Book Review – The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality by Gahan Hanmer
The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality by Gahan Hanmer My rating: 4 of 5 stars I was offered a free copy by the publisher. What made me say yes to this offer was that the story was about an attempt to set up a fake mediaeval kingdom in the modern world. As a (lapsed) 17th century re-enactor it ticked my 'experimental archaeology' box and I thought it would be worth reading. Member of The Montgomery Levy displaying archery in mediaeval times (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Having read The Kingdom on the Edge of Reality it was much more than I had expected and I really enjoyed it on a number of levels. Firstly there is a very interesting piece of straight literary fiction here. It isn't a work of fantasy and there is strictly no magic. Given a billionaire determined enough this…
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B203 Information Management
Information Management Framework (Photo credit: Wikipedia) I spent Friday immersed in information management, courtesy of the last (of six) assignments for the Open University course B203 (Business Functions in Context). Up until I started this module every time someone mentioned the term 'Information Manager' I internally translated it to 'Librarian'. Generally I've not enjoyed B203 as much as the previous six course, probably because it is too wide (it covers Operations, Marketing, Finance, HR & Information Management). Also some of the text books are just dire, especially the Marketing and Information Management ones. Information Management != Librarian English: The relationship between Information Science, Computer Science, Information Systems and Management. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) What I have learnt is that information management is not about being a librarian, nor an archivist. I'd already separated it conceptually from Information Technology (IT or ICT)…
Author Interview – K Lynn
This week's interview is with K Lynn, an author of LGBT character based fiction, her upcoming novel, His Womanly Ways, will be released by Torquere Press on May 27th. Her novella, Coffee Date, will be released by Less Than Three Press on July 1st and is available for pre-order. How long have you been writing for and what made you start writing? I've been writing since I was a child. I was an avid reader and I was always making up my own stories to go along with those I read. Plus, there was always “play pretend” when my friends or cousins got together. Making up stories was always a part of my life. Do you write for a living, or do you also do other work? I wish I could say that writing income could support me, but that's not in…
How to Properly Spoil Your Vote
How to Properly Spoil Your Vote What if I don't like any candidate? You might be one of the many people that doesn't like the main parties, and none of the other candidates standing in your area represent your views either. There are several things you can do. 1. Stand for election yourself (or help someone else to run) 2. Vote Tactically 3. Spoil your vote by writing on the ballot paper Spoil Your Vote Properly When it comes down to it and you realise that you really cannot commit to any candidate. Don't be disheartened. Do go to the polling station. Deliberately spoil your vote. Be Deliberate There is received wisdom that most ballot papers are spoiled accidentally. Personally I've spoiled a number of ballot papers and none of them has been accidental. So if you decide to spoil your vote…
Book Review – Engines of Extinction (episode 1) by Chris Martin
Engines of Extinction: Episode I - The End & The Means by Chris Martin My rating: 4 of 5 stars Chris Martin has spent a lot of time with Special Forces soldiers writing about their exploits, and that shows with this work of fiction. The primary character, written in a first person epistolary format, is a former special forces operator who has got in too deep and regrets it. The setting and character is completely believable, there is a life story narrative for a chunk of the story as the narrator tries to establish enough bona fides for us to believe the story he wishes to leak. Being the first in a series the whole story isn't played out, there are clearly more parts to come and this is an excellent hook to get us interested and paint the scene.…