maximoff

Pietro Maximoff

Peter Parker

Carol Danvers

Monica Rambeau

James Rhodes

Stephen Strange

Kamala Khan

T'Challa

Vision

F.R.I.D.A.Y

J.A.R.V.I.S

James 'Bucky' Barnes

Loki

The Themes

Dark

Cottage-Core

Fairy/Magic

Modern

Badass

Cute

Sad

Angry

Relaxation

Exercise

Working

Spies

Send your asks my way! They'll be open from now through November 18th and I'll be posting the boards from November 4th, starting with the lovely @desert-fern's birthday surprise!

[illusoryfem]

2023 Reads

(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ Will reblog and update monthly. 

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (💖)

The Beauty and the Spindler by Neil Gaiman

The Nutcracker by E. T. A Hoffman

Burnout Society by Byung-Chul Han (💖)

House of Many Ways by Diana Wynne Jones

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (💖)

How Fiction Works by James Wood (💖)

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (💖)

 The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy (💖)

 Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

Quarto de Despejo / Child of the Dark by Carolina Maria de Jesus (💖)

 O Sujeito na Contemporaneidade by Joel Birman

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez (💖)

Cunk on Everything: The Encyclopedia Philomena by Jason A. Hazeley, Joel P. Morris

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Western Attitudes Toward Death by Philippe Ariès (💖)

Equal Rites (Discworld, #3; Witches, #1) by Terry Pratchett

Wyrd Sisters (Discworld #6; Witches, #2) by Terry Pratchett (💖)

The Palliative Society by Byung-Chul Han

Death with Interruptions by José Saramago (💖)

Suspiria de Profundis by Thomas de Quincey

The Horror Film essays organized by Stephen Prince (💖)

Carrie by Stephen King (💖)

A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh

The White Album by Joan Didion (💖)

No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

The Psychology of C. G. Jung by Jolande Jacobi

Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones

O que é Arte by Jorge Coli

The Battle of Versailles by Robin Ghivan

Intercourse by Andrea Dworkin (💖)

The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn

Undine by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué

Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon

On Dreams & Death by Marie-Louise von Franz

Bunny Lake is Missing by Evelyn Piper

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

The Honjin Murders by Seishi Yokomizo (💖)

[tygerbug]

DOCTOR WHO: Wild Blue Yonder (2023): The second of three specials for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, featuring David Tennant and Catherine Tate returning to the roles they played in 2008 (and thereabouts). It's already clear that this is a return to form (and/or format) for the long-running sci-fi series, and that three specials with these returning actors isn't really enough. We're going to be left wanting more. But I'm glad we're getting these; it's a proper celebration of when the revived series was at the height of its popularity. It feels like a regular episode, and it feels like Doctor Who at its regular best. Lightning in a bottle episode.

Before this one aired, very little was known about it, apart from photos of Tennant and Tate aboard a spaceship. The plot to other specials had leaked, but the plot here was unknown and the cast had been redacted, leading to two lines of speculation. One was that there's nothing to know, and this would be a simplified "bottle episode" focusing on Tennant and Tate only. That's an unusual choice when you only have three specials with Tennant, and are flush with Disney money. A "bottle episode" is usually only done to save money. The other theory was that this is a proper 60th Anniversary Special with other returning actors who needed to be kept a secret. (Russell T Davies says in the "making of" that he was tempted to bring back the First Doctor, William Hartnell.)

Ten years ago, the fiftieth anniversary special "Day of the Doctor" was criticized for only bringing back David Tennant and focusing on the past eight years of the series only. This is a little unfair in retrospect, since Billie Piper, Tom Baker and Paul McGann also returned, and the other Doctors are at least represented by archive footage and special effects. (There were also a few cameos in the "Adventure In Space In Time" docudrama.) But the lack of actual new material with Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy was parodied at the time in a comedy minisode, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.

More recently, the final Jodie Whittaker episode, "Power of the Doctor," managed a lot more cameos by returning actors. There was also, this year, the "Tales of the Tardis" miniseries, featuring brief segments with returning actors. Too brief, without time for an actual story, offering only brief emotional reunions under emotional music.

As it turns out, "Wild Blue Yonder" is indeed a "bottle episode," although not a cheap-looking one. All that Disney money is used on lots of greenscreen and CGI environments, plus lots of practical spaceship corridor sets and a practical robot puppet. The cinematography's still a bit murky but the spaceship locations look great. This is perhaps not the right decision when you're making a 60th Anniversary Special, but it's exactly the right decision when you have three episodes with these actors and want them to feel like proper Doctor Who. This one feels a lot like the acclaimed 2008 episode "Midnight," where Donna was absent and The Doctor was aboard a train, contending with a malevolent force who was mimicking him. (The heavy use of green screen, and the three-eyed robot, and some of the story beats, also feel like one of the worse Fourth Doctor stories, Underworld.)

This sort of story brings out something nasty in Russell T Davies, and in David Tennant. This is a creepy episode, with a foreboding soundscape and unnerving performances. And that's great for Doctor Who. The show is remembering that it's a horror show, and serves up some unusual CGI and practical effects as well.

During the more sentimental scenes in a Russell T Davies Doctor Who, or during something like Tales of the Tardis, you could be forgiven for wondering whether Doctor Who has forgotten how to be scary, or to let a story breathe like in the "classic" episodes. This episode should allay those fears. It's mostly about letting David Tennant and Catherine Tate do their thing as actors, plus some showy effects and production design to use up that Disney money.

Somehow, Davies also finds time to piss off the quote unquote "fans" who complain that Doctor Who has gone "woke." For a start, there's a jokey opener with Sir Isaac Newton, who is not white here. (It plays out a bit like the Destination Skaro sketch a few weeks ago.) Russell, if you want to include more diversity in a historical storyline, you know there were lots of people of color in the past who you could highlight, right? Rather than doing something silly like this? Anyway, it results in a running gag (which has already caught on among fans), and in the Doctor and Donna starting to discuss how gay the Doctor might be (and has been), before the plot intervenes. (There's a running theme here about how the events of the Chibnall and Moffat eras have affected The Doctor, and about how this Doctor might be different from the Tenth that we knew.)

