Rocket Science: Chapter 15 – Illegal modsDecember 4, 2021
Previous Chapter… Luhman 16A, the brown dwarf around which revolved Crete, reposed in the sky like a rusty coin on the black interstellar bitumen. Moszkowski tapped Marley on the shoulder and pointed through the […]
Sleepless Society: Bedtime Wishes – Thai drama reviewNovember 29, 2021
Another epic outing in the Sleepless Society series, with 13 more episodes of challenging drama in this revenge tragedy. Nara (Savika Chaiyadej) goes to a country villa to catch up with new boyfriend Rain, who is turning his […]
Girl from Nowhere – cult Thai series reviewNovember 22, 2021
One way to describe Girl from Nowhere is a show that you would not recommend to your friends unless you want to punish them. At least not the squeamish ones. So warn them: GfN is a cross between satire and horror and is […]
Proclivia and Phidias: A dialogue part 2November 21, 2021
Previous… By Charlene Cat with Dan Wild Phidias: I would love to go to space. The other night I had a strange dream. It was of a rocket with five astronauts, so they are called. But it failed on launch and returned to the […]
Proclivia and Phidias: A dialogue somewhat in the style of PlatoNovember 15, 2021
By Charlene Cat with Dan Wild Phidias: My dear Proclivia, the state of the empire is not looking good. But we have only started our walk. Why am I already bringing up the decline and fall of the empire? Oh, and I hope you […]
Rocket Science Chapter 13 – HeadSpinNovember 8, 2021
Previous Chapter A well sculptured chin below a large nose, a lofty brow attended by flowing amber hair falling over large green eyes: this was Zeen Crawdex, who until recently had been a paragon of success. But his poisoning at […]
Rocket Science: Chapter 14 – To the Cretan EyeNovember 8, 2021
Previous chapter The Cretan Eye majestically hung in the green-blue sky like a toy space station suspended above a crib. One kilometre in diameter, with a circumference of 3.141592654 kilometres, this vast satellite was a homage […]
Sleepless Society: Insomnia – Thai thriller reviewOctober 25, 2021
During lockdown I started watching Thai TV. I’ve been to Thailand three times and Bangkok is one of my favourite cities. So I started learning a bit of the language too. Thanks to streaming services we can see that acting, […]
Space Sweepers movie review – Korean science fictionJuly 21, 2021
Space Sweepers, directed by Jo Sung-hee, is probably Korea’s first venture into blockbuster science fiction film. Much of Korean TV contains fantasy elements, so sci-fi isn’t too great a leap into the unknown. The […]
Record of Ragnarok review of Season 1 – AnimeJuly 17, 2021
Many of us dream of seeing showdowns between ultimate sporting legends, like a matchup between Don Bradman and Curtly Ambrose in cricket, or Muhammed Ali versus Mike Tyson. Or how about Fangio, Senna, Schumacher and Hamilton all […]
Rocket Science: Chapter 12 – Party of fourJuly 16, 2021
Previous Chapter Back in his quarters, Chuck Marley sat down and introduced Gaston Dimble and the Zorgon. The cleaning droid had attempted to tidy his room again. Pickle stains from the Betelgeuse Burgers remained, as did a […]
Rocket Science: Chapter 11 – The art of the loanJuly 16, 2021
Previous Chapter As Chuck Marley entered the office of Binary Loans he noticed the strapline above the door: ‘We Have Your Interest in Mind’ He strolled in, not over confident, but confident enough to attract the […]
Five great YouTube math channelsJuly 8, 2021
I watch maths channels on the internet. Why? I’m not sure. If I knew myself better I’d be able to answer that. I didn’t do well at school maths. Halfway through high school I dropped to intermediate level and […]
Rocket Science: Chapter 10 – Snooze buttonJune 29, 2021
Previous Chapter When the alarm went off Marley pushed the snooze button. The alarm buzzed half an hour later. Again Marley pushed snooze. One of the great advantages of modern technology was its adaptability. On the verge of the […]
Netflix Lupin review, with notes on French cultureJune 26, 2021
Omar Sy stars as Assane Diop, son of African immigrant Babakar, who is betrayed by an influential businessman. Babakar Diop (Fargasse Asandé), accused of theft, is imprisoned and ends his life in a cell, unable to live […]
Composing Sir Dinadan the Foolish Knight: Form and InspirationJune 23, 2021
I occasionally think about death. Being paganistic in a world dominated by the ego-centred Abrahamic faiths, my entrance into hell troubles me. May I request one thing: my arrival is accompanied by an orchestra playing my music. […]
Rocket Science: Chapter 9 – In denialJune 13, 2021
