(no subject)

It seems even the KGB occasionally needs to sleep. At least, LJ is letting me post right now! But I have to do it from the library (which is a good thing, because it means I'm spending the whole day there) because the internet in our flat is proving that you don't need Russians to be really slooow. As in - too slow to access any page at all.

Have finished one essay, so I will probably take some time off next week to finally do some travelling in Britain. Apart from my short trips to London and Edinburgh, I haven't been anywhere, and the weather right now seems to be changeable but mostly okay.

Yesterday night (also sans internet) I finished my first proper Doctor Who tie-in novel, "Theatre of War" by Justin Richards. It's actually more of a Benny novel, because it has Benny and Brax in his first appearance and the Collection, but nominally it's a Seven and Ace novel. And it's very excellent. The first tie-in that at no point made me think "well, it's a tie-in, I have to lower my standards" (both as a reader of literature and fanfic) or roll my eyes. The Bernice Summerfield tie-ins I've read were also good, but uneven, and I much prefer Richards' Benny to Jacqueline Rayner's Benny, who often seems a bit like a caricature of herself because she's so over the top in terms of being drunk and worrying about the size of her bum (This may be a mean thing to say, but Rayner's Benny is sort of carrying a sign that says "Hi, I'm a female character!"). He's also really good at writing Seven, because his Seven hardly says or does anything that doesn't make me think "oh god, Seven is such a silly/creepy weirdo" in a fond way, and the Doctor's smart, but not as smart as he thinks. The highlight of the book, for me (it was the reason I bought it) is obviously Brax. I was amused that his scheme - grand, overdramatic, ridiculously complicated, outsmarting Seven - is pretty much exactly the same thing he and Benny do in "Escaping the Future", only, unlike most of his more evil schemes, it succeeds and everyone, even the Doctor, is happy. Also, the Doctor has the very first research ticket for the collection (aww) and Brax writes him a letter and it all fits fanon. Very pleasing!

(no subject)

It seems even the KGB occasionally needs to sleep. At least, LJ is letting me post right now! But I have to do it from the library (which is a good thing, because it means I'm spending the whole day there) because the internet in our flat is proving that you don't need Russians to be really slooow. As in - too slow to access any page at all.

Have finished one essay, so I will probably take some time off next week to finally do some travelling in Britain. Apart from my short trips to London and Edinburgh, I haven't been anywhere, and the weather right now seems to be changeable but mostly okay.

Yesterday night (also sans internet) I finished my first proper Doctor Who tie-in novel, "Theatre of War" by Justin Richards. It's actually more of a Benny novel, because it has Benny and Brax in his first appearance and the Collection, but nominally it's a Seven and Ace novel. And it's very excellent. The first tie-in that at no point made me think "well, it's a tie-in, I have to lower my standards" (both as a reader of literature and fanfic) or roll my eyes. The Bernice Summerfield tie-ins I've read were also good, but uneven, and I much prefer Richards' Benny to Jacqueline Rayner's Benny, who often seems a bit like a caricature of herself because she's so over the top in terms of being drunk and worrying about the size of her bum (This may be a mean thing to say, but Rayner's Benny is sort of carrying a sign that says "Hi, I'm a female character!"). He's also really good at writing Seven, because his Seven hardly says or does anything that doesn't make me think "oh god, Seven is such a silly/creepy weirdo" in a fond way, and the Doctor's smart, but not as smart as he thinks. The highlight of the book, for me (it was the reason I bought it) is obviously Brax. I was amused that his scheme - grand, overdramatic, ridiculously complicated, outsmarting Seven - is pretty much exactly the same thing he and Benny do in "Escaping the Future", only, unlike most of his more evil schemes, it succeeds and everyone, even the Doctor, is happy. Also, the Doctor has the very first research ticket for the collection (aww) and Brax writes him a letter and it all fits fanon. Very pleasing!