Have you ever read a book (or watched a TV show or movie for that matter) that wasn't quite what you expected, but loved it anyway? I mean, it was a really good story, well paced, well written and thoroughly entertaining, but it didn't quite scan the way you thought it would? To the point where you'd read or watch it again but you're still kind of feeling like it's not quite in the genre you expected? I find myself at that point with Eclipse: The Girl Who Saved the World (The Shining Sea Book 1) by George Phillies. Don't get me wrong. I loved the book. It's just that...
Well...
I went into this expecting a Young Adult novel. And, to my complete, absolute and totally non-shocking sense of rightness, the main character and most of the important side characters are indeed teenagers. Some of their problems are things only teenagers would have to deal with. It's totally believable if you don't hold the fact that they have superhero powers against them They are the main storyline of the book and they're all well-formed and entertaining people. It's just that well...
Eclipse has enough political intrigue and side drama to make a good Harry Turtledove or David Weber novel. Being a fan of both writers, I mean that as a compliment. I don't want to give too much away here because that's not what I do, but there are some damn good reasons for the intrigue and political feuding at the highest levels. It makes all kinds of sense and honestly the book wouldn't work without it, but it just doesn't feel YA to me.
Now that I'm done whining like a punk...
Yeah, it was a good book. I seriously enjoyed Eclipse. I've always loved international intrigue. Eclipse mixes in some alternate history as well and that's something I've always enjoyed. The point of historical departure of this one seems to be too deep in the past for me to find out what it would be precisely, but I am well aware that there are several polities here that did not exist either simultaneously or at all. I really enjoyed trying to figure out who went where though and if if you have a sense of world history well enough developed to pass a sixth grade history class you'll get the joke.
Phillies has a rather unique take on superheroic powers as well. It almost has a LitRPG feel to it. The way he talks about levels of powers and summoning power really feels almost like a game. It's something that anyone who has played any type of video game or tabletop RPG should find both enjoyable and easy to follow, but without feeling derivative and boring. I've never seen it done quite this way and I like it.
There are many action sequences in Eclipse and they are well thought out, well written, entertaining and internally consistent. I want to see this thing on film. Well, I mean, not if I have to pay for all of the special effects myself, but I'd totally buy a ticket or two. I might even splurge on some popcorn, and maybe a DVD after it hit. Granted, I've got a fairly decent imagination, but some of these scenes are so well described and planned that I could see them in my head when I was reading the book. And if I'm left wanting to throw plasma bolts myself, well, what geek has never wanted to throw a plasma bolt? Or fly through space? Or teleport sans benefit of Mr. Scott? (Note: That's not a slam against Scotty. I'm a proud Scots-Irish lad and I love that guy.)
Our heroine is the titular Eclipse. I like this girl. At age thirteen she is one of the best educated, most intelligent heroes I've ever read. If the history she knows doesn't match ours that's because she comes from a different dimension and the history there _is_ different. She speaks several languages and collects books so rare that it makes a nerd like me jealous. Not only that but she manages to put her book collection together herself without assistance from any adults. She is caring, daring and brave. In short, she's the kind of girl I'd like my daughters to be with the added benefit of having having superpowers. Don't misunderstand: It would be cool to see Riley or Sealy take off and fly outside the atmosphere under her own power, I just know it'll never happen.
Phillies spent a lot of time building the world I was whining about earlier and he did a fine job of it. The world is almost recognizeable. The United States is almost recognizeable. The differences are real enough to keep things interesting and to avoid confusion. He didn't do things by half. I truly enjoyed the geopolitical rivalries and the way things broke down. I think this might be part of what I mentioned earlier though.
A lot of modern day Americans (as in a HUGE supermajority) and especially younger Americans, don't know much about history. I mean that seriously. They don't know American History. They don't know World History. They've been taught that Military History doesn't matter and they have no chance at all to understand the intersection of the three. That much having been said, the political stances taken by the US in Eclipse are much closer to what you would have expected out of the US in 1900 than in 2020. I worry that a lot of what made me enjoy Eclipse so much is going to make it hard for its intended audience to find it believable.
Having said that, I'd urge anyone over the age of probably twenty-five to check this thing out. I haven't conducted any surveys, but I'd be surprised if that didn't include the vast majority of my audience. So check this one out. I did. I'll be picking up the sequels as well. There are at least two of them that I know of.
Bottom Line: 4.5 out of 5 Namestones
Eclipse: The Girl Who Saved the World (The Shining Sea Book 1)
George Phillies
Self Published, 2018
Eclipse: The Girl Who Saved the World (The Shining Sea Book 1) is available for purchase at the following link. If you click it and buy literally anything at Amazon I get a small percentage at no additional cost to you.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Monday, March 23, 2020
It's the End of the World as We Know It... And I Read Fine
Join us on Facebook
Greetings from the Apocalypse friends! We're all on lockdown trying to not to die of boredom while we're hiding from the virus. As much as I'd like to tell you that I can cure Covid-19, I can't. What I can do is try to help rescue you from the plague of boredom.
In an effort to spare all of your lives, I have amassed a list of books (and some music) that are available for free or at au reduced price. Hopefully this will help you through the boring times.
I've sourced this list from contacts I have on Facebook who are either authors, publishers, or both, from mailing lists that I'm part of and from random stuff that came up on my FB feed as advertising. I have not read most of what follows but nobody's perfect, right?
I thought about downloading/uploading covers for all of these books, but I'm not feeling that ambitious. I mean, I love you all, but I'm a lazy bum. So I'll just be posting links and a little bit about the books I know anything about.
Eclipse: The Girl Who Saved the World (This Shining Sea) by George Phillies. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Currently reading. Lots of fun.
Superhero/International Intrigue
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07M9X3QYR/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Once Bitten, Twice Cursed by Elizabeth Godfrey, currently $0.99. Fantasy/Horror Vampire Based
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B018UZ0NH6?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks
Cartwright's Cavaliers by Mark Wandrey
Loved this one. On sale starting in a few hours until April 6, 2020 for $0.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRZKM95
This Fallen World - Post Apocalyptic Fiction
On sale now until March 26, 2020 for $0.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KHLG54J
Salvage Title by Kevin Steverson
Loved this one. Space Opera/Sci Fi
On sale from March 26 to April 3, 2020 for $0.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H8Q3HBV
Super Sync by Kevin Ikenberry
On Sale from March 30, 2020 until April 2, 2020 for $0.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PGS545X/
Corona-Chan: Spreading the Love: Infectious Tales of Fantasy and Suspense Designed to Spread the Pulpdemic -Anthology with Multiple Authors Currently free on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Corona-Chan-Spreading-Infectious-Suspense-Pulpdemic-ebook/dp/B0865LLFW4/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=corona+chan&qid=1585007034&sr=8-2
The Borrowed World by Franklin Horton free on Amazon from March 27-31, 2020
Post Apocalyptic Fiction. Got an Amazon gift card and read the whole series in a week.
https://www.amazon.com/Borrowed-World-Novel-Post-Apocalyptic-Collapse/dp/B010X8V7OG/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+borrowed+world+series+book+1&qid=1585007234&sprefix=the+borrowed+world&sr=8-2
Maelstrom by Richard Paolinelli currently on sale for $0.99. Post-apocalyptic/alien invasion
Sounds fun/haven't read
https://www.amazon.com/Maelstrom-Richard-Paolinelli-ebook/dp/B00JNYQ8WS
The Timeless by Richard Paolinelli and Gibson Buffa Currently for sale for $0.99.
Time travel/space travel
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HCNWBYW
Secret of the Sphinx (Timeless #2)
Time travel/space Travel. Currently on sale for $0.99
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083S959R9#
Reservations (Jack del Rio #1) by Richard Paolinelli currently on sale for $0.99.
Mystery/Thriller/Modern Day Western setting.
https://www.amazon.com/Reservations-Jack-Del-Rio-Book-ebook/dp/B0764D261B
Betrayals (Jack del Rio #2) by Richard Paolinelli. Currently on sale for $2.99.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07646WQZG
Endgames (Jack del Rio #3) Currently on sale for $2.99.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07642PV8B
Escaping Infinity by Richard Paolinelli curently on sale for $2.99
Fantasy/Thriller/Futuristic Setting
This was fun.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MU7VO42
When the Gods Fell by Richard Paolinelli. Currently on sale for $2.99.
