About Time 6

[avevale_intelligencer]

...being the final volume in the "unauthorized and ambitiously definitive guide to Who" by Tat Wood and (occasionally) Lawrence Miles, is out, and a very good read. A bit of a rush job, though, from the signs: there are some glaring factual errors, for one thing, the one I read most recently being about the visual recorded by Lord Olivier for the musical Time (which we saw) being "recycled for the dismal flick Sky Captain and the World Of Tomorrow." He was a lot older at the time of Time than he was in the SC visual, and the difference in appearance and voice was quite unmistakable in both cases. There's also the minor point that SC was not a "dismal flick," but we'll let that pass.

There are also some interesting botched corrections, such as "a gender imbalance allows women to can multiple husbands." Doesn't anyone proofread any more? (Apart, of course, from aunty_marion, who must have been busy that week.)

So, not by any means reliable, but still worth reading.

Comments

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

I am increasingly of the opinion that publisher's don't give a toss about getting their books decently proof-read. It's almost reached the stage where I start reading a new book pencil in hand.

Talking of books, I managed to get the Face in the Frost second hand through amazon. Thanks for the rec - I'm enjoying it very much, though it's a hard book to place in terms of style and tone. So I am not trying overly hard to place it, and just enjoying reading.

You feeling more cheerful today? There's nothing wrong with starting heated debates, you know. It's a good thing, really, because it's too easy to coast along in life without thinking very hard about anything significant. I appreciate the fact that you take the time to raise subjects of interest and concern. Keep at it, I say. People clearly relish getting their teeth into a meaty topic. Of course, it would be nice if everyone were equally civilised, but one can't have everything.

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

Getting my equilibrium back, slowly but surely.

There's nothing wrong with starting heated debates, as long as you have the stamina to carry them through, and I seldom do. Still, at this stage, though I might make solemn resolutions to stop antagonising people, I'm unlikely to be able to keep them, so I suspect the rhubarbs will continue (at least till morale improves).

I'm glad you're enjoying the Bellairs. I always imagine it being read by Roddy McDowall--it just sounds like his voice. To me, anyway. :)

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

I can't believe I misplaced an apostrophe. *hangs head in shame*

Oh, yes! Roddy McDowall would be perfect!

[zanda-myrande.livejournal.com]

I thought it was bait... ;)

[dickgloucester.livejournal.com]

Should have kept my trap shut! :-D

[eoforyth.livejournal.com]

"...allows women to can multiple husbands."

Actually, it's the only sensible method of keeping them fresh if you are using them in rotation. The only drawback is you need a bloody huge can opener when you need a fresh one.

[aunty_marion]

Shrink-wrap them first (with the emphasis on the 'shrink'). It's the size of the pressure cooker you need that strikes me as the main problem. And they get awfully wrinkled eventually.

[pink-sweater-uk.livejournal.com]

Agreed, About Time 6 is a good read, but lousily proof-read. I can't help but wonder whether this is part and parcel of the tome's frequently-put back in the schedules nature, and also whether it is a bit of a rush job. The rumours flying about do seem to indicate that Tat and Lawrence had a (fairly amicable) falling-out, hence Tat getting the solo credit for this one.

Bonus points are also due for covering the various Children In Need/Comic Relief spin-offs, as well as the Cushing Dalek films - and it is good to see that a properly-expanded edition of the Pertwee volume is due some time in 2008, since that one did look decidedly skinny on the shelves next to the others. One wonders whether either Tat or Lawrence knew that the series would have the "legs" to reach its conclusion?

Tat's also far too hard on both The Two Doctors and the Paul McGann movie, but by and large it is - as you say - a good job.

[smoooom.livejournal.com]

canning a husband. I'm not sure if "getting canned" as in getting fired is a North American expression or not, or id it would be better simply preserve the husbands, you'd need a really big can though.

Proofreading does seem to becoming a lost art.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

I'm familliar with "getting canned" in the UK, but that may be because we get a lot of US import phrases. We generally use 'tin' where US uses 'can' for fruit, meat etc. ('tinned' meat rather than 'canned' meat) but again we tend to be familiar with both.

Caning one's husband, however, is generally frowned on unless he likes that sort of thing *g*.

[smoooom.livejournal.com]

I so didn't go there. I'll admit that I wasn't sure how to spell canned and opposed to caned. Spelling is not my forte.

[keristor.livejournal.com]

Heh. You got it right, when I was typing however it came out as 'caned'. Twice. Typing is not /my/ forte *g*...

[aunty_marion]

It can't have been half as bad as WKAD?. Can it?

ETA: Also, see here (not for people on dial-up, alas).