Previous Chapter The VT was playing hits of the 2670s. Chuck Marley had fallen asleep. Gaston Dimble was relishing the opportunity to study a rare historical document. The closest he had come to anything like this was when the […]
Rocket Science: Chapter 8 – Man of perfect proportionsJune 12, 2021
Previous Chapter When Gaston Dimble stumbled into Marley’s condo, he immediately began tucking into the leftover popcorn chicken. Marley had ordered a bowl of all varieties to entice the historian. He could never work out […]
Rocket Science: Chapter 7 – No sleeping in the libraryJune 11, 2021
Previous Chapter He climbed the stairs, two at a time and hovered within the lobby. From here he could see the backs of people on the endless steps. Others stood with hand above head, blocking out the artificial sunlight. The […]
Rocket Science: Chapter 6 – A short history of the Orion ArmJune 10, 2021
Previous Chapter He preferred to think he’d consulted a prophet, not a psychiatrist. That’s what he told Elysia in Server Assembly. She had been quite surprised how quickly he wired cords to their correct patch […]
Rocket Science: Chapter 5 – A candle and the shadowJune 8, 2021
Previous Chapter A rising hum passed through his entire range of hearing, like the proposed Ravel-Class Dreamliner lulling passengers to sleep. He had a sudden vision that maybe he should have done Flight Attendancy. Bags flashed […]
Rocket Science: Chapter 4 – Update the PriMateJune 4, 2021
Previous Chapter The PriMate tried its best analysing Chuck Marley, but he hadn’t installed the recent updates. In fact he hadn’t updated it in quite some time. His room was stuffy, and dietary feedback had been […]
Rocket Science: Chapter 3 – Procrastinating at the barJune 2, 2021
Previous chapter Marley lifted his head from the desk and looked around the library. It was mid-evening and buzzing with students. He collected his laser stylus and fold-up tablet, or flablet, and headed to the Quasar Bar to […]
Rocket Science: Chapter 2 – A haircut, red dust and OctomaidsMay 31, 2021
Previous Chapter Marley had not taken Interspecies Liaison seriously. Presentation was important, so the first requirement – have a haircut. He recalled his visit to the Shabbylands. The hairdresser had asked, “Do you […]
Rocket Science: Tales from the Orion ArmMay 31, 2021
Chapter 1 – The Omniverse The Multiverse was in a particularly bad mood when it first noticed Chuck Marley. It had just snacked on Y77, a small test universe on the fringes of imagination. Y77 was a failed universe and the […]
Percy the Pianist: Canto 2, stanzas 1-May 25, 2021
1The phoenix got out of the bath, fresh theRose scent lingered, free of parabens. ThankGod there were organic soaps (allergy,Allergy, all is allergy). A spank,Some pats, a few more spanks. Yank, yank, yank, yankAnd he was dry. He […]
HMRC pour the Cup of PainMay 21, 2021
It must have been a cold day, greyer than usual for the London bureaucrats who are trying to chase down an alleged tax debt I accrued before I left Olde Blighty. As if Centrelink didn’t provide enough angst for me last […]
Sonnet 3 — After WSMay 20, 2021
Scatter my ashes in your vale of kings,Or by a pond secure from frosty wind;Or lake, perhaps, where yesterday’s tidingsBring repose and solace I might yet findFrom the harsh sun that burnt me brown as duskIn autumn. Winter […]
Percy the Pianist: Canto 1, stanzas 70-75May 18, 2021
Previous… 70One final vision before the “Begin-Ning.” A vast chambre-rouge was where he hight-Ed in the lower-deep — there was no sinHere, no sound, no voice of past and spite-Full present (the future […]
Percy the Pianist: Canto 1, stanzas 51-69April 14, 2021
Previous.. Invocatio: To its own substance; woven tracery ran Of light firm texture, ribbed and branching, o’er The solid rind, like a leaf’s veined fan— Of which Love scooped […]
Percy the Pianist: Canto 1, stanzas 42-50April 8, 2021
Previous… 42[This stanza has intentionally been left blank] 43He slunk into the bath after high tea,Bringing a wafer wiv ‘im. Today he’d sayGoodbye to innocence, as minstrelsyBeckoned – he hoped […]
Percy the Pianist: Canto 1, stanzas 31-41March 23, 2021
Previous.. 31Half a day before the gathering stormRose Percy, not Percival of Wagner’sDour overture, based on the French wormOf Tours – these were really snaky nagas,Like an open pack of Lady gagasBought from a small […]
Percy the Pianist: Canto I, stanzas 21-30March 4, 2021
Stanzas 1-20 21Next eve the band Toucani reconvened,A final chance to demonstrate the planTo put on stage was sound. Absent a fiendOr devilish surprise, the piano manPercy was full prepared, the billy canOf his musical ideas […]
The Multiverse – All you need to knowFebruary 22, 2021