Fantasy/Space Travel
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FB5BBHL
Planetary Anthology Series: Pluto Multiple Authors. Currently on sale for $2.99
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B081S745L7?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks
Planetary Anthology Series: Luna Multiple Authors. Currently on sale for $2.99
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08462M5W8?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_1&storeType=ebooks
Planetary Anthology Series: Uranus. Multiple Authors. Currently on sale for $3.99
Twisted Mindflow: A Collection of Stories by Cedar Sanderson/Foreword by Sanford Begley. Currently free.
https://www.cedarwrites.com/shop/books/twisted-mindflow-a-collection-of-stories/
Lab Gremlins by Cedar Sanderson. Currently on sale for $0.99.
I had a lot of fun with this one.
Science Fantasy
https://www.amazon.com/Lab-Gremlins-Cedar-Sanderson-ebook/dp/B07JZDZRW3/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=lab+gremlins&qid=1585009716&sr=8-1
Jade Star by Cedar Sanderson. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Sounds Space-Opera-ish
https://www.amazon.com/Jade-Star-Tanager-Book-0-ebook/dp/B01JD1PGB4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=jade+star+cedar+sanderson&qid=1585009822&sr=8-1
Snow in Her Eyes by Cedar Sanderson. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Mystery/Thriller/Fantasy Novella length
https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Her-Eyes-Cedar-Sanderson-ebook/dp/B074FPY5FH/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=snow+in+her+eyes&qid=1585009981&sr=8-3
I wasn't going to do anything with Book Funnel, but it says fifty Space Operas. I'm in! And it includes Ravages of Honor by Monalisa Foster.
https://books.bookfunnel.com/spaceoperashenanigans75/kncqpbp2cj
Too Secret Service by Declan Finn on sale March 25-31, 2020 for $0.99
Thriller
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XTRM27H
Dances with Werewolves by Declan Finn. On sale March 25-31, 2020 for $0.99.
Paranormal Thriller
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZDHDYVX
Set to Kill by Declan Finn. On sale March 25-31, 2020.
Con Setting/Thriller
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8PKWD2
Dipped, Stripped and Dead (Daring Finds Book One) by Elise Hyatt. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Cozy Mystery. I love this whole series. I keep bothering the author for more of them. The good news is that she hasn't killed me for being annoying yet. The bad news is that she hasn't released one for awhile.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WW1ZCZD/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=accordingtoho-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B06WW1ZCZD&linkId=bef2e6ea311d3122cf4d7199f840c8db
French Polished Murder (Daring Finds #2) by Elise Hyatt. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Cozy Mystery (See comments above)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XHY2HV7/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=accordingtoho-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B06XHY2HV7&linkId=ea4ee2465149623132fdb14863d03d56
A Fatal Stain (Daring Finds #3) by Elise Hyatt. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Cozy Mystery (see comments above)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XHY2HV7/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=accordingtoho-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B06XHY2HV7&linkId=ea4ee2465149623132fdb14863d03d56
The Magical Shakespeare Omnibus by Sarah Hoyt. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Self explanatory based on title
https://www.amazon.com/Magical-Shakespeare-Omnibus-Sarah-Hoyt-ebook/dp/B00C2Y3MB6/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Hoyt+omnibus&qid=1584988314&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&swrs=C57E88767CAAF209493E32D300D0482D
Witchfinder by Sarah Hoyt Currently on Sale for $0.99
I like this. I read it before I started the blog though.
Fantasy
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=B00JHNZXZS&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=xm2&linkId=edae38d40682ad8cba1eb63643a4ea19&tag=accordingtoho-20&ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl
Deep Pink (Magis Book One) by Sarah Hoyt. Currently on sale for $0.99
Urban Fantasy/Mystery
Haven't Read/Sounds like fun
https://accordingtohoyt.com/2020/03/22/a-sale-for-while-youre-housebound/
Sword's Edge (Swords Edge Chronicles Book 1) by Lee S. King. Currently on sale for $2.99.
Epic Fantasy with an SF twist
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IYEZDLK
Deuces Wild: Beginner's Luck by Lee S. King. Currently on sale for $1.99
Space Opera with Gangsters. I need to read this.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ITHMT0K
Footnotes From the Apocalypse by Lloyd a Behm. On sale from March 25-31 for $0.99.
Post Apocalyptic/Plague Related.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0786Y15QB
The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin by L. Jagi Lamplighter. Currently free.
I had a lot of fun with this one.
Fantasy/British Boarding School
https://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Enlightenment-Rachel-Griffin-Books-ebook/dp/B01FVJ7DAY/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=l+jagi+lamplighter&qid=1585013268&sr=8-7
Legends of Wales Duology by Sarah Woodbury. Currently free.
Fantasy/Arthurian Legend
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RHDSKNW?tag=swoodbury-20
From Continue: Black & White Graegan Edition (Teller of Destiny Book 1) by A.H. de Carrasco. Currently free.
Epic Fantasy. Just downloaded. Sounds good.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079W4PQPX/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk
Last Stand: Surviving America's Collapse (A Post-Apocalyptic, EMP-Survival Thriller Book 1) (The Last Stand Series) by William H Weber. Currently free.
Post Apocalyptic/Prepper Fiction
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JZW10HQ/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk
Of course, I also have to mention the Baen Books Free Library. I'm not going to lust all the titles. There's a lot there though and it's all free.
https://www.baen.com/allbooks/category/index/id/2012
And last, but certainly not least, man does not survive on words alone. We need tunes too. And Mikey Mason has all of his albums for free on bandcamp.com right now.
https://mikeymason.bandcamp.com/
I love Mikey's stuff.
That's what I've got folks. If you've got anything, feel free to drop it in the comments. Thank you to all those who responded to requests for info about promotions.
Greetings from the Apocalypse friends! We're all on lockdown trying to not to die of boredom while we're hiding from the virus. As much as I'd like to tell you that I can cure Covid-19, I can't. What I can do is try to help rescue you from the plague of boredom.
In an effort to spare all of your lives, I have amassed a list of books (and some music) that are available for free or at au reduced price. Hopefully this will help you through the boring times.
I've sourced this list from contacts I have on Facebook who are either authors, publishers, or both, from mailing lists that I'm part of and from random stuff that came up on my FB feed as advertising. I have not read most of what follows but nobody's perfect, right?
I thought about downloading/uploading covers for all of these books, but I'm not feeling that ambitious. I mean, I love you all, but I'm a lazy bum. So I'll just be posting links and a little bit about the books I know anything about.
Eclipse: The Girl Who Saved the World (This Shining Sea) by George Phillies. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Currently reading. Lots of fun.
Superhero/International Intrigue
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07M9X3QYR/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Once Bitten, Twice Cursed by Elizabeth Godfrey, currently $0.99. Fantasy/Horror Vampire Based
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B018UZ0NH6?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks
Cartwright's Cavaliers by Mark Wandrey
Loved this one. On sale starting in a few hours until April 6, 2020 for $0.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRZKM95
This Fallen World - Post Apocalyptic Fiction
On sale now until March 26, 2020 for $0.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KHLG54J
Salvage Title by Kevin Steverson
Loved this one. Space Opera/Sci Fi
On sale from March 26 to April 3, 2020 for $0.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H8Q3HBV
Super Sync by Kevin Ikenberry
On Sale from March 30, 2020 until April 2, 2020 for $0.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PGS545X/
Corona-Chan: Spreading the Love: Infectious Tales of Fantasy and Suspense Designed to Spread the Pulpdemic -Anthology with Multiple Authors Currently free on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Corona-Chan-Spreading-Infectious-Suspense-Pulpdemic-ebook/dp/B0865LLFW4/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=corona+chan&qid=1585007034&sr=8-2
The Borrowed World by Franklin Horton free on Amazon from March 27-31, 2020
Post Apocalyptic Fiction. Got an Amazon gift card and read the whole series in a week.
https://www.amazon.com/Borrowed-World-Novel-Post-Apocalyptic-Collapse/dp/B010X8V7OG/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+borrowed+world+series+book+1&qid=1585007234&sprefix=the+borrowed+world&sr=8-2
Maelstrom by Richard Paolinelli currently on sale for $0.99. Post-apocalyptic/alien invasion
Sounds fun/haven't read
https://www.amazon.com/Maelstrom-Richard-Paolinelli-ebook/dp/B00JNYQ8WS
The Timeless by Richard Paolinelli and Gibson Buffa Currently for sale for $0.99.
