My Year in Blogging, 2016 Edition

Working (mostly) backwards...

I think this thing I wrote about Castro is pretty good.

My series in response to Trump's election - here, here, here, and here - was interesting to write, and will continue in the new year.

I wrote about Starship Troopers in such a way that an actual member of the alt-Right turned up in the comments to say I'd caught their views pretty well.

I started a new series about storytelling itself (which I will continue at some point - I promise).  Here.

I wrote a three part series about horror movies - 'Psychic Landscape' - here, here, and here.  This may also continue at some point, though its original purpose is fulfilled.

'Tricky Dicky' continued, and I was especially pleased with Parts 4 and 5.

TD and PL also crossed over with a mini-trilogy of 'Margaret on the...' posts, which can be found here, here, and here.  I think those are quite good.

The pieces I wrote on the Coen Bros. films Fargo and A Simple Man went down quite well.

And I started the year with a trilogy of posts about Star Wars.  Episodes I, II, & III.

I did lots of Shabcasts I was pleased with this year, owing to the excellence of my guests, but my favourite was the one I did with Shana on The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth - here.

My, I have been a busy bee.  That Sandifer is a slave-driver.

Oh, and I also co-started a brand-new podcast with some friends, called Wrong With Authority.

Notice

I'm going to stop updating here for the forseeable future.  It's been a year since Eruditorum Press opened, and it seems to have been a success.  I don't see much point continuing to put links to EP stuff here.  I might occasionally post stuff here that doesn't fit on EP... like, if I write more Doctor/Felix fics, etc, but otherwise...

Anyone who wants regular installments of my genius knows where to go. 

Once again, thanks for reading oldstyle Shabgraff.

More Catching Up

Hi guys.  Some more catch-up.

I've now posted the third part of  'Psychic Landscape' series, here.  Oh, and here's Part 1, and here's Part 2. 

Also, here's Shabcast 22(ish) and the first chapter of a novel I kid myself I'm writing.

You Need To Get Both References

My dear Wilmarth,

Yes, you’re right about the abominations living in the hills, unholy and unspeakable emissaries of blasphemous old gods. I don’t like them either…

Oh come on Albert, we know what all this talk of the unnameable, crablike, fungal spawn of Yoggoth is really about! I want you! I want to bend you over my bust of Milton and have you roughly like the horny little bitch you are! And I know you want it too, you little cocktease!

Yours,

Henry Wentworth Akeley



P.S. I am wanking as I write this.

Belated Updates and Links

Hello oldskool Shabgraffers.  I've not updated here since before Brexit and before I turned 40, so here's a catch-up post.

I've now posted two parts of a new (mini)series of posts about horror movies called 'Psychic Landscape'.  Here's Part 1, and here's Part 2.  So far they're about the Conjuring movies, or at least using them as a springboard.

Also, here's something I wrote about the Chilcot Report.

And here's a satirical(?) piece I wrote about my usual obsessions.

Shabcast 21b

The second half of my titanic chat with the brilliant Josh Marsfelder can be found here.  Listen or you're sunk.

Shabcast 21a

The first part of my titanic new shabcast with my online friend, returning guest Josh Marsfelder (of Vaka Rangi, now part of Eruditorum Press) is up.  Details here.

New Post by Me at Eruditorum Press: White Screen

I've put some fresh bibble up at EP in the continuing hope Phil doesn't come to his senses.  Here it is.

Also, I was a guest of Daniel and Shana (again), this time on their Red Dwarf podcast 'Searching for Fuchal'.  We chat about the Series 1 classic 'Balance of Power', here.

Oh, and someone sampled me!

And you can still add your name to the Change.org petition for HBO to give me my own chat show, here.

Shabcast 20

Shabcast 20, with the inimitable James Murphy of Pex lives, City of the Dead and - formerly - The Last Exit Show, can be downloaded here.  See the page at Eruditorum Press - here - for a description of the conversation.

Also, Tricky Dicky, Part 7 is up - here.

Oh, and Kevin Burns has set up a petition at Change.org to get HBO to give me my own chat show.  Please sign it here.  Make TV history.

Sandifer an Interview

My interview with Phil Sandifer about his new book Neoreaction a Basilisk (help kickstart it here) is available to download, here.

Shabcast 19, Part 2

The second part of my most recent chat with Daniel Harper of the expanding Oi! Spaceman family of podcasts is now up for listening and/or downloading - here.

Next week I'll be releasing another Shabcast featuring my Eruditorum Press colleague Big Jim Murphy of Pex Lives.

Also, watch out for my forthcoming interview with Phil Sandifer, on an edition of his own Eruditorum Presscast, about his new book Neoreaction a Basilisk, which you can help kickstart here.

