Cower not, fierce reader! We have a collection of fine works today, including one that likely won't trigger anyone. Let the charges commence!
Star Realms: Rescue Run by Jon Del Arroz- Yes, this is a licensed property, based on the deck building game. The author is new to the world of novels, but wrote the flavor fiction for Doomtown: Reloaded, and was quite good at that; he sent me a copy for review after getting bashed by liberals for a few days. Fighting, intrigue, corrupt corporations, and a magnetic central character. Major crime: not trusting either government 7 of 10 fell deeds.
Murphy's Law of Vampires by Declan Finn- Yeah, I know, he's put a lot out lately, and I read it all. We get more of the Honor at Stake characters, I do recommend reading Honor first(more for fun, I think it works on its own), and as there's vampires, Vatican ninjas, some decent theological points, and some great action, get on it if you haven't. Seriously. READ THIS BOOK! Major crime: So many elements that it doesn't fit nicely anywhere; oh, lots of Catholicism, too. 9 of 10 fell deeds.
'Til Death by Jason Anspach- This was Mr. Anspach's first novel, and I thought I should read it after his fine Wyrd Western short. This book has a little self-awareness to it, and that's an enjoyable touch. We've got the Cold War, Russian spies, a dead financier, and on top of it all, people come back as Returns occasionally to correct something from their lives. Major crime: I did mention we've got a fight against Commies, right? 8 of 10 fell deeds.
The Eden Plague by David VanDyke- I grabbed this due to the Castalia House announcement of their publishing print editions, as I hadn't heard of them (Somewhither was my impetus for an ebook reader). And now I have more proof of the publishing establishment being completely out of touch. This book was full of action, internal conflict, cool sf ideas, and moral dilemmas. Corporate bad guys seeking power and major government conspiracies are full in play. Major crime: An acknowledgement that we are all broken. 9 of 10 fell deeds.
Days of Future Past by John Van Stry- First, a caveat: this book has a very active love triangle, so some may wish to pass. Now: This is a nice combination of apocalyptic and fantastic fiction, with action enough to satisy, good characterizations, and a proper chunk of attitude. Mr. Van Stry did provide me with this copy, and I'm genuinely glad for having read it. Major crime: Distrust of authority, and an authority that consistently shows it can't be trusted. 8 of 10 fell deeds.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Monday, November 28, 2016
An open letter to Comic Book Companies
To the publishers of four color(or b+w, full color, etc.) adventures:
Look, I love graphic storytelling. It grants drama, tension, wonder, and more in a way that few things can really match. Movies can't do the textual depth, and books have a harder time with landscape and detailed backgrounds. You have more frame and presentation choices than either, and generally a love for your audiences.
But, I don't want to read five books, just for the ability to understand one. It's a part of why I don't get mainstream hero books these days. It's why I've avoided most Marvel properties for over a decade. I won't touch Superman or Bat-families for the same reason. And when it comes to my main point, smaller companies are bad at it, too.
Which actually brings me to the point. Crossovers. We love them when they're good, ignore them when they're bad, and hate having our books interrupted in the meantime for this four-five week(month in the case of Civil War II) monster that eats up a lot of titles. Honestly, I love the cool factor of seeing characters interact that aren't normally together. I don't have a problem with that. I have a problem with your presentation.
Here's my idea, please consider it and give it a shot.
There are four or five fifth weeks in a year. These are generally dead weeks, where you ship something late, or fill with trades and one-shots. So, get your editorial butts in gear, because this will be work. Set up the books for a crossover to come to a point that puts them into the crossover, be it a story end, or a location or plot connection, and have all this happen in the issues(yes, all of them) before the fifth week. This is very important, because on the fifth week, you release it.
The entire crossover, in one trade. No issues to chase, no story interruption, no out of sequence reading. I don't even care how you tell the story that much. You can cut the page count a bit, because you don't need to reintroduce the characters each and every book. You advance the story so far, shift perspectives. Repeat. Figure out who has the best vantage on the plot twists and reveals.
Yes some folks might ignore it, but I think it'll be worth a shot. Sure there's a little less urgency. Unless of course everything step out of the trade affected by it immediately. Then your readers of EACH book need to read it to know wtf just happened. Use them to shake up the status quo of the books, but now you can be efficient about it, instead of making readers angry because they can't read an issue or three of several books until the event is actually finished. You might even cross pollinate your readerships better.
This doesn't get rid of one shots that introduce us to new heroes, villains, etc. I'm just wanting you to go for a screwdriver when you've been using a hammer for ages. Event books are cool, collections of events are better, as we aren't trying to keep it all together in order. In fact ordered collections are likely the best presentation.
As part of your audience, I don't expect you to listen to me. I'm just a guy with a wallet, who likes to read. A lot. Check out the book review tab and comics tab if you don't believe me. The book reviews are just this year.
Alfred Genesson
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Look, I love graphic storytelling. It grants drama, tension, wonder, and more in a way that few things can really match. Movies can't do the textual depth, and books have a harder time with landscape and detailed backgrounds. You have more frame and presentation choices than either, and generally a love for your audiences.
But, I don't want to read five books, just for the ability to understand one. It's a part of why I don't get mainstream hero books these days. It's why I've avoided most Marvel properties for over a decade. I won't touch Superman or Bat-families for the same reason. And when it comes to my main point, smaller companies are bad at it, too.
Which actually brings me to the point. Crossovers. We love them when they're good, ignore them when they're bad, and hate having our books interrupted in the meantime for this four-five week(month in the case of Civil War II) monster that eats up a lot of titles. Honestly, I love the cool factor of seeing characters interact that aren't normally together. I don't have a problem with that. I have a problem with your presentation.
Here's my idea, please consider it and give it a shot.
There are four or five fifth weeks in a year. These are generally dead weeks, where you ship something late, or fill with trades and one-shots. So, get your editorial butts in gear, because this will be work. Set up the books for a crossover to come to a point that puts them into the crossover, be it a story end, or a location or plot connection, and have all this happen in the issues(yes, all of them) before the fifth week. This is very important, because on the fifth week, you release it.
The entire crossover, in one trade. No issues to chase, no story interruption, no out of sequence reading. I don't even care how you tell the story that much. You can cut the page count a bit, because you don't need to reintroduce the characters each and every book. You advance the story so far, shift perspectives. Repeat. Figure out who has the best vantage on the plot twists and reveals.
Yes some folks might ignore it, but I think it'll be worth a shot. Sure there's a little less urgency. Unless of course everything step out of the trade affected by it immediately. Then your readers of EACH book need to read it to know wtf just happened. Use them to shake up the status quo of the books, but now you can be efficient about it, instead of making readers angry because they can't read an issue or three of several books until the event is actually finished. You might even cross pollinate your readerships better.
