London locations 1

Here are a few photos from our recent adventure in London, aka Peasants In The Big City. First here's Sarah with her new best friend, Paddington Bear, at the train station they named after him. ( I think that's right..... )

Paddington Station's gorgeous Victorian architecture, courtesy of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, with some modern intrusions.

The most famous clock tower in the world?

"Yet stands the church clock at ten to three

And is there honey still for tea?"

Rupert Brooke

A view of the Palace Of Westminster ( otherwise known as the Houses Of Parliament ) from the top of the London Eye. The iconic towers of the former Battersea power station are also visible in the distance. But no flying pigs.

The County Hall building, again taken from the London Eye. This is a beautiful building that's best seen from this viewpoint. As well as the ticket office for the Eye, it also houses the Sea Life centre and the Zen Cafe, which isn't as metaphysical as it sounds.....

Portcullis House, a modern office block next to Westminster Bridge, housing a bunch of overpaid, ineffectual parasites, or Members of Parliament as they're known to the public. ( Cynical, moi? )

Still, it's a cool building.

That last pic's for Mickey Glitter :-)

( More London pics to follow, you lucky people. )

When I paint my masterpiece

Hi to new Follower, Christos, curator of the very stylish blogs Painting ( English translation ) and Famous Album Covers. Christos is a poet and artist in the beautiful city of Athens - how cool is that?

( That noise you hear is me, seething with envy :-) and booking a flight to Greece... )

Remembering the King

Today would have been the birthday of the late, great King of Comics, Jack Kirby.

Here are just a few examples of Jack's awesome artwork, from Marvel to DC, from New York to New Genesis, from here to infinity. And beyond.....

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Here's Sarah, obviously enjoying being a year older today.

"No photos! No photos!"

Movies on the menu

A belated welcome to new Follower, Jaccstev, from the blog Movie Cafe. Check it out for cool film news and reviews.....

..... and maybe some damn fine coffee.

Soundtrack: Innervisions by Stevie Wonder

Post no. 350

Blogging: it's the real thing.....

Bringing SFXy back

As the next issue of The World's Number One Sci-Fi Magazine is out soon, I thought I'd better mention my mini-review in the last issue. It was the turn of Roger Zelazny's 1967 novel, Lord Of Light, to er, shine in the SFX Book Club.

Lord Of Light is a suitably psychedelic novel of a colony world where the crew of an Earth starship have used technology to become virtually superhuman, and cast themselves in the roles of Hindu gods. The main character Sam ( aka Siddhartha, Mahasamatman, Binder Of Demons ) is a classic trickster/troublemaker who tries to bring about the fall of the gods, but is executed for his crimes. Luckily, reincarnation is always an option when you're a Hindu god.....

It's quite a confusing book, with an awkward framing device: most of the story is told in flashback, so when you return to the "present" it's hard to remember where it all started. I suppose this is all to do with the cyclical nature of karma, but it is a bit of a headache.

But that's my only quibble ( love that word! ) with a book that is dazzling, witty, sensual and glitteringly complex - a real tour-de-force by a sadly-missed author at the height of his powers. Zelazny overwhelms the reader with the plots and counter-plots of his godlike characters and the sheer detail of his world, with its prayer-machines, technological Heaven, phantom jungle-cats, Demons, martyrs and warriors. What I'm saying is: check it out; it's good karma.

( I won't go into the crazy-but-supposedly-true story of the Lord Of Light theme park, Jack Kirby and a CIA plot..... but you can read about it here and make your own minds up. )

Jack the Lad

I've just watched One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest for the first time in years - what a great film! I'd forgotten just what a fantastic performance Jack Nicholson gives in this movie, back in the days when he was one of the most exciting actors around, and not just *Jack* the larger-than-life caricature of himself.

"You lunatics, you mental defectives....."

Frogs!

I discovered these cute critters in the Rainforest Cafe at the Trocadero in London. Couldn't resist 'em!

It's amazing the people you can meet in London...

Yeah, we're back from our week in London, tired but happy. More photos to follow.....

Soundtrack: All Mod Cons by The Jam.

London Calling ( slight return )

Tomorrow morning we're off on our trip to that there London town, letting the train take the strain :-)

This probably means that there will be no new communications from Cerebus HQ for the next week or so. ( Not that I've been that prolific of late, anyway. ) So, for now, I'll leave you with two versions of the UK's most patriotic hero,

Captain England/Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland,

known as Brian to his mates.....

New Scott Pilgrim Trailer, ZX Spectrum-Style

New Scott Pilgrim Trailer, ZX Spectrum-Style

Courtesy of SFX magazine. Old skool!

London Calling

Countdown to the capital: one week until our holiday in London. I really can't wait. Something tells me it's going to be a long week.....

Randomiser VIII

The rampaging return of the righteous Randomiser, dredged up from the data dungeon of the Glass Walking-Stick.

Soundtrack: Rattlesnakes by Lloyd Cole and The Commotions.