all things fiction

FADE IN:

Finished Black Doves yesterday. 

I loved it. It's exactly the kind of dark, funny, irreverent and fantastical shit I've been trying to write recently. 

It is fantastical, which means it borders in the unbelievable at times, but it gets away with it, above all, because it's fun, but also because it's rooted in a reality of humanism and strong relationships.

There is real care put into the complexity that arises for those trying to maintain a grip on normality, while living a life of secrecy. And the moments between Michael and Sam, Sam and Helen, and Helen and Jason (and Wallace) are genuinely moving.

It's also great to see a series set in London, that's properly British, even though somewhat of a characterisation of it. Definitely some lock stock in there along with the jellied eels. 

Watch it. 

in case this interests you @kentb

Finished Black Doves last weekend. 

Enjoyed it, but still prefer the pace and irreverence of Slow Horses if pushed. I think that's because modern spy thrillers are hard. It's too easy to fall back on the tech.

Black Doves felt more like a Kill Bill style action thriller. Fantastical, indeed, as @tokenizedhuman points out, but also whimsical. You never really think that the fate of the world is on anyone's shoulders. It's very much a series of personal redemption arcs rolled into a story. 

This makes me think we're in for a longer series. Those character arcs need time to play out. 

Now watching The Madness. Anything but whimsical that one.

There is nothing more powerful in this world than words.

/allthingsfiction. Accidental Intrigue podcast (https://accidentalintrigue.com). Furtive Khan novels (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CB6H3SH). @carboncopy-refi.

I've got to check out Slow Horses and get back to The Madness. 

Good points about Black Doves- i guess not really spy genre in the traditional sense. Kind of reminded me a bit of Utopia as well - have you seen that?

If you are a fan of spy genre stuff that's a bit heavier on the drama rather than comedy side, check out Hugo Blicks stuff. The Shadow Line I think might be my favourite of his.

Utopia was good. Worth a watch. Not sure if it may have dated a bit now. 

I love everything Hugo Blick has done but The Shadow Line is the one that has stuck with me. It's just really decent writing. Lower budget too, which i think actually helps his style. 
I can't remember Black earth rising but they are all worth a watch.

Haven't seen Utopia, but looks interesting!

I have Black Earth Rising on my list but can't bring myself to watch it, despite positive reviews from everyone I've talked to about it. The Shadow Line and The Honorable Woman look good as well. Thanks!