This doesn't get rid of one shots that introduce us to new heroes, villains, etc. I'm just wanting you to go for a screwdriver when you've been using a hammer for ages. Event books are cool, collections of events are better, as we aren't trying to keep it all together in order. In fact ordered collections are likely the best presentation.
As part of your audience, I don't expect you to listen to me. I'm just a guy with a wallet, who likes to read. A lot. Check out the book review tab and comics tab if you don't believe me. The book reviews are just this year.
Alfred Genesson
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Movie Night: Castro is Dead edition
Ladies and gentlemen, let us take some time to reflect upon this historic moment. Yes, the people of Cuba are still under Raul and the Communist Party. Yes, Cuba is still home to ancient automobiles, and an economy supposedly crippled by ONE nation not trading with them.
But the figure that was Fidel Castro is no more. From the keyboard of Jon Del Arroz:
Of course, many liberal figures are in mourning, especially heads of state and media members(and they wonder why we don't trust them). It must be nice to continually forget the one nation we have for decades, without pause, accepted refugees from.
Submitted for approval of the death of a tyrant, I suggest an underrated classic film, that underscored in many ways the thuggishness and depths of the evil of the world communist regimes.
Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz. Here's the trailer:
Watch it in good cheer, knowing that one source of evil has left the world. Yet another reminder:
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
But the figure that was Fidel Castro is no more. From the keyboard of Jon Del Arroz:
"I ran for congress in 2010, and I spoke in front of a large group of Cuban-Americans, many of whom either directly came from Cuba in the 1950s or were the sons and daughters of those refugees. What's interesting is it was one of the few speeches I gave where I didn't do much of the talking, but they went around and told me the dangers of socialism/liberalism and what it cost their families personally. I will never forget the one man who told me about how his family was dragged out of their own house and he and his brother watched Castro's soldiers shoot his parents. He was shot in the eye when he escaped later but survived. This man and his doctrines are pure evil. Let us never forget that. Burn in hell, Castro."
Of course, many liberal figures are in mourning, especially heads of state and media members(and they wonder why we don't trust them). It must be nice to continually forget the one nation we have for decades, without pause, accepted refugees from.
Submitted for approval of the death of a tyrant, I suggest an underrated classic film, that underscored in many ways the thuggishness and depths of the evil of the world communist regimes.
Alfred Hitchcock's Topaz. Here's the trailer:
Watch it in good cheer, knowing that one source of evil has left the world. Yet another reminder:
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Friday, November 25, 2016
Injustice Book Review: Set to Kill by Declan Finn
Cower not, fierce readers! Today we have a fine tale from Declan Finn, who graciously provided me with a copy of the book. He had actually boasted a bit about this book before launch, and that had me a bit concerned, but those were mislaid. Declan has written a very fine tale, full of crimes against the Narrative. Let the charges begin!
First, this book is an action parody of persons and events that may be familiar to the reader. If one is remotely acquainted with the Sad and Rabid Puppies groups, and the Hugo Award ceremonies of the last years, you have a background to laugh at the real and imagined versions of these actors. Mr. Tom Knighton does appear as a version of himself herein, but all the others are identifiable parody caricatures.
To expand, some sections of the book are rewritten and edited versions of entries in Declan's Sad Puppies Bite Back blog entries. While not a necessary read, I do recommend it, as well as the previous Sean Ryan material for background. The parody of the boycotted publisher is better here than the original.
Second, religion plays a fair sized role within this, though less than is customary for one of Mr. Finn's novels. Sean Ryan is a Catholic, but many of the players in the Tearful Puppies are of course White Mormon Males. And one or two also have great racks.
Third, the fictional convention, WyvernCon, is a pretty good depiction of a con getting demolished. Not actual demolition, but there's mayhem. Not having been to DragonCon, I cannot comment on the reflection of that, but there are elements definitely in common with GenCon, from the SocJus idiots to the cosplay contingent, which is heaviest on Saturday.
Ah, I'll drop the facade a little. This book hooked me harder than anything he's written yet, and I really like his previous stuff. The pacing was amazing, all the slow parts had purpose, and the action didn't let up until bodies fell. I felt like there wasn't a wasted word in this book(yes, there are a few small proof edits that could be fixed, I'm not gonna complain about those). I went and read very late when I finished, and I have to get up EARLY for work. My only minor quibble about this is that some of Sean's supporting cast don't get as rich a treatment as they have previously. Other than that, I was amazed at what Declan spun out of the cloth of Sad Puppies bite back and Sean Ryan.
Ahem.
Set to Kill is bound to trigger anyone who is a devotee of Tor books, or believes that the Hugos are still prestigious and valid in the world of sff. It not only goes against the narrative, but openly mocks it for its cronyism, othering, inconsistency, and lack of tolerance. With a good measure of over the top, but almost believable violence. Verdict: 9 of 10 fell deeds.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
First, this book is an action parody of persons and events that may be familiar to the reader. If one is remotely acquainted with the Sad and Rabid Puppies groups, and the Hugo Award ceremonies of the last years, you have a background to laugh at the real and imagined versions of these actors. Mr. Tom Knighton does appear as a version of himself herein, but all the others are identifiable parody caricatures.
To expand, some sections of the book are rewritten and edited versions of entries in Declan's Sad Puppies Bite Back blog entries. While not a necessary read, I do recommend it, as well as the previous Sean Ryan material for background. The parody of the boycotted publisher is better here than the original.
Second, religion plays a fair sized role within this, though less than is customary for one of Mr. Finn's novels. Sean Ryan is a Catholic, but many of the players in the Tearful Puppies are of course White Mormon Males. And one or two also have great racks.
Third, the fictional convention, WyvernCon, is a pretty good depiction of a con getting demolished. Not actual demolition, but there's mayhem. Not having been to DragonCon, I cannot comment on the reflection of that, but there are elements definitely in common with GenCon, from the SocJus idiots to the cosplay contingent, which is heaviest on Saturday.
Ah, I'll drop the facade a little. This book hooked me harder than anything he's written yet, and I really like his previous stuff. The pacing was amazing, all the slow parts had purpose, and the action didn't let up until bodies fell. I felt like there wasn't a wasted word in this book(yes, there are a few small proof edits that could be fixed, I'm not gonna complain about those). I went and read very late when I finished, and I have to get up EARLY for work. My only minor quibble about this is that some of Sean's supporting cast don't get as rich a treatment as they have previously. Other than that, I was amazed at what Declan spun out of the cloth of Sad Puppies bite back and Sean Ryan.
Ahem.
Set to Kill is bound to trigger anyone who is a devotee of Tor books, or believes that the Hugos are still prestigious and valid in the world of sff. It not only goes against the narrative, but openly mocks it for its cronyism, othering, inconsistency, and lack of tolerance. With a good measure of over the top, but almost believable violence. Verdict: 9 of 10 fell deeds.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Monday, November 21, 2016
A Thanksgiving Post
As this is my first Thanksgiving with this blog, I find it appropriate to post some things for which I am indeed blessed and thankful.