One must wonder if Davies is doing this purposely to generate some publicity and headlines in the alt-right press, pissing off a few of the worst people in the world to get people talking about the show. Especially since, with a black Doctor coming in, played by Ncuti Gatwa, the Youtube N*zis would be mad about the series anyway. Then again, Davies was always like this and it's not a break from his usual writing style to get him writing jokes like this.

But there's something else too. Davies takes a few moments to point out that the events of Chris Chibnall's Doctor Who did happen - The Flux and the Timeless Child - and that The Doctor has PTSD about them. This is really throwing a bone to the previous showrunner in a way that Chibnall did not do. I am convinced that Chibnall did not watch the last few series of Steven Moffat's Doctor Who, resulting in sloppy continuity. Davies makes it clear that he has watched Chibnall's Who, and that the major storylines (which went unresolved at the time) are still a going concern and a part of who The Doctor is now. (The Doctor being a woman recently has already been referenced several times, and is part of how the character is now interpreted.)

When the series was revived in 2005, Davies wrote The Doctor as someone haunted by the Time War between Gallifrey and the Daleks, which resulted in Gallifrey being wiped out from the universe (something undone in the 50th Anniversary special, perhaps unbeknownst to Chibnall). The Doctor was haunted by what he did, and it brought a sense of mystery back to the character, and hinted at a dark side which had been lost over the years. Davies is now using the Chibnall episodes for this purpose, which is really clever, considering that for many viewers these episodes were a lot of sound and fury signifying very little. The events of Flux, and the Cyber-Gallifrey situation, didn't really "register." Using them as backstory which haunts The Doctor is a nice touch.

The late Bernard Cribbins also turns up, in what is presumably his final Doctor Who appearance. If there's no further footage of dear Bernard, this will be a minor continuity problem, as it seems to lead directly into next week's special. But it's nice that the appearance isn't just a sentimental reunion, and that Bernard's last scene is a Doctor Who cliffhanger.

I am a little concerned that these specials haven't left much empty space to suggest that this Doctor and Donna were travelling together in stories we didn't see, to be filled in by the likes of Big Finish. But oh well.

Next week: The Giggle, involving Neil Patrick Harris as The Toymaker, originally played in 1966 by Michael Gough. While that story is mostly lost now (the final episode remains), the character's return was teased at the time, and even planned during Colin Baker's truncated tenure in the 80s. This villain is a real match for the Doctor and expectations are high.

UNIT is involved, including Kate Stewart, Shirley Anne Bingham (from the Star Beast) and returning 80s companion Bonnie Langford - a welcome sight. It's been the status quo for awhile that our returning UNIT characters are all women. I know it's hard to replace Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, and that attempts to do so have fallen flat, even back in the 70s. It's tough to get that balance of an old-fashioned military man, whom the Doctor can befriend and rely on, but also be at odds with. And we presumably won't be seeing John Barrowman and Noel Clarke again. But I feel like they ought to make an attempt. (I'm reminded that Mark Gatiss had a go at this in Capaldi's last episode.)

What's interesting, at least so far, is that this 60th Anniversary hasn't been a Five Doctors type situation, with cameos from returning actors and lots of references to old material, except in the sense of bringing back Tennant and Tate, and some lesser-known enemies from the 60s and 80s. The third special may buck that trend, but I get the sense that these specials are celebrating Doctor Who's past by simply being good Doctor Who stories, in someting like the 2008 format. I've appreciated that, so far, they've been worth of Tennant and Tate's talents. If it's just three episodes they're making use of that time. It almost feels like a full year's series.

Oh, and the promo for next week teases the next Doctor Who, Ncuti Gatwa.

[kadencactus]

WWE End of Year List!

I've only been watching for 4 months but I wanted to write some shit down to see how my thoughts and feelings change in 2024

Wrestling is so neat y'all 🥹

Current Favorites

Commentator: Booker T

Faction: The Judgment Day 💜

Men's tag team: Pretty Deadly

Women's tag team: Piper Niven & Chelsea Green

Men's singles wrestler: Ilja Dragunov

Women's singles wrestler: Rhea Ripley

Storyline: Drew McIntyre's heelish quest for the world heavyweight championship

Misc Stuff

Started watching: August 14, 2023

Went from Disliking to Liking: Alpha Academy ✌️✌️

Went from Liking to Disliking: Seth Freakin Rollins

Best match: Carmelo Hayes v Ilja Dragunov at No Mercy

Best in-ring moment: Trick Williams winning the Men's Iron Survivor Challenge at literally the last minute at Deadline

Best out-of-ring moment: Jey Uso & Cody Rhodes's post-Fastlane press conference

Biggest laugh: The Miz's interview with an invisible John Cena

Thing I most want to see happen in 2024: Cody Rhodes finishing the story

Not a lot of niche or hot takes in this list but hey the big superstars get the most screentime so it's easier for me to form opinions on them. Also the list is very Raw-heavy but I like the characters and stories on there more than on Smackdown rn - that could change in 2024 tho! I wanna see more big things for Dragon Lee in particular 🐲

[critical-quoter]

March Books

If I keep up at this pace, I'll probably double my reading goal. But such is life, I guess. lol Also, I'm starting to realize that I may be way too generous with my ratings.

