Philip Purser-Hallard
@purserhallard.com
Philip Purser-Hallard writes stuff -- most recently Sherlock Holmes: The Monster of the Mere. Posting about writing, TV, SF, Doctor Who, politics, language, crosswords, things I like, things I'm interested in, things.
Pinned
Philip Purser-Hallard
@purserhallard.com
· Nov 14
Since new followers are arriving literally in their dozens, here's a quick rundown of my books and why, if you're interested in the stuff I post here, you might like to read them. Or vice versa.
Links are to my website, where there are links to buy from various sources.
Links are to my website, where there are links to buy from various sources.
Neurodivergent friends: I had a recent autism assessment and -- considerably to my surprise and that of people who know me -- it concluded that I'm not autistic, and probably don't have ADHD either.
However, the feedback did speculate about dyspraxia (which they can't diagnose, apparently).
However, the feedback did speculate about dyspraxia (which they can't diagnose, apparently).
November 11, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Neurodivergent friends: I had a recent autism assessment and -- considerably to my surprise and that of people who know me -- it concluded that I'm not autistic, and probably don't have ADHD either.
However, the feedback did speculate about dyspraxia (which they can't diagnose, apparently).
However, the feedback did speculate about dyspraxia (which they can't diagnose, apparently).
Reposted by Philip Purser-Hallard
Is the BBC perfect? No.
Is it a good thing when the leader of a foreign power can seriously threaten and interfere in the running of what is still the national public service broadcaster of an ally? Also no.
Both of these things can be true.
Is it a good thing when the leader of a foreign power can seriously threaten and interfere in the running of what is still the national public service broadcaster of an ally? Also no.
Both of these things can be true.
November 11, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Is the BBC perfect? No.
Is it a good thing when the leader of a foreign power can seriously threaten and interfere in the running of what is still the national public service broadcaster of an ally? Also no.
Both of these things can be true.
Is it a good thing when the leader of a foreign power can seriously threaten and interfere in the running of what is still the national public service broadcaster of an ally? Also no.
Both of these things can be true.
But at least everyone who voted for it is happy now.
Brexit reduced the UK’s GDP by between 6% and 8%. That is MASSIVE. #ProjectFear #wetoldyouso
www.nber.org/papers/w3445...
www.nber.org/papers/w3445...
November 10, 2025 at 9:30 PM
But at least everyone who voted for it is happy now.
I see the French have let Nicolas Sarkozy off going to prison for five years on the grounds that it's not very nice in there. Good news for the rest of France's prison population, I feel sure.
November 10, 2025 at 5:32 PM
I see the French have let Nicolas Sarkozy off going to prison for five years on the grounds that it's not very nice in there. Good news for the rest of France's prison population, I feel sure.
Also, "performative reading" has an actual meaning, and it isn't this. Dickens used to do them.
Look, this isn't performative reading. The guy I went to undergrad with who used to lie on a wall outside the english faculty in a velvet jacket reading poetry - that's how you do it
Oh fuck off
November 10, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Also, "performative reading" has an actual meaning, and it isn't this. Dickens used to do them.
Reposted by Philip Purser-Hallard
Look, this isn't performative reading. The guy I went to undergrad with who used to lie on a wall outside the english faculty in a velvet jacket reading poetry - that's how you do it
November 10, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Look, this isn't performative reading. The guy I went to undergrad with who used to lie on a wall outside the english faculty in a velvet jacket reading poetry - that's how you do it
Reposted by Philip Purser-Hallard
we fight for freedom
November 10, 2025 at 4:05 PM
we fight for freedom
Reposted by Philip Purser-Hallard
There are many subtle and complex arguments one can have about the future of the BBC — but I guarantee you that no other channel or streaming service will be as committed to factual programming, children’s education, history shows, religious discussion, poetry, arts, or state of the nation debate
November 10, 2025 at 12:48 PM
There are many subtle and complex arguments one can have about the future of the BBC — but I guarantee you that no other channel or streaming service will be as committed to factual programming, children’s education, history shows, religious discussion, poetry, arts, or state of the nation debate
Going to sleep after reading an Alastair Reynolds book, I dreamed about a society that had both smart matter and LLMs, and you couldn't trust your fucking dishwasher not to generate new utensils you didn't need, which wouldn't have worked if you did.
November 10, 2025 at 7:04 AM
Going to sleep after reading an Alastair Reynolds book, I dreamed about a society that had both smart matter and LLMs, and you couldn't trust your fucking dishwasher not to generate new utensils you didn't need, which wouldn't have worked if you did.
November 9, 2025 at 6:25 PM
I've occasionally envisaged a male gorgon with a snake-beard.
November 9, 2025 at 12:02 PM
I've occasionally envisaged a male gorgon with a snake-beard.
In his twenties, my (cheeky, wisecracking) brother lived next door to his former headmaster and his wife, who had a surprising number of children. What cemented this as a sitcom setup in my mind were the occasional visits from the mother's cousin, who was Liam Neeson.
And they say there are no new sitcom ideas
What a world
November 9, 2025 at 11:08 AM
In his twenties, my (cheeky, wisecracking) brother lived next door to his former headmaster and his wife, who had a surprising number of children. What cemented this as a sitcom setup in my mind were the occasional visits from the mother's cousin, who was Liam Neeson.
I wouldn't particularly claim my life was a success, but so far I've navigated male middle age without either sending photos of my cock to random women or developing an obsessive public hatred against a marginalised group. It's not exactly a high bar, but clearly not everyone manages it.
