Fantasy

The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson

The novel “The Night Land” by William Hope Hodgson was published for the first time in 1912.

When his wife, Lady Mirdath the Beautiful, dies, her widower falls into a state of great prostration. He loved his wife very much and had a very special connection with her, as they literally shared some very special dreams.

In his state, the man starts having a vision of a very distant future in which the Sun is dead and the last human beings live underground. On that Earth whose surface is inhabited by monstrous creatures, the souls of the two spouses have reunited in new human incarnations. However, the two of them are separated and the man must face the darkness to reunite with his beloved.

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.

Roger Corman in 2012

The legendary director, producer, and actor Roger Corman passed away on May 9 (Photo Angela George).

Roger Corman was born on April 5, 1926, in Santa Monica, California. He studied at Stanford University but between 1944 and 1946 he served in the US Navy. In 1947 he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering but only worked for a few days as an engineer because he realized that he didn’t want to do that kind of job and immediately devoted himself to cinema instead.

In 2009, Roger Corman received an Honorary Academy Award for his rich engendering of films and filmmakers. It’s just a small tribute to a man who has been appreciated for decades for his productions. His influence on generations of filmmakers proves what a master of cinema he was, a craftsman capable of creating quality movies with limited means.

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin

The novel “The City We Became” by N.K. Jemisin was published for the first time in 2020. It’s the first book of the Great Cities series. It won the Locus and BSFA Awards.

Various people discover that they are the avatars of certain boroughs of New York while an artist discovers that he’s the avatar of the entire city from the avatar of Sao Paulo. Some of them are attacked by shapeshifters and strange tendrils but manage to repel those attacks.

Manny, the avatar of Manhattan, is confronted by a mysterious woman but manages to defeat her thanks to the help of the avatar of Brooklyn. Various types of attacks follow, not always direct because in some cases, they exploit corruption and fascist groups.

Dead Lies Dreaming by Charles Stross

The novel “Dead Lies Dreaming” by Charles Stross was published for the first time in 2020. It’s part of the Laundry series and within it is the first book of the Tales of the New Management.

Rupert de Montfort Bigge is a billionaire who has adapted well to the New Management. An opportunity comes for him when he learns that the Necronomicon is being auctioned off in an underground auction. It’s perhaps the only existing copy of the real legendary Necronomicon. Eve Starkey is his special agent whose goal is to get it, at all costs.

Getting your hands on a book as unique and dangerous as the Necronomicon is difficult, yet there are various people ready for anything with many resources at their disposal. Eve hires her brother Jeremy “Imp” and his group of Lost Boys to help her with their powers but their paths cross with that of Wendy Deere adding complications together with the discreet but constant presence of the Bond.