ZoomVlog

Science fiction booksReviewThe future evoked in Sandra Newman's resonant epic may be bleak, but her language glitters with inventionIn literature, nothing dates like tomorrow. The hypothetical readers of the late 21st century may look back on the Armageddon fixation of some of today's dystopic fiction with an indulgent smile. But they may also be struck by how much of the political and physical landscape they recognise. That the radically altered world on the horizon has already been envisaged by science presents a challenge to fiction writers conjuring humankind's future: in an era of melting ice caps and military contingency plans, the issue is no longer what we can imagine; it is what we can't. [Read More]

MoviesInterviewAndrei Konchalovsky: ‘I’m very glad I failed in Hollywood’Andrew PulverThe Russian director is back in the spotlight with the Bafta-nominated Dear Comrades! Now 83, Konchalovsky raises a cocktail glass and celebrates his freedom to call the shots It’s night-time in Moscow, and as Andrei Konchalovsky is settling on the sofa in his apartment, an unearthly howling fills the air. Could this be the wailing of some Russian banshee arisen to stalk the earth for all eternity? [Read More]

Bill Ackman claimed the Business Insider stories about his wife, Neri Oxman, were motivated by antisemitism. Photograph: Kristoffer Tripplaar/AlamyBill Ackman claimed the Business Insider stories about his wife, Neri Oxman, were motivated by antisemitism. Photograph: Kristoffer Tripplaar/AlamyMediaBill Ackman ‘losing it’ over plagiarism allegations against wife, Axel Springer saysBusiness Insider ran reports on Neri Oxman, wife of billionaire investor who helped oust Harvard head over alleged plagiarism The billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who helped oust Claudine Gay as Harvard president in a scandal over alleged plagiarism and campus antisemitism, is “completely losing it” over stories in which Business Insider said his wife, the academic Neri Oxman, “plagiarised some passages” in her own dissertation. [Read More]

BooksReviewDespite disparate themes and dated subjects, Garner’s new collection coheres as a volume, and reminds us again why she is one of the greats Acqua Profonda is the title of the first chapter in Helen Garner’s debut book Monkey Grip (1977). The words are written up on a wall at the Fitzroy pool where the novel’s protagonist spends her summer afternoons lounging. It’s a warning for the Italian migrants that frequented the pool in the 50s (“deep water”), but now, almost 40 years after the novel was first published, it stands as a concise description of the emotional and psychological depths the author has plumbed in the decades since. [Read More]

The ObserverCulture This article is more than 1 year oldHuge decline of working class people in the arts reflects fall in wider societyThis article is more than 1 year oldStudy shows the proportion of musicians, writers and artists with working-class origins has shrunk by half since the 1970s The proportion of working-class actors, musicians and writers has shrunk by half since the 1970s, new research shows. Analysis of Office for National Statistics data found that 16. [Read More]

UK weatherSnow, ice and travel disruption to hit northern UK as Arctic chill continuesYellow warnings moving south from northern Scotland during week with temperatures 5C to 6C below seasonal norm, says Met Office Cold Arctic air will bring snow, ice and travel disruption to parts of the UK next week. The Met Office has issued yellow snow and ice warnings as temperatures are expected to plunge over the coming days. Liam Eslick, a meteorologist, said that temperatures will be about 5C to 6C lower than usual for this time of year. [Read More]

The other sideTelevision‘John is telling Grace that they’ll have to cut back on a few luxuries – sleep, the desire to not be kicked to death by cows in a freezing puddle etc’ Derbyshire, 1923 and the winds of revolution are blustering into the sleet of misery that hangs over The Village (Sun, 9pm, BBC1). You’ll remember the premise: fictional centenarian Bert Middleton is trudging, ankle-deep in mud and bovine excreta, down memory lane. [Read More]

The world's worst stuffed animals – in pictures Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Even at its best, taxidermy is a bit creepy. But just look what happens when the taxidermist gets a bit ‘creative’. A new book takes a look at the most atrocious examples, from a winged cat to a bushbaby with a doll’s face. Crap Taxidermy by Kat Su is published by Cassell (www. [Read More]

Children's booksChildren's booksWhy Charles Dickens's best character is non-existent‘Brooks of Sheffield’ appears in Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield just once, in passing conversation, but he’s a true masterpiece of storytelling, says author Sally Christie Read the first chapter of Sally Christie’s The Icarus Show Lots of people love Dickens. Of course I don’t claim to love or appreciate him more than anyone else. Indeed, when I first came across his work, there were things I just didn’t get. [Read More]