…is that the variance in quality is also striking: there are episodes which really, really suck, and episodes which are really great (“Girl in the Fireplace”, for instance. Like many people, I’m a Moffat fan). It’s interesting to see. Russell Davies, for instance, has a greater liking for the overblown drama, which sits ill with me; I tend to prefer more restraint. Unlike the H, I already had some idea of the basic principles; and while the show do…

…inces, share gossip and learn from each other. However, the house does not come with an internet connection, so expect to see very little of me on the web until Monday (there might be a brief interval of connectivity while I’m in the Thalys, as they have wifi). Blog’s going dark again. Meanwhile, if you happen to be anywhere near London on Saturday, my publisher Angry Robot is having their UK launch party at Forbidden Planet from 12:30 onwards. Au…

…eral writers together and have them get along like a house on fire. The Surrealist Oracle (random questions, random answers). Highlight: Stephen: “What was your worst pick-up line?” Ruth: “I am the master of the universe!” The writers present were Floris Kleijne (partially), Ruth Nestvold, Jeff Spock, Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, Sara Genge (who is steadily taking over the world), Deanna Carlyle, and Stephen Gaskell. We workshopped stories, ate good food,…

…re, and part 4 (Acatl and death in Mexica religion) here. Any questions or comments welcome! 1. The Valley of Mexico (and Aztec Empire) Who are the Aztecs? The first question you’ll ask yourself when you read the book is why I refer to them by the name of “Mexica”. What’s with that, you ask? Well, the Aztecs never called themselves Aztecs. That was a name foisted on them later by the Spanish: it comes from Aztlan, the White Place (which the Aztecs…

…re, and part 4 (Acatl and death in Mexica religion) here. Any questions or comments welcome! 2. The City of Tenochtitlan and the Migration Myth If the basin of Anahuac was a place of waters (see previous post), Tenochtitlan was the archetype of an island city. It’s been referred to as the Venice of Mesoamerica, and not without reason, as most of the city was laid along canals. The city was built on an island in Lake Texcoco, a naturally defensible…

…re, and part 4 (Acatl and death in Mexica religion) here. Any questions or comments welcome! 3. The Sacred Precinct Just as the valley of Mexico was the heart of the Empire, so the Sacred Precinct was that of Tenochtitlan. Its function was simple: to serve as the religious and ceremonial centre for the city. Within the Serpent Wall that delimitated its boundaries, the Sacred Precinct included the major temples of Mexica gods, areas for specific sa…

…its workshop for Sunday (the goal of the latter being to write an exercise completely at odds with the rest of your writing. If you really want to know what I had to do–I was supposed to write from the point of view of a white angry male. I failed.) Also, there was gorgeous food: chicken enchiladas, spaghetti bolognese, curry, orange-and-chocolate scones, and Mexican brunch. Mmmm. I always eat too much at those things. I’ll post the recipe for the…

…As part of her ongoing series of short writer/editor interviews (which have included fellow AR author Kaaron Warren), the lovely Angela Slatter asked me five questions. Find out what my favourite literary character is, and whether I prefer donuts or danishes here….

…opsis for book 3 of Obsidian and Blood, gearing up for Nanowrimo. -Can haz first draft of story, temporarily titled “Starsong”, in the Xuya/Shipbirth/Shipmaker continuity (well, discontinuity, as so far it’s a little incompatible with previous episodes). Just in time for VD7. -And battling with fiendish interview questions, too (not sure I’m allowed to go public with whom it’s for just yet, but they’ll recognise themselves 🙂 )…

…we’re talking about Scorpius here, aka Mr Paranoiacally Prepared. Did they really think he wouldn’t have a backup of the entire research close to hand, or even several backups spread in key locations? Well, as it turns out, he hadn’t, because the script needed him to act like an idiot at this point. Season 4 got to a particularly low point, which was a shame because it had started to raise interesting questions–I loved the idea of Scorpius joining…