Deadline 11th June
Theme Wynsteria
Accepting Non-Fiction, Fiction & Poetry
Deadline 14th June
Accepting Creative Fiction & Non-Fiction
Deadline 15th June
Accepting Poetry, Non-Fiction, Fiction & Flash Fiction
Deadline 30th June
Accepting Long Poems
For those who are curious
the one trip and that short queue of punters - slowly losing interest, glancing around as the chuntering train skitters at a slow pace across the floor the children wave and hang over the carriage sides destinations blurring, shop fonts too far above to see flurrying people no one stops - only slows as the train makes its journey in an oblong shaped path of the glasshouse-like interior of the shopping centre. Kate ©
For those who are curious
The Stone Rose is set in the past but begins in the present at the British Museum. You can’t have Rose without Jackie or Mickey, so they feature. It is actually Mickey, in his voluntary role at the museum, who discovers amongst various stone statues is a replica of Rose. Cue the Doctor and Rose taking the TARDIS on a spin into the time vortex to ancient Rome. Where they soon become tangled up in events. Rome feels like a location that has been done often in the show, so I always fear there are different doctors and companions that are going to run into one another at some stage. Wouldn't that be fun?
But although that was the future, it was her past. And right now she should be concentrating on her present. What was happening to her?
THE STONE ROSE BY JACQUELINE RAYNER
The Stone Rose was an easy going read, although I did feel uncomfortable in the chapter where Rose is drugged because, of course, it isn't as simple as she’s going to pose for someone and be immortalised in stone. There is foul play here.
The Doctor did not have a great deal to do. There's a chapter where he finds himself inside an arena and having to escape from hungry wild animals. That felt like a throwaway part to the story. Then there's the part where the Doctor whizzes back to the present to break the news to Mickey about that statue in the museum being the real Rose. Mickey is upset because he believes Rose is dead, until the Doctor chooses to enlighten him that he can bring Rose back. The two are worried because the Rose statue has some chips and a hand missing. She is a very old statue now after all. I wasn't sure why that would be a primary concern over saving Rose’s life.
The introduction of GENIE* lifted the story. GENIE is wish granter tech from the far future, the 24th century, along with our other main character Vanessa. I liked Vanessa, as a complete innocent who becomes trapped in the past after inadvertently wishing that she could live in Ancient Rome. The GENIE was created by the human need for convenience. Wish it and you get it.
This particular GENIE in Rose’s company continues to wreak havoc, with amusing consequences. Try taking a GENIE to a party, naively thinking ‘oh, nobody will say the words ‘I wish’.’
‘Oh, yes,’ She was told. ‘Elves, pixies, gnomes – the Moomins, Chorlton and The Wheelies, Spongebob Squarepants – they all tried to invade you at some point. There was a galactic inquiry when Robocop came out. And as for the five famous justices of the future who disguised themselves as four children and a dog (although I think the dog was a mistake) in order to wipe out the crimes of kidnapping and smuggling for all eternity – well, I think they are still trapped in a time loop somewhere with nothing but ginger beer and potted-meat sandwiches to sustain them. Not to mention Miss Marple – Miss Martian, more like. Used her truth ray to get all those confessions until the Time Police tracked her down. Zapped her and the whole of St Mary Mead out of existence. Which is a shame, because there was a lovely little café in the high street where they did brilliant custard tarts.’
‘Is that true?’ Vanessa gasped.
‘No,’ said Rose. ‘You learn to ignore about one word in five he says. I mean, he was pretending to be Poirot earlier. He’s in that sort of mood.’
THE STONE ROSE BY JACQUELINE RAYNER
* GENIE A Genetically Engineered Neural Imagination Engine
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For those who are curious
I really like The Ghost Monument. I appreciate it more and more on every re/watch. I like its energy, the visuals and the togetherness of this group. Ryan had a lot of involvement. The Doctor seemed to be a sort of mentor alongside him. I liked the trick with the cigar. The Remnants are a great idea, and threat too. The ending where the Doctor is reunited with their TARDIS is beautiful. I was distracted by Angstrom’s hair. I had hair envy.
