FictionReviewFans of Cronenberg's films will find a similarly queasy appeal in his first book, a weirdly romantic but utterly depraved tale of sex, technology and conspiracyThe first novel by the film director David Cronenberg is in part a dramatic catalogue of highly desirable electronics equipment. A globetrotting couple of freelance journalists, Nathan and Naomi, are forever thinking about and fiddling with their cameras, and lusting after ones they don't yet own. ("The new D4, the one he didn't have, could shoot at a surreal ISO 204,800.
10 of the bestDuran DuranWhatever the rock snobs thought at the time, Duran Duran were one of the great British singles bands of the 1980s. Don’t believe us? Have a listen
1 Planet EarthDuran Duran emerged out of the state-funded art-school free-for-all of the 1970s, though their naked ambition and subsequent years of success would coincide with those of Margaret Thatcher; it’s difficult to imagine they could have existed at any other time.
The ObserverHip-hopReview(Awal)
The south London MC’s refreshingly distinctive sound and vivid storytelling only lack a cohesive narrative on this stylish debut
South London rapper Flohio is a curveball in the UK’s hip-hop scene. Her music is a mix of unconventional rhythms, electronic melodies and a high-speed flow that means she plays by her own rules. Her 2020 mixtape No Panic No Pain showed off her versatility and wordplay; her debut album Out of Heart attempts to do the same.
Game of Thrones: episode by episodeGame of ThronesGame of Thrones: season three, episode three – The Walk of PunishmentIt was the small scenes in this episode that added to the richness and depth of a series that has now firmly established itself as great televisionSpoiler Alert: This blog is published after Game of Thrones airs on HBO in the US on Sunday at 9pm ET. Do not read on unless you have watched episode three (which airs in the UK on Sky Atlantic on Monday at 9pm).
Books of defiancePhilosophy booksLove's Work: Gillian Rose's fiercely forthright life forceThe philosopher’s laconic, lyrical memoir displays an unsettling yet wholly inspirational vigour in the face of life-threatening disease
The founding act of defiance for the philosopher Gillian Rose seems, by her own account, to have been against dyslexia. The discovery early on “that the desert of stony words could be made to bloom, that I could channel what I could not overcome” enabled her to embark on a life of intellectual adventure that combined forbidding academic rigour with a passionate, personal engagement in moral and ethical questions.
First look reviewToronto film festival 2021ReviewA pandemic-made project, starring the Oscar winner as a mother racing to save her son, starts out with tension but ends up in silliness
As more pandemic-produced movies continue trickling out, we’re able to see that for the majority, they can be easily placed in two separate, if ultimately similar, columns: those that use the empty outside expanse to maintain distance from others and those that use a small interior setting to keep things simple.
The Acropolis in Athens Photograph: Katerina Mavrona/EPAThe values of liberty, tolerance and rational inquiry are not the birthright of a single culture. In fact, the very notion of something called ‘western culture’ is a modern invention
by Kwame Anthony AppiahLike many Englishmen who suffered from tuberculosis in the 19th century, Sir Edward Burnett Tylor went abroad on medical advice, seeking the drier air of warmer regions. Tylor came from a prosperous Quaker business family, so he had the resources for a long trip.
Andrew Tate outside court in Bucharest yesterday after his failed appeal against his detention. Photograph: Inquam Photos/ReutersAndrew Tate outside court in Bucharest yesterday after his failed appeal against his detention. Photograph: Inquam Photos/ReutersChildrenA year ago, most teachers had never heard of the ex-kickboxer and social media influencer. Now, his toxic machismo is the talk of the playground – and the staffroom
Daniel is 10. He likes football, Fifa, the gaming website Poki, coding and basketball.
‘How does one even figure out who the more feminine or masculine person in a relationship is?’ Photograph: SolStock/Getty Images/iStockphoto‘How does one even figure out who the more feminine or masculine person in a relationship is?’ Photograph: SolStock/Getty Images/iStockphotoRelationshipsMost (heterosexual) Americans impose ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ roles on same-sex couples when it comes to housework. Arwa Mahdawi unpacks gender stereotypes, sexuality and the chore gap
What do gay women do in the bedroom?
Television industryDame Edna comes to aid of Ally McBealDame Edna Everage, the gladioli-loving Australian housewife who delighted British audiences with her acerbic chat show, has been given a starring role in the troubled US series, Ally McBeal.
Dame Edna, played by comedian Barry Humphries, is the latest in a string of unlikely celebrities to be drafted in to try to save the comedy drama, about a thirtysomething lawyer who can't find a man.