November 8, 2025 at 10:46 AM
I wouldn't particularly claim my life was a success, but so far I've navigated male middle age without either sending photos of my cock to random women or developing an obsessive public hatred against a marginalised group. It's not exactly a high bar, but clearly not everyone manages it.
I see notorious racist Lawrence Fox is being racist again, the stupid racist.
November 8, 2025 at 10:37 AM
I see notorious racist Lawrence Fox is being racist again, the stupid racist.
Only this one's about the Icelandic parliament.
John Carpenter says he's working on a sequel to 'The Thing'
"We'll see"
"We'll see"
November 7, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Only this one's about the Icelandic parliament.
Reposted by Philip Purser-Hallard
Party Like It's 1998, edited by Paul Magrs and Stuart Douglas. This charity anthology focuses on the world of the 1997-2005 Doctor Who novels, and I loved revisiting that era, both as a writer and as a reader. Some really glorious stories and it's huge fun.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/24...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/24...
Party Like It's 1998
‘Back then, no one at the BBC wanted much to do with Do…
www.goodreads.com
November 7, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Party Like It's 1998, edited by Paul Magrs and Stuart Douglas. This charity anthology focuses on the world of the 1997-2005 Doctor Who novels, and I loved revisiting that era, both as a writer and as a reader. Some really glorious stories and it's huge fun.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/24...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/24...
Reposted by Philip Purser-Hallard
Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer. The late fourth and final entry in the Southern Reach Trilogy, this goes full-on prequel while maintaining some narrative strands from the earlier books. I found the books increasingly difficult reads...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
Absolution (Southern Reach #4)
TOP SECRET: A clear and present threat exists. Open-end…
www.goodreads.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer. The late fourth and final entry in the Southern Reach Trilogy, this goes full-on prequel while maintaining some narrative strands from the earlier books. I found the books increasingly difficult reads...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/21...
Reposted by Philip Purser-Hallard
Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims. Recommended to me by the kid, who enjoys Sims' podcast The Magnus Archives. It's 12 ghost stories and a long coda linking them all together -- all quite atmospheric and occasionally scary or disturbing.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/55...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/55...
Thirteen Storeys
A haunted house tour-de-force from the creator of THE M…
www.goodreads.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims. Recommended to me by the kid, who enjoys Sims' podcast The Magnus Archives. It's 12 ghost stories and a long coda linking them all together -- all quite atmospheric and occasionally scary or disturbing.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/55...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/55...
Reposted by Philip Purser-Hallard
Hellblazer: The Devil You Know by Jamie Delano. More classic 80s urban fantasy noir, with more cyberspace magic, some nuclear anxiety and what's probably an AIDS metaphor. This collection throws in a lot of digressions from the main storyline, though.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...
Hellblazer, Vol. 2: The Devil You Know
To Hell and Back It's been a long and difficult road fo…
www.goodreads.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Hellblazer: The Devil You Know by Jamie Delano. More classic 80s urban fantasy noir, with more cyberspace magic, some nuclear anxiety and what's probably an AIDS metaphor. This collection throws in a lot of digressions from the main storyline, though.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...
Reposted by Philip Purser-Hallard
Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer. Continuing the Southern Reach Trilogy, this is three stories in parallel, two of them prequels and one a sequel (though not a very informative one), mashing the horror-spy-nature-writing genres of the earlier books together.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/37...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/37...
Acceptance (Southern Reach, #3)
The Southern Reach trilogy draws to a close and it is w…
www.goodreads.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer. Continuing the Southern Reach Trilogy, this is three stories in parallel, two of them prequels and one a sequel (though not a very informative one), mashing the horror-spy-nature-writing genres of the earlier books together.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/37...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/37...
Reposted by Philip Purser-Hallard
Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch. Catching up with the more recent Rivers of London books now, this one gets quite angry about the exploitation and instrumentalisation of people (women especially) by those in authority. Good for it.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/59...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/59...
Amongst Our Weapons (Rivers of London, #9)
Now in hardcover, the ninth book of the bestselling Riv…
www.goodreads.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch. Catching up with the more recent Rivers of London books now, this one gets quite angry about the exploitation and instrumentalisation of people (women especially) by those in authority. Good for it.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/59...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/59...
Reposted by Philip Purser-Hallard
The second one less so, but it has more allohistorical content (in terms of an alternative history for this timeline's North America), which maybe Kurland was more interested in.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/75...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/75...
A Study in Sorcery
Lord Darcy, Chief Investigator for the court of King Jo…
www.goodreads.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:08 PM
The second one less so, but it has more allohistorical content (in terms of an alternative history for this timeline's North America), which maybe Kurland was more interested in.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/75...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/75...
Reposted by Philip Purser-Hallard
Ten Little Wizards and A Study in Sorcery by Michael Kurland. Licensed continuations of Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy series (see above). Normally described as "inferior", but I thought the first one stood up fairly well.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/75...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/75...
Ten Little Wizards (Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy)
Lord Darcy, Investigator in Chief for the Court of Good…
www.goodreads.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Ten Little Wizards and A Study in Sorcery by Michael Kurland. Licensed continuations of Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy series (see above). Normally described as "inferior", but I thought the first one stood up fairly well.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/75...
www.goodreads.com/book/show/75...
If you type "translate from Italian to English" into Google, it will translate the phrase "from Italian to English" into French for you.
November 7, 2025 at 12:29 PM
If you type "translate from Italian to English" into Google, it will translate the phrase "from Italian to English" into French for you.