Just finished reading the two volumes of the Kingkiller Chronicle and I had a very strong impression of the influence of Le Guin, particularly the Earthsea books. Is that accurate? What other writers have been a big influence?

I agree. The Black Stallion is awesome. I saw in in the cinema when I was a little girl, and I have a DVD copy of it now. Still a stunning movie. All those long, wordless scenes, so full of drama. Very little music too, which somehow makes it so intense. Too many movies tack on the “your’e supposed to be feeling happy…

It’s a pretty good list -

Yes! And this one proves that as long as a film stays true to the spirit of the book, the other changes are not important.

Me too! I remember watching one of those adds that featured neon-coloured cocktail drinks smashing into one another and when the doom laden “don’t drink and drive” message came up I was utterly horrified at the risks my parents had been taking, sipping fruit juice in the car.

I guess that it would have to be a horror movie to have a “cleaver protagonist” :-)

Yes! Fantastic book

Am halfway through the first draft of my latest book: this one is a science fiction, and set in an alternate version of South Africa.

I don’t know if they are an alpha predator, but a friend of mine saw one sitting on a roof with a sheet of bubble-wrap, earnestly popping the bubbles. That has to count for something, right?

Why are they calling them half sisters? I don’t remember that from the book. Or do they mean, like “half sister, half zombie” or something like that?

I’m glad to hear somebody say Ancillary Sword is worth a try. I loved Ancillary Justice, but for some reason I’m nervous to try the sequel.

I’m busy with “Shadow Scale” by Rachel Harman, the sequel to Seraphina. I loved, Seraphina, about a world in which dragons can take human form, and the heroine is a half dragon, half human.

I just reread this recently. I’d forgotten how powerful it is. Wow! Good choice.

I think your vet is probably right... Those pale eyes do seem husky - like. He looks like he is quite the character! May you have many happy years with him.

Is that a White Swiss Shepherd, derpradameinhof ? I had one, Anna, who died about 3 weeks ago. She was twelve. I’m absolutely gutted.

This is a great book, but it’s also a great example of bad science :) The whole left brain / right brain thing as it’s presented here, is based on some rather severe misconceptions. But it’s still a great book for learning how to draw. It’s just that they are wrong about why those techniques work. Here’s a great…

Ooh! That looks great :) http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/10/…

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. It’s just made for it.

Working on an idealised self portrait. Surprisingly difficult to do. Digital painting.

I always thought Wall-E was crying out for a much darker ending. Wall-E’s memory should have been truely wiped: he forgets his love. And those terrible hopelessly irritating humans deserved a much darker ending than they got in the move. Grumble. Grump.