@Cryptopher

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173 Posts

CAD/CAM Software developer (mostly C++). Located in Birmingham (Stirchley). Made in Middlesbrough. Slow (but improving) runner. Occasional cyclist.

He/him

Happy 600th Cannon hill parkrun. Biggest numbers since the Covid pause. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3gyj674nkyo
Hundreds gather for 600th Birmingham's Cannon Hill Parkrun

About 500 runners took part in the race in Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham and donated to a foodbank.

BBC News
I know a lot of what I managed this year came about through running long distances with other people who helped keep me sane, and really encouraged me.

2023 was quite a good year for running for me.

Highlights were the London Marathon. I knocked 1h15 minutes off my only other marathon time, setting a new marathon PR 4:02:23.

I also managed a new HM PR at Birmingham HM, of 1:47:22. I'm convinced this was off the back of the marathon training.

I managed a parkrun PR of 22:47, again almost certainly off the back of the marathon training.

I'm also proud that I helped lead two C25K groups for my running club - that's always so enjoyable.

World War Hulk. Greg Pak, David Finch, John Ramita Sr.
Hulk comes back to earth after the events of Planet Hulk, and he's Mad.

The Mimicking of Known Successes, Malka Ann Older.
A mystery set on a human-inhabited gas giant, with scones and tea, cosy trains and howling winds.

Elysium Fire, Alastair Reynolds.
More in the “revelation space” universe, again exploring the demarchy in the Glitter Band of habitats surrounding Yellowstone. It's a police procedural in the far future.

Starter Villain, John Scalzi.
A fun story about inheriting the family business, where the family business comes complete with volcano lair.

Skeleton Song, Seanan McGuire.
Christopher's story, when he was in Mariposa

Heavens River, Dennis E Taylor.
The first three Bobiverse books seemed like a larger book split into three volumes. This one felt distinct, focussing on one particular mystery, the disappearance of Bender, a clone of Bob. Everything links to this, there's a megastructure to explore, replicative drift leading to factionalisation with the Bobs, and another sentient species to study.
For We Are Many, Dennis E Taylor.
More exploration, more about trying to rescue what's left of humanity. The Bobs encounter other sentient species, and original Bob spends his time observing one of these.

(continued)

to report back suitable planets, to terraform if needed, and to duplicate himself. Bob pretty quickly frees himself from his enslavement, but he's pretty willing to do the tasks himself, on his own terms. A lot of humour derives from the personality of the Bob clones, who have their own quirks.

December

We Are Legion (We are Bob), Dennis E Taylor.
I read all the Bobiverse books one after the other! Bob is a software developer and CEO. He has decided to be frozen after death, to be revived. That happens much sooner than he might have expected. He's awoken much later as a replicant, his mind copied and more-or-less a slave to a theocratic future US. His task is to be a Von Neumann probe. He's meant to reach a new solar system (Epsilon Eridani, an SF favourite)

Translation State, Ann Leckie
What does it mean to be human? Is it enough to want to be? Absolutely wonderful. I love all the Imperial Radch books, and this might be my favourite yet. It's fascinating to get a little more insight into the strange world of the Presger Translators.