Time travel/space travel
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HCNWBYW
Secret of the Sphinx (Timeless #2)
Time travel/space Travel. Currently on sale for $0.99
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083S959R9#
Reservations (Jack del Rio #1) by Richard Paolinelli currently on sale for $0.99.
Mystery/Thriller/Modern Day Western setting.
https://www.amazon.com/Reservations-Jack-Del-Rio-Book-ebook/dp/B0764D261B
Betrayals (Jack del Rio #2) by Richard Paolinelli. Currently on sale for $2.99.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07646WQZG
Endgames (Jack del Rio #3) Currently on sale for $2.99.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07642PV8B
Escaping Infinity by Richard Paolinelli curently on sale for $2.99
Fantasy/Thriller/Futuristic Setting
This was fun.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MU7VO42
When the Gods Fell by Richard Paolinelli. Currently on sale for $2.99.
Fantasy/Space Travel
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FB5BBHL
Planetary Anthology Series: Pluto Multiple Authors. Currently on sale for $2.99
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B081S745L7?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_0&storeType=ebooks
Planetary Anthology Series: Luna Multiple Authors. Currently on sale for $2.99
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08462M5W8?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_1&storeType=ebooks
Planetary Anthology Series: Uranus. Multiple Authors. Currently on sale for $3.99
Twisted Mindflow: A Collection of Stories by Cedar Sanderson/Foreword by Sanford Begley. Currently free.
https://www.cedarwrites.com/shop/books/twisted-mindflow-a-collection-of-stories/
Lab Gremlins by Cedar Sanderson. Currently on sale for $0.99.
I had a lot of fun with this one.
Science Fantasy
https://www.amazon.com/Lab-Gremlins-Cedar-Sanderson-ebook/dp/B07JZDZRW3/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=lab+gremlins&qid=1585009716&sr=8-1
Jade Star by Cedar Sanderson. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Sounds Space-Opera-ish
https://www.amazon.com/Jade-Star-Tanager-Book-0-ebook/dp/B01JD1PGB4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=jade+star+cedar+sanderson&qid=1585009822&sr=8-1
Snow in Her Eyes by Cedar Sanderson. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Mystery/Thriller/Fantasy Novella length
https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Her-Eyes-Cedar-Sanderson-ebook/dp/B074FPY5FH/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=snow+in+her+eyes&qid=1585009981&sr=8-3
I wasn't going to do anything with Book Funnel, but it says fifty Space Operas. I'm in! And it includes Ravages of Honor by Monalisa Foster.
https://books.bookfunnel.com/spaceoperashenanigans75/kncqpbp2cj
Too Secret Service by Declan Finn on sale March 25-31, 2020 for $0.99
Thriller
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XTRM27H
Dances with Werewolves by Declan Finn. On sale March 25-31, 2020 for $0.99.
Paranormal Thriller
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZDHDYVX
Set to Kill by Declan Finn. On sale March 25-31, 2020.
Con Setting/Thriller
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8PKWD2
Dipped, Stripped and Dead (Daring Finds Book One) by Elise Hyatt. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Cozy Mystery. I love this whole series. I keep bothering the author for more of them. The good news is that she hasn't killed me for being annoying yet. The bad news is that she hasn't released one for awhile.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06WW1ZCZD/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=accordingtoho-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B06WW1ZCZD&linkId=bef2e6ea311d3122cf4d7199f840c8db
French Polished Murder (Daring Finds #2) by Elise Hyatt. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Cozy Mystery (See comments above)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XHY2HV7/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=accordingtoho-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B06XHY2HV7&linkId=ea4ee2465149623132fdb14863d03d56
A Fatal Stain (Daring Finds #3) by Elise Hyatt. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Cozy Mystery (see comments above)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XHY2HV7/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=accordingtoho-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B06XHY2HV7&linkId=ea4ee2465149623132fdb14863d03d56
The Magical Shakespeare Omnibus by Sarah Hoyt. Currently on sale for $0.99.
Self explanatory based on title
https://www.amazon.com/Magical-Shakespeare-Omnibus-Sarah-Hoyt-ebook/dp/B00C2Y3MB6/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Hoyt+omnibus&qid=1584988314&s=digital-text&sr=1-1&swrs=C57E88767CAAF209493E32D300D0482D
Witchfinder by Sarah Hoyt Currently on Sale for $0.99
I like this. I read it before I started the blog though.
Fantasy
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=B00JHNZXZS&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=xm2&linkId=edae38d40682ad8cba1eb63643a4ea19&tag=accordingtoho-20&ref=as_li_qf_sp_sr_il_tl
Deep Pink (Magis Book One) by Sarah Hoyt. Currently on sale for $0.99
Urban Fantasy/Mystery
Haven't Read/Sounds like fun
https://accordingtohoyt.com/2020/03/22/a-sale-for-while-youre-housebound/
Sword's Edge (Swords Edge Chronicles Book 1) by Lee S. King. Currently on sale for $2.99.
Epic Fantasy with an SF twist
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IYEZDLK
Deuces Wild: Beginner's Luck by Lee S. King. Currently on sale for $1.99
Space Opera with Gangsters. I need to read this.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ITHMT0K
Footnotes From the Apocalypse by Lloyd a Behm. On sale from March 25-31 for $0.99.
Post Apocalyptic/Plague Related.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0786Y15QB
The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin by L. Jagi Lamplighter. Currently free.
I had a lot of fun with this one.
Fantasy/British Boarding School
https://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Enlightenment-Rachel-Griffin-Books-ebook/dp/B01FVJ7DAY/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=l+jagi+lamplighter&qid=1585013268&sr=8-7
Legends of Wales Duology by Sarah Woodbury. Currently free.
Fantasy/Arthurian Legend
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RHDSKNW?tag=swoodbury-20
From Continue: Black & White Graegan Edition (Teller of Destiny Book 1) by A.H. de Carrasco. Currently free.
Epic Fantasy. Just downloaded. Sounds good.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079W4PQPX/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk
Last Stand: Surviving America's Collapse (A Post-Apocalyptic, EMP-Survival Thriller Book 1) (The Last Stand Series) by William H Weber. Currently free.
Post Apocalyptic/Prepper Fiction
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JZW10HQ/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk
Of course, I also have to mention the Baen Books Free Library. I'm not going to lust all the titles. There's a lot there though and it's all free.
https://www.baen.com/allbooks/category/index/id/2012
And last, but certainly not least, man does not survive on words alone. We need tunes too. And Mikey Mason has all of his albums for free on bandcamp.com right now.
https://mikeymason.bandcamp.com/
I love Mikey's stuff.
That's what I've got folks. If you've got anything, feel free to drop it in the comments. Thank you to all those who responded to requests for info about promotions.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Interview with Allan Yoskowitz of Doomed Scholar Studios
Jimbo: As you should already know, we at Jimbo's (all one of us) love to promote the up and comer. I've also made a comment or two about the way things are going in entertainment and how that needs to change. I feel happy to announce that I have come across a person who I believe is headed toward giving us all the type of entertainment that we need moving forward. His name is Allan Yoskowitz, and he is the founder of Doomed Scholar Studios. Say Hi Allan!
Allan: Hey out there. Hope you are all well.
Jimbo: So tell us a little about what you're looking to do with Doomed Scholar Studios. Kind of a broad mission statement.
Allan: Too much of what we’re given is about socio-political messaging these days, and not whether or not the people watching are enjoying it. The point of watching TV or a movie is because you enjoy it! All we are getting (a lot of the time) is a lecture.