‘How are we in space?’ I like the look of these ships ‘Don’t touch anything.’ Doctor What do the bonuses mean? Well, that was close ‘Pythagoras never wore shades.’ Graham ‘you obviously never saw him with a hangover.’ Now hold on, if the Doctor’s outfit is new, where did the glasses come from? Did they come with the new coat and is the Doctor pulling Graham’s leg? Because they didn't have their sonic screwdriver with them when they crashed onto the train and they haven't found their TARDIS yet. The Doctor intimated the pockets on their old outfit were empty, didn’t they? Pulling Graham’s leg then Doctor ‘Do you two know what that is?’ ‘it’s a tent.’ 'Obviously, it's a tent. I meant -’ the last ever rally of the 12 galaxies don't drink the water The Ghost Monument is the TARDIS 'that's an old police box!’ Graham How long has it been since Grace’s funeral? Has Ryan had a chance to chat about it with Graham? How long was the Doctor there for, did she stay with Graham? Can't be at Yaz’s? So what did she get up to? well, that’s interesting ‘Were you born that miserable or did you have to work at it?’ Graham that tree story is shocking, what a lesson to teach your kid ‘We’re stronger together.’ Doctor. The Doctor forgets that later when she’s not telling Ryan, Graham and Yaz stuff. ‘Just one click of the finger and it lights itself.’ Well, that's given the resolution to the episode away love me some ruins sniperbots, call of Duty Ryan ‘Brains beat bullets.’ OK I like that the Doctor has to work to get to the TARDIS. I wonder if that could be extended to more episodes. A series where the majority of the time the Doctor isn’t able to access the TARDIS and travels in other ways The Stenza ‘My wife died because of them.’ ‘Mine too. I’m sorry.’ Wow bits of cloth, they’re all over the place cleaning up the wounded this is good ‘We see further back, The Timeless Child.’ Oh, that’s significant Null & Void, what a bastard ‘and them.’ ‘no.’ And that's that for those 2 characters I like that there’s a conservatory part of the TARDIS, the shape of the police box and then you walk into the TARDIS custard cream dispenser
For those who are curious
In The Woman Who Fell to Earth I liked how we were introduced to Grace and Graham, with Ryan trying to learn to ride a bike. Grace and Graham are on the train when it comes to an abrupt stop, while Ryan comes across some super cold object as he is retrieving his bike. This is when he meets an old friend from primary school, Yaz. Yaz is a second year probationary police officer. The scenes on the train are exhilarating. Especially when the Doctor drops in. ‘Fat lot of good you two were.’ ‘Hey.’ Is the Doctor and Yaz’s first interaction. I thought it was interesting how the Doctor spoke about regeneration and being a stranger to yourself. She ended that conversation by throwing those objects in her hands over her shoulders. I liked Tim Shaw, the Stenza warrior, a crooked cheat on a hunt. Especially the details of the teeth. The Woman Who Fell to Earth is one of my favourite post regeneration stories, alongside Spearhead from Space and Castrovalva.
I can’t ride a bike either, Ryan oh it’s Yaz I like Grace something is definitely wrong I am not ready for this oh hell the Who music, the Doctor dropping in stay still, good advice how did Ryan and Yaz get there that fast? do people die of shock? I like this ‘You came crashing through that roof.’ Grace ‘I was thrown out of my TARDIS.’ Doctor ‘There's no such thing as aliens.’ Oh Graham ‘They ain’t going to be on a train in Sheffield.’ Is the bulb an egg or a ship? that mass looks like the thing from Fear Her DNA bombs, oh fuck-ing hell I don’t think that crowbar the man is holding is going to put much of a dent in that armour, just a hunch ‘Where's my sister?’ ‘you will never know.’ because Graham, that’s what the Doctor does, runs at aliens.
‘Sounds painful, love.’ Has anybody ever empathised with the Doctor about regenerating? ‘What's your best guess, love?’ ‘I haven’t forgotten about your collarbones, Graham.’ aliens don’t like salad either Carl from the train why take a tooth - oh Tim Shaw pronunciation mickey taking ‘your tiny mind must be burning from such effort.’ Well - let’s have no more needless deaths, especially granddads oh no damaged handrail well, Sarah Jane never had to jump that far Karl gets caught by Tim Shaw! Oh wow this really is a plan in progress trophy chambers, humans in stasis ‘Is it wrong to be enjoying this?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘I’m the Doctor. Sorting out fair play throughout the universe.’ not Grace Where’s Ryan’s bicycle helmet charity shop shopping.
For those who are curious
Poetic Insights 