The Early Days of a Better Nation

Wednesday, June 27, 2007



More reviews of The Execution Channel

The Execution Channel has been reviewed by two of my favourite bloggers: Avedon Carol and the inhabitant of Lenin's Tomb. It's been mentioned by Marc Andreessen, in his much linked-to list of the top ten
SF authors of the '00s
. Cory Doctorow, another legend in the biz, now has his review up at BoingBoing. Paul Di Filippo has a review in Sci Fi Weekly, and Gary Wolfe in Locus. Paul Kincaid gives it an exacting audit at Strange Horizons. In the mainstream press, it's been noticed in the San Diego Union Tribune and the Denver Post. Lenin's own Socialist Review gives it, not surprisingly, a socialist review.

The book - along with several strong contenders in the category, to whom congrats - has been nominated for the Quill awards, which I don't know much about but which look big.

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Sunday, June 24, 2007



Antichrist role 'could hinder' Blair's conversion

Tony Blair's conversion to Catholicism could be hindered by his longstanding ambition to become the Antichrist, according to sources close the Holy See. While undoubtedly securing the aspirant a distinctive historical legacy, the role of global tyrant of the Last Days, enemy of God's people and scourge of the earth, is seen in Vatican circles as incompatible with even lay membership of the Catholic Church.

Tony Blair's imminent resignation as Prime Minister has led to considerable speculation as to his future role on the world stage, and colleagues say he has long felt that his talents and abilities could best flourish as the Beast with seven heads and ten horns foretold in Biblical prophecy. This has not so far raised problems with his continued membership of the Church of England. Queried about the position of the Antichrist within the Anglican Communion, a spokesman for the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury would only go so far as to say that it is 'something of a theological grey area.' The older confession, however, is known to take a more stringent view on activities such as the pouring out of the vials of wrath upon the inhabitants of the earth.

Through the rolled-down window of his armoured limousine in the Plaza del Fiori, a senior member of the College of Cardinals expressed his concern about Blair's recent private audience with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. 'This in itself could be a sign of the End of Days,' he remarked. 'When the abomination of desolation stands in the holy place, the time has come to flee to the hills.' He then leaned forward and tapped his chauffeur on the shoulder. 'That was an instruction, Luigi.'

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Saturday, June 16, 2007



Torture flights

A friend in Amsterdam has urged me to blog this Guardian report on the Council of Europe document (PDF) on European complicity in CIA secret prisons and torture flights, which, claims last week's Mail on Sunday (P.S. article now lost), continues, to the horror of this Tory patriot.

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