Jimbo: Ok, I hear you about all of the woke stuff, but just to be sure, you're not talking about excluding people, right? Isn't it more about providing quality programming?
Allan: I am not talking about excluding anyone. People have the right to enjoy what they’re watching, and Doomed Scholar Studios is going to give them (to use your words) ‘quality programming’ to watch.
Jimbo: Alright, I understand what you're saying. So tell me this. Do you have anything you're working on now that you can kind of hint at? Just to kind of give people an idea of what you're working toward in more concrete terms.
Allan: There are a few... I can tell you I really haven’t seen anything out there like what we’re talking about.
Jimbo: Awesome. Ok, so obviously you're looking to start a business making movies and TV shows, hence the words “studios” in Doomed Scholar Studios. But tell me this Allan: Are you also working on anything in print or online?
Allan: I’ve coauthored two novels, Codename: WINTERBORN and Codename: UNSUB with Declan Finn. Post-apocalyptic science fiction. I haven’t really written anything in a long while, beyond the development of the concepts that are being developed for DSS.
Jimbo: Awesome. Now, I've been following you a bit on the Facebook group you just mentioned. Something you talk about frequently is entertainment as a business and how it's important to make a profit. I love that angle. Tell us all a bit about what you think the importance of making a profit is.
Allan: The United States is a capitalist nation. Entertainment companies (in a capitalist nation) are is supposed to produce material people will enjoy in order to make money from the effort.
Maybe it won’t all be on a show directly. Maybe selling toys or something else related to the show…
But that’s the purpose behind a business. To make money on a product or a service, whatever it is… like a doctor’s care, or paying money to go to a theater and see a movie.
But there are specific people you need to make a good profit for if you want to keep getting your paycheck.
Your investors.
You want to make good money for yourself? You make good money for them. Simple.
Jimbo: I get it. Let me ask you this though, Allan: Would you call a movie, for instance, that lost money a success or a failure? What about a TV show that didn't pull in enough viewers to pay its bills?
Allan: Like I said, the ultimate purpose of a movie or a TV show is to make money. If they didn’t make a profit, I’d have to call either a failure, no matter what I thought of them personally.
To be a success both have to make a profit; even if they pay off whatever it cost to make the project, they have to make a good profit for the investors or those investors aren’t going to give you money to make more movies/shows.
Jimbo: Ok, so what you're saying is that, as the head of Doomed Scholar Studios, you're looking to make products that not only entertain, but also make money does that sound right? If so, what types of content are you looking to both include and exclude to make a good product?
Allan: That’s absolutely right. I want people to enjoy watching what we’re giving them, and because they’re enjoying it, spend the money to see future projects. To want to see the characters again, and to spend their money on being able to (by, say, buying our material on a streaming service, or buying related goods).
What types of content do we want to include and exclude to ‘make a good product’. That’s actually a very tough question, Jimbo sir. Like I said, we want to keep politics and social messaging from becoming a ‘major issue’ in our product. They are going to ‘show up’, I am not going to deny it’s a part of life to see those things.
There are a lot of issues I’d like to avoid, but that isn’t possible. Things like race, religion and sexuality. They’re part of life, and you have to acknowledge them as part of life.
Doing that doesn’t mean we have to make a lot out of them, though.
Jimbo: Hold on, Allan. Are you honestly telling me that you can make a good show, whether for TV or a movie, without including overt political messaging? Isn't that a bit of a reactionary stance on your part?
Allan: We can’t eliminate every political or social issue… but we don’t have to be blunt with them. Keep it subtle, and if anything, you’ll have viewers talking more about what they’re watching because they’re talking about what their favorite characters are saying, and what the ongoing storylines mean… and they’ll keep watching to find out.
Jimbo: Wow. I like that stance. It's something I've encouraged here on my blog as well. Ok, Allan, one more thing before I let you go: I know I'm not a perfect interviewer. I always feel like I've left the one thing that my guest most wanted to talk about off the list when I do this. So, tell me, what else should I have asked you? Don't forget to answer your own question.
Allan: Well, why am I doing this. I am a martial arts instructor; I have been practicing Taekwondo for thirty years, and am a fourth degree black belt. I assist with instructing kid’s classes. I want them to have fun when they’re watching something, just like they have fun at the school.
I enjoyed going to the movies and watching TV when I was younger. I want them (and their families) to enjoy it the same way I did, and hopefully someday to enjoy it that way with my own family.
These days when they watch, they’re getting lectured. How is that fun?
Jimbo: Awesome. Thanks for sharing that and thanks for stopping by Jimbo's. You're welcome back at any time Allan. Make sure you keep us posted on any projects that you have coming up!
Allan: Well, with my thanks, Jimbo sir. I’ll let you know what we have going at some point in the near future, believe me!
P.S. Allan wanted me to mention that he is currently having a contest to design the logo for DSS. Please join the Doomed Scholar Studios group on Facebook and/or MeWe if you plan to enter. Rules are listed below:
- Any submissions must be personal, original work (preferably by a member of the DSS group)
- Submissions can be hand-drawn or computer-developed.
- Submissions (images) must be 'signed'.
- Images cannot be 'graphic' (they cannot contain blood, nudity or violent activity)
- ONE image per competitor.
- .JPG, .PNG, .GIF and .PDF files accepted (up to 2MB)
Send work TO:
Monday, March 16, 2020
Great Sidekicks of Science Fiction and Fantasy
(This is not my work. If I had any clue who made it I would credit them.)
So I saw this meme posted last night and it got me thinking. I love Ron (DON'T CALL ME WON WON) Weasley. I mean, who doesn't love a guy who does everything he can for his friends? Who doesn't love a guy who sacrifices himself to save others? I mean, there are times when I found Ron to be a bit dense and sometimes a little annoying. Let's face it though, even though sidekicks can get on our nerves sometimes, they're important and our heroes would frequently be in a huge bind without them. So without further ado (or any adon't for that matter. Why does everyone forget about that?) I present to you Jimbo's Totally Awesome List of Totally Awesome Sidekicks of Awesomeness. Or Sumfin'. Look, titles aren't my thing.
Ron Weasley: Whoever wrote that meme did a better job of this than I probably could, but you have to mention the kid. The way he sacrificed himself in Wizard's Chess would have earned him a medal in any military on Earth. He's heroic and self-sacrificing. He eats a lot and can't always see the obvious, but that's no his job. Ron is sidekick excellence personified and he amazes me because of it.
Chewbacca: Oh, I'm going to take some for this one. But yes, Chewie was totally Han's sidekick. He went where Han said. He did what Han did. He handled the little stuff. I mean, he had a bigger gun and that's cool, but when push came to shove, he followed Han. He made no move to better himself, really. He was the main supporting character in Solo. This dude is a sidekick.
Robin: Yeah, this one's obvious, I know. I can't leave it off though. Listen, I started reading comics in like the first grade but even before that I was watching the 1960s Batman live action TV show. I wanted to be Robin with the big yellow cape and all of the cool toys to play with. I mean, seriously, who doesn't want a Batarang to throw at bullies? So, yeah. I mean, he got to live in a big house and run around in a cave. He got to ride in a car that blew literal fire out of the tailpipe. He got to solve crimes and kick butt. And oh yeah, he helped Batman too. This is kind of an ironic pick for me because I stopped watching DC movies after Batman and Robin came out (the “Holey Rusted Metal comment set me off and I'm not sure why) but, let's face it. Dick Grayson/Burt Ward for the win! Screw the movies, they sucked anyway.
Samwise Gamgee:
Frodo: No, Sam. I'm going alone.
Sam: I know, Mr. Frodo. And I'm coming with ya!
So it's been a minute since I've read the books or watched the movies and I probably borked the quote. I blame you for remembering it wrong. Obviously, being the all-seeing and all-knowing Jimbo, I would know better than you what was said. Or sumfin'. Maybe I'm just talking to hear my head rattle. I'll never tell.