Lover Eternal - J. R. Ward ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lover Awakened - J. R. Ward ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fortress of the King - Dakotah Fox ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fortress of the Queen - Dakotah Fox ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lover Revealed - J. R. Ward ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fae Gods: Maze - Phillina Wood ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Faking with Benefits - Lily Gold ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Savage Favour - Layla Simon ⭐️⭐️⭐️ My Darling Bride - Isla Madden-Mills ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tempt Our Fate - Kat Singleton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ You're So Bad - Angela Casella ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Time with Mr. Silver - Elle Nichol ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sicko - Amo Jones ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Throne of the Fallen - Kerri Maniscalo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Famous Last Words - C. W. Farnsworth ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Good Billionaire - Deborah Garland ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Deviant Hearts - Jagger Cole ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dante - Sadie Kincaid ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Our Ride to Forever - Julie Olivia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Under His Mask - Eden Webber ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Desire or Defense - Leah Brunner ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Twisted Devotion - Poppy St. John ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Strictly Business - Carrie Elks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ When Heroes Fall - Giana Darling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ When Villains Rise - Giana Darling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Queen and the King - Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Twisted Emotions - Cora Reilly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Secret Baby for the Bratva - Isla Brooks ⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Touch of Chaos - Scarlett St. Clair ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lincoln - V. H. Nicolson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Varsity Dad Dilemma - Lex Martin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Wild About You - Rebecca Jenshak ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Always My Comfort - Taylor Jade ⭐️⭐️⭐️ City of Darkness - Karina Halle ⭐️⭐️⭐️ There Are No Saints - Sophie Lark ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ There Is No Devil - Sophie Lark ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Protected and Punished - V. T. Bonds ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Indigo Ridge - Denver Perry ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ When We Touch - Carrie Elks ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spring Breeze - Lily Alexander ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Off Limits - Chelle Sloan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Beneath These Dark Skies - Ria Wilde ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Bride - Ali Hazelwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Bound by Fate - F. D. Fair ⭐️⭐️ Trying to Hate the Player - Tia Souders ⭐️⭐️ For Him - R. L. Atkinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What I Should Have Said - R. L. Atkinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ On the Line - Naomi Loud ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ On the Line - Julia Connors ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Kiss Keeper - Krista Sandor ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pucking Revenge - Brittanee Nicole ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Abandoned - A. M. Wilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tailgates and Truck Dates - Haley Rhoades ⭐️⭐️⭐️ When She Loves - Gabrielle Sands ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tailgates and Heartaches - Haley Rhoades ⭐️⭐️ The Turnover - Piper James ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tailgates & First Dates - Haley Rhoades ⭐️⭐️ Keeping My Captive - Angela Snyder ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Prince of Demons - Hana Hahm ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Shadow Game - Christine Feehan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Takeover - T. L. Swan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Summons - Aquila Thorne ⭐️ God Complex - Darcy Dahlia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Forbidden Freedom - Jasmin Miller ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Hue of Blu - Marie-France Leger ⭐️ Solace - Cat Austen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spite - Cat Austen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Pucking Wrong Number - C. R. Jane ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Technically Yours - Denise Williams ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Two of a Kind - Alexa Rivers ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Beat by Beat - Kaylee Ryan ⭐️⭐️ Puck Pact - Kristen Granata ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Scoring the Player - Rebecca Jenshak ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

73 total books read for March 2024. I think that's a personal monthly record!

[leopauldelr]

A quick six-decade history of BBC's Doctor Who

The 23rd of November, 2023, marks the 60th anniversary of BBC's flagship TV series, Doctor Who. From Classic Who to Modern Who, from William Hartnell to Jodie Whitaker, the megahit TV series became the hallmark of the sci-fi genre since its 1963 airing and evolved into a mixed media project that served as one of the BBC's success stories.

With only two days left before the first part of the Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials airing on BBC in the UK and on the Disney+ streaming service globally, how did we go from here? The past, present, and future of the Doctor Who series?

Classic Who - Aired on the BBC on November 23rd, 1963, William Hartnell is the very first actor to play The Doctor in the said series, forever laying the foundation of the Doctor Who series. The Classic Who era welcomed the most iconic Doctors in TV history from Hartnell to Sylvester McCoy, a memorable cast of characters, monsters, and a rogue gallery of villains ranging from Daleks, Cybermen, and even his arch nemesis, The Master. Seven classic Doctors (William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy) are forever known as legends not just in the franchise but in the entire TV sci-fi genre.

16 years of void - The Sylvester McCoy era became the final era of the Classic Who and when the TV show was laid to rest in 1989, it left a 16-year void before its 2005 comeback. Of course, the whole Doctor Who team tried bringing it back on May 27, 1996, with a TV movie aired on FOX, starring Paul McGann as The Doctor, but feels like the comeback didn't work as expected.

2005 return - On March 26, 2005, Doctor Who is back on the telly after a 16-year absence. With Russell T Davies serving as the showrunner and actor Christopher Eccleston playing the role of The Doctor, the 2005 revival signaled the start of the Modern Who era. Joining Eccleston is Billie Piper who plays the role of his companion, Rose Tyler, the two witnessed how the world ended, facing off against the Daleks, preventing world catastrophe, and uncovering the truth.

Greatest Doctor of All Time? - Christopher Eccleston's reign as The Doctor lasted for 13 episodes, the entire first season of the reborn Doctor Who TV series, and got replaced by actor David Tennant at the season finale. Making his first moves at the 2005 Christmas Special, David Tennant cemented his status as the GOAT in the Modern Who times. In fact, Tennant's making a comeback in the 60th anniversary special as the 14th Doctor! This marks the first in the Doctor Who franchise a Doctor actor doing two non-consecutive terms.

Teaming alongside Piper as Rose, Freema Agyeman as Martha, and John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness aside, the most popular companion in the David Tennant years is none other than Donna Noble, played by comedienne Catherine Tate. First met at the 2006 Christmas special, the two reunite at the beginning of the fourth season and with past companions collide, including the late Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith, a legend companion from the Classic Who times, it showcased the show's exploding popularity.

