Review It Yourself

Dive beneath the waves into secrets, evolution, rebellion and survival.

In this episode of Review It Yourself, Sean is joined by science fiction author David Deane Haskell to discuss The Solarian Deep, the first novel in his planned Techno-Quatic series.

What begins as a journey into an unfamiliar underwater world soon becomes a fast-moving exploration of mystery, transformation, power, evolution and the societies we build around ourselves. Sean shares his honest reading experience, explaining how, once the world and characters clicked into place, he found himself racing through the book and finishing its final sections in a single extended reading session.

The Solarian Deep is a science fiction novel set in the distant future, where evolutionary forces, underwater societies and hidden secrets collide. The episode explores the book's mysterious "Great Dying", the controlled society of the Shallows, social hierarchy, political power, rebellion and the tension between conformity and transformation.
David also discusses his approach to science fiction world-building and why he prefers stories that allow readers to discover a world rather than having every mystery immediately explained. The conversation moves through the challenges of creating believable characters, writing morally complex people, and balancing technology and world-building with an engaging story.

Sean and David also discuss whether The Solarian Deep could work as a film or television adaptation, with comparisons to science fiction and speculative fiction including Star Wars, Alien, The Andromeda Strain, The Martian, Project Hail Mary, WALL-E, Children of Men, 1984 and more.

The conversation also explores David's writing journey, including his earlier fiction, a period of writer's block, and how personal growth and greater empathy have influenced the characters and relationships in his more recent work.

David reveals that the Techno-Quatic story is planned as a trilogy and discusses other books from his catalogue, including Dark Alignment, Too Much Information and his nonfiction book Wounded Angels. He also talks about his forthcoming novel, The Vibrance, which he describes as the best work he has written so far.

If you enjoy science fiction books, underwater worlds, dystopian fiction, cyberpunk, speculative fiction, complex world-building, character-driven stories or discussions about books becoming films, this is an episode for you.

Find David Deane Haskell
Website and contact:
David Deane Haskell | Stories of control, truth, and consequence
Visit David's website to find The Solarian Deep, his other books, contact information and links to his social media.
Important: Make sure to search for David Deane Haskell, including the middle name Deane, to find the correct author.

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Every follow, rating, review and share helps more people discover the podcast.

Have you read The Solarian Deep? What do you think? Would David Dean Haskell's underwater science fiction world make a great film or television series? Get in touch and let Review It Yourself know.
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Discover the forgotten White Star liner that connects directly to Titanic.

What if there was a White Star Line ship that helped shape the story of Titanic, yet remains largely overlooked?

In this episode of Review It Yourself, historian and author Mark Chirnside returns to discuss his book Oceanic: White Star Line’s Ship of the Century and the fascinating history of one of the most important—and ultimately short-lived—liners of the pre-Titanic era.

If you love Titanic history, White Star Line, ocean liners, maritime history, shipbuilding, passenger travel, or historical books, this episode offers plenty to discover.

About Oceanic
Mark Chirnside explains why Oceanic was so significant to the White Star Line and why the ship deserves to be considered in its own right rather than simply as another link in the Titanic story.

Oceanic was launched in January 1899, with her main voyage taking place later that year. Rather than concentrating solely on winning speed records, White Star Line increasingly focused on size, comfort, reliability and passenger experience.

The episode explores how this approach helped establish a pattern that would later be seen in the Olympic-class liners, including Olympic, Titanic and Britannic.

What We Discuss
Among the subjects covered in this episode:

The history and significance of the White Star Line’s Oceanic
Why Oceanic was such an important ship for the company
The competition between White Star Line, Cunard and German shipping lines
Why speed records were becoming less commercially important
Oceanic’s emphasis on comfort, reliability and passenger accommodation
The development of first-, second- and third-class accommodation
The engineering and design of Oceanic
Longitudinal bulkheads and why they were not carried forward to Olympic, Titanic and Britannic
Oceanic’s launch and the unusual sight of her propellers turning during launch
The extensive collection of photographs and illustrations in Mark’s book
Rare and previously unused historical images
Captain Cameron and why Captain Edward Smith did not command Oceanic

Why This Book Is Worth Reading
One of the strengths highlighted during the discussion is that Oceanic: White Star Line’s Ship of the Century is more than a collection of technical information or photographs.