Shabcast 19, Part 1

The latest (surviving) Shabcast is out now, featuring the return of Daniel Harper of Oi! Spaceman.  We talk about loads of stuff.  Get it here.

A New 'Post' by Me at Eruditorum Press: Drunken Marxist

Yeah, here it is. 

New Post by Me at Eruditorum Press: Tricky Dicky, Part 6

The latest bit of my Tricky Dicky series is up, here.  In it, I start to ponder modern dress productions of Shakespeare and how they can alter the meaning of the texts, and the texts' relationship with history and ideology.

Also, here's a link to my post from last week, in which I think outloud a bit more about Blue Velvet (following my appearance talking about it on the TMBDOS podcast), and also about the political valence of the figure of the Fool.

Lining up some exciting Shabcasts right now, and hoping they pan out... so keep your fingers crossed for me!

Oh, and a few people have now told me they've nominated me in the category of Best Fan Writer in the upcoming Hugo Awards 2016.  This is very nice, and I have no objection if anyone else wants to follow their lead.  I'm sure Phil, Jane, and the boys at Pex Lives wouldn't mind if you wanted to nominate them too.  I'm not telling you to nominate any of us.  I'm just saying that, if you felt you wanted to, you needn't worry that any of us are going to be upset about it.  That's all.

New Post by Me at Eruditorum Press: On Shabogan Graffiti

Yeah, um, I actually had the nerve to submit this to Eruditorum Press as my post for this week.  I'm waiting to see if I get away with it.

Locate - Destroy - Listen

In my ongoing quest to infiltrate and destroy from within every other podcast in the world, I'm a guest this week on the excellent They Must Be Destroyed On Sight! Podcast, talking with hosts Lee Russell and Daniel Harper (my buddy from Oi! Spaceman, as you know) about 80s neo-noir classics Blue Velvet (Lynch, 1986) and Blood Simple (Coen Bros., 1983).  Here.

New Post by Me at Eruditorum Press: Tricky Dicky, Part 5

And here's yet more Tricky Dicky.  Quite pleased with this one, on the whole.

New Post by Me at Eruditorum Press: Tricky Dicky, Part 4

Here.

Another Guest Appearance on Oi! Spaceman

As the above title suggests, Daniel and Shana asked me back to guest on Oi! Spaceman yet again, this time talking 'Caves of Androzani'.  An interesting discussion, I think.  Shana forced me onto the defensive somewhat, which was illuminating and fun.  Download the episode here.

Shabcast 17

The new Shabcast - this time featuring special guest Shana from Oi! Spaceman, chatting with me about The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth - is up, here.

Shabcast 16

The latest Shabcast is available to download.  This week/month/time (delete as applicable) I'm honoured to be joined by Kevin Burns (the American half of Pex Lives) to discuss the Matrix trilogy, for reasons that defy easy explanation, but in ways that I believe turned out to be rather amusing.

New Post at Eruditorum Press: Minnesota Biblical

Another essay about a Coen Bros. movie, this time on A Serious Man (2009).  Here.

Posts by Me at Eruditorum Press (playing catch-up)

I dashed off some rubbish about zombies and the apocalypse for today.  It's not great, but I'm sick, tired, and mourning a dead pet, so you're lucky to be getting anything.

Also, last week I posted some stuff about 'Human Nature', thus finally rounding off a Shabgraff strand called 'The 1917 Zone' that I started ages ago.  I forgot to link to it from here.  So I'm doing it now.

Next Thursday should be Shabcast 16.  Until then, fuck off my darlings.  I need to go cry.

New Post by Me at Eruditorum Press: Forward, to the Past! - Episode III

The final episode in my trilogy of posts about Star Wars, here.

New Post by Me at Eruditorum Press: Minnesota Normal

I've written something about the movie Fargo.  Be prepared to not be sure if you're with me 100% on my blog-writing work.

New Post by Me at Eruditorum Press: Forward, to the Past! - Episode II

The darker middle-episode in my trilogy of posts about Star Wars, focusing on Force Awakens but about the series generally.  Here.

This bit is called 'Cuckballs'.  Because, really, what choice did I have?

SHABCAST L15TEN

Shabcast 15 is up, and features myself in conversation with Daniel Harper, one half of Oi! Spaceman, on the subject of Steven Moffat's 'Listen' from series 8... which we both like a lot. 

New Post by Me at Eruditorum Press: Forward, to the Past! - Episode I

Today I began a new trilogy of posts about an obscure, little-known film series called 'Star Wars' (something like that anyway). 

Read the first instalment exciting here.