Dave Higgins's Blog, page 26

Discerning Sadness

Taking a break from his award-winning stint as a poltergeist, Alasdair Beckett-King has done some important research into murder investigations. Obviously, I hope none of you are planning to get yourselves murdered; however, as the socially awkward sometimes say, “It’s never too early think about being late.” Does one choose Iceland, which offers the option … Continue reading Discerning Sadness

Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows by James Lovegrove

Lovegrove delves deeper than the immediately recognisable traits of a Sherlock Holmes story, delivering a plausible perspective on how the consulting detective might react to the discovery of Lovecraft’s incomprehensible and hostile cosmos. As Dr Watson’s famous stories will tell the world, when he returns from Afghanistan in 1880 to recover from serious injuries, his … Continue reading Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows by James Lovegrove

Double or Nothing (UPDATED)

Apparently, the UK Armed Forces are not merely lacking for money but are probably overfunded. Which makes Ben Wallace MP’s claim it is being hollowed out seem rather self-serving, like a manager trying to make his department look important by “winning” the biggest budget competition. How do I know the Armed Forces are overfunded? Because … Continue reading Double or Nothing (UPDATED)

Call of Catthulhu, Book I: The Nekonomikon by Joel Sparks

While laden with allusions to the works of Lovecraft, this rule book focuses on simulating cats in the liminal zone between realistic and fantastical, very definitely giving it the feel of Eliot not Ulthar. The world faces many threats, from the mundane dog to the eldritch Snarlyhotep and Phatproggua. While saving civilisation from these threats … Continue reading Call of Catthulhu, Book I: The Nekonomikon by Joel Sparks

This Dresséd Plot

I am greatly fond of parklets and other schemes that focus on streets as connections for humans rather than vehicles. So Michael Rakowitz’s (p)LOT: Proposition 1 installations spoke to me as soon as I heard about them. However, it also triggered a cascade of other, sometimes conflicting, perspectives. The current reality of most domestic vehicles … Continue reading This Dresséd Plot

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, and Anna Rosling Rönnlund

The Roslings offer a series of guidelines that might both avoid incorrect conclusions and make us happier. Growing from Hans Rosling’s experiences of people from all walks of life having a radically incorrect understanding of the world, sometimes even in their own field, this book offers ten nigh-ubiquitous but deeply flawed heuristics that lead to … Continue reading Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, and Anna Rosling Rönnlund

It has now been ten whole years beneath the benevolent ru...

It has now been ten whole years beneath the benevolent rulership of Una Cat… Whether Una deciding not to undertake her usual ritual of batting my wife in the face about an hour before we get up was her way of celebrating or not, I am unsure. However, she continues to wax strong in fuzzy … Continue reading

Magician by Raymond E. Feist

Feist offers an interweaving tale of war, politics, and magic across two worlds that echoes the larger-than-life scale of epic ballads while keeping more than enough of the grit of real life to prevent characters becoming mere archetypes. This novel collects Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master, the first two books of Feist’s Riftwar Saga, into … Continue reading Magician by Raymond E. Feist

The Green Flame Rises

By arcane tabulations and eldritch schemes, my wife and I have almost wrought our yearly Festival. All that remains is to face the most lively awefulness to summon forth those items that cannot endure long in this world, such as salad. To aid you in bastioning such winter celebrations as you correlate, a blessing from … Continue reading The Green Flame Rises

Advent Ghosts: Can’t Even

A joyous Yule or other festival of choice to everyone. As in previous years, I am participating in Loren Eaton’s Advent Ghosts 100-word scary story project. This year, a little something to leave you shook: Can’t Even According to JonAAAh it was the dankest meme ever like if chill but not chill was meta. Was … Continue reading Advent Ghosts: Can’t Even