Mark combines shipbuilding, engineering, business, passenger experience, social history and maritime events to tell the story of Oceanic across her career.

The book also makes extensive use of photographs, with detailed captions that encourage the reader to look closely at the people, machinery, accommodation and construction details visible in each image.

For Titanic enthusiasts, the book provides valuable broader historical context—showing the development of White Star Line and the technological and commercial decisions that eventually led towards the Olympic-class ships.

About Mark Chirnside
Mark Chirnside is a historian and author specialising in ocean liners and maritime history. His work covers subjects including White Star Line, Olympic, Titanic and other major passenger ships.
Mark's website includes his books, research, blog articles, media appearances and presentations, as well as additional information about Oceanic: White Star Line’s Ship of the Century.
Website: https://markchirnside.co.uk/
The website is also a useful place to discover Mark's latest research and articles, with the opportunity to sign up for updates about new material.

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Review It Yourself celebrates five years of the podcast with a proper reunion as Sean and Sarah finally find themselves recording in the same room — and, naturally, the conversation quickly goes everywhere.

This time, they’re reviewing Gladiator II (2024), Ridley Scott’s long-awaited sequel to the Oscar-winning Gladiator. Starring Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Connie Nielsen and Joseph Quinn, the film takes us back to Ancient Rome, the Colosseum and the brutal world of gladiatorial combat.
But is Gladiator II simply a sequel trading on the legacy of the original, or does it actually have something of its own to say?

Sean and Sarah get properly stuck into what works — and what doesn’t — including the film’s ensemble cast, pacing, action sequences, political intrigue, performances, production design, music and connection to the original Gladiator.

They discuss Paul Mescal’s Lucius, Pedro Pascal’s battle-weary Roman general Acacius, Connie Nielsen’s return as Lucilla and Denzel Washington’s scene-stealing performance as Macrinus. There’s also plenty of appreciation for the supporting cast, with the pair arguing that the film works particularly well when viewed as an ensemble rather than simply as a Paul Mescal vehicle.

The conversation also explores the film’s depiction of power in Ancient Rome, the role of the Praetorian Guard, the use of the Colosseum as political theatre, and how the increasingly spectacular gladiatorial games become another weapon in the struggle for control.
And then there’s the action.

From gladiatorial battles and spectacular set pieces to the film’s surprisingly effective pacing, Sean and Sarah look at why a 142-minute historical epic manages to feel considerably shorter than some much less ambitious films.

They also get into the things that took them out of the experience — including the marketing and trailer, and a few moments that invite the inevitable question: what exactly were they thinking?

There’s plenty of discussion about the relationship between Gladiator II and the original 2000 film, including the returning characters, the way the sequel connects to its predecessor and whether the call-backs feel natural or forced.

And, because this is Review It Yourself, the discussion inevitably goes off on several tangents along the way.

Expect Gladiator II spoilers, film trivia, disagreements, laughs, random faff and a few detours that have absolutely nothing to do with Ancient Rome.

Most importantly, this episode marks five years of Review It Yourself — five years of film reviews, arguments, tangents, questionable opinions and Sean and Sarah talking about the films they love, hate and everything in between.

If you enjoy honest, conversational film reviews and movie podcasts, follow Review It Yourself wherever you listen to podcasts, and help us keep the faff going.

You can support the podcast by following the show, listening to episodes, sharing episodes with other film fans, and rating or reviewing us on your podcast platform. You can also find us on Cinova and rate your favourite films there.

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What did you think of Gladiator II? Did it live up to the legacy of the original, or did you go into the arena expecting something different?
Listen to the episode, join the conversation and let us know what you think.

And Thank You for five years of Review It Yourself. Here's to many more years of films, faff and completely unnecessary tangents.
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Was Sink the Bismarck! one of Britain's most accurate war films?