Fierce readers, first I wish to thank you for deigning to visit this corner of the internet. I pray I continue to entertain and inform, and beg your patience for the times when my ambitions and energies run low.
I wish to thank the authors that I review, for providing me with material worth reading, and stories worth championing. I also wish to thank some of these for their friendship, and hope this continues and grows. Declan Finn, Brian Niemeier, Dawn Witzke, Marina Fontaine, Russell and Morgon Newquist, John and Jagi Wright, Nick Cole, Jeff Duntemann, and more, I thank you much.
I wish to thank a few for giving me models of blogging, the discipline, the passion, and the craft you have presented. Bradford Walker, Peter Grant(definitely not just a blogger, but you do a lot), and likely the busiest blogger there is, Vox Day.
And of course, I am thankful for my enemies, that they are ridiculous. May they remain so; it makes things fun and interesting.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Fierce readers, first I wish to thank you for deigning to visit this corner of the internet. I pray I continue to entertain and inform, and beg your patience for the times when my ambitions and energies run low.
I wish to thank the authors that I review, for providing me with material worth reading, and stories worth championing. I also wish to thank some of these for their friendship, and hope this continues and grows. Declan Finn, Brian Niemeier, Dawn Witzke, Marina Fontaine, Russell and Morgon Newquist, John and Jagi Wright, Nick Cole, Jeff Duntemann, and more, I thank you much.
I wish to thank a few for giving me models of blogging, the discipline, the passion, and the craft you have presented. Bradford Walker, Peter Grant(definitely not just a blogger, but you do a lot), and likely the busiest blogger there is, Vox Day.
And of course, I am thankful for my enemies, that they are ridiculous. May they remain so; it makes things fun and interesting.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Music blog: Collin Raye
I like story songs, and here are some fun ones.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Anthology Review: Skelos issue 1
Cower not, fierce readers! You! In the back! Stop cowering! This is not a safe space, and if you need one, I recommend the disemvoweling sites of SFF.
Anyway, yes, I am considering Skelos as an anthology. The Journal of Weird Fiction and Dark Fantasy is rather sizable at 150+ pages. That's a bit much for a "magazine", though perhaps small for an anthology. I'm ok with that, there's a lot here, and some will definitely make the SocJus crowd wail.
The Dead Unicorn by Scott Cupp- This is a quick and frightful way to start the anthology. The first half of the first page of the story feels fairly normal for fantasy. Then things go horribly wrong.
The Drowned Dead Shape by Keith Taylor- Ooh. Yeah, that's the stuff. Very much a Weird Fiction tale. The old Irish culture is a nice backdrop for fear, paranoia and desperation.
Hungry by Charles Gramlich- This was unexpected. A proper weird SF tale with regret, compulsion, and resignation. The stark notes make me want more from this author.
Diary of a Sorceress by Ashley Dioses- The first poetry piece in here. Honestly, It felt like the start of something, and then an end. Decently done, it just felt incomplete to me.
The Night Maere by Scott Hannan- Gah! Courage, fierce reader! You are not the target within this tale. Well done, and enough to creep some out for days. I had to go back to work, instead.
Nameless Tribes by Jeffery Shanks- I'm not going to type the full name of this scholarly text. It's a fine paper on Robert E. Howard's worldbuilding, specifically his tribes. This is followed by the examples the paper is specifically about:
The Nameless Tribe Drafts by Robert E. Howard- This is really interesting to see the growth and changes in REH's writing via drafts. It grants me more confidence in my abilities, if I'm willing to try to find what methods work for me.
Midnight in the Ebon Rose Bower by K. A. Opperman- This second poem is likewise short, but pulled me in just enough, gave just enough images, to feel like a half glimpsed dream.
One Less Hand for the Shaping of Things- by Jason Ray Carney- This is a faerie tale of survival, dissatisfaction, and obsession. There is loss, abandonment, and an eventual embrace.
The Writer by Jason Hardy- Another poem, this one is a bit more on the tongue in cheek side of Weird Fiction.
The Casualty of the Somme by Frank Coffman- This poem has a descent to the horror side as it goes along. Well metered and written.
Grettirr and the Draugr adapted by Jeffry Shanks and Illustrated by Samuel Dillon- Illustrated Norse mythology. Yeah, it's good stuff. A collection of this would put Northlanders on watch.
From the Cosmos to the Test-Tube by Karen Joan Kohoutek- Another scholarly work, and while somewhat interesting, I honestly drift off reading about HP and Machen. That said, there is some reminder that men who were intimately aware of the Bible wrote much better than our modern version of materialist/atheist.
The Yellow Death by David Hardy- Ok, you've got me. This feels like a Edgar Allen Poe story, perhaps rewritten by Howard. The language is tight, and the narrator reminds one of that of The Cask of Amontillado.
Totem by Pat Calhoun- Yes, there's more poetry. If you don't care for it, I think you're missing out.
The Burning Messenger by Matt Sullivan- More in the Norse mythos vein. A village of warriors gets hit by something...other.
A Sword-edge Beauty as Keen as Blades by Nicole Emmelhainz- I haven't read much C.L. Moore, and that probably kept me out of this paper somewhat. Of course, the fact that it's about "gender dynamics" is likely the rest. No offense, but your topic bores me.
Dangerous Pearl by Ethan Nahte- A tale of a fierce pirate crew, and their unfortunate encounter in the fog.
Surtur by Kenneth Bykerk- A final poem of mythology, filled with alliteration, and rhyming rhythm to be read aloud.
The Bone Yard- Skelos' selection of reviews of Weird Fiction. Well written, and filled with materials previously unknown to me. I may grab the Western collection mentioned.
I enjoyed much within this volume, and I lay no fault for the parts I cared less for; scholarly work on only a few segments of fiction interest me. Either way, Skelos is a haunt-filled volume to chill the heart. I grant this volume 8 of 10 fell deeds.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Anyway, yes, I am considering Skelos as an anthology. The Journal of Weird Fiction and Dark Fantasy is rather sizable at 150+ pages. That's a bit much for a "magazine", though perhaps small for an anthology. I'm ok with that, there's a lot here, and some will definitely make the SocJus crowd wail.
The Dead Unicorn by Scott Cupp- This is a quick and frightful way to start the anthology. The first half of the first page of the story feels fairly normal for fantasy. Then things go horribly wrong.
The Drowned Dead Shape by Keith Taylor- Ooh. Yeah, that's the stuff. Very much a Weird Fiction tale. The old Irish culture is a nice backdrop for fear, paranoia and desperation.
