Orbis and Battlestar Galactica: in space...

No-one can hear you shout at the screen! (still no spoilers)
Well, the next installment of BSG: the final season went out last night. Being able to watch it as it airs has compensated for the lack of Doctor Who over here, but last night was definitely one of those episodes where I was raging against the machine! The DVD player, that is. And the TV. Yes, while I loved the episode, it didn't make me happy. Not one bit. Remember when Joss used to tear out your heart and make you watch while he danced all over it? In army boots? (I was going to put 'stilettos' but that was a way too disturbing image!) Well it was like the good old days, but worse because now we have to wait another week. Maybe I won't watch, in protest. Even as I typed that I knew it was futile. Of course I'm going to watch. If only they didn't make you care so much! But I suppose that's the whole point. Yep, life's a beach....

And now the good news - I've been Softwired!
When I started the first of the Softwire books by PJ Haarsma, The Softwire Book 1: Virus On Orbis 1, I had to make myself stop because I had lots of real work to do, and that was definitely under the title 'Pleasure'. But as an incentive to myself I had planned to read it yesterday if I got everything done. Now, as anyone with kids on a Pro-D day (where the school is out for teacher training etc) will know, it's not easy to sit, undisturbed. So I read in blocks yesterday, and what a great story! It had me totally transported to Orbis.

It gets into your brain...
After watching Battlestar Galactica it was late but I had to finish the last part of the book - I just couldn't leave it. Now, I don't want to give anything away about the plot. But I can tell you that Mr Haarsma has created fantastically detailed and totally believable technology, time and space for his characters. This isn't gimmicky Sci-fi. Sci-fi is part of the book, but it is driven by the characters and the story, and will have you guessing until the end. And I loved the ending to this. It was moving, unexpected and made me want to read more. The action is very well paced, you care about what is happening to the characters and to their world, and it actually makes you think. For me, that adds up to a Good Read. I couldn't help but imagine it as a film, possibly animated, with the voices of...well, I won't go on because you should really read it for yourself first. And then we can argue about who should play what in the film! Now I have to negotiate with myself for when I can read the next one...

Tweaked and Tweeted
After my perhaps ill-advised blog yesterday, Tabz, the producer and writer (among other things) of Buffy: Between the Lines left a comment about why I should give Twitter a reasonable chance before deciding it's not for me. Well, I have a growing respect for Tabitha the more I find out about her multitudinous work, and so I'm going to take her advice. I'm not sure where this will take me, but that's really the whole point. I'll keep you posted. Or is that Tweeted?!