The multiverse is the universe of universes. Its existence is postulated but not proven. Quantum physicists and philosophers are its most passionate advocates as well as its detractors. I’m a very passionate advocate: it […]
Digression after Bruce Acotyledon’s Seminar – Intellectual verseFebruary 19, 2021
The dear reader will forgive me, first if I address him as “dear”, when his acquaintance I probably have not made nor ever will. Secondly, for assuming that my reader is a ‘he’. The fact is, women do not […]
Percy the Pianist: A Byronic PoemFebruary 16, 2021
Take heed: nothing below is spoken seriously:No lasting harm has come from poetryExcept to the self-proclaimed poet’s dignity. 1Meet young Percy: our aspiring pianistWhose name has been sufficiently amended:He’s in […]
A strange vortex sucks in my landlord, Constable Sedgewick, myself, and a pigeonFebruary 11, 2021
The second instalment of a speculative account of the death of John William Polidori.Link to first instalment. The first thing that crossed my mind was that I might be dead. But I was patently still here. Although I might not […]
Polidori’s Date with Destiny: An Elaborate FictionFebruary 9, 2021
Beneath its weight man pauses in his willAnd crouches at the dark-robed phantom’s feet : The Fall of the Angels, To The Deity, John Polidori, 1821 My eyes struggled towards the lazy light from my half-open window. I rolled […]
The Temptation of Merlin: A Pre-Raphaelite compositionFebruary 7, 2021
Legend has it that one of Merlin’s protégés was Nimue, or Viviane, Lady of Lake. Merlin and Viviane were instrumental in King Arthur’s ascent to the throne and the formation of Camelot, gathering place […]
My Pet Insects, or Life without CatsJanuary 20, 2021
I grew up with cats. Don’t get me wrong, I like dogs too. But my family was a cat family and I guess that makes me a catman. Our first cat was Oscar. My Dad called him Oscar because … look at my last name! Then there […]
Living with Hearing Loss, the Invisible DisabilityJanuary 12, 2021
My hearing loss has had a profound effect on my life. The vast majority rarely encounter people under the age of sixty who have this disability. Those who live with it face a daily struggle. Others do not notice the struggle. […]
An Overture To His Coy MistressJanuary 4, 2021
My composing sessions extend to eight hours, with plenty of breaks for coffee and stretching, which is why I don’t compose when on contract. The title, To His Coy Mistress, entered my head because I’m a mid-forties […]
Becoming a full-time composerDecember 27, 2020
A month has passed since I last posted. I’m still learning Chinese and pondering the deep well of life, so 2021 should see more TV shows reviewed and more random posts from the fringes of consciousness etched onto this […]
Bountiful Blessings review – Quirky Chinese Singaporean sitcomNovember 14, 2020
Year: 2011Rating: MEpisodes: 20 x ~43minCountry: Singapore Bountiful Blessings has lost none of its charm on a second viewing. Learning Mandarin led to an unexpected attachment to the Singapore-Malaysia drama scene, starting […]
The Dream Job review – Singapore dramaOctober 16, 2020
A lot of effort has gone into this show, reflected in its high production values. The messy family drama pulled me in but the constant toxicity wore me down. Its greatest sin though is its ending: simplistic and maybe morally […]
Left out of the Federal Budget, still no job and a Centrelink catastropheOctober 11, 2020
The Federal Government’s 2020 budget released in October has a particular segment of the population worried, and I am in this segment: people over 35 years old. The government has incentivised employers to hire people under […]
Five great YouTube science channelsSeptember 18, 2020
In a quest to buff my sci-fi novels with more (ahem) science, I’ve been watching science-related channels on YouTube. The quality has been exceptional. I’ve given ample space on this site to Netflix, so hopefully […]
An open letter to my friends, from Mona ClenlowSeptember 4, 2020
Hi. How are you? Like how are you really? I’ve been thinking about you. I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch. I don’t know what to say really. I haven’t been doing anything much. Probably the same as […]
Ashes of Love review (2018) Season OneSeptember 2, 2020
Childlike innocence and first-love blended with dark magic and high fantasy is a staple in Chinese drama. Like Ice Fantasy (2016), Ashes of Love is also based on a novel, in this case, Heavy Sweetness, […]
Ice Fantasy review (2016) Season OneAugust 23, 2020
Let’s start by saying that Ice Fantasy, or 幻城 (Huànchéng), is a guilty pleasure. The sets are creative, backgrounds and special effects are impressive, and later there are some […]