Hungry by Charles Gramlich- This was unexpected. A proper weird SF tale with regret, compulsion, and resignation. The stark notes make me want more from this author.
Diary of a Sorceress by Ashley Dioses- The first poetry piece in here. Honestly, It felt like the start of something, and then an end. Decently done, it just felt incomplete to me.
The Night Maere by Scott Hannan- Gah! Courage, fierce reader! You are not the target within this tale. Well done, and enough to creep some out for days. I had to go back to work, instead.
Nameless Tribes by Jeffery Shanks- I'm not going to type the full name of this scholarly text. It's a fine paper on Robert E. Howard's worldbuilding, specifically his tribes. This is followed by the examples the paper is specifically about:
The Nameless Tribe Drafts by Robert E. Howard- This is really interesting to see the growth and changes in REH's writing via drafts. It grants me more confidence in my abilities, if I'm willing to try to find what methods work for me.
Midnight in the Ebon Rose Bower by K. A. Opperman- This second poem is likewise short, but pulled me in just enough, gave just enough images, to feel like a half glimpsed dream.
One Less Hand for the Shaping of Things- by Jason Ray Carney- This is a faerie tale of survival, dissatisfaction, and obsession. There is loss, abandonment, and an eventual embrace.
The Writer by Jason Hardy- Another poem, this one is a bit more on the tongue in cheek side of Weird Fiction.
The Casualty of the Somme by Frank Coffman- This poem has a descent to the horror side as it goes along. Well metered and written.
Grettirr and the Draugr adapted by Jeffry Shanks and Illustrated by Samuel Dillon- Illustrated Norse mythology. Yeah, it's good stuff. A collection of this would put Northlanders on watch.
From the Cosmos to the Test-Tube by Karen Joan Kohoutek- Another scholarly work, and while somewhat interesting, I honestly drift off reading about HP and Machen. That said, there is some reminder that men who were intimately aware of the Bible wrote much better than our modern version of materialist/atheist.
The Yellow Death by David Hardy- Ok, you've got me. This feels like a Edgar Allen Poe story, perhaps rewritten by Howard. The language is tight, and the narrator reminds one of that of The Cask of Amontillado.
Totem by Pat Calhoun- Yes, there's more poetry. If you don't care for it, I think you're missing out.
The Burning Messenger by Matt Sullivan- More in the Norse mythos vein. A village of warriors gets hit by something...other.
A Sword-edge Beauty as Keen as Blades by Nicole Emmelhainz- I haven't read much C.L. Moore, and that probably kept me out of this paper somewhat. Of course, the fact that it's about "gender dynamics" is likely the rest. No offense, but your topic bores me.
Dangerous Pearl by Ethan Nahte- A tale of a fierce pirate crew, and their unfortunate encounter in the fog.
Surtur by Kenneth Bykerk- A final poem of mythology, filled with alliteration, and rhyming rhythm to be read aloud.
The Bone Yard- Skelos' selection of reviews of Weird Fiction. Well written, and filled with materials previously unknown to me. I may grab the Western collection mentioned.
I enjoyed much within this volume, and I lay no fault for the parts I cared less for; scholarly work on only a few segments of fiction interest me. Either way, Skelos is a haunt-filled volume to chill the heart. I grant this volume 8 of 10 fell deeds.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
When the blacklist makes itself...
I missed something I should have had a bit of fun with this week. Last Sunday(updated Tuesday), a group of game industry people put out a letter supporting Hilary Clinton. I'd make less of this if they talked about policy, but instead they present imaginary versions of each as a gamer. If you haven't seen the letter, and care to read it, here.
Now, there are some decent game designers here. I don't have a problem with them being of a different political opinion than me; they have that right. But, to choose to engage in name calling of a significant portion of the population(it's looking like over half the popular vote), is bad business. I'm not calling for anyone to be fired, but you might think twice about any games from some of these folks.
Here's some notables, in alphabetical order, because they're helpful like that.
Peter Adkinson- apparently the owner of GenCon, and a former WotC CEO. I was considering not attending this year as it was, this won't make my mind up, it's just another piece.
Christopher Badell- the brains behind Sentinels of the Multiverse. Not shocked, but disappointed severely. He should know better as a Midwesterner than to alienate customers.
Kieth Baker- is every designer that's been around for years with only one hit going to be on this list?
Emily Care Boss- yeah, she was already on the don't buy list, but confirmation is always amusing.
Chad Brown- works on the Pathfinder card game and the lamented Betrayal expansion
Mark Carroll- Surprised to see that someone working with Conan and John Carter doesn't know his prime audiences.
Chris Cieslik- I'd have thought the OWNER of a game company would be smarter. Especially after some of the good things he has published. Have fun with the drain.
Yesenia Cisneros- A marketing person doesn't get the idea of bad publicity. Pokemon corp. might need to have a word.
Bruce Cordell- Has done some interesting things. Too bad he put ID politics over making games.
Luke Crane- Has the Mouse Guard and Burning Wheel credits, and is head of games at Kickstarter. How long before a good alternative shows up?
Rob Daviau- This is a real disappointment. Not that he's a liberal, but that he's dumb enough to sign such a letter.
Roberto Di Meglio- Another letdown. I'd think someone behind two major LotR games and a Conan game would not be the type to discuss his politics publicly.
Ben Dobbins- I'm not shocked. Zombie Orpheus went from being a gentle poke at gamers to calling us racist misogynists.
Glen Drover- For a guy that designed some well respected conflict games, I think he'd respect the idea of mitigating odds more.
James Ernest- Not surprised. Though this is his first big time at name-calling. No more Cheapass for me.
Richard Garfield- WHAT THE HELL are you thinking? Is your echo chamber that insular? This is a HUGE disappointment. Stop trusting the liars, Richard.
Trin Garritano- Gee, somebody with Cards against Humanity supports Hilary. What are the odds? Oh, right: 1.
Justin Gary- Ascension is on the crap list now. That's alright, it's not got that many tricks.
Jonathan Gilmour- The designer of Dead of Winter is a zombiecrat. Go figure.
Bruce Glassco- What, ruining you own game, Betrayal, wasn't enough for you?
Shane Ivey- You'd think the designer of Delta Green would know better than to insult the folks that support the military.
Tom Jolly- I'm sure the kids made Uncle Tom very Jolly.
Jon Kovalic- A cartoonist stuck getting most of his money from Munchkin. I'm sure the rest pays, but another reason to not play that unbalanced mess.
Eric Lang- Good grief. Keep doubling down. You'll be an albatross.
Matt Leacock- Insanely too bad. Now I really need to work on my little idea.
Peter Lee- Wasn't Lords of Waterdeep diverse enough for you?
WJ MacGuffin- The Laundry is unclean. Paranoia is out to get us.
John and Michelle Nephew- Atlas Games has sucked for awhile. This tells me why.
