Life goes on in the new house as we make changes to suit us. Peter has built some storage in our outdoor room, using flat packs from Bunnings, and we’ve done a bit more work in the garden. I suspect gardening will be intermittent for some time. The weather is not particularly hot, but it’s very humid, so doing physical work outdoors isn’t much fun. As I write, it’s raining which is nice. It’s probably my fault, since I watered yesterday evening. Always the way.
There hasn’t been much progress on the writing front but I have read a couple more books in the Eve Mallow series which I wrote about last week. They’re an easy read, not requiring much in the way of brain power so they’re comfortable. Maybe that’s why they’re called ‘cosy mysteries’.
I watched the first two episodes of Disney’s new live action Star Wars story, Skeleton Crew. The main characters are kids – I’d guess around twelve or thirteen years old, so the series is aimed at kids. But I’ve never let a label stop me from enjoying a story and this one’s pretty good.
The first scenes were strangely familiar. There’s a planet, and a ship that is pursued by a larger ship. The crew on the original ship realise they’re about to be boarded and prepare to fight back, setting themselves up along the corridors facing the hatches. The battle is brief, the pirates win, and the pirate leader (who looks like a werewolf) lifts the ship’s captain into the air with a hand around his throat. Ring any bells, anyone? No? Have a look at the opening scenes in StarWars: A New Hope. 😊
Here’s the trailer.
That opening sequence is great. Terrific graphics and a real sense of the dangers of plying your trade in the New Republic – but without blood and guts, although it’s pretty clear lots of people are killed. The pirates are a force to be reckoned with.
Cut to what the kids are doing. Again, the sets are terrific, depicting a future city and a school system rather like ours, except for the droids. Dysfunctional family dynamics are sketched in for the three humans Wim, Fern, and KB, while the alien kid with an elephant’s head (Neel) comes from a settled nuclear family.
The fun starts when Wim takes a ‘short cut’ to school because he’s missed the bus. He uncovers what he insists is the entrance to a Jedi temple. He and Neel are forced to join forces with Fern and KB (who are female) to unearth their find. It turns out to be a crashed spaceship and soon, after a series of mishaps, they accidentally activate the vessel which takes them into space.
Needless to say, the new series has its share of knockers. But an awful lot of people, including me, thought it was great. Read a few reviews at Rotten Tomatoes.
I’ll be looking for the weekly episodes for a chance to be swept away to a galaxy far, far away.
Christmas (or Hanukkah, Yule, Kwanzaa, Bohdi Day, Dongzhi Festival, or whatever you celebrate at the winter solstice) is just around the corner. If you’re looking for a cheap present that will bring hours of pleasure, please consider Pets in Space 9. You’re sure to find a story you’ll enjoy.
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