May 2024

Citadel by Marko Kloos

The novel “Citadel” by Marko Kloos was published for the first time in 2021. It’s the third book in The Palladium Wars series and follows “Ballistic”.

Aden Jansen, as he calls himself now, thinks he can get some rest along with the rest of the crew of the merchant spaceship Zephyr but their choices have very serious consequences. Dunstan Park has received a promotion but not in the way she would have liked and being given command of a very special spaceship is a big surprise.

Color Sergeant Idina Chaudhary faces problems that are becoming increasingly severe, and the arrival of a new deputy high commissioner makes her job even more difficult. Solveig Ragnar has discovered what drove her brother to abandon their family and must decide how to handle this knowledge, especially in her relationship with her father.

The Ravine (Les Peiroulets) by Vincent van Gogh (1889)

Last Saturday, I visited the exhibition dedicated to Vincent van Gogh open in Trieste, Italy, at the Revoltella Museum until June 30, 2024. It’s an extraordinary opportunity to admire many paintings by this great artist on loan from the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, in the Netherlands, and some on loan from the National Gallery of Rome for a total of 49 paintings and drawings.

Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) in 73 Yards (Image courtesy BBC / Disney+)

“73 Yards” is an episode of the 14th season of the new “Doctor Who” series, also indicated as season 1, and follows “Boom”. It’s available in the UK and Ireland on BBC channels and in many other countries on the Disney+ platform.

Beware that in various adverts and marketing materials, this season is promoted as season 1, marking the start of production by Bad Wolf and distribution by Disney+, hence the double notation. On BBC’s website, “73 Yards” is indicated as episode 4 of 8 while Disney+ indicates it as episode 5.

The Killing Machine by Jack Vance

The novel “The Killing Machine” by Jack Vance was published for the first in 1964. It’s the second book in the Demon Princes series and follows “The Star King”.

Kirth Gersen agrees to work as a spy for the police but only after completing his mission does he discover that one of the criminals he had to face was actually Kokor Hekkus. Nicknamed The Killing Machine, he’s one of the demon princes Gersen wants to kill and was operating under a false name.

A trace leads Kirth Gersen to investigate a series of kidnappings carried out by Kokor Hekkus to obtain large ransoms. Interchange is an unofficial organization that acts as an intermediary between kidnappers and anyone who wants to pay the ransom. Gersen discovers that among Interchange’s “guests” is Alusz Iphigenia Eperje-Tokay, a girl who claims to come from the mythical planet Thamber, where Hekkus is said to have a base.

Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) in Boom (Image courtesy BBC / Disney+)

“Boom” is an episode of the 14th season of the new “Doctor Who” series, also indicated as season 1, and follows “The Devil’s Chord”. It’s available in the UK and Ireland on BBC channels and in many other countries on the Disney+ platform.

Beware that in various adverts and marketing materials, this season is promoted as season 1, marking the start of production by Bad Wolf and distribution by Disney+, hence the double notation. On BBC’s website, “Boom” is indicated as episode 3 of 8 while Disney+ indicates it as episode 4.