Monthly Archives:
sI’ll be light on content as I try to come up with a good article topic related to “Blame!”, Tsutomu Nihei’s cyberpunk masterpiece. Highly recommended. In the meantime, take a look at the Superversive livestream. Sunday, June 28, we talked about the topic of spirituality in anime – which anime/manga handle it well and which […]
Sensor Sweep: Hall of the Giant King, Henry Kuttner, William Stout, Alex Nino
Monday , 29, June 2020 Sensor Sweep 2 CommentsRPG (Grodog): Thinking through the mega-dungeons I’m familiar with, the stand out qualities that I love to play through, and the mega-dungeons that bring that to the table are: Best Environments to Explore and Map: Castle El Raja Key, Maure Castle, Caverns of Thracia, Foolsgrave. Most-Fun Encounters: Castle Greyhawk, Foolsgrave, Rich Franks’ mega-dungeon. Most-Fun Puzzles, […]
Ashoka: Satrap of Taxila by Ashok K. Banker (Westland Publications, 2017). The K. stands for Kumar. I don’t know if Ashok K. Banker goes to the White Castle. I had read somewhere that Ashok Banker said that he liked Robert E. Howard. I remember seeing the Ramayana books published by Aspect/Warner in 2004. I thought […]
Master smith Angus Bjornson hates growing old. Age and an accident at the forge have crippled him, leaving Angus unable to make the swords and armor that are his passion. To help ease the pain, his children give him a VRMMO headset and a medieval game where he can continue his craft in a manual […]
Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 27 June, 2020
Saturday , 27, June 2020 Uncategorized 1 CommentCrafter’s dungeons, post-apocalyptic water worlds, MMO blacksmiths, and even a three-headed ogre appear in this week’s science fiction and fantasy new releases. Aquaria Falling (Aquaria #1) – Finn Gray Centuries ago, the Memnon War devastated Aquaria. The defeated Memnons fled the Aquarian system in search of a new home. Or did they? Blamed for the […]
Sensor Sweep: Kyrik, Earl Norem, Stormbringer RPG, Denny O’Neill
Monday , 22, June 2020 Sensor Sweep 1 CommentT.V. (RMWC Reviews): In 1973, Tsuburaya Productions released several shows as part of the company’s 10th anniversary. The first one to see release was Fireman (or Magma Man in some markets), which began airing on Nippon Television on January 7, 1973, running until July for 30 episodes. Warfare (Aeoli Pera): The typical special forces trainee […]
Poul Anderson- Hypothetical Collections and Reprints: Part II
Sunday , 21, June 2020 Uncategorized 3 CommentsLast week, I discussed collecting Poul Anderson’s sword and science stories into a hypothetical mass market paperback collection. There are two other categories: historical and fantasy to be covered. Historicals: Unnatural Enemies The Ultimate Dinosaur 1992 The Long Remembering F&SF […]
As literary RPGs have demonstrated lasting power in the turbulent mix that is publishing, authors have taken the idea of novelizing immersive gameplay and applied it in new ways. Most litRPGs take up the story of adventurers clearing out dungeons for profit and story progression, describing the adventurers’ growth and skills along the way. But […]
Science Fiction and Fantasy New Releases: 20 June, 2020
Saturday , 20, June 2020 Uncategorized Leave a commentFinal battles approach, families clash, and traitors abound in this week’s science fiction and fantasy new releases. Burning Core (School of Swords and Serpents #4) – Gage Lee The quest for the Empyrean Flame has begun, and a deadly new threat has appeared from beyond the realms of mortals. As the new school year begins, […]
Sensor Sweep: Year’s Best Horror, Blood Sundown, Al Williamson, Northworld
Monday , 15, June 2020 Sensor Sweep 3 CommentsRPG (Modiphius Entertainment): Before Conan, there was Kull! DANGER BREEDS CAUTION, AND ONLY A WARY MAN LIVES LONG IN THAT WILD COUNTRY WHERE THE HOT VENDHYAN PLAINS MEET THE CRAGS OF THE HIMELIANS AN HOUR’S RIDE WESTWARD OR NORTHWARD AND ONE CROSSED THE BORDER AND WAS AMONG THE HILLS WHERE MEN LIVED BY THE LAW […]
Poul Anderson- Hypothetical Collections and Reprints: Part 1
Sunday , 14, June 2020 Uncategorized 3 CommentsI listed Poul Anderson’s more swashbuckling and adventurous fiction with the shared item of characters using swords. How would an editor package these stories? DMR Books just reprinted three stories. I love DMR Books as it provides a service the Big Five publishing conglomerates do not. Small press publications have limitations in size and budget. […]
One of the delights in reading the pulps is being able to trace various sources of inspiration, such as Manly Wade Wellman’s wild west plots or C. L. Moore’s use of the Gothic poisoned garden. Some of these inspirations are more direct and well-known. The Secret Six millionaires who funded the fight against Al Capone resurfaced in Amusement, Inc. […]