Just Finished Reading: Authoritarianism – A Very Short Introduction by James Loxton (FP: 2024) [89pp] 

This certainly seemed to be a timely read – especially with the recent and long hoped for fall of Viktor Orban and the growing threat of authoritarian regimes across the world. Despite its somewhat disappointing length (although to be honest the average VSI book is around 120 pages) this was a very impressive look at the different types of authoritarianism, in the past and today, how they emerge, how they operate once up and running, how they die (and most do die), why some are far more durable than others and what their legacies are once thrown off. It was ALL very interesting especially, as we know, there is a push in some places to transition from more a democratic style to a more authoritarian one.  

Of course, authoritarianism does have its attractions to some – most especially those who struggle with being told NO by people they don’t respect (or indeed anyone). Naturally I suspect that such people have family histories that need looking at. One comment did make me smile/laugh when the author defined democracy – a system where parties loose elections. So, in a country where a party (even if they at least technically have an ‘opposition’) normally wins with 97% of the vote year after year after year, you’re probably NOT looking at a democracy – despite some of the trappings! 

Authoritarians HATE the possibility of legitimate opposition and usually go out of their way to eliminate them – up to and including prison or execution. Of course, pushing any opposition underground – as there’s no other way to oppose the regime and keep your liberty/life - is just sowing the seeds of overthrow or revolution (which all too often brings into existence a different type of authoritarian rule) which is why in some countries their politics cycles through regime after regime with, possible, brief periods of actual democracy. 

Drawing on examples across the world (I’m really looking forward to reading more about Portugal now) and from the last 100 years or so this was a great entry point to an important political philosophy of our time. Definitely recommended reading. 

Do you know the quote... and what movie its from?

Just Finished Reading: Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez-Reverte (FP: 1996) [248pp] 

Madrid, 1620’s Spain. On his recent release from prison Captain Alatriste (played by Viggo Mortensen in the 2006 Spanish language adaptation) needs three things – a bath, his clothes fumigated and, most importantly, a way to earn a living. With Spain technically at peace the captain, along with many of his fellow soldiers, is out of work and hungry. So, when he hears of a well-paid assignment from a well-placed friend he puts his name forward. The desire of his potential employers to meet in secret behind masks was all the warning he needed. The task was to waylay a pair of foreigners and remove any documentation they carried. Simple enough, except that one of the potential employers wanted the extraction to take place from their dead bodies. It became abundantly clear that Alatriste was fast becoming ensnared in the machinations of political rivals and Holy Mother Church herself. Few, even with the captain’s hard-won skills fared well under such circumstances, especially when he decided to not co-operate.  

I first came across the character of Captain Alatriste by accident. I had been browsing through some foreign language DVD’s (as I do) and came across an odd one starring Viggo Mortensen playing a 17th century Spanish soldier. On watching it, in Spanish naturally, I was totally intrigued and delighted to discover it was based on an entire series of books. Fast forward 20 years and here we are. Obviously whenever the captain appeared in the novel I saw him as Viggo, so I didn’t have to use my imagination overly much. His character was very down at heel, scraping to get by between conflicts and unwilling to become a simple bandit or thief. Driven by his own sense of honour (which gets him into a lot more trouble than some of the other more ‘flexible’ characters) he decides to set himself against the plans of powerful people by disobeying orders at a critical moment. This drives the second half of the novel and, presumably, the future books.  

The feeling for early 17th century Madrid is handled well as is the almost Machiavellian political intrigue of the age (more on THAT later). Alatriste was a great character both simple in some ways and nicely complex in others. The other very good character – and almost a mirror image of the captain – was the Italian swordsman/assassin Gualterio Malatesta who crosses swords with Alatriste more than once. There are several very nice set pieces and some very good dialogue which I enjoyed greatly. The only criticism I had was with the pacing which stuttered on occasion. Overall though this was a good solid read and most certainly both entertained me and made me want to know more about that period of European/Spanish history. I shall be looking out for the other books in the sequence. Recommended (as is the movie if you can track down a copy).  

