some things
Mar. 25th, 2012 08:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kindkit1) This afternoon I finished reading The Cruise of the Condor, the second Biggles book in publication order after The Camels Are Coming (the latter is aka, to me anyway, Biggles Develops War Neurosis). It predates W. E. Johns's decision to retcon Biggles as an invulnerable hero for boys, so there are a large number of moments in which Biggles is terrified, creeped out, upset, or depressed. I made a list of Things That Scare Biggles, which includes:
The book's a strange read, especially in its mix of modern-seeming ideas (the Inca civilization [the phlebotinum of the plot is Biggles's uncle's theory that the Inca Empire extended into Brazil] is presented as extremely admirable, and there's also a lot of disgust over the virtual enslavement of rubber collectors) with vile racism (the depiction of all current Indians as savages, patronizing characterization of black people, some use of the n-word), and a gleeful depiction of archaeological treasure-hunting that makes Indiana Jones look cautious and responsible.
Slash quotient maybe a 2 out of 10, although I do like Algy's protectiveness of Biggles.
2) I have now watched 4 episodes of Callan, and I am badly in need of Callan/Meres hatesex fic. (Really it would be more like "I hate you but grudgingly respect you sometimes, and even though I literally use pictures of you for target practice I want to keep working with you and therefore will keep you around by coercion if necessary" sex.) I know that Meres is supposed to be a bad guy, and I haven't missed that he's a vicious bastard under the slightly oily charm, but . . . it's Anthony Valentine! I can't hate characters played by Anthony Valentine! Also, when Meres is bored he plays cat's cradle by himself and it's the dorkiest thing ever.
There is also ample justification for shipping Callan with his weird little friend/pet, a burglar aptly nicknamed Lonely who has all the social graces of a flea but of whom Callan is enormously protective. The show does put up a huge (deliberate?) eroticism barrier between them by frequently mentioning that Lonely stinks--he sweats when he's nervous, and he's always nervous. But Callan could always make him have a bath first, I suppose. And afterwards. And, if possible, during.
3) It seems that in 1983 there was an ITV show called Chessgame, another spy show starring Terence Stamp (!), Michael Culver (who later played one of my favorite characters in Secret Army), and a young Robin Sachs (!!!! later to play Ethan Rayne on Buffy the Vampire Slayer). I think you can guess what's next on my viewing agenda. Although I also need to watch the WWII fighter-pilot drama Piece of Cake, and finish watching Dunkirk, and possibly read the ginormous book about Dunkirk that I got from the library, not to mention listening to the radio adaptation of Graham Greene's play The Return of A. J. Raffles, wherein Raffles is gay. Canonically gay. Ah, well, having too much to watch and read is so much nicer than the opposite problem.
Heights (no, really; he's scared of heights unless he's in a plane)*hearts him* Also, the poor thing has to hurt his pretty hands trying to dig his way out of a cavern collapse: "An exclamation of sympathy broke from the lips of the others, for Biggles's hands, which were small and delicate, were now blistered and raw as a result of his labour at the wall." Apparently Johns has a bit of a fetish about Biggles's small delicate hands, mentioning them in most of the books.
Being underground
The wilderness
Crocodiles
Snakes
Ants, bees, and ticks
Butterflies (he freaks out when a big butterfly flies too near his face)
The book's a strange read, especially in its mix of modern-seeming ideas (the Inca civilization [the phlebotinum of the plot is Biggles's uncle's theory that the Inca Empire extended into Brazil] is presented as extremely admirable, and there's also a lot of disgust over the virtual enslavement of rubber collectors) with vile racism (the depiction of all current Indians as savages, patronizing characterization of black people, some use of the n-word), and a gleeful depiction of archaeological treasure-hunting that makes Indiana Jones look cautious and responsible.
Slash quotient maybe a 2 out of 10, although I do like Algy's protectiveness of Biggles.
2) I have now watched 4 episodes of Callan, and I am badly in need of Callan/Meres hatesex fic. (Really it would be more like "I hate you but grudgingly respect you sometimes, and even though I literally use pictures of you for target practice I want to keep working with you and therefore will keep you around by coercion if necessary" sex.) I know that Meres is supposed to be a bad guy, and I haven't missed that he's a vicious bastard under the slightly oily charm, but . . . it's Anthony Valentine! I can't hate characters played by Anthony Valentine! Also, when Meres is bored he plays cat's cradle by himself and it's the dorkiest thing ever.
There is also ample justification for shipping Callan with his weird little friend/pet, a burglar aptly nicknamed Lonely who has all the social graces of a flea but of whom Callan is enormously protective. The show does put up a huge (deliberate?) eroticism barrier between them by frequently mentioning that Lonely stinks--he sweats when he's nervous, and he's always nervous. But Callan could always make him have a bath first, I suppose. And afterwards. And, if possible, during.
3) It seems that in 1983 there was an ITV show called Chessgame, another spy show starring Terence Stamp (!), Michael Culver (who later played one of my favorite characters in Secret Army), and a young Robin Sachs (!!!! later to play Ethan Rayne on Buffy the Vampire Slayer). I think you can guess what's next on my viewing agenda. Although I also need to watch the WWII fighter-pilot drama Piece of Cake, and finish watching Dunkirk, and possibly read the ginormous book about Dunkirk that I got from the library, not to mention listening to the radio adaptation of Graham Greene's play The Return of A. J. Raffles, wherein Raffles is gay. Canonically gay. Ah, well, having too much to watch and read is so much nicer than the opposite problem.
