***LINKS***

Links: Annotated List

Since the inception of the "Unofficial Quiller Web Site" [UQWS] (see below) in August 1996, the presence of Quiller material on the Internet has grown steadily. Below are the principal links as of this moment, sequenced chronologically according to time of development, earliest to latest, together with critical comments on each.

• The Unofficial Quiller Web Site [Jon Peralez, webmaster]. This is the site that started it all. Very complete, well-laid out, user-friendly, and visually appealing. Suffers a bit from lack of significant change or noticeably new input over long periods of time, which one suspects is due to its reliance on established media (book covers, published reviews, memoirs, and so on). By their nature, such resources are finite. However, this is still the primary place where the Quiller world meets.

• The Quiller Mailing List [Jon Peralez, list moderator]. Among discussion lists, this one is unusual, perhaps unique. Generally, there is an elevated tone of discussion, although recently the list has been the venue for unprovoked personal attacks on some list posters. Moreover, discussion (nominally on what is called the "Quiller Book of the Month" [QBOTM], but in fact on many topics related to Quiller and some that are not) is quite sporadic, with intense periods of probing and informative debate interspersed with long periods of few or no submissions. Also, by necessity, well-informed opinions are intermixed with posts containing unsupported assertions and an intrusive amount of self-monitoring and face-management. There have also been instances in which, with neither warning nor comment, some postings and/or notifications to posters of messages received have failed to appear. It's still a good list, but unfortunately a little less elevated in quality as it once was.

• Iron Mouth's Quiller Puzzle Pages [Rick Holt ("Iron Mouth"), webmaster]. First major offshoot of the Quiller 'Net revolution begun by Jon (see above). A solid collection of some very challenging puzzles, and a good interconnection to the UQWS (see above), with all puzzles cued to the Quiller Book of the Month. The cryptogram section has proved especially popular (perhaps reflecting the importance of cryptography to Quiller's interests); however, the explanations tend to be much too long-winded. Seems to be adjusting to the needs of Q-mmunity by its increasing inclusion of contributions by site visitors.

• Iron Mouth's Quiller Scholar Pages [Rick Holt ("Iron Mouth"), webmaster]. You're looking at it. Obviously intended to be a "serious" site for Quiller discussions.

• Iron Mouth's Quiller Q-alendar [Rick Holt ("Iron Mouth"), webmaster]. Contains two puzzles (simple substitution cryptogram and Q-cubed ["Q-uiller Q-uiz Q-uestion]), both keyed to the QBOTM, together the "Thought of the Day" [TOTD], a small essay on some aspect of the QBOTM. The attractive calendar layout is a definite improvement over the TOTD format formerly on Iron Mouth's Quiller Puzzle Pages, but the webmaster has a definite problem keeping the site up-to-date, with the current offering often as much as a week or more behind.

• The Norfolk Training Facility: An Iron Mouth Quiller Fantasy Site [Rick Holt ("Iron Mouth"), webmaster]. Currently under development, and coming online soon, the Norfolk Training Facility will be the first Quiller "fantasy" site, that is, a site on which information from the Quiller novels is intermixed both with actual literature on tradecraft, and the details of an imaginary locale, the notorious facility where the Bureau's agents are trained to a fine-honed degree of perfection. The site will feature experts from the field of espionage and security work, offering guest lectures and hands-on practice at the dark, dank, and lonely site in the wild and isolated reaches of east England.

As to other sites of interest to the Q-mmunity, the visitor is referred to Jon Peralez's Unofficial Quiller Web Site. Jon's done yeoman's work finding and keeping current the links to a multitude of media having to do with Quiller. I can't add anything, except to say that, given the quality of the Quiller novels, they are not discussed nearly often enough, either on the 'Net or off. We in the Q-mmunity are going to change all that.

Disclaimer: all opinions not expressly attributed to other contributors are solely my own.