One way out of the dilemma was suggested last August by Nick Hoffman, a geologist at La Trobe University in Melbourne.

ECONOMIST: Martian chronicles

And now the Kierkegaard-quoting Milch is back with Luck, a horse-racing drama starring Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte.

FORBES: Can David Milch--and HBO's Luck--Overcome the Curse of Cop Rock?

It stars Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte (and Dennis Farina and Joan Allen: the cast is so impressive that I giggled when Alan Rosenberg showed up).

NEWYORKER: Horsey Set