"Rule #1: The Doctor lies."

[greygirlbeast]

Er...yeah. I just wasted half an hour searching for a Martha Jones icon. It's what I do. Well, it's the sort of thing I do. Sometimes. Like this morning.

Yesterday, was a bit like the day before yesterday, only less so. Still mostly the busyness of writing, and too much email, but not as much too much email, and with the added burden of waiting. Few things in the world are as evil as waiting. I'm pretty sure that there's a whole level of Dante's Unabridged Inferno (to be published in 2019) where the damned suffer an eternity of...waiting. Nothing else. Just waiting. Yesterday, the waiting mostly involved Alabaster, and deadlines, and the impending vacation. Oh, and I went through the thirty-second "teaser" trailer for The Drowning Girl: A Memoir, literally frame by frame, then sent a few notes to Brian Siano. He's doing the final editing this weekend. It's almost perfect.

Then, just after dark, Harlan called to thank me for sending him a copy Two Worlds and In Between (he'd called and asked for one), and he went on and on about how much he loved Lee's cover. Which is cool, because I was inspired to go in that direction by several of Harlan's covers which incorporate him as an element of a fantastic scene (see The Essential Ellison, for example). And then he read me the first part of "Rats Live On No Evil Star," and...well, these are the moments writers live for, aren't they? When our literary progenitors, those without whom we would not be, speak our own words back to us, words they helped, without intention, to fashion? Yes, I think these are those moments. Anyway, Harlan was generous and sweet and funny, as always.

---

Demons run when a good man goes to war.
Night will fall and drown the sun,
When a good man goes to war.

Friendship dies and true love lies,
Night will fall and the dark will rise,
When a good man goes to war.

Demons run, but count the cost:
The battle's won, but the child is lost. ~ River Song

Which is to say we watched two more episodes of Doctor Who last night, two more from Series Six: "A Good Man Goes to War" and "Let's Kill Hitler." And I will just say that, wow, "A Good Man Goes to War" redeems Series Six and back again. Damn, that was some good Who. And, as ashlyme predicted yesterday, I truly am enamored with Madam Vastra and Jenny. But some actual Victorian lesbian lizard-on-human action, please. Unmistakable innuendo is nice and all, but full on...um...I'm losing my train of thought. It is an excellent, excellent episode, as is "Let's Kill Hitler." There might yet be hope for Matt Smith (but not for Rory, who is only Xander recycled).

Also, more Rift last night (as per usual), leveling (Indus to 37) in the Moonshade Highlands. Later, I read a very, very good story, Angela Slatter's The Coffin-Maker's Daughter. I'd never read Slatter, but the story was very good, and was, indeed, about a coffin-maker's daughter, Hepsibah, who was herself a maker of coffins, and also a lesbian. What's not to like? Oh, plus Slatter was inspired by two Florence + the Machine songs, "My Boy Builds Coffins" and "Girl With One Eye." Then I read a new Stephen King story, "The Little Green God of Agony." As I've said, I don't care much for King, but I liked the title. And the story has a certain strength, and wasn't bad, if only the ending hadn't veered off into such clichéd creep-show horrors. If your stories fall apart when the monster appears on stage, stop writing about monsters. I drifted off to sleep sometime after four ayem, watching Frank Borzage's 1932 adaptation of A Farewell to Arms, which really is better than Charles Vidor's 1957 version, and not just because Gary Cooper is cooler than Rock Hudson.

Also, because I was admonished in yesterday's comments by mizliz13 for using the recently overused and perverted adjective awesome, and admonished rightly so, from here on I shall use "bow tie" in its stead.

---

Today is an assembly day. I must pull Sirenia Digest #72 together, and try to get it out before midnight (CaST). By the way, "Question @ Hand #5" will be the last "Question @ Hand." Indeed, I've half a mind not to run it, but that would be a sleight to the few people who did write pieces (and the one who wrote two!). I think that the decline in replies (#1 had over 30, about a year and a half ago; #5 had 10 responses) is further evidence of the dramatic changes here on LJ.

And now, the platypus.

Don't Get Cocky, Kid,
Aunt Beast

Comments

[grandmofhelsing.livejournal.com]

The second of the four "Night and the Doctor" shorts contained on disc 3, all about time and dreams and things you remember but you're sure never happened, may be my favorite moment of all series 6.

[marisa sandlin (from livejournal.com)]

Completely off-topic, but I was listening to Stars this morning (a very good band from Montreal) and something said at the beginning of one of their songs ("Your Ex-Lover is Dead") reminded me of you: "When there is nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire."

So...that was all I wanted to share.

Oh, and I read "As Red as Red" in BNW 22 and I absolutely loved it. Kept me thinking for a few days.

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

I'm still a bit pissed off with myself for name-spoilers (again, sorry!) but I'm glad you like those episodes.

Rory's a bit of a dullard.

Yeah, that innuendo made me laugh a lot. As did the line about Jack the Ripper. They are, truly, bowtie.

[sovay]

And then he read me the first part of "Rats Live On No Evil Star," and...well, these are the moments writers live for, aren't they?

That is truly wonderful. Congratulations.

I think that the decline in replies (#1 had over 30, about a year and a half ago; #5 had 6 responses) is further evidence of the dramatic changes here on LJ.

I just burnt out. Damn it.

[lee-in-limbo.livejournal.com]

I'm probably no fun, but I've been having very little trouble enjoying New Who. My critical fauclites are engaged, but I keep finding that, when I know there's a plothole, there are other things that cover it up well enough that I don't feel the need to rant that I often get watching other shows (including the recent Torchwood series). The only problem for me this season is, for some reason I can't explain, Amy and Rory's marriage just isn't hitting me. They're still who they are, and they're both getting more camera time, which is good fo rthem, but somehow, I remain unconvinced of this great and growing love of theirs. I feel like I've failed somehow to grasp it. I must have missed something.

[lee-in-limbo.livejournal.com]

On the flipside, I am so happy for your Uncle Harlan moment. I long for one of those. Congratulations.

[ladyblue56.livejournal.com]

Bowtie is good word. When I'm more fatigued or having brain fog, everything is stuff and awesome. That is my sign to limit comments as the brain will take me odd places. Pain has it's own language but I'm discovering chronic fatigue does as well.

Finished reading The Red Tree earlier in the week while in hospital w. pneumonia. May I just say, BOWTIE!

Santa is bringing Two Worlds and in Between. My cats always know which books to buy for me. >smile

Author Michael Swanwick posted a video of 'Fishmen,' as he describes it: a disturbing Christmas video composed by the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society.
http://floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2011/12/disturbing-christmas-video-du-jour.html

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

I was just reading last night an article tracing Harlan's work on the video game version of "I Have no Mouth and I Must Scream," which remains one of my favorite interactive experiences (and my introduction to his work, a fact that leaves me feeling both very young and slightly old). It's good to hear about him, sometimes.

[mizliz13.livejournal.com]

Bow tie. Because, you know, bow ties are cool.

[alumiere.livejournal.com]

I'm glad he liked it, and slightly jealous that he read some of your work to you.