The Scotsman Abroad | Smugglivus Some More!

With winter officially here, and Christmas equally near, Smugglivus has begun again over at The Book Smugglers, and however hard we mere mortals might try, nobody does December better than Ana and Thea.

Last year, for my first Smugglivus, I contributed a post entitled Twelve for 2012. This year, it was with immense pleasure that I received a second invite to the site, so I embarked upon a similar but different endeavour, casting my net slightly wider to include forthcoming films and TV series alongside the usual selection of exciting new books. 

Lucky 2013 went live yesterday, and I'd urge you to pop across to The Book Smugglers' blog to read my epic guest post in its entirety. Here's a bit from my first pick:

"There are a couple of authors whose work I practically worship: foremost amongst them, K. J. Parker and China Mieville, both of whom have had new novels released every year for at least the last three. In all probability, there will be books bearing their names in 2013 – for once in my life, I'm hoping each begins a series after so many standalone narratives – but as yet no-one knows what or when or even if these will be. 

"So forgive me, but for my first pick, I’m going to plump for something that actually exists. Guy Gavriel Kay is another firm favourite of mine, right up there alongside the previous pair in the great fantasy food chain, plus he publishes rather more rarely than they. Thus, though there’s been no word on a date for the UK, the release of River of Stars in North America in early April is especially exciting."

I go from the great Guy Gavriel Kay to Stephen King's sequel to The Shining, by way of the new Superman movie and the final season of Starz' Spartacus — and that's hardly the half of it.

You know where to go!

News Flashing | I Am Not Spartacus

Spartacus: Blood and Sand was one of my greatest guilty pleasures last year.


In fact... no. I take that back. It was only a guilty pleasure to begin with: after a couple of hours of daft action and borderline offensive sex, the untold origin story American cable network Starz proffered up during the Summer of 2010 really picked up. By the halfway point, right about the time my interest in most shows tends to sag, I was utterly gripped. And by the end - those of you who saw Blood and Sand will know what I'm talking about - there was simply no going back.


Except back is exactly where they've gone. See here:

"This house offers many pleasures," says Batiatus of the Ludus in which we watched Spartacus become the warrior history recognises him as. "With more yet to be presented," adds Xena of the coming prequel miniseries - equal parts, one presumes, an opportunity to spend a little more time with two of the most memorably treacherous characters television has seen in decades, and a chance to let lead actor Andy Whitfield recover from his treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma.


Sadly, Whitfield's condition hasn't been so easily brushed under the rug, and the rising star has had to give up the role that helped make him. Hollywood waits for no man, not even a leading man, it seems, so in a couple of weeks we'll be hearing all about our new Spartacus - delete as appropriate two of the following: Canadian actor Stephen Amell, British player Aiden Turner and Aussie contender Liam McIntyre. "Hmm" with me.


For the very moment, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena will act as a fine measure as to whether the show-runners of Blood and Sand can capture the impact and the intrigue of that series without him. As to that, the above trailer certainly leaves me hopeful.


Most of you lot will be able to judge for yourself come January 21st, when Gods of the Arena begins airing on Starz in the US. Who knows when (or indeed where) we'll see it here in blasted, behind-the-times Blighty.

I hate you all. :/