We headed up to Reading Town Hall this Thursday to celebrate the launch of Claire Dyer’s new brace of books—a twisty family drama called What We Thought We Knew and a new volume of poetry, The Adjustments. It was great to see her again in all her room-owning glory, and we had the pleasure to catch with a few more Reading Writers alumni and pals. It was one of those nights which gives me hope about my literary aspirations. It’s a lonely existence, so times when you can meet up and share hints, tips and war stories is really important. Check out Claire’s books—she’s incredibly talented as an author and poet.
Wherever you are, whenever you are, however you are, welcome to The Swipe.
Rob is reading…
Acclaimed SF writer Martha Wells’ keynote speech at the University Of New Mexico is full.of goodness. Not least in how she digs into her character Murderbot’s character and motivation, and shows how machine intelligence can do better than simply emulating its creator…
Rob is watching…
You may already have seen this SNL clip (spoiled slightly by the preview still). It’s still worth it for all sorts of reasons.
Rob is listening…
To Pearl Jam. Dark Matter is a massive return to form, kicking like a mule, shaking like an earthquake. Proper rock music delivered with full commitment and power. This, rather than Taylor Swift, for me all day every day.
Rob is eating…
A concoction of vanilla and strawberry ice-cream, crushed meringue, chopped tinned peaches and mint. Named after the place I came up with it, with a nod to the culinary form from which I took inspiration. Nuneaton Mess.
Rob’s Low-Key Obsession Of The Week…
This starts off strange, gets stranger and then Liberace turns up in rubber hi-vis. Clearly, the drugs were stronger in the 60s.
The division of the things you accrued as a couple during a break-up is tough. How do two cooks split up the contents of their kitchen? Well, carefully.
This, from animator and science geek Bartosz Ciechanowski, will give you a whole new respect for the innards of a mechanical watch. The complexity, even broken down into key parts, is breathtaking.
I did not know that Bill Nighy described himself as a mod, but I am not remotely surprised. The dude is proper dapper. I used to see him in Soho when I was a denizen of the labyrinth, sipping an espresso outside Bar Bruno on Wardour Street, perusing (not reading) the paper, always impeccably turned out.
We assume that the internet just happens. Phrases like ‘the cloud’ or ‘over-the air updates’ provide the comforting fiction that we communicate through magical sparklies up in the stratosphere somehow. Not true. Data is moved by cable, in the harshest conditions imaginable. The connection is fragile and requires constant monitoring and repair. Next time Facebook drops off for a bit, think about the root cause.
Cats on film, always good to see, always a nightmare to wrangle. There have been improvements in training techniques but I’m glad to say our feline pals still have the upper hand when it comes to controlling their hoomans.
You may only know X-character Cable from his portrayal by Josh Brolin in Deadpool 2. Typically, a lot has been lost in the translation from comics to film. The son of Jean Grey and Scott Summers isn’t just a gruff time-travelling assassin with a pouch fetish. He is a parable for the entire human condition.
Font geekery. I’m not even going to apologise. You should know what you get from this newsletter by now.
I do love me a flying aircraft carrier. Machines like the SHIELD Heli-carrier may seem like a science-fictional fever-dream, but Readership, Attempts Were Made back in the day. I still think we missed a trick by not taking airships more seriously as a transport option.
Alec Worley looks at a couple of examples of an interesting horror trope—the helpless monster. Grist for the mill here, and Alec is worth reading in general for his wise counsel on all things genre.
Last up, the Museum of Modern Art in New York Citaaay has an online course in how to make comics and of course you’re interested and I think you should make a start this weekend.
How To Make Comics The MoMA Way
Let’s Outro with M83, live on KEXP. I love their swooping, cinematic future coolness, and I hope you do (or will after listening to this) too. A soundtrack to the uplift.
See you in seven, fellow travellers.
EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS 