David Matthewman
@djm4.bsky.social
Sheffield,-UK-based liberal leftie geek, into SFF generally and Dr Who specifically. Likes cycling and birdwatching, but very much playing both on easy mode. LOFC fan in exile. Pronouns he/him/himself
Also on Mastodon as @[email protected]
Also on Mastodon as @[email protected]
Reposted by David Matthewman
Every word of this headline just gets better and better.
The premise sounds amazing, and fucking love David Leitch movies. 👍
The premise sounds amazing, and fucking love David Leitch movies. 👍
Jason Statham is set to play Jason Statham in Jason Statham Stole My Bike, a new action-comedy from Bullet Train director David Leitch.
Read more: www.empireonline.com/movies...
Read more: www.empireonline.com/movies...
February 14, 2026 at 3:26 AM
Every word of this headline just gets better and better.
The premise sounds amazing, and fucking love David Leitch movies. 👍
The premise sounds amazing, and fucking love David Leitch movies. 👍
Reposted by David Matthewman
The constant background wind and the smeary lense all added to the ‘alien’ sense.
You have to admire the audacity to try something like this. It may not work 100% but when it’s good it’s brilliant
You have to admire the audacity to try something like this. It may not work 100% but when it’s good it’s brilliant
February 13, 2026 at 8:49 AM
The constant background wind and the smeary lense all added to the ‘alien’ sense.
You have to admire the audacity to try something like this. It may not work 100% but when it’s good it’s brilliant
You have to admire the audacity to try something like this. It may not work 100% but when it’s good it’s brilliant
Reposted by David Matthewman
OTD 1965: #DoctorWho The Web Planet
The TARDIS is pulled into TV Who’s one all-alien adventure
A very variable spectacle, but the ancient pyramid and great gauzy canyon Crater of Needles are magical
Insect movement of giant ants and grubs, Lovecraftian tentacular horrors…
The TARDIS is pulled into TV Who’s one all-alien adventure
A very variable spectacle, but the ancient pyramid and great gauzy canyon Crater of Needles are magical
Insect movement of giant ants and grubs, Lovecraftian tentacular horrors…
February 13, 2026 at 7:52 AM
OTD 1965: #DoctorWho The Web Planet
The TARDIS is pulled into TV Who’s one all-alien adventure
A very variable spectacle, but the ancient pyramid and great gauzy canyon Crater of Needles are magical
Insect movement of giant ants and grubs, Lovecraftian tentacular horrors…
The TARDIS is pulled into TV Who’s one all-alien adventure
A very variable spectacle, but the ancient pyramid and great gauzy canyon Crater of Needles are magical
Insect movement of giant ants and grubs, Lovecraftian tentacular horrors…
Just spent an hour responding to this. There's still a couple of hours left to do so.
February 12, 2026 at 9:04 PM
Just spent an hour responding to this. There's still a couple of hours left to do so.
Reposted by David Matthewman
If you're truly on the Left, then "uber-woke", "net-zero" and "rejoinerism" are all pretty positive things, however nuanced your views are about them all. You need to refer to leftists you hate as "monocellular-organism-rights-activists" or "the wrong sort of Stalinist" to not come seem like a Tory.
Yes, god help we risk a floundering government that feels like no one is in charge.
February 8, 2026 at 8:07 PM
If you're truly on the Left, then "uber-woke", "net-zero" and "rejoinerism" are all pretty positive things, however nuanced your views are about them all. You need to refer to leftists you hate as "monocellular-organism-rights-activists" or "the wrong sort of Stalinist" to not come seem like a Tory.
It is indeed delightful, and so is the second in the trilogy Enchanting the Fae Queen, which I read last weekend.
Thank you so much to Stephanie Burgis, who popped in this week to sign her book!
Wooing the Witch Queen is our Welsh Book of the Month for February; the opening instalment in a delightful cosy romantasy trilogy, which finds a feared sorceress falling for a dark wizard
Wooing the Witch Queen is our Welsh Book of the Month for February; the opening instalment in a delightful cosy romantasy trilogy, which finds a feared sorceress falling for a dark wizard
February 8, 2026 at 7:18 AM
It is indeed delightful, and so is the second in the trilogy Enchanting the Fae Queen, which I read last weekend.
Reposted by David Matthewman
On my blog, I posted the speech I gave at WisCon last year, because I've been thinking a lot about that story about the guy throwing starfish back in the water.
naomikritzer.com/2026/02/07/m...
naomikritzer.com/2026/02/07/m...
My 2025 WisCon Guest off Honor Speech
Last year I was a Guest of Honor at WisCon, a science fiction convention that’s historically been held in Madison, Wisconsin but last year was held as an online con. One of the things you do …
naomikritzer.com
February 7, 2026 at 11:35 PM
On my blog, I posted the speech I gave at WisCon last year, because I've been thinking a lot about that story about the guy throwing starfish back in the water.
naomikritzer.com/2026/02/07/m...
naomikritzer.com/2026/02/07/m...
Reposted by David Matthewman
Alright, where are my gifted kids at? You were smart and you never had to study and then you went to college and suddenly had to learn a new skillset overnight, that everybody else had years to learn, or flame out spectacularly?
That’s what talent is like.
That’s what talent is like.
In my experience, talent is a *detriment* to learning.
I didn't have to practice early on so I *didn't know how*. I didn't start to learn how to practice until my 30s! (When much of my life was taken up with parenting, so I didn't have time!)
I didn't start to improve as a musician until my 40s!
I didn't have to practice early on so I *didn't know how*. I didn't start to learn how to practice until my 30s! (When much of my life was taken up with parenting, so I didn't have time!)
I didn't start to improve as a musician until my 40s!
I'm going to say this again in case you haven't heard this one: I was a talented writer and it did *nothing whatsoever* because I hadn't put in the work, and I put in the work for ten years (subtracting the bit where I had to quit for my mental health) to write Witchmark
talent alone could *never*
talent alone could *never*
February 7, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Alright, where are my gifted kids at? You were smart and you never had to study and then you went to college and suddenly had to learn a new skillset overnight, that everybody else had years to learn, or flame out spectacularly?
That’s what talent is like.
That’s what talent is like.
I am in this picture, multiple times, and I do not like it.
Alright, where are my gifted kids at? You were smart and you never had to study and then you went to college and suddenly had to learn a new skillset overnight, that everybody else had years to learn, or flame out spectacularly?
That’s what talent is like.
That’s what talent is like.
In my experience, talent is a *detriment* to learning.
I didn't have to practice early on so I *didn't know how*. I didn't start to learn how to practice until my 30s! (When much of my life was taken up with parenting, so I didn't have time!)
I didn't start to improve as a musician until my 40s!
I didn't have to practice early on so I *didn't know how*. I didn't start to learn how to practice until my 30s! (When much of my life was taken up with parenting, so I didn't have time!)
I didn't start to improve as a musician until my 40s!
February 7, 2026 at 7:13 PM
I am in this picture, multiple times, and I do not like it.
Reposted by David Matthewman
Amazing to think that we have surnames because this is how medieval people managed their phones
I am very glad of my habit of saving tradespeople in my phone as "Firstname JOB THEY DO" rather than "Firstname Surname" because an unexpected phone call from John Smith is much more stressful than an unexpected phone call from John ELECTRICIAN. I know roughly what expect from John ELECTRICIAN.
February 7, 2026 at 1:26 PM
Amazing to think that we have surnames because this is how medieval people managed their phones
Reposted by David Matthewman
If I'm reading this right and the scientists are correct, the best Stradivarius violins were made with wood grown at high altitudes during the Little Ice Age/Maunder Minimum
So in part we can't replicate because the world's a lot hotter now
So in part we can't replicate because the world's a lot hotter now
If you want a fun science (🧪) article to read this weekend, make it this one: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... #Stradivarius #Dendrochronology
Tracing the origins of Stradivari’s resonance wood
Stradivari’s violins represent the pinnacle of classical instrument making, yet the origins of the wood used to construct their soundboards have long …
www.sciencedirect.com
February 7, 2026 at 2:47 AM
If I'm reading this right and the scientists are correct, the best Stradivarius violins were made with wood grown at high altitudes during the Little Ice Age/Maunder Minimum
So in part we can't replicate because the world's a lot hotter now
So in part we can't replicate because the world's a lot hotter now
Reposted by David Matthewman
The best worst lines in Doctor Who, the ones where you can take most delight in the sheer terribleness: lmmyles.com/2026/02/06/t...
The Best Worst Lines In Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a television show with hundreds of episodes and thousands of lines of dialogue. Some of those lines are brilliant, inspiring, profound, they can lift your day and/or understanding of …
lmmyles.com
February 6, 2026 at 2:08 PM
The best worst lines in Doctor Who, the ones where you can take most delight in the sheer terribleness: lmmyles.com/2026/02/06/t...
Reposted by David Matthewman
Is it possible she has misunderstood what a moral panic is and thinks the witches were guilty
guess she couldn’t find anybody
February 5, 2026 at 11:32 PM
Is it possible she has misunderstood what a moral panic is and thinks the witches were guilty
At the Crucible Theatre to see Utopia Theatre's production of Crown of Blood, a Yoruba retelling of Macbeth by Oladipo Agboluaje.
I really enjoyed the same company's production of Death and the King's Horseman last year, so am looking forward to this.
I really enjoyed the same company's production of Death and the King's Horseman last year, so am looking forward to this.
February 5, 2026 at 7:11 PM
At the Crucible Theatre to see Utopia Theatre's production of Crown of Blood, a Yoruba retelling of Macbeth by Oladipo Agboluaje.
I really enjoyed the same company's production of Death and the King's Horseman last year, so am looking forward to this.
I really enjoyed the same company's production of Death and the King's Horseman last year, so am looking forward to this.
Update: the 810 Aurora fleet is evidently suffering from teething problems. Last week's train was cancelled between Sheffield and Derby. Today's started from Sheffield, got to Derby, sat around in Derby while the train crew rebooted everything, and has just been taken out of service. Oopsie.
7am train from London to Sheffield, and it's one of the new 810 fleet! Very shiny and comfortable (OK, I'm in First, but Standard looks nice, too).
January 30, 2026 at 8:07 AM
Update: the 810 Aurora fleet is evidently suffering from teething problems. Last week's train was cancelled between Sheffield and Derby. Today's started from Sheffield, got to Derby, sat around in Derby while the train crew rebooted everything, and has just been taken out of service. Oopsie.
Reposted by David Matthewman
The audio version of “The River Has Roots” by Amal El-Mohtar performed by Gem Carmella is excellent. The Audie nomination is well deserved.
The story is also beautifully written - it’s a poetic and lyrical fairy tale wrapped in folk songs.
It’s a book that should be experienced on audio.
The story is also beautifully written - it’s a poetic and lyrical fairy tale wrapped in folk songs.
It’s a book that should be experienced on audio.
I'm so thrilled to share that THE RIVER HAS ROOTS is an Audie Finalist! In 2 categories: Best Production & Sound Design, & (for Gem Carmella) Best New Voice!
#AUDIES2026
#AUDIES2026
January 29, 2026 at 6:29 PM
The audio version of “The River Has Roots” by Amal El-Mohtar performed by Gem Carmella is excellent. The Audie nomination is well deserved.
The story is also beautifully written - it’s a poetic and lyrical fairy tale wrapped in folk songs.
It’s a book that should be experienced on audio.
The story is also beautifully written - it’s a poetic and lyrical fairy tale wrapped in folk songs.
It’s a book that should be experienced on audio.
Reposted by David Matthewman
Mad scientist documents 13+ hour cross border train journey in snow!
I had no idea there was a train route that close to Niagara Falls, I want to take that train!
I had no idea there was a train route that close to Niagara Falls, I want to take that train!
Good morning!
Last night I learned three important things:
1) My flight today from Toronto to NYC to give a talk in the Planetarium at AMNH tomorrow was cancelled due to the snow
2) The best alternative Air Canada could offer me was Wednesday morning: too late!
3) But there is a TRAIN 🚂
Last night I learned three important things:
1) My flight today from Toronto to NYC to give a talk in the Planetarium at AMNH tomorrow was cancelled due to the snow
2) The best alternative Air Canada could offer me was Wednesday morning: too late!
3) But there is a TRAIN 🚂
January 27, 2026 at 4:44 AM
Mad scientist documents 13+ hour cross border train journey in snow!
I had no idea there was a train route that close to Niagara Falls, I want to take that train!
I had no idea there was a train route that close to Niagara Falls, I want to take that train!
Reposted by David Matthewman
As far as I'm concerned there is only one definitive Casino Royale movie, and it starred Peter Sellers. #HATM
galacticjourney.org/august-4-196...
galacticjourney.org/august-4-196...
January 26, 2026 at 10:08 AM
As far as I'm concerned there is only one definitive Casino Royale movie, and it starred Peter Sellers. #HATM
galacticjourney.org/august-4-196...
galacticjourney.org/august-4-196...
Reposted by David Matthewman
The nice thing about a spouse with aphantasia? They basically forget what I look like every time they leave the room.
So when they see me it is like the first time they see me, so they are ALWAYS surprised.
I get to enjoy the look of "👀 👀 👀There is a hot woman in my house!" At least once a day.
So when they see me it is like the first time they see me, so they are ALWAYS surprised.
I get to enjoy the look of "👀 👀 👀There is a hot woman in my house!" At least once a day.
September 5, 2025 at 5:30 PM
The nice thing about a spouse with aphantasia? They basically forget what I look like every time they leave the room.
So when they see me it is like the first time they see me, so they are ALWAYS surprised.
I get to enjoy the look of "👀 👀 👀There is a hot woman in my house!" At least once a day.
So when they see me it is like the first time they see me, so they are ALWAYS surprised.
I get to enjoy the look of "👀 👀 👀There is a hot woman in my house!" At least once a day.
Reposted by David Matthewman
Fully agree with this.
I also think this season was massively enhanced by the wholesome nature of the relationship between the two eventual winners. Like Bake Off and Sewing Bee, shows like this work best when the contestants reject being backstabbing arseholes and are lovely and help each other.
I also think this season was massively enhanced by the wholesome nature of the relationship between the two eventual winners. Like Bake Off and Sewing Bee, shows like this work best when the contestants reject being backstabbing arseholes and are lovely and help each other.
This season and the Celebrities prove it: this show is so much better with contestants who know it is a game. Should just lean into that IMO and have 22 contestants for 22 named charities, raise awareness for the charities throughout.
January 24, 2026 at 9:35 AM
Fully agree with this.
I also think this season was massively enhanced by the wholesome nature of the relationship between the two eventual winners. Like Bake Off and Sewing Bee, shows like this work best when the contestants reject being backstabbing arseholes and are lovely and help each other.
I also think this season was massively enhanced by the wholesome nature of the relationship between the two eventual winners. Like Bake Off and Sewing Bee, shows like this work best when the contestants reject being backstabbing arseholes and are lovely and help each other.
Reposted by David Matthewman
Some Doctor Who moments you watch, and they stick with you forever. And these are my top five: lmmyles.com/2026/01/21/f...
Five Doctor Who Moments That Live In My Head Rent-Free
There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of great moments in Doctor Who, but those here are a very particular sort of great moment. They’re ones that hit me in the chest, made me hold my breath…
lmmyles.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Some Doctor Who moments you watch, and they stick with you forever. And these are my top five: lmmyles.com/2026/01/21/f...
GROGGS, the Cambridge University discussion board. I was at Churchill College, which was very techie and had a bank of BBC Microsoft acting as terminals for the Phoenix computer system just upstairs from the bar. Moss evenings, several of them would be occupied by people logged into GROGGS.
January 17, 2026 at 9:08 AM
GROGGS, the Cambridge University discussion board. I was at Churchill College, which was very techie and had a bank of BBC Microsoft acting as terminals for the Phoenix computer system just upstairs from the bar. Moss evenings, several of them would be occupied by people logged into GROGGS.
Reposted by David Matthewman
Think I'm going to reread "The Year Without Sunshine" tonight. (This is a @naomikritzer.bsky.social appreciation post. ❤️ ) 🧵
"The Year Without Sunshine" by @naomikritzer.bsky.social hits even harder now (but in a good way).
Award-winning story, set in Minneapolis. Very appropriate for this place and this time. It's about community & taking care of each other. (10,883 words).
www.uncannymagazine.com/article/the-...
Award-winning story, set in Minneapolis. Very appropriate for this place and this time. It's about community & taking care of each other. (10,883 words).
www.uncannymagazine.com/article/the-...
January 17, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Think I'm going to reread "The Year Without Sunshine" tonight. (This is a @naomikritzer.bsky.social appreciation post. ❤️ ) 🧵