Hello readers! In the last post, we dived into a Victorian science textbook: Charles Lyell’s Principles of Geology, from 1830. We explored the state of the geological sciences 200 years ago, and acquainted ourselves with the intellectual battle between the vulcanists and neptunists (which was a lot less science-fiction than it sounds, and fought with … Continue reading Learning from old science books: Part Two
Category: Miscellaneous Waffle
General life updates, descriptions of cool rocks, barely philosophical musings and the occasional smattering of music theory from someone with no authority on the matter.
Learning from old science books: Part One
Hello readers! Last week I read a Victorian geology book – possibly one of the most influential science books ever written. Principles of Geology by Charles Lyell introduced a relatively young field to a general audience, and solidified geology as a science in its own right, rather than as a mere rock collecting exercise. It … Continue reading Learning from old science books: Part One
Why are so many fantasy protagonists upper class?
Hello readers! Have you ever wondered why fantasy stories so often revolve around royals and nobles? A disproportionate number of protagonists are lords and princes, rather than commoners, which suggests that we are drawn to tales of the upper classes. Many of us root for the success of fantasy royals, while remaining ambivalent towards real … Continue reading Why are so many fantasy protagonists upper class?
Lego and updates
Hello readers! Just a short post from me this week. The boring part, which I’ll get out of the way as quickly as possible, regards Amazon bookstore logistics – specifically, the availability of books through Kindle Unlimited. The exciting part (hopefully) is a new micro-scale Lego model, which might look familiar to those of you … Continue reading Lego and updates
The blog is two years old!
Hello readers! On the 27th November, this blog reached its second anniversary. We now have two whole years of miscellaneous waffle in the post archives, all tangentially related to fantasy and science fiction. This week I’m taking the opportunity to look back over the last twelve months, picking out my favourite posts and acknowledging some … Continue reading The blog is two years old!
Progress Update: September 2024
Hello readers! It has been a very busy month, and this is only a short post to give you some idea of what I’ve been up to recently. The fourth book in the Highmoor series is slowly coming together, and I’m gradually releasing more supporting material (art, maps, etc.) for the website. However, I have … Continue reading Progress Update: September 2024
Reading into ratings – what do they mean?
Hello readers! Have you ever wondered what a star rating really means? Our online purchasing choices are often guided by tiny rows of stars, but their meaning isn’t as clear as their simplicity would suggest. Ratings are everywhere, whether they are individual scores given by respected critics, or mean values harvested from thousands of users … Continue reading Reading into ratings – what do they mean?
Highmoor Maps: World Map
Hello readers! This week I am presenting the first draft of the world map from my Highmoor series. It is very much a work in progress, as you can probably tell from the fog I have applied to the unfinished northern and western regions. However, it has been a couple of years since I published … Continue reading Highmoor Maps: World Map
Clayton vs. Microsoft Word
Hello readers! I recently finished the second major draft of the third book in the Highmoor series. This means that I have now addressed the concerns raised by my diligent and brutally honest review team, and we have reached the final stretch of our journey towards getting this book on the digital bookshelves. The review … Continue reading Clayton vs. Microsoft Word
I built some Lego.
Hello readers! As anticipated, the frequency of blog posts has been declining as I write up my PhD thesis. All the drafting, re-drafting, writing, editing, re-writing, and re-editing has left my literary batteries running a little low – which is why I have been craving mind-numbing, semi-productive activities to fill the hours when I’m not … Continue reading I built some Lego.
C. W. Clayton 