Douglas Seacat- I'm shocked Privateer Press doesn't have a Social media policy about things like this. Some place that take customers seriously, you'd be fired in a heartbeat.
Mike Selinker- Again, no shock. Lone Shark is supremely insular.
Stephanie Straw- Yep, that explains why you look like a quickly aging feminist in videos for BGG.
Monica Valentinelli- Dear, sweet Monica, everybody knows you hate white males already. You really don't have to keep reminding us.
C. Joshua Villines- Another Privateer employee. Still surprised there isn't a policy about making the company look bad.
Aaron Wiessblum- 10 days to needing a new market
Wil Wheaton- Shut up, Wesley. How many spots on your YouTube show did you offer?
This of course, is just a very few of the fine folks not wanting our money. Others work on Magic, D&D, FATE, and other games that should remain apolitical. Like I said, I don't care if they are liberals, I just have to think about them getting any of my money now. I mean, they practically said they don't want it.
You know who isn't on this list? Steve Jackson. Jamey Stegmaier. I suspect Steve's a libertarian, and Jamey a liberal, but both know better than to alienate a significant portion of the market. Then again, they actually are in pluralistic towns, rather than progressive ones.
Until they learn,
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Now, there are some decent game designers here. I don't have a problem with them being of a different political opinion than me; they have that right. But, to choose to engage in name calling of a significant portion of the population(it's looking like over half the popular vote), is bad business. I'm not calling for anyone to be fired, but you might think twice about any games from some of these folks.
Here's some notables, in alphabetical order, because they're helpful like that.
Peter Adkinson- apparently the owner of GenCon, and a former WotC CEO. I was considering not attending this year as it was, this won't make my mind up, it's just another piece.
Christopher Badell- the brains behind Sentinels of the Multiverse. Not shocked, but disappointed severely. He should know better as a Midwesterner than to alienate customers.
Kieth Baker- is every designer that's been around for years with only one hit going to be on this list?
Emily Care Boss- yeah, she was already on the don't buy list, but confirmation is always amusing.
Chad Brown- works on the Pathfinder card game and the lamented Betrayal expansion
Mark Carroll- Surprised to see that someone working with Conan and John Carter doesn't know his prime audiences.
Chris Cieslik- I'd have thought the OWNER of a game company would be smarter. Especially after some of the good things he has published. Have fun with the drain.
Yesenia Cisneros- A marketing person doesn't get the idea of bad publicity. Pokemon corp. might need to have a word.
Bruce Cordell- Has done some interesting things. Too bad he put ID politics over making games.
Luke Crane- Has the Mouse Guard and Burning Wheel credits, and is head of games at Kickstarter. How long before a good alternative shows up?
Rob Daviau- This is a real disappointment. Not that he's a liberal, but that he's dumb enough to sign such a letter.
Roberto Di Meglio- Another letdown. I'd think someone behind two major LotR games and a Conan game would not be the type to discuss his politics publicly.
Ben Dobbins- I'm not shocked. Zombie Orpheus went from being a gentle poke at gamers to calling us racist misogynists.
Glen Drover- For a guy that designed some well respected conflict games, I think he'd respect the idea of mitigating odds more.
James Ernest- Not surprised. Though this is his first big time at name-calling. No more Cheapass for me.
Richard Garfield- WHAT THE HELL are you thinking? Is your echo chamber that insular? This is a HUGE disappointment. Stop trusting the liars, Richard.
Trin Garritano- Gee, somebody with Cards against Humanity supports Hilary. What are the odds? Oh, right: 1.
Justin Gary- Ascension is on the crap list now. That's alright, it's not got that many tricks.
Jonathan Gilmour- The designer of Dead of Winter is a zombiecrat. Go figure.
Bruce Glassco- What, ruining you own game, Betrayal, wasn't enough for you?
Shane Ivey- You'd think the designer of Delta Green would know better than to insult the folks that support the military.
Tom Jolly- I'm sure the kids made Uncle Tom very Jolly.
Jon Kovalic- A cartoonist stuck getting most of his money from Munchkin. I'm sure the rest pays, but another reason to not play that unbalanced mess.
Eric Lang- Good grief. Keep doubling down. You'll be an albatross.
Matt Leacock- Insanely too bad. Now I really need to work on my little idea.
Peter Lee- Wasn't Lords of Waterdeep diverse enough for you?
WJ MacGuffin- The Laundry is unclean. Paranoia is out to get us.
John and Michelle Nephew- Atlas Games has sucked for awhile. This tells me why.
Douglas Seacat- I'm shocked Privateer Press doesn't have a Social media policy about things like this. Some place that take customers seriously, you'd be fired in a heartbeat.
Mike Selinker- Again, no shock. Lone Shark is supremely insular.
Stephanie Straw- Yep, that explains why you look like a quickly aging feminist in videos for BGG.
Monica Valentinelli- Dear, sweet Monica, everybody knows you hate white males already. You really don't have to keep reminding us.
C. Joshua Villines- Another Privateer employee. Still surprised there isn't a policy about making the company look bad.
Aaron Wiessblum- 10 days to needing a new market
Wil Wheaton- Shut up, Wesley. How many spots on your YouTube show did you offer?
This of course, is just a very few of the fine folks not wanting our money. Others work on Magic, D&D, FATE, and other games that should remain apolitical. Like I said, I don't care if they are liberals, I just have to think about them getting any of my money now. I mean, they practically said they don't want it.
You know who isn't on this list? Steve Jackson. Jamey Stegmaier. I suspect Steve's a libertarian, and Jamey a liberal, but both know better than to alienate a significant portion of the market. Then again, they actually are in pluralistic towns, rather than progressive ones.
Until they learn,
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Friday, November 11, 2016
Injustice Book Review: Brother, Frank by Michael Bunker
Cower not, fierce reader! This fine day, we shall look at the sins contained within this tome from Amish Science Fiction author Michael Bunker. This case shall be brief, but the darkness of Injustice must expose this contrast to the light of SocJus!
First, this is another of Mr. Bunker's fine Amish SF stories. This of course, is a first order offense, as religion being portrayed as anything other than the domain of the foolish and stupid is unacceptable. Mr. Bunker portrays the Amish life here both from without and within, the characters having their own appropriate opinions toward them.
Second, this tale has elements of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein without being a retelling. Some of the same points are made, especially about playing God with life and death. The metaphysics doesn't stop there, and there are many other points contemplating the nature of existence, life, and man's place with God.
Third, this book deals with autism, its treatment, and the development of the autistic mind. While the author meets the autistic where he is, the ultimate goal is to approach normal relational skillls. The idea of a standard of relational ability, is of course foreign to SocJus, as is true empathy for those with similar developmental problems like Down's Syndrome.