Sam is Ron's only real competition for best sidekick EV-AR!! I really mean that. This guy went the distance when no one else could. He stood by his main character through everything. Frodo's mission was Sam's life's work. He put up with Gollum when he didn't have a choice. He fought giant spiders and did whatever was necessary. He even ate crap food without complaining (much) and he was a freaking hobbit. He sought no glory for himself, he worked only to help his friend in one of the hardest times of his life. Of course, I'd have been making missing finger jokes all the way home from Mount Doom and, from what I can tell, he never did that but nobody's perfect. So should Frodo give him a four out of five or a nine out of ten? (Give it a minute and you'll get it. Maybe.)
The Narrator in the Mikey Mason song (Not Quite) The Chosen One: He wasn't given a name in the song, but he will be named Tiberious in an upcoming novel. I can't wait to read this one, because I bet it's going to be awesome. At any rate, this guy finds directions, holds torches and cleans dragon shit off of treasure. I mean, seriously, listen to the song (I hear his music is free on bandcamp.com right now due to Covid 19) and laugh your hindquarters off. Seriously, this guy rocks.
Andy Keaton: Somewhere out there someone under thirty-five is staring at their screen confused right now. Listen, if you haven't seen Family Ties I'd imagine that it's got to be available for streaming somewhere. This kid used to crack me up. At five he could itemize big-brother Alex's decuctions for him. He went everywhere and idolized his big brother. This kid was so fun to watch. And no, that's not Science Fiction or Fantasy, but what the hey?
Screech: While my opinion of Dustin Diamond is a bit lower than what it probably should be considering the fact that I'm a Christian, the fact remains that Screech was what made the rest of the gang work. His comic relief was epic. He was the classic spaz. I miss this guy. And besides, as a nerdish type myself I couldn't help but identify with him.
Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
I fought with this one, but it's true. Inigo Montoya is a man's man with his own goals, yet he sets them aside to help his buddy Westley. Montoya ultimately does realize his own goal but only while assisting in the pursuit of Westley's. He's a monster swordsman. I feel it every time he yells “I want my father back you son-of-a-bitch because I lost my dad a long time ago. The circumstances were different but the feeling is the same. But hey, they all rescued Buttercup and Montoya helped make the movie interesting in spite of the acting of Andre the Giant.
So that's what I've got. Feel free to drop some of your favorites in the comments.
Some products related to the properties above are available for purchase at the links below. If you click my link and buy literally anything from Amazon I get a small percentage of your purchase.
Ron Weasley: Whoever wrote that meme did a better job of this than I probably could, but you have to mention the kid. The way he sacrificed himself in Wizard's Chess would have earned him a medal in any military on Earth. He's heroic and self-sacrificing. He eats a lot and can't always see the obvious, but that's no his job. Ron is sidekick excellence personified and he amazes me because of it.
Chewbacca: Oh, I'm going to take some for this one. But yes, Chewie was totally Han's sidekick. He went where Han said. He did what Han did. He handled the little stuff. I mean, he had a bigger gun and that's cool, but when push came to shove, he followed Han. He made no move to better himself, really. He was the main supporting character in Solo. This dude is a sidekick.
Robin: Yeah, this one's obvious, I know. I can't leave it off though. Listen, I started reading comics in like the first grade but even before that I was watching the 1960s Batman live action TV show. I wanted to be Robin with the big yellow cape and all of the cool toys to play with. I mean, seriously, who doesn't want a Batarang to throw at bullies? So, yeah. I mean, he got to live in a big house and run around in a cave. He got to ride in a car that blew literal fire out of the tailpipe. He got to solve crimes and kick butt. And oh yeah, he helped Batman too. This is kind of an ironic pick for me because I stopped watching DC movies after Batman and Robin came out (the “Holey Rusted Metal comment set me off and I'm not sure why) but, let's face it. Dick Grayson/Burt Ward for the win! Screw the movies, they sucked anyway.
Samwise Gamgee:
Frodo: No, Sam. I'm going alone.
Sam: I know, Mr. Frodo. And I'm coming with ya!
So it's been a minute since I've read the books or watched the movies and I probably borked the quote. I blame you for remembering it wrong. Obviously, being the all-seeing and all-knowing Jimbo, I would know better than you what was said. Or sumfin'. Maybe I'm just talking to hear my head rattle. I'll never tell.
Sam is Ron's only real competition for best sidekick EV-AR!! I really mean that. This guy went the distance when no one else could. He stood by his main character through everything. Frodo's mission was Sam's life's work. He put up with Gollum when he didn't have a choice. He fought giant spiders and did whatever was necessary. He even ate crap food without complaining (much) and he was a freaking hobbit. He sought no glory for himself, he worked only to help his friend in one of the hardest times of his life. Of course, I'd have been making missing finger jokes all the way home from Mount Doom and, from what I can tell, he never did that but nobody's perfect. So should Frodo give him a four out of five or a nine out of ten? (Give it a minute and you'll get it. Maybe.)
The Narrator in the Mikey Mason song (Not Quite) The Chosen One: He wasn't given a name in the song, but he will be named Tiberious in an upcoming novel. I can't wait to read this one, because I bet it's going to be awesome. At any rate, this guy finds directions, holds torches and cleans dragon shit off of treasure. I mean, seriously, listen to the song (I hear his music is free on bandcamp.com right now due to Covid 19) and laugh your hindquarters off. Seriously, this guy rocks.
Andy Keaton: Somewhere out there someone under thirty-five is staring at their screen confused right now. Listen, if you haven't seen Family Ties I'd imagine that it's got to be available for streaming somewhere. This kid used to crack me up. At five he could itemize big-brother Alex's decuctions for him. He went everywhere and idolized his big brother. This kid was so fun to watch. And no, that's not Science Fiction or Fantasy, but what the hey?
Screech: While my opinion of Dustin Diamond is a bit lower than what it probably should be considering the fact that I'm a Christian, the fact remains that Screech was what made the rest of the gang work. His comic relief was epic. He was the classic spaz. I miss this guy. And besides, as a nerdish type myself I couldn't help but identify with him.
Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
I fought with this one, but it's true. Inigo Montoya is a man's man with his own goals, yet he sets them aside to help his buddy Westley. Montoya ultimately does realize his own goal but only while assisting in the pursuit of Westley's. He's a monster swordsman. I feel it every time he yells “I want my father back you son-of-a-bitch because I lost my dad a long time ago. The circumstances were different but the feeling is the same. But hey, they all rescued Buttercup and Montoya helped make the movie interesting in spite of the acting of Andre the Giant.
So that's what I've got. Feel free to drop some of your favorites in the comments.
Some products related to the properties above are available for purchase at the links below. If you click my link and buy literally anything from Amazon I get a small percentage of your purchase.
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Rusty and Company by Mike R.
You know what else I like though?
Campaigns full of hi-jinx and hilarity. Campaigns where zaniness is a daily occurrence. Campaigns where nothing is as it seems because it's all funnier. Campaigns like the one depicted in Rusty and Company by Mike R. (By the way, does anybody know what the R stands for?) I mean seriously, what could be funnier than a campaign where the PCs are a Rust Monster, a Mimic and a Gelatinous Cube.
No, really. I'm asking because I don't know either. Anyone? Bueller?
Thanks for all the help guys. *smirk*
Seriously, Mimic is my favorite. He's the one who usually speaks for the party, since Cube doesn't have a mouth and Rusty really only thinks about eating metal. I mean, that's what rust monsters do, soooo....
Yeah.
It makes sense right?
Listen, I'll be the first to admit that Rusty and Co. is not really for the guy who thinks that the Battle of Helm's Deep was a relaxing waltz through easy-land. If you're the kind that demands grimdark, well there are definitely things out there for those tastes. If, on the other hand, you're the kind of person (like Mr. Jimbo my own-self) who likes to watch the gag reel, or the guy who refuses to take himself too seriously, then you NEED to start reading Rusty and Company.
The art for this comic is freaking gorgeous. I loved it from the second I discovered it. It's lush, well detailed and rendered in amazingly bright colors. I can't get over how well this thing looks. It's weird. I grew up in the days when comics were either purchased from your Local Comic Shop (whom I loves and respects) or printed in your local newspaper (which actually do still exist even if they've become way more expensive than they used to be.) In short, they were always in hardcopy. The weird thing is, even if it was a Steranko, no comic in 1985 ever looked this good. And yes, I know that the reason for that is technology but for an old fart like me, it's easy to appreciate something this gorgeous.