New Decade, New Who - David Tennant's time ended at the beginning of 2010, and with Russell T Davies stepped down from his showrunner duties, Steven Moffat took over and actor Matt Smith filled in the shoes of The Doctor, signaling the new era of Doctor Who. From The Eleventh Hour to The Time of The Doctor, the Matt Smith years shifted the Doctor Who era to a more family-friendly approach.

During his tenure, the Matt Smith years of Doctor Who introduced companions such as Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams, and Jenna Coleman as Clara Oswald. Actress Alex Kingston, who showed up in the David Tennant years as River Song, popped up as well, showing her origin story and her shocking relationship with Amy and Rory.

After the 2013 Christmas Special, Smith was replaced by Peter Capaldi, showing off his darker undertones while keeping the mantra of protecting the universe by all means. Apart from teaming up with Jenna Coleman as Clara, the Peter Capaldi years welcomed Pearl Mackie as Bill Potts and comedian Matt Lucas as Nardole, who first appeared in the 2015 Christmas Special.

Fast fact that both Gillan and Capaldi got their early stints in the DW Season 4 episode titled The Fires of Pompeii.

50 years of DW - November 23rd, 2013 marked the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who and to celebrate that occasion, a 50th-anniversary TV special, titled The Day of The Doctor, was aired. The Doctors, played by Matt Smith and David Tennant, joined forces with their mysterious predecessor known as The War Doctor, played by the late John Hurt, who popped up at the end of the 7th season. Racing against time, the three Doctors join forces to save the universe.

Long before the explosive 50th-anniversary special went on air, a biopic titled An Adventure of Space and Time was aired, starring David Bradley as William Hartnell, the 1st Doctor. Also, a Doctor Who web short was streamed, showcasing the 8th Doctor getting regenerated into The War Doctor, filling the void that was left after the 1996 TV movie.

Breaking the series' boundaries - The Peter Capaldi years signaled the final time Steven Moffat served as the showrunner and their time ended in the 2017 Christmas Special, Twice Upon A Time, which featured Bradley as The 1st Doctor, Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall took over the series as the showrunner. Breaking the series' boundaries, the 11th season of Doctor Who welcomed the series' first female Doctor, Jodie Whitaker. During her four-year tenure from 2018 to 2022, the 13th Doctor joined forces with Ryan Sinclair (Tosin Cole), Yaz Khan (Mandip Gill), Graham O'Brien (Bradley Walsh), and Dan Lewis (John Bishop). Together, they've faced numerous enemies, new and old, including the reborn Master (played by Sacha Dhawan), while learning the truth about The Doctor's origins.

Loose ends? - As the Jodie Whitaker years came to an end, it was announced that actor Ncuti Gatwa would take over the role of The Doctor, but first, David Tennant will reprise his Doctor role in the 60th-anniversary specials. Why bring Tennant back to Who? Unanswered questions between The Doctor and Donna Noble after the end of the Season 4 finale. With them returning in the three-part specials, they have one loose end to mend before The Doctor can attain his true regeneration, and that's what the world awaits.

Spin-offs and mixed media - The Whoniverse expands outside the world of Doctor Who with official spin-offs featuring iconic characters and settings such as the R-rated spin-off series, Torchwood, which stars John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness and Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, among others, the kid-friendly The Sarah Jane Adventures where DW legend Elisabeth Sladen reprises her Sarah Jane Smith role and teams up with a group of kids battling alien threats, and then there's Class, which is set at Coal Hill High, the same school appeared in the world of Doctor Who. Word from the outside world is there was a TV show called K-9, which features The Doctor's robot ally K-9 in its entirely new form. 

TV shows aside, the Whoniverse also expands outside the TV screens in the form of comic books, novels, audio dramas, and others. One such example is the Doom's Day project which features a mysterious character named Doom as she spreads across the Whoniverse from comic books to audio dramas, racing for her life to find The Doctor. The Doom's Day project is part of Doctor Who's six-decade celebrations.

Six decades of Doctor Who, no, the Whoniverse. The past, present, and future of the Whoniverse will never stop expanding and as the world prepares for the show's 60th-anniversary specials and the imminent arrival of the new Doctor, expect brilliant things to come in the Whoniverse.

Happy 60th anniversary to the Whoniverse!

Image: BBC

[companion-showdown]

Who is most important to the history of Doctor Who?

With 61 years under its belt, Doctor Who has changed a lot since it began all those years ago. Its continued survival has relied on that change and the countless people who made it happen. Trying to single out any one person as the most important to the history of the show would be near impossible, but hell if we aren't going to try.

bar a few of the most recognisable names, contestants for this tournament were decided by nomination only, so there are inevitably people missing who's contributions were just as valuable, please don't take anyone's absence as a slight against them or their work

the submission form for propaganda is still open

SEMIFINALS

Verity Lambert vs All the thousands of people who've worked behind the scenes

Sydney Newman vs Terry Nation

QUARTERFINALS

Verity Lambert vs Roger Delgado

Russell T Davies vs All the thousands of people who've worked behind the scenes

William Hartnell vs Sydney Newman

Terry Nation vs Murray Gold

previous rounds under the cut

ROUND 4

Verity Lambert vs Delia Derbyshire

June Hudson vs Roger Delgado

Russell T Davies vs Nicholas Courtney

David Whitaker vs All the thousands of people who've worked behind the scenes

William Hartnell vs Waris Hussein

Liz Sladen vs Sydney Newman

Terry Nation vs Christopher Eccleston

Jodie Whittaker vs Murray Gold

ROUND 3

Verity Lambert vs The BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Delia Derbyshire vs Gary Russell

