Phillip Irving
@irvingphil.bsky.social
Writer, sometime editor, sometimes comic. Querying one comedy noir and one swashbuckling fantasy. Short fiction in Best of British Science Fiction 21 and 22 (Newcon Press), Laughs in Space (The Slab Press), Severed Souls (Space Cat Press).
Fortunately the bar kicked us out before too late!
October 31, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Fortunately the bar kicked us out before too late!
Yes! Been too long 🙂
October 29, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Yes! Been too long 🙂
Cannot imagine ADHD being survivable as a vampire.
“I thought sunrise was in an hour?”
“That was an hour ago.”
“That was never an”
“I thought sunrise was in an hour?”
“That was an hour ago.”
“That was never an”
March 5, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Cannot imagine ADHD being survivable as a vampire.
“I thought sunrise was in an hour?”
“That was an hour ago.”
“That was never an”
“I thought sunrise was in an hour?”
“That was an hour ago.”
“That was never an”
Never been able to find a transcript, but Audrey Niffenegger's LonCon PEN speech was along the lines of writing being the act of giving others access to the unique way you see the world that no one else does. I think secret garden was her metaphor. I always think back to that if I'm having a wobble.
January 23, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Never been able to find a transcript, but Audrey Niffenegger's LonCon PEN speech was along the lines of writing being the act of giving others access to the unique way you see the world that no one else does. I think secret garden was her metaphor. I always think back to that if I'm having a wobble.
It’s a play that Agatha Christie wrote 🙂 well worth a watch.
Only loosely based on the events of the board game, so still worth checking out…
Only loosely based on the events of the board game, so still worth checking out…
January 15, 2025 at 1:05 PM
It’s a play that Agatha Christie wrote 🙂 well worth a watch.
Only loosely based on the events of the board game, so still worth checking out…
Only loosely based on the events of the board game, so still worth checking out…
😂
In fairness, from 2001 onwards, the mere mention of Sean Bean can be read as a spoiler.
In fairness, from 2001 onwards, the mere mention of Sean Bean can be read as a spoiler.
January 15, 2025 at 9:48 AM
😂
In fairness, from 2001 onwards, the mere mention of Sean Bean can be read as a spoiler.
In fairness, from 2001 onwards, the mere mention of Sean Bean can be read as a spoiler.
The very mention of a novel in that context carries dire implications.
“Of course, we’re going to *have* to mention A Game of Thrones…”
“Why do they have to mention A Game of Thrones?!”
“Of course, we’re going to *have* to mention A Game of Thrones…”
“Why do they have to mention A Game of Thrones?!”
January 15, 2025 at 9:43 AM
The very mention of a novel in that context carries dire implications.
“Of course, we’re going to *have* to mention A Game of Thrones…”
“Why do they have to mention A Game of Thrones?!”
“Of course, we’re going to *have* to mention A Game of Thrones…”
“Why do they have to mention A Game of Thrones?!”
I’m very spoiler averse so would probably be the person a few minutes into the panel thinking ‘oh my God what have I done?’. Wouldn’t complain about it in that context though!
January 15, 2025 at 9:33 AM
I’m very spoiler averse so would probably be the person a few minutes into the panel thinking ‘oh my God what have I done?’. Wouldn’t complain about it in that context though!
If you sang it in the North East people would think you and your friends had an elephant
January 15, 2025 at 9:29 AM
If you sang it in the North East people would think you and your friends had an elephant
This is literally what I was looking for in the replies
January 15, 2025 at 9:23 AM
This is literally what I was looking for in the replies
Also worth keeping in mind that this varies by genre and by text, and that some writers/producers explicitly ask that spoilers not be shared - theatre whodunnit The Mousetrap has been running in the U.K. for decades and at the end asks people not to spoil it for others.
January 15, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Also worth keeping in mind that this varies by genre and by text, and that some writers/producers explicitly ask that spoilers not be shared - theatre whodunnit The Mousetrap has been running in the U.K. for decades and at the end asks people not to spoil it for others.
I like the variations in the NYT one - sometimes guessing the gimmick is integral to working out what on Earth the puzzle is doing, which adds a dimension U.K. crosswords don’t have.
January 14, 2025 at 10:46 AM
I like the variations in the NYT one - sometimes guessing the gimmick is integral to working out what on Earth the puzzle is doing, which adds a dimension U.K. crosswords don’t have.
I started out with the Telegraph when I was a teenager - think they’re a bit easier on the whole. Guardian varies a lot. They published a primer a while ago that was helpful in terms of how they construct different sorts of clues but I still find them sometimes utterly opaque!
January 14, 2025 at 10:45 AM
I started out with the Telegraph when I was a teenager - think they’re a bit easier on the whole. Guardian varies a lot. They published a primer a while ago that was helpful in terms of how they construct different sorts of clues but I still find them sometimes utterly opaque!
I’m one of those sometimes I just click with a setter, sometimes I don’t, solvers. Helen is, unsurprisingly, more consistent!
January 14, 2025 at 9:19 AM
I’m one of those sometimes I just click with a setter, sometimes I don’t, solvers. Helen is, unsurprisingly, more consistent!