I love the way Rusty and Co. is organized. If you've ever played Dungeons and Dragons, or really any tabletop role-playing game, then you get how it works. The heroes go off on an adventure. Whilst (I got to use whilst in a sentence. Five points for Jimbo!) doing so, they encounter many different things, some good, some bad, some ugly. They overcome the obstacles (probably) achieve their goals (hopefully) and return none the worse for wear (who am I kidding?) to find that all is good in their favorite hang out (or possibly that the town has been razed by marauding orcs) and toss back a few good beers in the presence of their companions (unless of course, the orcs got the inn when they sacked the town or they're a bunch of broke level ones who are happy to be able to afford cheap swill.)
Mike R. sets his web-comic up pretty much the same way. He calls them “levels” just like when you level in your favorite RPG, but each level is an adventure onto itself. As they make their way through challenges using methods not always available to the common adventuring group (I mean, can your rogue rust a lock and then eat it?) we're entertained and often surprised. Mike R. likes to think outside the box and it shows in his writing. Then again, I suppose my first clue should have been when his comic featured the cast that it did.
Between levels/adventures we're treated to Critical Missives, an interview/letter answering interlude. The art is not as gorgeous (it's black and white for one thing) but I'm pretty sure he does it for a break and there's nothing better than Mimic answering questions. If he was any funnier, he'd be the Rock. I love reading Critical Missives if for no other reason than because it's a good way to chuckle and get my Rusty fix while Mike works out his next level.
My only real gripe about Rusty and Co. is that it's only a once a week web-comic I mean, I get the fact that I get to read it for free and that Mike R. probably has other things going on in his life and that I should probably stop complaining...
I saw you all nod when I said “stop complaining.” You're not ALWAYS supposed to agree with me, only when I want you to. I mean honestly, please catch up.
...But honestly, it's a long time between Wednesdays. I mean, I suppose he needs his time to make the comic as well as he can and he's doing an amazeballs job, but I'm a whiny fan (you weren't supposed to agree with me here, either. *SIGH*) and I'm going to cry uselessly until my nose gets plugged and my head hurts just because I can. I mean, it's my blog, right?
Of course, I see you all thinking out there. You're wondering if, over the course of roughly two hundred comics, whether the group expands to include more than just the three characters that I've named and who they might be.
*Looks over right shoulder*
*Looks over left shoulder*
Lean close and I'll whisper then answer in your ear.
*waits until you lean in close*
READ THE COMIC AND YOU'LL FIND OUT!!!!
Haven't you people learned that I don't do spoilers? Sheesh!
Bottom Line: 4.75 out of 5 Lost N00bs
The first Rusty and Co comic (and you really should start at the beginning) can be found at this link.
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Some Of My Favorites on World Book Day
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(I know I have some author friends who read my blog. I hope I didn't hurt any feelings by not including people for the sake of friendship.)
I'm getting reports that today is World Book Day. I'm also getting reports that World Book Day is on April 23. I'm going with today because I feel like writing this post today and who knows what April 23 will bring? I thought that, in celebration of the day (allegedly) I'd share some of my favorite books and series in a format known as “Whatever Category I Can Extract from My Third Point of Contact.” I dunno if that works as a concept or not, but it's the one I'm going with.
Book Above All Books: First and foremost, I have to mention the Bible. I'm a Christian. That's just the way it is. I find it to be uplifting and amazing. Having read the Bible, I also find that most of the crap its detractors say to be false, but how can I compare my knowledge of what's written, having actually READ it, versus their feelings?
Best Fantasy Novel: I wanted to go with Dragons of Autumn Twilight here, but I'm actually going with Dragons of the Hourglass Mage. Either way, the book is by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I wanted to go with Dragons of Autumn Twilight because it was the book that made me fall in love with the Fantasy genre, but really I enjoyed Dragons of the Hourglass Mage more because I'm a huge Raistlin mark and also because, honestly, the same authors wrote Hourglass decades after Autumn Twilight and they were just better writers by then. Practice makes perfect, right? And a couple of decades of practice can make even the best authors better.
Best Fantasy Trilogy: Oh dear. Oh God. I just, I mean, this is how I take my fantasy and uhh.. Well...
I'm going with the Dwarven Nations Trilogy by Dan Parkinson. Yes, that's two straight Dragonlance references. I need to buy a new copy of that at some point. Listen folks, its dwarves, doing dwarven things and playing lots of loud drum music. I love this trilogy. Flint Fireforge, Bruenor Battlehammer and this trilogy are the main reasons I'm working on writing a novel starring a dwarf and the D&D campaign I DM is centered around dwarven cities and towns. I'm not ever sure if this is still in print, but if it is check it out. It's a good time.
Best Fantasy Series (More Than Three Books): I'm an unapologetic fanboi and it should come as no surprise to anyone that I'm going with Harry Potter for this one, especially after my praise of J.K. Rowling last post. Harry Potter has captivated the minds and hearts of millions, including mine. The world is beautifully crafted, the character growth is real and sustained and if I hate Umbridge worse than Voldemort, who cares? They're both evil. (And I've studied totalitarian regimes and what they did IRL. Umbridge was every bit the totalitarian that Mao, Lenin and Hitler were.)
I want to make an honorable mention to Brent Weeks and his Lightbringer series here. You didn't quite make it, but if my ex hadn't bought me that copy of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone...
And now I can hear my dad in the back of my head talking about hounds and rabbits.
*AHEM*
Continuing on...
Best Science Fiction Novel: Ya know, I've been reading Science Fiction for longer than I've been reading fantasy. I've read a lot of Science Fiction novels. I've bought them, checked them out of libraries and borrowed them. There is one that stands out for me though. It's the one I spent three decades searching for because I checked it out of the Ferndale Public Library when I was a wee little Jimbo and couldn't remember what it was. I know some people don't like Robert A. Heinlein, but that's their problem. For favorite novel, I'm going with Citizen of the Galaxy. It's a story of love, of profit and of freedom. I know most Heinlein fans prefer his other works, but they can bite me. This is my list and for me it doesn't get any better than this.
Best Science Fiction Trilogy: Suzanne Collins, take a bow. I almost didn't read The Hunger Games Trilogy. I bought my first Nook the weekend that The Hunger Games movie came out and they offered me a free copy of one of the books, so of course I went with the first one. I had heard it was all girly and love-triangly (That's totes a word. Get over yourself.) and not worth reading, but it was free and I had a lot of room on my Nook and no books to fill it with yet...
And I went to see the movie with a girl I knew that weekend. I was hooked. Within a week of seeing the movie, I had read all three books. It does have a bit of a romance angle to it with the Katniss/Peeta/Gayle love triangle but there is A LOT more to it than that. The first novel was gut-wrenching. Seriously, if you haven't read about the Reaping do so. Catching Fire was insane. Mockingjay was off the chain crazy. I'll never quite get the part where Katniss was shooting down jets with a bow, but no book is perfect I guess.
...and both of David Brin's Uplift Trilogies get shafted. Sorry bro! Love your work!
Best Science Fiction Series (More Than Three Books): Oh Gosh, O Jeez, I mean, this is how they do it now-a-days right? Everything is a never ending sequence of awesome. You know what, it's my list right? I just found two subcategories for this hanging from my posterior. Are you ready? (And yes, that's a cop out. Whatever. My blog, my rules.)
Best Science Fiction Series (More Than Three Books)(Multiple Authors): Kill aliens. Get paid. Live the free-wheeling life of a merc and get rich if you survive. If you missed it, I'm speaking of the Four Horsemen Universe, started by Mark Wandrey and Chris Kennedy but expanded to include too many authors to name here. I'm lazy. But dude, if you don't like cruising the star lanes and looking for trouble why are you here? Plus Asbaran Solutions has the best combat sequences I've ever read ever. Yes, I wrote ever twice on purpose.