Robert Shearman vs June Hudson

David Tennant vs Roger Delgado

Russell T Davies vs David Graham & Peter Hawkins

Nicholas Courtney vs Rona Munro

Paul McGann vs David Whitaker

Terrance Dicks vs All the theousands of people who've worked behind the scenes

William Hartnell vs Julie Gardner

Tom Baker vs Waris Hussein

Liz Sladen vs Nicholas Briggs

Billie Piper vs Sydney Newman

Terry Nation vs Alice Troughton

Ron Grainer vs Christopher Eccleston

Jodie Whitteker vs Kate Orman

Murray Gold vs Dudley Simpson

ROUND 2

DAY 2

William Hartnell vs Philip Hinchcliffe

Julie Gardner vs Ncuti Gatwa

Tom Baker vs Jacqueline Hill

Craig Ferguson vs Waris Hussein

Liz Sladen vs Colin Baker

Douglas Adams vs Nicholas Briggs

Sophie Aldred vs Billie Piper

Peter Davison vs Sydney Newman

Terry Nation vs Steven Moffat

Alice Troughton vs Marc Platt

Patrick Troughton vs Ron Grainer

Jonathan Blum vs Christopher Eccleston

Jodie Whittaker vs Lisa Bowerman

Anthony Coburn vs Kate Orman

Murray Gold vs Rachel Talalay

Dudley Simpson vs Sue from Catering

DAY 1

Verity Lambert vs Segun Akinola

Graeme Harper vs The BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Delia Derbyshire vs Robert Holmes

Gary Russell vs The Audience

Robert Shearman vs Peter Cregeen

June Hudson vs Raymond Cusick

David Tennant vs Sylvester McCoy

Kit Pedler vs Roger Delgado

Russell T Davies vs Barry Letts

David Graham & Peter Hawkins vs John F Kennedy

Paul Cornell vs Nicholas Courtney

Rona Munro vs the anonymous creator of TARDIS wiki

Paul McGann vs William Shakespeare

David Whitaker vs Lawrence Miles

Peter Capaldi vs Terrance Dicks

Justin Richards vs All the thousands of people who’ve worked behind the scenes

ROUND 1 (group stage)

Group 1

Carole Ann Ford

Jacqueline Hill

William Hartnell

William Russell

David Graham and Peter Hawkins

Group 2

Patrick Troughton

Frazer Hines

Nicholas Courtney

Jon Pertwee

Roger Delgado

Group 3

Liz Sladen

Pat Gorman

Stuart Fell

Tom Baker

Peter Davison

Colin Baker

Group 4

Sylvester McCoy

Sophie Aldred

Paul McGann

Lisa Bowerman

India Fisher

Sean Carlsen

Group 5

Christopher Eccleston

Billie Piper

David Tennant

Freema Agyeman

John Simm

Group 6

Matt Smith

Peter Capaldi

Jodie Whittaker

Ncuti Gatwa

Group 7

Michael Grade

Peter Cregeen

Sydney Newman

Gary Russell

Nicholas Briggs

Donald Wilson

Group 8

all the thousands of people who’ve worked behind the scenes

June Hudson

Peter Brachacki

Raymond Cusick

Group 9

John F Kennedy

Sue from Catering

the real people who have been portrayed in the show

William Russell

Group 10

Marnal Gate

Person who created TARDIS wiki

Craig Ferguson

The Audience

Group 11

BBC Radiophonic Workshop

Delia Derbyshire

Ron Grainer

Dudley Simpson

Paddy Kingsland

Peter Howell

Robert Harvey

Segun Akinola

Murray Gold

Group 12

Graeme Harper

Paddy Russell

Rachel Talalay

Waris Hussein

Christopher Barry

Richard Martin

Alice Troughton

Group 13

Barry Letts

Graham Williams

John Nathan Turner

Philip Hinchcliffe

Verity Lambert

Julie Gardner

Group 14

Alan Moore

Grant Morrison

Marc Platt

Paul Cornell

Kate Orman

Group 15

Justin Richards

Dave Stone

Lawrence Miles

Lance Parkin

Jonathan Blum

Robert Shearman

Group 16

David Whitaker

Terry Nation

Anthony Coburn

John Lucarotti

Gerry Davis

Kit Pedler

Terrance Dicks

Group 17

Robert Holmes

Douglas Adams

Eric Saward

Andrew Cartmel

Rona Munro

Russell T Davies

Steven Moffat

Chris Chibnall

links to previous tournaments

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, February 11th

BEN: You know, not to be rampantly sexist in the workplace, but you've got some serious muscles for a girl. BUFFY: I... um... BEN: Radioactive spider bite. BUFFY: How'd you guess?

~~No Place Like Home~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

The Poster by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

The Center of a Star by MadeInGold (Angel/Spike/Drusilla, M)

Fortunate Son by genericaces (Lindsey/Darla, M)

A Deal with God by lemonchase (Buffy/Spike, T)

The poet by firemanwhenthefloodsrollback (Buffy/Spike, T)

Evol (or, a backwards love story) by prose-for-hire (Spike/reader, not rated)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Buffy Summers and the Valley of the Eternal Pharaoh - Chapter 1-2 (COMPLETE!) by MCorey1317 (Buffy/Angel, M)

Pure Heart - Chapter 1-3 (COMPLETE!) by lisaof9 (Charmed crossover, Tara/Willow, Tara/Piper, T)

Not Just a Boy and a Girl (It's Just the End of the World) Ch. 7 by noctilucent (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Something Lost Something Found, Ch. 6 by Safire (Buffy/Spike, R)

Love Lives Here, Ch. 20 by Passion4Spike (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Afterburn, Ch. 13 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Lie to Me, Ch. 9 by In Mortal (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Early One Morning, Ch. 14 by all choseny (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Love Lives Here, Ch. 22 by Passion4Spike (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Coming Through, Ch. 24 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Anarchy Tour, Ch. 4 by Alyot (Buffy/Spike, Dawn, R)

Lie to Me, Ch. 9 by In Mortal (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Met You in a Bar, Ch. 2 by bookishy (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Icons: Seething by veronyxk84 (Angel, Spike, Willow, Dawn, First Slayer, Faith, Caleb, Buffy, rated R for vampire faces)

Drawing: Willow by himbros (worksafe)

Drawing: Spike by himbros (worksafe)

Drawings: Some post show canon willows by pzyii (Willow, Buffy/Willow mentioned, worksafe)

Vid: William Pratt - human by Nina When it Rains (Buffy/Spike)

Artwork: Spike by Flyora (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Drawings: "with great power comes great responsibility" by maloops (Spiderman fusion, Buffy, Kendra, Faith, worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: Angel season 3 ep 15 Loyalty reaction and review by ReelReviewsWithJen

Anyone else feel like this [about This Year's Girl/Who Are You]?

