" An Accidental Goddess " by Linnea Sinclair is an amusing combination of Space Opera, fantasy, and romantic comedy. It is set in the same universe as " Wintertide " by the same author but published under the pen-name Megan Sybil Baker, but that was a fantasy romance, this one is set a thousand years later when the Raheirans have become an advanced star-travelling civilisation. At the start of " An Accidental Goddess, " Captain Gillaine Davre, Raheiran Special Forces, (Gillie to her friends) wakes up in a strange sickbay. Gillie's last memories prior to this had been of a battle. Her ship had been attacked by a large warship from the Fav'lhir, a star travelling race hostile both to her own Raheiran people and to the Khalaran allies she had been working with. The battle had ended when the enemy ship blew up, close enough to hers to knock her unconscious and damage her vessel. Her ship's AI informs her that something, presumably the explosion, ...

We posted yesterday on the need for Exercise. This weekend sees the 40th anniversary Swimathon week, the UK's largest charity wwim. The 40th anniversary Swimathon has been taking place at more than 450 pools around the UK from Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd March 2026. Since 1986, Swimathon has united swimmers of all ages, abilities, shapes, and sizes in a national celebration of swimming and fundraising. 2026, marks 40 years of this iconic event. One of our friends and occasional contributors, who also acts as the Grand Admiral's human avatar on the Island of Adventure (a.k.a. Stormshot Island) did the swim this afternoon. 💛 Swimathon helps fundraise for charities that matter. Over the last four decades, Swimathon has raised over £50 million for charities. In 2026, it is proud to support: Cancer Research UK – advancing the fight against cancer Marie Curie – supporting people living with terminal illness, and, Swimathon Foundation – Encouraging people to swim for fitness and health...

For reasons which will become clear, it seems particularly appropriate this weekend to post a clip explaining Admiral Thrawn's views on the need to keep fit and exercise.

"The Mote in God's Eye" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle is probably the best "First contact" SF novel ever written to date. As you can read in the top left of the image from the cover of the original; paperback edition, the late Robert Heinlein, himself no mean writer of Science fiction, described this story as " The best novel about human beings making first contact with intelligent but utterly nonhuman aliens  I have ever seen, and possibly the finest science fiction novel I have ever read. " Heinlein was not exaggerating. this brilliant 1974 novel really is that good, and in the 52 years since it was published I don't believe that any other first contact novel has surpassed it, though there have been some other very good ones. The early stages of the fictional universe in which this novel is set, Jerry Pournelle's "Future History" series, has suffered a little from the actual late 20th and early 21st centuries developing in a wa...

 A gentleman called Paul Krause posted on X today, " What is the best sci-fi novel you've read? There are many good ones. Great ones. Not just because he recently passed away, but Hyperion by Dan Simmons has to be up there for everyone who has read it .. " The people who replied nominated more great books than we could easily list. Far better to let you look for yourself, so here is the link. Paul Krause on X: "What is the best sci-fi novel you've read? There are many good ones. Great ones. Not just because he recently passed away, but Hyperion by Dan Simmons has to be up there for everyone who has read it..." / X