I went back in the series after reading its successor "The Nightmare Stacks". "The Annihilation Score" seemed like a bit of a weak entry though. Stross never seems that convincing with female protagonists, and she didn't feel as real as his awkward male nerds somehow. The plot was telegraphed well in advance.

I also wish Stross would stay away from satire, it gets out of date too quickly. Here there's an analogue of Theresa May in her Home Secretary days depicted as someone fiendishly efficient.

Not that great, but OK if you're following the series.

What I'm Watching
Streamed Pompeii on a whim. Mediocre drama about an love affair in ancient Rome, not camp enough to be entertaining (as with The Rock's version of Hercules) but too daft to be believable. The ending where they both die and end up as kissing casts in the ashes was a fairly bold decision, but the movie is a bit too silly to support it.

Me
Have another holiday, going to Germany to visit my wife's mother for a week. Be good to have a break from work, but the travel's a bit stressful, as is looking after a toddler in a house that's not really set up for him. Hopefully he won't do too much damage or get damaged. Weather forecast looks OK for now, be a drag to be cooped up indoors.

Links
Articles. Uber drivers cooperate to drive up prices. Dunkirk: Does historical accuracy matter? How Ancient Rome Viewed The Deaths Of Antony And Cleopatra. Train company staged a crash in 1896.

Politics. Poland's confrontation with EU. Ana Key is a fake MP run as an art project. Brexit extremists.

Sci/Tech. Study of Judges making decisions after mealtimes is flawed.