Episodes you're surprised that you see this sub didn't like? by jdpm1991

Buffy S6E22: Grave | Booze & Buffy

[Recs & In Search Of]

Fic rec: Spangel Saturday: To Take You In by anonymous author recced by spangel-fic-marathon-2024

[Community Announcements]

Bad Girls Week (of posting and reblogging gifs) is now over on Eliza Dushku Daily

[Fandom Discussions]

The thing about Gunn... by all-seeing-ifer

Re: bangel or klaroline by laufire

Lamenting Doyle by AndHerSymbols, Skippcomet, Stoney

As a first time watcher I'm really surprised to learn only in S5 that Dawn had an older sister this whole time by MynameisntWejdene

Dawn being brought home by Tuxedo_Mark

How would Buffy/Angel be impacted if the shows stayed on the same network past BTVS S5? by primal_slayer

Feels while watching, then and now by PurplishPlatypus

High heels - how? by Newborn-Molerat

How would Buffy have reacted to Cordgel [a.k.a. Cangel]? by PotentialLanguage685

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[masonhawthorne]

What I read in 2023!

Isn't it nice to have the whole year's worth of something in one handy list?

January

Medieval England: From Arthur to the Tudor Conquest, Jennifer Paxton ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

The Day of the Triffids, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hannibal, Livy ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster, Sam L Amirante, Danny Brodrick ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

This Is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar, Max Gladstone ⭐️⭐️

Trouble With Lichen, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Reanimator's Heart, Kara Jorgensen 😠

The Miracle of Dunkirk, Walter Lord ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

Alone on the Ice, David Roberts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

The Midwich Cucoos, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hanging Tree, Ben Aaronovitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Polygamist's Daughter, Anna LeBaron, Leslie WIlson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

Stowaway to Mars, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️

Confession of a Serial Killer, Katherine Ramsland ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

Sparta's First Attic War, Paul A Rahe ⭐️⭐️ NF

FantasticLand, Mike Bockoven ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Instructions for American Servicemen in Australia 1942, Special Service Division Services of Supply US Army ⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

Columbus Day, Craig Alanson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blood in the Snow, Tom Henderson ⭐️⭐️NF

The Andromeda Strain, Michael Crichton ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Last Days of Stalin, Joshua Rubenstein ⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

Sons of Cain, Peter Vronsky ⭐️⭐️NF

Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Web, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️

An Unnatural Vice, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An Unsuitable Heir, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alexander the Great, Norman F Cantor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

A Dark Night in Aurora, William H Reid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Snow Killings, Marney Rich Keenan ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

The Odyssey, Homer trans. Emily Wilson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Martian, Andy Weir ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

How Great Science Fiction Works, Gary K Wolfe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

Lies Sleeping, Ben Aaronovitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

February

False Value, Ben Aaronovitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Amongst Our Weapons, Ben Aaronovitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Revelation Space, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Lancashire Witches, William Harrison Ainsworth ⭐️

Queen of Teeth, Hailey Piper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hacienda, Isabel Cañas ⭐️⭐️

Age of Myth, Michael J Sullivan ⭐️⭐️

The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester ⭐️⭐️

All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Meddling Kids, Edgar Cantero ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Monsters We Defy, Leslye Penelope ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Man and the Crow, Rebecca Crunden (ss)⭐️

A Better Fate, DN Bryn (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Artemis One-Zero-Five, CHristopher Henderson DNF

House of Suns, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

All Systems Red, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Artificial Condition, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rogue Protocol, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Exit Strategy, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

New Earth, Ben Bova ⭐️⭐️

Death Wave, Ben Bova ⭐️

Mouth of Mirrors, Maxwell I Gold (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

March

On the Beach, Nevil Shute ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Star Nomad, Lindsay Buroker ⭐️

Burning Roses, SL Huang ⭐️⭐️

Trick or Treat, Richie Tankersley Cusick ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unfinished Tales, JRR Tolkien ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pushing Ice, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The End of the World Anthology ⭐️⭐️

The Home of the Blizzard (nf), Sir Douglas Mawson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Night Stalker (nf), Philip Carlo ⭐️⭐️⭐️

In the Court of the Nameless Queen, Natalie Ironside ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Green Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Ultimate Evil (nf), Maury Terry ⭐️

The Hillside Stranglers (nf), Darcy O'Brien ⭐️⭐️

The Element of Fire, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chasm City, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

April

The Stolen Heir, Holly Black ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kintu, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kidnapped, Diane Hoh ⭐️⭐️

Overlord, David Wood & Alan Baxter ⭐️⭐️

Child of God, Cormac McCarthy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Walking to Aldebaran, Adrian Tchaikovsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Redemption’s Blade, Adrian Tchaikovsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️

At the Mountains of Madness, HP Lovecraft ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Initiation, Diane Hoh ⭐️⭐️

The Book of Queer Saints Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Expert System’s Brother, Adrian Tchaikovsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pluto’s Republic, David Roochnik (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Twisted Ones, T Kingfisher ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Evil Roots, Killer Tales of Botanical Gothic Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Shadow Over Innsmouth, HP Lovecraft ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Whisperer in Darkness, HP Lovecraft ⭐️⭐️

