12 Comments
User's avatar
Sue Mansbridge's avatar

I think they are entirely reasonable as rules go. (Just having a titter at the idea of you and cosy sci-fi.)

Expand full comment
Johnathan Reid's avatar

You know me so well!

Expand full comment
Claudia Befu's avatar

Have you read The Imperial Radch trilogy by Ann Leckie? It’s the only sci-fi where drinking tea is cool.

Expand full comment
Johnathan Reid's avatar

Thank you for indulging my cutting sense of humour, Claudia. I first read Ancillary Justice in 2020 and Ancillary Sword sits on my physical bookshelf as a novel worth keeping. I must read the third in the series. I agree that Ann makes the communal act of tea drinking much more than a nice cuppa and a cosy chat. But, if you recall, what the Shis’urnans call tea is "a thick liquid, lukewarm and sweet, that bears almost no relationship to the actual thing". Nevertheless, I think that if you and Ann combined forces, then my tea rule might well crumble...

Expand full comment
Claudia Befu's avatar

😂 I love that you're willing to change your mind about tea! I remember in the Expanse the focus on coffee or what passed for coffee in that world made me roll my eyes out of their sockets a few times.

Expand full comment
Johnathan Reid's avatar

[PSA: always return eyeballs to sockets after a good roll.] 😋

I was drinking what I call 'tea' when I wrote my reply, but you might not call it that...🤔

Expand full comment
Claudia Befu's avatar

Fine English tea with a dash of milk? I will most certainly call it that...

P.S.: Eyes safely rolled back into their sockets! 🙄.

Expand full comment
Larry Hogue's avatar

Not even “Earl Grey, hot.”?

Expand full comment
Johnathan Reid's avatar

Nope. Toxic for many lifeforms in high concentrations, even if its perfume is alluring.. 😛

Expand full comment
Larry Hogue's avatar

You’re the Ted Lasso of sci-fi writers! (The tea part, not the overly-positive part.)

Expand full comment
Johnathan Reid's avatar

Wow! (I think). Very tempting to add men's soccer to my list.

Expand full comment
Larry Hogue's avatar

🤣

Expand full comment