Breakfast in the Ruins
Friends old and new join me in Derry and Toms roof gardens to discuss the work and influence of prolific British fantasist Michael Moorcock, as well as other bits of 60s and 70s genre fiction that came to me via my Grandad in the 80s and informed my world view. Books, music, role-playing games, wrestling in Featherstone Library and many other digressions await.
Episodes
John is back in Derry & Toms to talk about another novelisation, but we're taking a break from Blakes 7 to focus on another early 80s obsession of ours...
Well. Two. They just happen to combine to glorious effect in the classic slice of Daily Mail wet dreamery that is Who Dares Wins. Therefore, we get to watch it again for the 8,000th time and discuss it alongside its novelisation, The Tiptoe Boys, by James Follett.
Some other ...
We're finally back to finish our reportage on Phoenix in Obsidian (AKA The Silver Warriors).
It's an epic tale of anguish and self-pity on an earth where the sun has dimmed, the moon has crashed down to simply be called Moon and the menace known as the Silver Warriors have extreme problems figuring out the point of polearms. How will Count Ulrik Skarsol endure...?
Loz is back alongside Phil for this one and we have a D8 Wandering B...
It's our summer holiday special - and it was Phil's Choice. She reminded me that we had such a great time with The Devils of D-Day and the film of Masterton's novel The Manitou that we should read Graham Masterton's Revenge of the Manitou.
So we did... and we're going to talk about it.
And watch Grizzly.
JOIN US!
Dave returns to Derry & Toms to combat creeping fascism and technical issues, all whilst concluding our epic reportage on the final volume in The History of the Runestaff - THE RUNESTAFF (AKA The Secret of the Runetaff).
GUYLINER
UPSETTING FATES
PORNOGRAPHIC THRILLERS
And more....
Check out SÖNUS on bandcamp and buy their gear.
And take a look at Gates of Londra
Miles is back to discuss another of Moorcock’s 1960s SF titles, arguably the most influential of the lot when considering the origins of the Multiverse. This may require some thoughtful, in-depth analysis.
Instead, we talk about caffeine, giro spending habits of the 1990s and racist space dogs for close to two hours.
JOIN US!
Listen to the Casual Trek Podcast
Joe Banks, author of Hawkwind: Days of the Undergound, is back in Derry and Toms to enthuse about a film that was, for me, a shock revelation about one of Britain's most misunderstood bands.
Not only were Slade a hard rocking act whose reputation as a live act belies their popular image as a slightly goofy glam rock fixture from early 70s Top of the Pops that invade our ears every bloody Xmas... But in 1975 they took a big swing (a...
New guest co-host, author, gamer and podcaster Adrian Tchaikovsky joins me in Derry and Toms to look at Jack Vance’s The Dying Earth and discuss Vance's particular approach, his influence on Moorcock, and that mordant lyricism that defined numerous elements of the fantasy genre.
Check out Adrian's podcast with Emma Newman, Starship Alexandria - latest episode is on KJ Bishop's The Etched City.
Sometimes we don't have time to read a book. Sometimes we just wanna gas about ace things. This is one of those times so...
Hawk the Slayer...
featuring:
-
MORE Big Ron...
-
ACTUAL Warren Clarke...
-
SMOKY woods and DISCO....
-
and EVERYONE that's ever been on British telly EVER!
Listen to The Casual Trek Podcast
Support Dave and the crew with their production of The Hammer and Helena at the Edinburgh Festival
Andy Darby is back to look at another of Mike's 60s SF takes... THE SHORES OF DEATH. Replete with sexual deviancy, epic parties and a massive tool of a protagonist... it's classic 60s Moorcock!
Check out Andy's substack to read The Crow Feeder and pick up The Blade in the Angel's Shadow.
Graham is back in Derry & Toms to talk about his debut novel THE WOODLICE, as well as his influences, method, finding inspiration in Guy N Smith's Writing Horror Fiction, microdots, dogging and regrets over that vintage Amstrad PCW 8512... the one that got away.
The Woodlice is available from UK and US amazon stores.
Fortean TV was released a couple of years ago by Network DVD - for a dose of nostalgia watch Episode 1 with an ...
Seeing as John and I had such a good time with Trevor Hoyle's first Blakes 7 novelisation and series watch-a-long, we thought sod it... let's do another.
And this time... it has Servalan, plus:
- Roy from Eastenders...
- Glynnis Barber...
- Woke blasters...
- Big Ron Tarr...
- TRAVIS!!!
IT'S GOT THE LOT!
With news that the Apple TV/Skydance Eternal Champion series is "DOA", what better a time to talk to Chris Preyer, the man behind Elric: Chains of the Doomed One - a fan-film project. Chris lifts the lid on the joys and challenges of crafting and resourcing a passion-driven endeavour.
Follow Chris and the team's progress on Instagram and check out Tim Hintsala's armoury at Iron Ape Forge, Shai Winzer's make-up at Tesh Techniques, a...
Tom Murphy of Colossive Press drops by Derry and Toms to discuss The Adventures of Luther Arkwright. Plus, Bryan Talbot joins us so we can quiz him about his early career and the origins of Arkwright!
For the first time in several years I recently managed to make it to one of the UK's premier RPG gatherings, GROGMEET, a joyous celebration of roleplaying games hosted by Dirk of The Grognard Files. And this time... I TOOK PHIL... so we decided, 'what the fluff!' and recorded our reflections on a cracking weekend and, into the bargain, I also gamed with Andrew Beck so I roped him in for a chat too.
It's 2025, but we're tying up some 2024 business with Miles and finally rampaging to the potentially multiverse-shattering conclusion of Moorcock's Doctor Who novel The Coming of the Terraphiles.
They came. They went. The hat mystery was solved and the multiverse saved, and we still don't really get what went down.
But HATS!
We're back for our last show of 2024 and it's dropping in that weird 'between time' when I'm sick of festive food and just craving a tin of beans, but also wondering how much Yorkshire pud I can fit on my plate when my NYE appetite returns. And because Episode 101 has emerged through a haze of mince pies and sherry and our 18th viewing of Krampus, it's a lazy, boozy one that features a hastily conceived, tenuous theme.
It also goes...
It's Mike's birthday... It's Phil's birthday... It's our centenary...
For this one, we have a very special guest. It's Michael Moorcock!
Also, me and Phil go to Morecambe blah blah blah... JOIN US!!!
Simon Perrins is back in Derry and Toms to pick up the third instalment of the first Corum trilogy. Many delights await as Mike puts his foot down on drawing together the threads of this first ten years of Eternal Champion cosmology and, as usual, Jhary wears some nice threads.
JOIN US!
Steve Aylett, Moorcock's favourite modern absurdist and one-man genre, drops by Derry and Toms to talk about his work, satire and his latest novel The Book Lovers (available Dec 2nd 2024).
This was a real treat for me as I've been a fan of Steve's since happening across Lint in a King's Cross bookshop nearly 20 years ago. Since then he's continued to amuse and alarm with a whole range of writings and claims.
In his own words:
"My w...
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