Best Science Fiction Series (More Than Three Books)(Single Author): Admiral Steadholder Lady Dame Honor Stephanie Alexander-Harrington is one of the most amazing characters ever and the Honorverse is amazingly well-built with characters that live and breathe (well, unless you're Paul Tankersley, but I digress) . In order to fit this into the Single Author category, I have to limit the winner to the mainline Honor novels, but the ancillary novels are amazing as well. I just needed a loophole here.
Best Alternate History Novel: Roma Eterna by Robert Silverberg. Listen, I grew up on watching Ben Hur and reading Roman History from the library. Granted, I study American History because I speak the language (serious historical work is done in the vernacular and I don't speak Latin, Classical Greek or Italian) but I've always loved both Roman history and art. This one presupposes that the Roman Empire never fell and survives to the modern day. I reads like an anthology but it's really entertaining.
Best Alternate History Trilogy: The Celtic Crusades by Stephen R. Lawhead. I'm told his Robin Hood stuff is really good too, but I haven't gotten to it. This is a trilogy split between modern day Britain and the Crusades. On one hand, we have a character studying what came before as part of a secret society. On the other hand, we get flashbacks to the actual Crusades and the recovery of several Christian artifacts. These books were amazingly well done and entertaining. I need to read more Lawhead I think.
Best Alternate History Series (More Than Three Books): I'm going with a super long series that is actually several serieses (is that a word) but is all one timeline. It's by Harry Turtledove. It starts out with How Few Remain, continues through The Great War Series followed by the American Empire Trilogy and the Settling Accounts Tetralogy. Combined their known as the Southern Victory Series. I just learned that. At any rate, the series pre-supposes a Confederate victory in the American Civil War and continues the timeline up until the end of World War II. It's a bleak time in the Americas when war comes to the home continent and people die in droves. It's really amazing.
Oddly enough, my second place for this award was the Turtledove series where aliens invade during World War II and my third place was Crosstime Traffic, by -you guessed it- Harry Turtledove. Seriously, if you like Alt-Hist read this guy.
I could go on for days, but I need to get to work. If you feel so moved, please do share some of your favorites below.
Some of the above mentioned books are available at the links below. If you click my links and buy literally anything I get a small percentage at no cost to you:
(I know I have some author friends who read my blog. I hope I didn't hurt any feelings by not including people for the sake of friendship.)
I'm getting reports that today is World Book Day. I'm also getting reports that World Book Day is on April 23. I'm going with today because I feel like writing this post today and who knows what April 23 will bring? I thought that, in celebration of the day (allegedly) I'd share some of my favorite books and series in a format known as “Whatever Category I Can Extract from My Third Point of Contact.” I dunno if that works as a concept or not, but it's the one I'm going with.
Book Above All Books: First and foremost, I have to mention the Bible. I'm a Christian. That's just the way it is. I find it to be uplifting and amazing. Having read the Bible, I also find that most of the crap its detractors say to be false, but how can I compare my knowledge of what's written, having actually READ it, versus their feelings?
Best Fantasy Novel: I wanted to go with Dragons of Autumn Twilight here, but I'm actually going with Dragons of the Hourglass Mage. Either way, the book is by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I wanted to go with Dragons of Autumn Twilight because it was the book that made me fall in love with the Fantasy genre, but really I enjoyed Dragons of the Hourglass Mage more because I'm a huge Raistlin mark and also because, honestly, the same authors wrote Hourglass decades after Autumn Twilight and they were just better writers by then. Practice makes perfect, right? And a couple of decades of practice can make even the best authors better.
Best Fantasy Trilogy: Oh dear. Oh God. I just, I mean, this is how I take my fantasy and uhh.. Well...
I'm going with the Dwarven Nations Trilogy by Dan Parkinson. Yes, that's two straight Dragonlance references. I need to buy a new copy of that at some point. Listen folks, its dwarves, doing dwarven things and playing lots of loud drum music. I love this trilogy. Flint Fireforge, Bruenor Battlehammer and this trilogy are the main reasons I'm working on writing a novel starring a dwarf and the D&D campaign I DM is centered around dwarven cities and towns. I'm not ever sure if this is still in print, but if it is check it out. It's a good time.
Best Fantasy Series (More Than Three Books): I'm an unapologetic fanboi and it should come as no surprise to anyone that I'm going with Harry Potter for this one, especially after my praise of J.K. Rowling last post. Harry Potter has captivated the minds and hearts of millions, including mine. The world is beautifully crafted, the character growth is real and sustained and if I hate Umbridge worse than Voldemort, who cares? They're both evil. (And I've studied totalitarian regimes and what they did IRL. Umbridge was every bit the totalitarian that Mao, Lenin and Hitler were.)
I want to make an honorable mention to Brent Weeks and his Lightbringer series here. You didn't quite make it, but if my ex hadn't bought me that copy of Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone...
And now I can hear my dad in the back of my head talking about hounds and rabbits.
*AHEM*
Continuing on...
Best Science Fiction Novel: Ya know, I've been reading Science Fiction for longer than I've been reading fantasy. I've read a lot of Science Fiction novels. I've bought them, checked them out of libraries and borrowed them. There is one that stands out for me though. It's the one I spent three decades searching for because I checked it out of the Ferndale Public Library when I was a wee little Jimbo and couldn't remember what it was. I know some people don't like Robert A. Heinlein, but that's their problem. For favorite novel, I'm going with Citizen of the Galaxy. It's a story of love, of profit and of freedom. I know most Heinlein fans prefer his other works, but they can bite me. This is my list and for me it doesn't get any better than this.
Best Science Fiction Trilogy: Suzanne Collins, take a bow. I almost didn't read The Hunger Games Trilogy. I bought my first Nook the weekend that The Hunger Games movie came out and they offered me a free copy of one of the books, so of course I went with the first one. I had heard it was all girly and love-triangly (That's totes a word. Get over yourself.) and not worth reading, but it was free and I had a lot of room on my Nook and no books to fill it with yet...
And I went to see the movie with a girl I knew that weekend. I was hooked. Within a week of seeing the movie, I had read all three books. It does have a bit of a romance angle to it with the Katniss/Peeta/Gayle love triangle but there is A LOT more to it than that. The first novel was gut-wrenching. Seriously, if you haven't read about the Reaping do so. Catching Fire was insane. Mockingjay was off the chain crazy. I'll never quite get the part where Katniss was shooting down jets with a bow, but no book is perfect I guess.
...and both of David Brin's Uplift Trilogies get shafted. Sorry bro! Love your work!
Best Science Fiction Series (More Than Three Books): Oh Gosh, O Jeez, I mean, this is how they do it now-a-days right? Everything is a never ending sequence of awesome. You know what, it's my list right? I just found two subcategories for this hanging from my posterior. Are you ready? (And yes, that's a cop out. Whatever. My blog, my rules.)
Best Science Fiction Series (More Than Three Books)(Multiple Authors): Kill aliens. Get paid. Live the free-wheeling life of a merc and get rich if you survive. If you missed it, I'm speaking of the Four Horsemen Universe, started by Mark Wandrey and Chris Kennedy but expanded to include too many authors to name here. I'm lazy. But dude, if you don't like cruising the star lanes and looking for trouble why are you here? Plus Asbaran Solutions has the best combat sequences I've ever read ever. Yes, I wrote ever twice on purpose.
Best Science Fiction Series (More Than Three Books)(Single Author): Admiral Steadholder Lady Dame Honor Stephanie Alexander-Harrington is one of the most amazing characters ever and the Honorverse is amazingly well-built with characters that live and breathe (well, unless you're Paul Tankersley, but I digress) . In order to fit this into the Single Author category, I have to limit the winner to the mainline Honor novels, but the ancillary novels are amazing as well. I just needed a loophole here.
Best Alternate History Novel: Roma Eterna by Robert Silverberg. Listen, I grew up on watching Ben Hur and reading Roman History from the library. Granted, I study American History because I speak the language (serious historical work is done in the vernacular and I don't speak Latin, Classical Greek or Italian) but I've always loved both Roman history and art. This one presupposes that the Roman Empire never fell and survives to the modern day. I reads like an anthology but it's really entertaining.