Alien: Convenant Origins, Alan Dean Foster ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Coveant, Alan Dean Foster ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Wendigo, Algernon Blackwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien III, William Gibson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: The Cold Forge, Alex White ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Republic, Plato ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Prototype, Tim Waggoner ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Isolation, Keith RA DeCandido ⭐️⭐️

A Thief in the Night, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dialogues, Plato ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Into Charybdis, Alex White ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Infiltrator, Weston Ochse ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Percent, Jon Elofson (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Aliens: Bug Hunt Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Growing Things & Other Stories, Paul Tremblay ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Babel-17, Samuel R. Delany ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lords of Uncreation, Adrian Tchaikovsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

May

The Day We Ate Grandad, CM Rosens ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: Out of the Shadows, Tim Lebbon ⭐️⭐️

Jaws, Peter Benchley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Room on the Sea, Andrē Aciman ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alien: River of Pain, Christopher Golden ⭐️⭐️

Alien: Sea of Sorrows, James A Moore ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Gentleman From Peru, Andrē Aciman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Century Rain, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hyperion, Dan Simmons ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dust, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

100 Fathoms Below, Steven L Kent & Nicholas Kaufmann ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Saturn’s Monsters, Thomas K Carpenter ⭐️

Address Unknown, Kressmann Taylor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Murder by Other Means, John Scalzi ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Ethics of Aristotle, Joseph Koterski ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Neil Gaiman at the end of the Universe, Arvind Ethan David ⭐️⭐️

Bag of Bones, Stephen King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bewilderness, Part One: Threshold, Jonathan Maberry ⭐️

Ten Low, Stark Holborn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Benny Rose, the Cannibal King, Hailey Piper ⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Dark Vanessa, Kate Elizabeth Russell ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester ⭐️

Three Hearts and Three Lions, Poul Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Almost Human(nf), Lee Berger & John Hawks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Paladin’s Grace, T Kingfisher ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Killing the Bismarck(nf), Iain Ballantyne ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ancient Mesopotamia(nf), Amanda H Podany ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Art of War(nf), Andrew R Wilson ⭐️⭐️

The White People, Arthur Machen ⭐️

June

Witch King, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Broken Sword, Poul Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Early Middle Ages (nf), Philip Daileader ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The History of Ancient Egypt (nf), Bob Brier ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Banewreaker, Jacqueline Carey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Godslayer, Jacqueline Carey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chernobyl 01:23:40 (nf), Andrew Leatherbarrow ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stress and Your Body (nf), Robert Sapolsky ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ice Ghosts (nf), Paul Watson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Illiad, Homer, trans. Edward Earl of Derby ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Th Hunt & the Haunting, Victoria Audley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Our Shadows Have Claws Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Writing Creative Nonfiction (nf), Tilar JJ Mazzeo ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brain Wave, Poul Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Forever War, Joe Haldeman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

July

Travel by Bullet, John Scalzi ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Redemption Ark, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Labrys(ss), Victoria Audley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grown Gown(ss), Derek Des Anges ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hellbound Heart, Clive Barker ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Orca, Arthur Herzog III ⭐️

The Gallows Pole, Benjamin Myers ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Chemist, Stephanie Meyer ⭐️

Icehenge, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Band Sinister, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Now She Is Witch, Kirsty Logan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Slow Bullets, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Inside the Mind of BTK(nf), Johnny Dodd & John Douglas ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Antarctica, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

August

The Henchmen of Zenda, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Morning Star, Peter Atkins ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Subsidence (ss), Steve Rasnic Tem ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Man in the High Tower, Philip K Dick ⭐️⭐️⭐️

What the Dead Know (ss), Nghi Vo ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Maze Runner, James Dashner ⭐️

Unfit to Print, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chill, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bryony and Roses, T Kingfisher ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Confessor (ss), Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grail, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Babylon (nf), Paul Kriwaczek ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unquiet, E Saxey DNF

The Ritual of the Labyrinth (ss), Esmée de Heer ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Terminal World, ALastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Essays of Flesh and Bone (ss), Victoria Audley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Book Eaters, Sunyi Dean ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Future of Work: Compulsory (ss), Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Lady or the Tiger (ss), Frank Stockton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Too Like the Lightning, Ada Palmer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Falling Free, Lois McMaster Bujold ⭐️⭐️

Dreamsnake, Vonda N McIntyre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The First Fossil Hunters (nf), Adrienne Mayor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shards of Honor, Lois McMaster Bujold ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red Land, Black Land (nf), Barbara Mertz ⭐️⭐️⭐️

On Planetary Palliative Care (ss), Thomas Ha ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nova, Samuel R Delany ⭐️⭐️⭐️

September

Time to Orbit: Unknown, Derin Edala ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️*

The Invincible, Stanislaw Lem ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Prefect, Alastair Reynolds ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Myrtha (ss), Victoria Audley ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Archaeology: An Introduction to the World’s Greatest Sites (nf), Eric H Cline ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Catching Teller Crow, Amberlin Kwaymullina & Ezekiel Kwaymullina ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Old Man’s War, John Scalzi ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Don’t Hang Up, Benjamin Stevenson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Superluminal, Vonda N McIntyre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

World War Z, Max Brooks ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Flight of the Fantail, Steph Matuku ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cyteen, CJ Cherryh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Regenesis, CJ Cherryh ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mindfulness for Stress Management (nf), Dr Robert Schacter ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Orange Eats Creeps, Grace Krilanovich ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kushiel’s Dart, Jacqueline Carey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Aye, and Gomorrah (ss), Samuel R. Delany ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Carnage (nf), Mark Dapin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blue Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unknown, Jordan L Hawk ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Chocky, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sword of Empire: Praetorian, Richard Foreman ❌

Revival, Stephen King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Apollo Murders, Chris Hadfield ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*Time to Orbit: Unknown is hosted online [HERE] and is currently still updating twice a week

October

Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy, Hailey Piper ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ghost Bird, Lisa Fuller ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hound of the Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Forest of Stolen Girls, June Hur ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Liar’s Dice, Jeannie Lin ⭐️

