O-M-Goodness gracious me! It’s Day 29 — we’ve entered the penultimate period — only one more astronomical, nautical, and sidereal day to go before we stagger (or swagger), panting furiously, over the finish line and pass the finish post.

First set of armaments (Click image to see a larger version — Image source: John Alflat)

Accompanying today’s photo, John shared the following words of wisdom “Last fin finished and the first set of armaments on. Can you remember (it was a long time ago) when I was querying some of the internal construction that involved cogs etc. Well, this enables the guns to swivel round just as they do in the film version. One more set of armaments and a pilot (not to scale) to appear.”

To be honest, our recent talk of aliens in these columns — notably on Day 12, Day 13, Day 14, and Day 15 — coupled with additional cogitations and ruminations — like Alone in the Universe? We’ll Know Soon! — have caused me to want to revisit some “old favorites” on the science fiction front.

I just ambled across my office to retrieve The Star Beast by Robert Heinlein from the “classic corner” of my bookshelves. You can only imagine my shock and horror to find that this little rascal was not where I expected it to be. Most of my Heinlein collection is present and correct, but — along with The Star Beast — a couple of other notable tombs are missing (mayhap I loaned them to someone), including Orphans of the Sky and The Green Hills of Earth & The Menace from Earth.

This is a situation that is not to be borne. I feel adrift in an uncaring universe. I just ordered all three as mass market paperbacks from Amazon, but now I’m left twiddling my thumbs. I have, of course, already got a couple of more modern science fiction books (also a biography of George Bernard Shaw) on the go, but sometimes you just want to relax with an old friend from the past — something that’s not too taxing on the poor old noggin. Happily, my eyes fell on Johnny and the Bomb (Book 3 of the Johnny Maxwell Trilogy) by the late, great Terry Pratchett, so I’ve decided to take this little scamp home with me this evening.

How about you? Do you occasionally like to kick back and relax with an old favorite from yesteryear (and I’m not talking about your spouse)?