[space] Bicycle Racing In Space Could Be A Thing … Hard science fiction gives us the possibility of MAMIL’s in space! ‘…the idea for the space bike comes from a short story called Grand Tour by Charles Sheffield, who was a mathematician, physicist and writer of hard science fiction. The story is about an annual race called the Grand Tour du Système. The route starts out from low Earth orbit going to Lagrange point 4 (L4), a location along the Moon’s orbit where the Earth’s and Moon’s gravitational fields conspire to provide a stable position. From L4, the route continues halfway to the Moon and then returns to Earth orbit. Altogether it’s around 600,000 kilometers long.’

[books] Where to start with: Iain Banks … A beginners guide to the novels of Iain Banks. ‘The one to drop into conversations about AI – All Banks’s Culture novels feature Minds, hyperintelligent mirror-surfaced ellipsoids that run starships and other large engineering structures. But in Excession, the Minds become the primary protagonists, as they debate what to do about the titular phenomenon – an inscrutable alien artefact that seems to be older than the universe itself – and about a barbarous competing civilisation that glories in the name “the Affront”. As Minds are persons, they are not obliged to be open and honest with one another or anyone else, and some conspire to allow “gigadeathcrimes” on utilitarian principles, rather like crazed effective altruists.’

[comics] FROM HELL! The COMPLETE Cartoonist Kayfabe Review of the Jack The Ripper Masterpiece! … Go watch the Cartoonist Kayfabe team’s complete review of From Hell.

[books] The Only Good Culture War… …

[photos] Palette – Colorize Photos … A powerful AI powered photo colorization tool.

[comics] Tripwire Talks To 2000AD And Vertigo Writer John Smith … I was wondering what had happened to comics writer John Smith and found this recent interview. ‘Regarding Hellblazer… I can’t remember if we were told about it, or if it was hot news going around a comics convention, but we all knew that Jamie Delano was leaving the book, so I think all of us young keen British writers were asked to pitch for the job. I think it was then-editor Stuart Moore who rang me up and asked me. So, I planned out a years-worth of stories (I imagine we all did) and crossed my fingers. Garth got the gig, of course, but later on they needed some fill-in issues, so that’s how “Counting by Numbers” came about. There were more straight-up horror ideas, but for some reason Sean and I settled on that one. I think probably because I was staying at his in Peckham at the time, and there was a launderette around the corner, so we just went there, and Sean took some photos then sent me duplicates so we both knew the layout of the place. Constantine is one of my favourite characters, and I’d love to have a proper go at him!’

[alan] Alan Moore’s Fortean Times Reviews from 1994 to 1997 … A nicely scanned collection of book reviews from Alan published in the 1990s.

[funny] “I’m just a Poe Boy…”

[opinions] 100 Incontrovertible Opinions … ‘Covid: Of course the vaccine worked you morons.’

[photos] Digital Image Basics 101 – All about images from cameras and scanning … A great resourse looking at the basics of digital images. ‘This scanning material is about the basics of scanning photos and documents. The purpose here is to offer some scanning tips about using your scanner, and to explain the basics for scanning photos and documents. It is also about the fundamentals of digital images, about the basics to help you get the most from your images from your scanner or camera.’

[comics] Howard Chaykin – A Life in Comics … An entertaining, wide-ranging interview with Howard Chaykin. ‘As early as 1973 or ’74 when I did the Scorpion, the last line of the first issue is, and I’m paraphrasing here, “Altruism is for Albert Schweitzer. I get paid.” And I stand on that. The motivations of heroes in the context of comics is nonsense to me. Batman is about a rich guy who had a bad day when he was eight. Superman is about a god-like being who comes to the Earth and puts aside his god-like nature in the service of a clientele that is functionally beneath his contempt. These characters patronize and pander to a fantasized belief system that has nothing to do with anything even vaguely smacking of reality. And the more realistic they become by dint of sort of slathering on gravitas, the more idiotic and foolish they become. Modern myth? Just suck a dick.’

[sandwiches] I don’t know who need this today but here’s a website with animations of rotating sandwiches. You’re welcome.

[life] Current Status… (from @flotsammm)