This book deals in life, death, and faith. There is confrontation with truth, redemption, damnation, and the gamut of human emotion. Action is certainly present, though only in the amounts the story needs. It is not an action book, but a book of humanity. 8 of 10 fell deeds.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
First, this is another of Mr. Bunker's fine Amish SF stories. This of course, is a first order offense, as religion being portrayed as anything other than the domain of the foolish and stupid is unacceptable. Mr. Bunker portrays the Amish life here both from without and within, the characters having their own appropriate opinions toward them.
Second, this tale has elements of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein without being a retelling. Some of the same points are made, especially about playing God with life and death. The metaphysics doesn't stop there, and there are many other points contemplating the nature of existence, life, and man's place with God.
Third, this book deals with autism, its treatment, and the development of the autistic mind. While the author meets the autistic where he is, the ultimate goal is to approach normal relational skillls. The idea of a standard of relational ability, is of course foreign to SocJus, as is true empathy for those with similar developmental problems like Down's Syndrome.
This book deals in life, death, and faith. There is confrontation with truth, redemption, damnation, and the gamut of human emotion. Action is certainly present, though only in the amounts the story needs. It is not an action book, but a book of humanity. 8 of 10 fell deeds.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Batman: the Return of the Caped Crusaders, and the return of Young Justice
The inestimable John C. Wright has alerted me to a piece of good news: WB Animation has begun production on a third season of Young Justice. A good part of me wishes I were a bit younger, that I might have the energy to jump and dance for joy.
Young Justice was, in some ways, the peak of DC's animated storytelling. The animation was good, easy to follow, and the fights even looked right. The episodes were had a good story arc that carried across the series, with the characters having their own arcs. Honestly, you should already know this, so why am I writing?
Because of the optimistic hope I have, and the cautious nervousness I feel. It's been years, and there are SO many ways they could screw this up. Ignoring the larger arc of the story so far is one. If they can't get the voice talent back, inadequate replacements is another. And of course, playing Social Justice would be the big one. Because I really don't want lectures on feminism in my hero shows. Give us stories and good action, with compelling characters, and we'll be happy.
Now, to our bit of near flashback material.
WB Animation recently released Batman: the Return of the Caped Crusaders. Yes, it is a Batman '66 animated feature. They went and got Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar to reprise their roles from the show. I REALLY wish they had done this a few years back, so Yvonne Craig could have been in and played Batgirl once more. Anyway, onto the show!
There's a few things definitely wrong here, and I'm not talking about the voices. Those are mostly right. I don't get the feeling this was written by people that really got the show, at least for moments. There's some bits that just don't get the tongue in cheek nature the show and movie had. And there are moments that are a bit more of the grim dark nature that just don't fit.
There's even some flaws they could have avoided easily. The atomic pile is to the left of the Batpoles, not the right and a background piece for the Batmobile. When they first get in the Batmobile, Robin doesn't say: "Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed." Come on, this was in all the episodes. If you're going to do it, DO IT. Don't leave something out because you don't like it, or it seems silly. Things like that made the show.
They did get some things very well, though. The substitute voices are good, even if not the original supervillains and supporting cast. The Catwoman/Batman dynamic is very good, and the ending part of that works very well. The vision of the three versions of Batman '66 Catwoman was a very nice touch. The addition of all the other villains from the show was a rather good bit, even if not all of them are worth reusing. The villain plot and traps are appropriately absurd.
Overall, I think it's worthwhile. At least once you get past the flaws, there's some good work here. If you get a chance to watch it, I think you'll have some fun.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Young Justice was, in some ways, the peak of DC's animated storytelling. The animation was good, easy to follow, and the fights even looked right. The episodes were had a good story arc that carried across the series, with the characters having their own arcs. Honestly, you should already know this, so why am I writing?
Because of the optimistic hope I have, and the cautious nervousness I feel. It's been years, and there are SO many ways they could screw this up. Ignoring the larger arc of the story so far is one. If they can't get the voice talent back, inadequate replacements is another. And of course, playing Social Justice would be the big one. Because I really don't want lectures on feminism in my hero shows. Give us stories and good action, with compelling characters, and we'll be happy.
Now, to our bit of near flashback material.
WB Animation recently released Batman: the Return of the Caped Crusaders. Yes, it is a Batman '66 animated feature. They went and got Adam West, Burt Ward, and Julie Newmar to reprise their roles from the show. I REALLY wish they had done this a few years back, so Yvonne Craig could have been in and played Batgirl once more. Anyway, onto the show!
There's a few things definitely wrong here, and I'm not talking about the voices. Those are mostly right. I don't get the feeling this was written by people that really got the show, at least for moments. There's some bits that just don't get the tongue in cheek nature the show and movie had. And there are moments that are a bit more of the grim dark nature that just don't fit.
There's even some flaws they could have avoided easily. The atomic pile is to the left of the Batpoles, not the right and a background piece for the Batmobile. When they first get in the Batmobile, Robin doesn't say: "Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed." Come on, this was in all the episodes. If you're going to do it, DO IT. Don't leave something out because you don't like it, or it seems silly. Things like that made the show.
They did get some things very well, though. The substitute voices are good, even if not the original supervillains and supporting cast. The Catwoman/Batman dynamic is very good, and the ending part of that works very well. The vision of the three versions of Batman '66 Catwoman was a very nice touch. The addition of all the other villains from the show was a rather good bit, even if not all of them are worth reusing. The villain plot and traps are appropriately absurd.
Overall, I think it's worthwhile. At least once you get past the flaws, there's some good work here. If you get a chance to watch it, I think you'll have some fun.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Monday, November 7, 2016
Injustice Quick Reviews 6
Cower not, fierce reader! I have another collection of tales to trigger the puff, melt the snowflake, and send rabbits to their warrens. Let us shine the darkness of Injustice on these fine reads.
Wolf Killer by John Van Stry- Mr. Van Stry was kind enough to provide me with a copy of this book, which is part of a series. There's decent action; I believe this should appeal to most that would read "urban fantasy" if it weren't filled with sex scenes. There's also a Catholic presence here, though it's more part of the setting than a player(I haven't read the other books, so it may differ there.)Major crime: Faith is present and good; and there also isn't a graphic sex scene. 6 of 10 fell deeds.
In the Days of the Witch-Queens by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt- This is a short story that is the first of a series of short stories. I found this via the Castalia House blog. There's an intriguing bit of worldbuilding here, and I look forward to seeing more glimpses in hopes of a reflection of reality. Major crime: Self sacrifice. 7 of 10 fell deeds.
The Lost Castle by Nick Cole- Ah, the apocalypse is back and all is well with the world! If you're not into this series(The Wyrd), I recommend you check out book one, The Red King. If you are, and you haven't gotten this one, get to it! There's plenty of surreality at the eschaton. Major crime: staying on mission. 7 of 10 fell deeds.