Translated from the Spanish by Margaret Sayers Peden 

Welcome to June. We made it! As this is the first day of meteorological summer its time for a Summer Theme here @ SaLT. Last year was the Summer of Gaming which wasn't quite as successful as I'd hoped. This year, prompted by something Marian H said, is going to be the Summer of Pop Culture. The aim (challenge?) is to post at least ONE Pop Culture reference each day for the next THREE months (June, July & August) - so movies, TV shows, music (as above) and even books & stuff. The only real problem I can see will be my Pix posts and Serious Sunday.... MOST of the references will be as obvious as I am myself. But if anything confuses you and is too old or too British please let me know. Please note: Not ALL my posts for the next 12-13 weeks will be themed. If you're struggling over a particular reference it might be because there isn't one.... and yes, I've overexplained this, but that's me! Hopefully this will be fun with a mix of nostalgia and competition.... I'll stop typing now.....    

The Last 10 Books (I added to my Wish List) - May 2026 

I TRY to be good, I really do... But there are SO many books in the world. I mean a LOT. So, from time to time I add a few, so few, to my Wish List. I have been good lately though... I was going through the cheap section and actually DELETED three (or four?) books that I’d already bought elsewhere or where hardbacks that had already been replaced by paperbacks. So, I felt pretty good about adding only 10, 15, or maybe 20 more.... But here are the last 10... 

The Searchers: Five Rebels, Their Dream of a Different Britain, and Their Many Enemies by Andy Beckett 

How to Kill a Language:  Power, Resistance and the Race to Save Our Words by Sophia Smith Galer 

Heatwave: The Summer of 1976 – Britain at Boiling Point by John L Williams 

Opening the Gates of Hell: Operation Barbarossa, June–July 1941 by Richard Hargreaves 

Castles: A Fortified History of the World by Dan Jones 

Plunder: The Last of the War in Europe, 1945 by Max Hastings 

The Visionaries: The Making of the Post World War II Order in the West by James Holland 

Athens and Sparta: The Rivalry that Shaped Ancient Greece by Adrian Goldsworthy 

How to Win a Trade War: A Friendly Guide to an Unfriendly World by Soumaya Keynes and Chad Bown 

If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: The Case Against Superintelligent AI by Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares 

Quite a nice mix there, I think! My butterfly mind is alive and VERY well...!

Happy Birthday: Harry Clement Stubbs (May 30, 1922 – October 29, 2003), better known by the pen name Hal Clement, was an American science fiction writer and a leader of the hard science fiction subgenre. He also painted astronomically oriented artworks under the name George Richard.

In 1998, Clement was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame. He was named the 17th SFWA Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1999.

Harry Clement Stubbs was born in Somerville, Massachusetts, on May 30, 1922.

He went to Harvard, graduating with a B.S. in astronomy in 1943. While there he wrote his first published story, "Proof", which appeared in the June 1942 issue of Astounding Science Fiction, edited by John W. Campbell; three more appeared in later 1942 numbers. His further educational background includes an M.Ed. (Boston University 1946) and M.S. in chemistry (Simmons College 1963).

During World War II Clement was a pilot and copilot of a B-24 Liberator and flew 35 combat missions over Europe with the 68th Bomb Squadron, 44th Bomb Group, based in England with 8th Air Force. After the war, he served in the United States Air Force Reserve, and retired with the rank of colonel. He taught chemistry and astronomy for many years at Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts.

From 1949 to 1953, Clement's first three novels were two-, three-, and four-part Astounding serials under Campbell: Needle (Doubleday, 1950), Iceworld (Gnome Press, 1953), and Mission of Gravity (1954), his best-known novel, published by Doubleday's Science Fiction Book Club (established 1953). The latter novel features a land and sea expedition across the superjovian planet Mesklin to recover a stranded scientific probe. The natives of Mesklin are centipede-like intelligent beings about 50 centimeters long. Various episodes hinge on the fact that Mesklin's fast rotational speed causes it to be considerably deformed from the spherical, with effective surface gravity that varies from approximately 3G at the equator to approximately 700G at the poles.

Clement has been honored several times for his cumulative contributions including 1998 Hall of Fame induction, when Clement and Frederik Pohl were the fifth and sixth living persons honored, and the 1999 SFWA Grand Master Award.

For the 1945 short story "Uncommon Sense" he received a 50-year Retro Hugo Award at the 1996 World Science Fiction Convention. Mission of Gravity, first published as a serial during 1953, was named best foreign novel by the Spanish Science Fiction Association in 1994 and it was a finalist for a 50-year Retro Hugo Award in 2004.

The Hal Clement Award for Young Adults for Excellence in Children's Science Fiction Literature was presented in Clement's name from 1992 to 2016.

[I've read a bit by him and have some more to read. I really liked his alien creatures which were actually *alien* rather than funny looking humans. One of my early favourite SF authors.]