Dropbear take the hindmost

Enjoyed every word of this heavy 350-page hardcover celebration of official "D&D" settings throughout the decades. OK, my interest waned slightly during the Eberron and Nine Hells sections, but those words were still pretty good. Written as if told by the legendary Greyhawk mage Mordenkainen, the book is a nostalgic, elucidating, unifying and inspiring (in a gaming sense) journey that on several occasions prompted me to do extra research on the side. It's chockers with art spanning the history of "D&D", and actually puts dedicated art collections to shame.

Stunning photography - especially the aerial footage - and an unsettling soundtrack drive this meditation on stone-based architecture since ancient times. What survives, what doesn't and how it fits into the natural landscape. From fallen temples to bombed-out apartment buildings, and not forgetting the vast terraced canyons left by mining operations. Interspersed through the documentary are scenes of an architect constructing a "magic circle" of stones in his backyard, the space inside to remain untouched by humans as a seeming offering to Mother Earth.

NEW ANIME YAY OR NAY

After watching the opening episodes...

* "Kill Blue": Yay. As a result of experimental science that might as well be sorcery, a master assassin is unwittingly turned into a shrimpy teenager, then goes undercover at a high school where the heiress to the pharmeceutical company behind the bullshit technology may hold the key to changing him back.

* "Daemons Of The Shadow Realm": Nay. Can't be bothered summarising. It's a mish-mash. Don't believe the hype.

* "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure - Steel Ball Run": Nay (and also neigh). Big-money horse race across the US in the Wild West era. I know plenty of peeps adore the various "JoJo's" arcs, and I do like some character designs, e.g. Jolene Cujoh of whom I have a figure, but I always bounce off the stories.