Codename: Unsub by Declan Finn and Alan Yoskowitz- Declan and Alan revisit their own somewhat apocalyptic future, and I'm glad they did. This story moves. Be careful you don't get whiplash. Major crime: San Fransisco is regularly referred to as hell. Right now's just the pre-party. 8 of 10 fell deeds.
Down the Dragon Hole and A Midsummer's Party by Morgon Newquist- This is a light and fun pair of stories in the vein of happenings at a fantasy adventuring academy. I say happenings, but truly, they are miniature adventures. Not "Orc and the Pie" small, but only a few short scenes each. Major crime: Pointing out the hazards of intellectual isolationism. 8 of 10 and 7 of 10 fell deeds, respectively.
When you play Socail Justice, the world loses.
Wolf Killer by John Van Stry- Mr. Van Stry was kind enough to provide me with a copy of this book, which is part of a series. There's decent action; I believe this should appeal to most that would read "urban fantasy" if it weren't filled with sex scenes. There's also a Catholic presence here, though it's more part of the setting than a player(I haven't read the other books, so it may differ there.)Major crime: Faith is present and good; and there also isn't a graphic sex scene. 6 of 10 fell deeds.
In the Days of the Witch-Queens by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt- This is a short story that is the first of a series of short stories. I found this via the Castalia House blog. There's an intriguing bit of worldbuilding here, and I look forward to seeing more glimpses in hopes of a reflection of reality. Major crime: Self sacrifice. 7 of 10 fell deeds.
The Lost Castle by Nick Cole- Ah, the apocalypse is back and all is well with the world! If you're not into this series(The Wyrd), I recommend you check out book one, The Red King. If you are, and you haven't gotten this one, get to it! There's plenty of surreality at the eschaton. Major crime: staying on mission. 7 of 10 fell deeds.
Codename: Unsub by Declan Finn and Alan Yoskowitz- Declan and Alan revisit their own somewhat apocalyptic future, and I'm glad they did. This story moves. Be careful you don't get whiplash. Major crime: San Fransisco is regularly referred to as hell. Right now's just the pre-party. 8 of 10 fell deeds.
Down the Dragon Hole and A Midsummer's Party by Morgon Newquist- This is a light and fun pair of stories in the vein of happenings at a fantasy adventuring academy. I say happenings, but truly, they are miniature adventures. Not "Orc and the Pie" small, but only a few short scenes each. Major crime: Pointing out the hazards of intellectual isolationism. 8 of 10 and 7 of 10 fell deeds, respectively.
When you play Socail Justice, the world loses.
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Berlanti obviously doesn't read this blog...
Or he wouldn't allow all of the shows he's running for CW to be filled with message fiction. Of course, my readers know exactly what type of messages I'm talking about: Social Justice messages. This week's episodes of Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow were really heavily into the message fiction. Arrow and the Flash had less this week, so I'm going to discuss the newer shows.
Supergirl:
Firstly, I have to say the Superman they introduced felt more like Supes than the current film incarnation. That is, he felt more human, and more like he enjoys himself while he's saving the world. Maggie Sawyer got introduced last week, and the show has her as a xenophilic lesbian. M'gann M'orzz was also revealed to us, and she, like all the other active redhead characters in the Berlantiverse, has been made black. I don't mind a little of it, and sure, the DCU in comics has a disproportionate amount of redheads, but let us keep one or two. The Berlantiverse is close to 50/50 black/white, which is nowhere near the USA's demographics. Also, why can't you show us one or more of J'onn's alternate identities? He's got dozens in the DCU he occasionally uses, to gain perspectives on humanity.
DC's Legends of Tomorrow:
Oh, man. You actually had an interesting story with the Civil War zombies. But, you went and called it the "very worst of humanity". I'm appalled at you lack of historical knowledge and perspective. Is it dark? Most certainly, but great light shone against the institution. In the 1930's and 40's, eugenics was popular scientific thought. Laws were passed, and mandatory sterilizations of some minority people happened under the law of the United States. Planned Parenthood was founded by Margaret Sanger, as a measure to exterminate the black population, which was targeted by the sterilization laws already. In some ways, I find these to be far scarier and darker than the open hatred displayed by slavery in the USA.
Contrary to what students are being taught in schools today, slavery was not invented in the United States of America. Every sizable civilization has contained this institution at some point, and several countries still contain it today. Nor was the South the worst practitioner of this. Romans had them fight each other to the death. Other, more modern versions are less palatable.
And the Romans? Even they, during their pagan years, valued life. Hannibal and the forces of Carthage worshipped Moloch, sacrificing live children of multiple years old. They burned their own children in ritual for their deity, hoping for power and victory. Rome even fell for awhile, and rose again and destroyed the empire, the city, and the earth where they stood, so reviled by this were they. Yes, the pagans fought and destroyed what truly was the worst and darkest time in history.
Berlanti, if you keep this up, you'll lose viewers eventually. This is despite being some of the best superhero presentation there is today. And now, for an altered version of my last line:
When you play Social Justice, the multiverse loses.
Supergirl:
Firstly, I have to say the Superman they introduced felt more like Supes than the current film incarnation. That is, he felt more human, and more like he enjoys himself while he's saving the world. Maggie Sawyer got introduced last week, and the show has her as a xenophilic lesbian. M'gann M'orzz was also revealed to us, and she, like all the other active redhead characters in the Berlantiverse, has been made black. I don't mind a little of it, and sure, the DCU in comics has a disproportionate amount of redheads, but let us keep one or two. The Berlantiverse is close to 50/50 black/white, which is nowhere near the USA's demographics. Also, why can't you show us one or more of J'onn's alternate identities? He's got dozens in the DCU he occasionally uses, to gain perspectives on humanity.
DC's Legends of Tomorrow:
Oh, man. You actually had an interesting story with the Civil War zombies. But, you went and called it the "very worst of humanity". I'm appalled at you lack of historical knowledge and perspective. Is it dark? Most certainly, but great light shone against the institution. In the 1930's and 40's, eugenics was popular scientific thought. Laws were passed, and mandatory sterilizations of some minority people happened under the law of the United States. Planned Parenthood was founded by Margaret Sanger, as a measure to exterminate the black population, which was targeted by the sterilization laws already. In some ways, I find these to be far scarier and darker than the open hatred displayed by slavery in the USA.
Contrary to what students are being taught in schools today, slavery was not invented in the United States of America. Every sizable civilization has contained this institution at some point, and several countries still contain it today. Nor was the South the worst practitioner of this. Romans had them fight each other to the death. Other, more modern versions are less palatable.
