A few days ago, the journal "Science" published a report claiming to make an objective list of the United States by happiness. Actually, what the report did was claim that objective criteria of happiness would match up with people's subjective self-reporting of happiness. The actual paper might have gone into more detail than this, but once a Top Ten list of happy states was released, the national press had a field day with it. I myself was less impressed with it, and by doing a…

I remember the first time I saw DEAR LEADER. My father took…

This is a way of roasting spuds that I've not seen elsewhere. They come out almost like thick cut crisps (or chips if you are in the US). They are quick to cook, and combine easily with roast meats like lamb chops, chicken pieces, or whatever. You can easily put them together, and arrange that everything will be ready at the same time. Finally, the way of coating them in butter and oil means that you don't have to fiddle around with basting, and they get a lovely crispy-fluffy texture. Salt crystals…

Author: Roger Zelazny
Published: 1970, Doubleday
Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy

Nine Princes in Amber is a classic SF/F novel, and the first of the Chronicles of Amber series, which eventually grew to include ten books and six short stories. Like many SF/F classics, it is not very good. In its time it was a brilliant idea, a way to bring sword and sorcery fantasy out of the middle ages and into the 'real world'. It…