Straya, Anthony O'Connor ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Toxic, Dan Kaszeta (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Illuminae, Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Penhallow, Georgette Heyer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Myth of the Self Made Man, Ruben Reyes Jr (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Call, Christian White & Summer De Roche ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Death of the Necromancer, Martha Wells ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cretins, Thomas Ha (ss) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kill Your Brother, Jack Heath ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Valley of Terror, Zhou Haohui, tr. Bonnie Huie ⭐️⭐️

The Curse of the Burdens, John Wyndham ���️⭐️

Amazons, Adrienne Mayor (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Kraken Wakes, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dead Mountain, Donnie Eichar (nf) ⭐️⭐️

Family Business, Jonathan Sims ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

In the House of Aryaman A Lonely Signal Burns, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Blessing of Unicorns, Elizabeth Bear ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

METAtropolis Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Plan for Chaos, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Fatal Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, Emma Southon (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Outward Urge, John Wyndham ⭐️⭐️

King Solomon’s Mines, H. Rider Haggard DNF

The Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle tr. David Ross (nf) ⭐️⭐️⭐️

November

The Jewel of Seven Stars, Bram Stoker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Terror, Dan Simmons ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hannibal: The Military Genius who Almost Conquered Rome, Eve MacDonald ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ nf

Luna, Ian McDonald ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Hoka! Hoka! Hoka!, Poul Anderson & Gordon R Dickson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dracula, Bram Stoker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cicero: The Life & Times of Rome's Greatest Politician, Anthony Everitt ⭐️⭐️⭐️nf

The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️nf

METAtropolis: Cascadia Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Haunting of Willow Creek, Sara Crocoll Smith ⭐️

Journey to the Center of the Earth, Jules Verne ⭐️⭐️

METAtropolis: Green Space Anthology ⭐️⭐️⭐️

December

Carrion Comfort, Dan Simmons ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wanted, A Gentleman, KJ Charles ⭐️⭐️

Interview With the Vampire, Anne Rice ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Henry VIII: King & Court, Alison Weir ⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

Alexander the Great & the Macedonian Empire, Kenneth W Harl⭐️⭐️⭐️ NF

The Isles of the Gods, Amie Kaufman ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Sandman, Neil Gaiman & Dirk Maggs DNF

Phosphorescence, Julia Baird ⭐️⭐️⭐️NF

And so the grand total for 2023 is....

267!

Of course, there's a couple of DNFs in there which inflate this number somewhat, but I am absolutely not going to pick through and count them out. Plus, a DNF only gets included on the list if I've gotten through a significant portion of the book. If it's a page one no-no, it's not even worth mentioning.

I made the decision at the start of this year, to try out more books I'd never heard of before. I really like trawling through the library app, or through audible's free archives and finding stuff that I'd probably never normally have discovered. Also, revisiting books that I read a long time ago and seeing if they resemble my memories of them.

Overall, I think this was a very satisfying year of reading, and I hope that I enjoy 2024's reads just as much!

nf= non fiction ss= short story

Stars awarded at my whim.

[annieandro]

All Nick Jr Characters Gotten Zapped and Disappeared By Scooter and Mr.Chips: Twist, Kiki,Shout,Marina, Bo Monkey,Wubbzy, Maggie, Max and Ruby, Little Bear, Olivia, Miss Spider, Peppa Pig, Corn and Peg, Lavender, Posie, Hazel, Seven, Treble and Flare, Pinky Dinky Doo, Huckle Cat, Lowly Worm, Allegra, Binyah Binyah, Blue, Magenta, Mr. Salt, Mrs. Pepper, Paprika, Cinnamon, Slippery soap, Tickety Tock, Shovel, Pail, Mailbox, Sidetable Drawer, Periwinkle, Dora Márquez, Boots the monkey, Backpack, Map, Mami, Papi, Guillermo Márquez, Isabella Márquez, Benny the bull, Tico the squirrel, Isa the iguana, Señor Tucan, Big red chicken, Grumpy old troll, The fiesta trio, Swiper the fox, Sabrina the snow princess, Bill Glover, Oswald, Weenie, Henry, Daisy, Oobi, Face, Moose A. Moose, Zee, Piper O'Possum, Phred, Feetface, Nick, Jr. Pablo, Tyrone, Uniqua, Tasha, Austin, Diego Márquez, Alicia Márquez, Baby Jaguar, The Bobo brothers, Rescue Pack, Jack, Mary, Mel, Dog, Cat, Bear, Pig, Elephant, Linny, Tuck, Ming Ming, Ollie, Izzy, Yuri, and Tate, Puppet, Kai-Lan, Rintoo, Tolee (with Pandy), Hoho, Lulu, YeYe, Gu Nai Nai, Stompy, Xīao Xī Guā (aka the baby panda), Muno, Foofa, Brobee, Toodee, Plex, Milli, Geo, Bot, Umi Car, Shark Car, Door Mouse, Big trouble, Little trouble, Trouble Truck, Molly, Gil, Nonny, Oona, Goby, Deema, Zooli, Mr. Grouper, Bubble Puppy and Mia, Ryder, Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Rocky, Zuma, Skye, Everest, Tracker, Cap'n Turbot, François Turbot, Mayor Goodway, Chickaletta, Blaze, AJ, Gabby, Shimmer, Shine, Leah, Zac, Zeta, Sunny, Nella, Rusty Rivets, Ruby Ramirez, Tiny chef, Alejandro Gutierrez, Sammy Moore, Randy Warren, Small rock, Bossy bear, Turtle, Swift, Rod, Brody, Penny, Abby Hatcher, Baby Shark and William, Aurelia, Ebezener T. Squint, Luigi O'Brien, Plus and Minus, Eureeka, Batley the Bat and Magellan the dragon, Santiago Montes, Tomás Montes, Lorelai and Sharkdog.