mastodon 4.6.8I'm an independently publishing author and keen amateur astronomer, with associated interests in mathematics and general science.
I finally finished Iain M. Banks' series of "Culture" SF novels and thoroughly enjoyed it. There's an overview of the series on my blog at:
https://leejrussell.com/2026/03/22/iain-m-banks-culture-seriesutopia-power-and-moral-complexity/
Highly recommended reading!
I got so excited yesterday about finishing writing the 3 books in my action-thriller series that I forgot to introduce myself - so here goes!
I recently retired (early - hooray!) from paid employment and can now concentrate on the things I love, which include:
* fiction writing (genre fic, of one form or another).
* writing non-fiction (usually Cold War focussed).
- my books & stories can be obtained for free, with no sign-up needed, via my personal website at leejrussell.com
* reading - mostly horror, sci-fi, thrillers, plus a lot of "popular science" books and Cold War/New Cold War accounts.
* studying Maths, Physics, Astronomy and Cosmology (life-long loves).
* amateur astronomy - I have 3 'scopes for varying uses.
* model making - usually spacecraft or aircraft.
I'm looking forward to some good conversations here on Mastodon, which looks like a much better space than other toxic social media sites.
Based in the UK, I write in British English.
I'm finally "getting there" with my 6" refracting telescope on a computerised mount. Working visually only, this is my sketch last night of the field for 2 galaxies known as "M81" and "M82" in Ursa Major. M81 is the grey smudge on the right. M82 is the grey smudge on the left.
These galaxies are ~12 million light years away. So the light that hit my eye last night was emitted 12 million years ago! [no dinosaurs by then, but there were early horses, giant birds, sabre-toothed cats and early primates]
Of course, the sketch is not as "sexy" as the marvellous photos that you can find on the internet, but that's not the point. What is captures is what my own eye was seeing, which is amazing!
I'm a visual amateur astronomer. I'm finally getting some useful results with my 6" refractor on an HEQ5 mount.
Here's a sketch of what I could see of M35 in Gemini from a Bortle 5 location. I counted 120 stars in the FOV. There are about 52 in the sketch, as it gets onerous to include the very faint ones!
On the theme of "The Sea", I recently won a local poetry competition with this one...
A Quiet Touch
by Lee Russell
In the brittle sunshine I was cold,
aching fingers seeking yours,
while gulls wheeled white arcs above,
crying sharp laughter, and below,
the sea breathed in shallow gurgles,
teasing the surf line,
pleasing itself with deeper thunders
of soothing mystery.
Each pulse alive, inscribing dry ink
on a restless script of sand.
Then clouds erupt with light,
sudden flares of molten gold
spilling across a rusting bollard.
Hushed warmth brushes my face,
caressing a slow tear, and I see,
the swell gathering in folds,
breaking on my feet in soft sighs.
I feared that surge, the hours folding in waves,
until your hand found mine,
and the day quietens,
anchored in time.
Mark Carney gave a great speech at the World Economic Forum yesterday (20th Jan) - can the UK have him as Prime Minister?
Yes - that is a "tongue in cheek", rhetorical question.
Savage Heart – The Lissa Blackwood S.I.G. series, book 3
Whispering Death – The Lissa Blackwood S.I.G. series, book 2
Evil Eye – The Lissa Blackwood S.I.G. series, book 1
I’m pleased and proud to share that I have now finished writing my Lissa Blackwood S.I.G. trilogy of action-thriller novels! She is a complex and exciting character to write for, and I have thoroughly enjoyed going on the journey with her.
The 3 completed tales are:
Evil Eye – The Lissa Blackwood S.I.G. series, book 1
Whispering Death – The Lissa Blackwood S.I.G. series, book 2
Savage Heart – The Lissa Blackwood S.I.G. series, book 3
I started writing these adventures in 2017 and it has taken 8 years to complete her cycle. I’m now moving on to the ‘admin’ of formatting the books, preparing to share eBook copies via BookFunnel, and creating paperback copies for my private use. It will take a few months to complete these last steps, and I’ll then announce when the books are ready to pick up via my website ( leejrussell.com ) .
In the meantime, I will share the 3 covers – I hope they excite you!