And the Romans? Even they, during their pagan years, valued life. Hannibal and the forces of Carthage worshipped Moloch, sacrificing live children of multiple years old. They burned their own children in ritual for their deity, hoping for power and victory. Rome even fell for awhile, and rose again and destroyed the empire, the city, and the earth where they stood, so reviled by this were they. Yes, the pagans fought and destroyed what truly was the worst and darkest time in history.
Berlanti, if you keep this up, you'll lose viewers eventually. This is despite being some of the best superhero presentation there is today. And now, for an altered version of my last line:
When you play Social Justice, the multiverse loses.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Music blog: Kris Kristofferson
An accomplished songwriter, and far more. Taught at West Point, Golden Glove boxer, and more.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Looking back at the first 10 months of the Injustice Gamer
My friend Declan Finn does a retrospective post after every thousand posts. I'm just over the first hundred, but I have been through 10 months now, so here's the 10 most popular posts, and a bit of perspective on them.
1. The Hurt is Strong at File 770
This is the newest post on the list, and it's the most popular. Dipping into the venomous pit that is the comment section after the Dragon Awards yielded the results that were predicted by many, but of course, they deny that we were told to make our own awards.
2. GenCon 2016 "Industry Insider" Program
I'd heard there was some crowing about who was on the list, and that it was a victory for minorities. So, I went and did some research on who was there, using Boardgamegeek and RPGgeek as my primary sources, as they are the best tabletop databases online.
Of course it was a victory for minorities. It was largely a loss for gaming.
3. An open letter to Splotter Spellen
I was pretty raw about the fact that Splotter didn't feel like they should take care of the people that made the print run possible, before making the rest of the run available to others. I stand by that, if you run a preorder, with the possible exception of major conventions, your material should go absolutely first to the people that paid to make it happen.
No, it's not Kickstarter, that doesn't change what should be the proper method of taking care of the people that backed you.
4. Interview with the RPG Pundit
This is my first interview, and I haven't done any for awhile. But, it exposed me a bit to the OSR ideas, and some of the fight against Social Justice there. I know the Pundit and Jeffro Johnson have a massive disagreement on Appendix N, which I did not address, but the Appendix N stuff I've read has been a lot of fun. Not my primary reading style, but fun nonetheless.
5. Post Hugo thoughts
Ah, it seemed everyone was doing posts about the Hugo results. I thought I'd put my two cents in, and it seems folks liked that post. I stand by "Nuts to you, Neil Gaiman."
6. Heh. Reddit SJWs hate me
This was in reaction to some of the flaming directed at me after my Hugo post, especially regarding my saying "Nuts to you, Neil Gaiman." Perhaps I shouldn't have responded to the projection and lies about my geekdom, but I don't like libel and slander. I had a few days of hatefans, it was a good time.
7. Betrayal at House on the Hill: SJW expansion
This post was my first detail search on multiple SJWs in a project, which became a model for the GenCon post. It has also recently proven relevant, as some are regretting their purchase and finding out why belatedly. I likely should make that my featured post.
8. Injustice Book Review: A Pius Man trilogy
Yes, this is my most popular book review. I'm pretty pleased by that, as Declan doesn't have the notoriety that Mr. Wright does. A.P. Ryan is a blast of a character, and I've enjoyed everything he shows up in.
9. Monica, you don't get a pass
Came after the GenCon post. The thing that does Firefly attacked me for it behind my back, and I smacked back, in a civilized, open manner, quoting her extensively. I then made sure she knew about it via Twitter, and she promptly blocked me. I'm sure she had a nice victory dance after.
10. Fisking Publisher's Weekly Review of Beyond the Mist
Some paid moron at PW didn't know how to do a book review of something they didn't like or comprehend. I couldn't let that slide; Mr. Zwycky wrote a fine tale I await the sequel to, and his first novel got me started on book reviews.
Lessons to be gained: Book reviews pull in some regulars, but the flame war posts get tons of views. I likely need to do a bit more of those now and then.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
1. The Hurt is Strong at File 770
This is the newest post on the list, and it's the most popular. Dipping into the venomous pit that is the comment section after the Dragon Awards yielded the results that were predicted by many, but of course, they deny that we were told to make our own awards.
2. GenCon 2016 "Industry Insider" Program
I'd heard there was some crowing about who was on the list, and that it was a victory for minorities. So, I went and did some research on who was there, using Boardgamegeek and RPGgeek as my primary sources, as they are the best tabletop databases online.
Of course it was a victory for minorities. It was largely a loss for gaming.
3. An open letter to Splotter Spellen
I was pretty raw about the fact that Splotter didn't feel like they should take care of the people that made the print run possible, before making the rest of the run available to others. I stand by that, if you run a preorder, with the possible exception of major conventions, your material should go absolutely first to the people that paid to make it happen.
No, it's not Kickstarter, that doesn't change what should be the proper method of taking care of the people that backed you.
4. Interview with the RPG Pundit
This is my first interview, and I haven't done any for awhile. But, it exposed me a bit to the OSR ideas, and some of the fight against Social Justice there. I know the Pundit and Jeffro Johnson have a massive disagreement on Appendix N, which I did not address, but the Appendix N stuff I've read has been a lot of fun. Not my primary reading style, but fun nonetheless.
5. Post Hugo thoughts
Ah, it seemed everyone was doing posts about the Hugo results. I thought I'd put my two cents in, and it seems folks liked that post. I stand by "Nuts to you, Neil Gaiman."
6. Heh. Reddit SJWs hate me
This was in reaction to some of the flaming directed at me after my Hugo post, especially regarding my saying "Nuts to you, Neil Gaiman." Perhaps I shouldn't have responded to the projection and lies about my geekdom, but I don't like libel and slander. I had a few days of hatefans, it was a good time.
7. Betrayal at House on the Hill: SJW expansion
This post was my first detail search on multiple SJWs in a project, which became a model for the GenCon post. It has also recently proven relevant, as some are regretting their purchase and finding out why belatedly. I likely should make that my featured post.
8. Injustice Book Review: A Pius Man trilogy
Yes, this is my most popular book review. I'm pretty pleased by that, as Declan doesn't have the notoriety that Mr. Wright does. A.P. Ryan is a blast of a character, and I've enjoyed everything he shows up in.
9. Monica, you don't get a pass
Came after the GenCon post. The thing that does Firefly attacked me for it behind my back, and I smacked back, in a civilized, open manner, quoting her extensively. I then made sure she knew about it via Twitter, and she promptly blocked me. I'm sure she had a nice victory dance after.
10. Fisking Publisher's Weekly Review of Beyond the Mist
Some paid moron at PW didn't know how to do a book review of something they didn't like or comprehend. I couldn't let that slide; Mr. Zwycky wrote a fine tale I await the sequel to, and his first novel got me started on book reviews.
Lessons to be gained: Book reviews pull in some regulars, but the flame war posts get tons of views. I likely need to do a bit more of those now and then.
When you play Social Justice, the world loses.
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