What happens when one of the most famous naval engagements of the Second World War becomes a 1960 British classic? In this episode of Review It Yourself, Sean dives into Sink the Bismarck! with returning guest Richard M. Jones, author, historian, researcher and lifelong enthusiast of shipwrecks and maritime history.

Rather than simply reviewing the film, this conversation explores why Sink the Bismarck! remains such an interesting and surprisingly restrained Second World War film. Richard brings his extensive knowledge of naval history to the discussion, examining what the film gets right, where Hollywood takes liberties, and why its portrayal of the Battle of the Denmark Strait and the hunt for the Bismarck still works more than six decades later.

At the heart of the discussion is the film's unusual approach. Instead of concentrating solely on spectacular battles and life aboard the warships, Sink the Bismarck! spends considerable time with the people making decisions behind the scenes. Kenneth More's fictional character, Commander Shepherd, becomes the centre of a story about leadership, pressure, responsibility and the human cost of warfare.

We also look at the film's portrayal of the HMS Hood, HMS Prince of Wales, Bismarck, Ark Royal and the wider British response to the German battleship's Atlantic sortie. The conversation considers the Battle of the Denmark Strait, the destruction of Hood, the eventual tracking and sinking of Bismarck, and the role of intelligence, reconnaissance and communications in the pursuit.

Richard explains why the film's historical accuracy makes it stand out, while also identifying some of its notable departures from reality — including the mysterious fictional ship Solent. We discuss how the real Bismarck story compares with its cinematic depiction and why the filmmakers' decision not to turn the ending into a simple moment of triumph actually gives the film much of its power.

The episode also takes us beneath the surface of the film and into Richard's own fascination with Bismarck. He explains how discovering Robert Ballard's Exploring the Bismarck as a young reader helped fuel his interest in the battleship, eventually leading to a lifelong passion for maritime history, shipwrecks, writing and research.

About Richard M. Jones
Richard M. Jones is an author, historian and researcher specialising in shipwrecks, shipping, military history and forgotten disasters. His interest in maritime history began at a young age and has developed into decades of research, writing, archive work and memorial campaigns.
Richard's official website features information about his books, research, talks and presentations, as well as his extensive shipwreck archive. He also offers talks for societies, schools and other groups.
Contact Richard:
Email: shipwreckdata@yahoo.co.uk
Richard M. Jones — official website
The website also provides a contact form and information for media, podcast, presentation and research enquiries.

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Listen to the episode, revisit the film, and Review It Yourself.
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One of the most divisive vampire films finally gets a fair defence.

Is Queen of the Damned (2002) really one of the most unfairly criticised vampire films of the 2000s? In this special Defend It Yourself episode of Review It Yourself, host Sean is joined by co-host Sarah to make the case for the much-maligned adaptation of Anne Rice's vampire universe.

Rather than piling on the criticism, Sean and Sarah revisit Queen of the Damned with fresh eyes, discussing why its ambition, gothic style, unforgettable soundtrack and early-2000s aesthetic have earned it a loyal cult following. They explore how the film compares with other vampire favourites including Blade, The Crow and Interview with the Vampire, while examining why a film doesn't have to be perfect to be entertaining.

Expect a lively discussion covering the film's strengths, its flaws, Anne Rice's influence, vampire mythology, the performances, the rock-and-roll take on Lestat, and why taking creative risks sometimes makes for a far more memorable movie than playing it safe.

Whether you're a lifelong fan, a curious horror lover, or someone who dismissed Queen of the Damned years ago, this episode might just convince you to give it another chance.

In this episode:
Why Queen of the Damned deserves a second look
Sean and Sarah defend one of their favourite guilty pleasures
Comparing Queen of the Damned with Blade, The Crow and Interview with the Vampire
Anne Rice's vampire legacy and gothic storytelling
The film's iconic soundtrack and early-2000s style
Why ambitious films can be more enjoyable than "safe" ones
Cult movies, vampire cinema and horror nostalgia

If you enjoy honest film discussions without unnecessary waffle, subscribe to Review It Yourself, leave a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and share the episode with fellow film fans. Every review helps more listeners discover the show.

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Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
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