I have a fondness for obscure books and games. In these posts I’ll talk about some of them. What the Hell Is That? It Came from the Late, Late, Late Show, published way back in 1989, is a roleplaying game … Continue reading →
The first time I saw that introduction, I was thirteen. My brother was off at U.C. Santa Cruz, and I had gone to his room to watch the spare television. I sat alone, isolated from my parents by space and … Continue reading →
I was all set to write a post about how modern America needs a Trickster figure. It made sense. In our fiction, we’re always making references to mythic Tricksters: Coyote, Loki, Anansi, Reynard, Monkey and others. But what Tricksters has … Continue reading →
Official word has come down from on high: JJ Abrams is going to direct the next Star Wars movie. Geeks all over the internet have rushed (or been pushed) to give their opinions about this, whether Abrams is the right … Continue reading →
A few weeks ago I had the distinct pleasure of getting to hear Vonda N. McIntyre read her flash fiction story, “Misprint.” If you don’t want to take a minute to read it (though I suggest you do, it’s a … Continue reading →
I have mixed feelings about orcs. I love fantasy. I love to read it and I love to write it. But when I’m reading a fantasy novel and I come across orcs – or an obvious analog – I sigh. … Continue reading →
I might need some more dice. What do you think? I come from the old school of role-playing gamers. I got my start in the mid-70’s with Dungeons and Dragons and branched out enough that through the early 90’s I … Continue reading →
“The zombie apocalypse won’t break out when it’s convenient.” – Kristen Lamb last week at the NILA residency.* Whether you blame Max Brooks or George Romero, many people these days have a contingency plan ready for the seemingly inevitable zombie … Continue reading →
Recently my wife and I went to see a Portland Trail Blazers game. We’d been living in Portland for about a year or so and we had yet to actually go see any of the local sports teams. Mind you, … Continue reading →
Yesterday I was putting away groceries, including double-layer Oreo cookies, one layer with normal filling and one layer with chocolate. I poured these cookies into our side-loading cookie jar and the last one hit the rim, bounced off the counter, … Continue reading →