Best Alternate History Trilogy: The Celtic Crusades by Stephen R. Lawhead. I'm told his Robin Hood stuff is really good too, but I haven't gotten to it. This is a trilogy split between modern day Britain and the Crusades. On one hand, we have a character studying what came before as part of a secret society. On the other hand, we get flashbacks to the actual Crusades and the recovery of several Christian artifacts. These books were amazingly well done and entertaining. I need to read more Lawhead I think.
Best Alternate History Series (More Than Three Books): I'm going with a super long series that is actually several serieses (is that a word) but is all one timeline. It's by Harry Turtledove. It starts out with How Few Remain, continues through The Great War Series followed by the American Empire Trilogy and the Settling Accounts Tetralogy. Combined their known as the Southern Victory Series. I just learned that. At any rate, the series pre-supposes a Confederate victory in the American Civil War and continues the timeline up until the end of World War II. It's a bleak time in the Americas when war comes to the home continent and people die in droves. It's really amazing.
Oddly enough, my second place for this award was the Turtledove series where aliens invade during World War II and my third place was Crosstime Traffic, by -you guessed it- Harry Turtledove. Seriously, if you like Alt-Hist read this guy.
I could go on for days, but I need to get to work. If you feel so moved, please do share some of your favorites below.
Some of the above mentioned books are available at the links below. If you click my links and buy literally anything I get a small percentage at no cost to you:
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
RIP Gary Gygax
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Today marks the twelfth anniversary of the death of one of gaming's greats. Gary Gygax was the impetus for the creation of Dungeons and Dragons but he was more than that. An entire generation of geeks grew up on D&D. It's more than that though, too. Three (maybe four) generations of geeks have grown up with Role Playing Games in general, be it tabletop roleplaying games like yes, Dungeons and Dragons, but also GURPS, Heroes Unlimited, Shadowrun, Pathfinder, the Star Wars RPG (yes, George Lucas invented Star Wars but without D&D there's no RPG to go with it.) or the early platform RPGs like the Final Fantasy franchise, Wizardry and the Phantasy Star franchise, and MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, Everquest, City of Heroes, or Elder Scrolls Online. That all started with Dungeons and Dragons. Every bit of it comes from a game that started in someone's basement.
It's more than just Role Playing Games though, too. The D&D legacy has helped build geek culture in ways that go far beyond gaming. The Lord of the Rings novels were published long before Dungeons and Dragons ever hit the shelves, but without the growth in the fantasy genre promoted in large part by D&D in the form of its players and fans. Willow, Dark Crystal and even The Princess Bride all owe a large debt to Gary Gygax and his game whether they realize it or not.
And, can you say card games? The original audience for Magic the Gathering was, yup you guessed it, RPG players. Yu-Gi-OH and Pokemon both descended in large part for MTG and are part of Gygax's legacy as well. Of course, when MTG first came out and a flurry of card games followed there was a D&D based one named Spellfire. It didn't catch on because it wasn't as cool as Magic (and I've played both) but it was there nonetheless.
Speaking of card games...
All of the fantasy card games have one thing in common: Art. Seriously. I've already reviewed Beholder. The fact remains that some of the best fantasy art over the last forty-plus(!) years was either created for Dungeons and Dragons or descends from it. I love fantasy art. When I was married and had a bigger budget I went to the local Ren-Faire and came home with new art every single year. I bought it at art fairs. I went to a local place that features local artists... and left disappointed. There wasn't any fantasy art. But pretty much any fantasy art (with the possible exception of Cthulu related stuff) descends from D&D art somehow.
Let's not forget comics. Not only have there been like elebenty bajillion different D&D titles but the parodies are excellent. Seriously, if you haven't checked out webcomics like Darths and Droids (I cast Summon Bigger Fish because I'm a Cheddar Monk) or Rusty and Company (I haven't reviewed Rusty and Company? Why haven't I reviewed Rusty and Company? This is a travesty. THIS WILL NOT STAND!!!!)
And guys.. The novels. Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Eberron, the other ones that I'm blanking on...
They're all based on Dungeons and Dragons settings. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman are two of my favorite authors of all time. Their first book was Dragons of Autumn Twilight. R.A. Salvatore is another one of my favorite authors. He got his start writing in the Forgotten Realms. (And can we get a decent Drizzt Do'Urden movie PLEASE?!??!??!?!?!?!?!?) He was the editor of the Everquest line of novels as well and I already noted that EQ was a descendant of D&D and therefore Gygax. (Does anyone know where I can get my hands on the old Spelljammer novels?)
There are, in my estimation, only three true giants in the field of Fantasy Fiction. The first is Tolkien who wrote Lord of the Rings and really created the modern fantasy genre. Before him, we had several ancient mythologies for fantasy stories and not much else. Since Tolkien, we've seen an explosion of Fantasy. Without Tolkein I don't think D&D would have taken off the way it did in the 1970s. I certainly don't think it would still be here.
Most recently, we have J.K Rowling. Harry Potter is something that has taken over the world. Of course, J.K. Rowling also pushed the Young Adult Genre to new heights and pretty much singlehandedly added the Young Adult sections to both the bookstore and the library and so she's a giant in other fields than JUST fantasy, but it all starts with a magic casting boy named Harry Potter. In a way though, probably the most impressive thing about Mrs. Rowling (whom I loves and respects) is that she is maybe the only fantasy author since 1977 who didn't draw on Dungeons and Dragons fandom at the beginning of her career. Most of the Harry Potter fans that have been there since the beginning were not old enough to have played D&D before they started reading HP. (Yes, I played D&D before I read Harry Potter. I was also in my late twenties when I read Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. Oh, and there were four books out by then.) Geek culture is exploding in the United States right now, and a lot of the reason for that is a British woman who can write like a champion.
The last, but definitely not least, is Gary Gygax. I've covered a lot of the reasons above. Yes, a lot of what he did was derived from Tolkien. The fact remains that he invented the modern Roleplaying Game. Gygax did every bit as much as for RPGs as Tolkien did for fantasy in general and J.K. Rowling did for the Young Adult genre. And do you know what else he did?
Gygax and his game have brought people together and created friendships on a huge scale. A love of Dungeons and Dragons has created friendships and brought families together. When my then-wife was pregnant with my oldest daughter, I declared that I would one day play D&D with my kid. My ex thought I was crazy because “She won't be interested. She's a girl!” I just shook my head. One of the happiest days of my life was the first time my kid showed up at my gaming table and I got to present her with her first dice. I was a proud papa that day. There are millions of stories like mine. And we owe that to Gygax as well.
So rest in peace, Mr. Gygax. We miss you. I know you're somewhere banging out some natural 20s and steamrolling mobs. I'll see you when I get there.
Some Dungeons and Dragons related products are available at the links below. If you click the link and buy literally anything, I get a small percentage at no cost to you.
Today marks the twelfth anniversary of the death of one of gaming's greats. Gary Gygax was the impetus for the creation of Dungeons and Dragons but he was more than that. An entire generation of geeks grew up on D&D. It's more than that though, too. Three (maybe four) generations of geeks have grown up with Role Playing Games in general, be it tabletop roleplaying games like yes, Dungeons and Dragons, but also GURPS, Heroes Unlimited, Shadowrun, Pathfinder, the Star Wars RPG (yes, George Lucas invented Star Wars but without D&D there's no RPG to go with it.) or the early platform RPGs like the Final Fantasy franchise, Wizardry and the Phantasy Star franchise, and MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, Everquest, City of Heroes, or Elder Scrolls Online. That all started with Dungeons and Dragons. Every bit of it comes from a game that started in someone's basement.
It's more than just Role Playing Games though, too. The D&D legacy has helped build geek culture in ways that go far beyond gaming. The Lord of the Rings novels were published long before Dungeons and Dragons ever hit the shelves, but without the growth in the fantasy genre promoted in large part by D&D in the form of its players and fans. Willow, Dark Crystal and even The Princess Bride all owe a large debt to Gary Gygax and his game whether they realize it or not.
And, can you say card games? The original audience for Magic the Gathering was, yup you guessed it, RPG players. Yu-Gi-OH and Pokemon both descended in large part for MTG and are part of Gygax's legacy as well. Of course, when MTG first came out and a flurry of card games followed there was a D&D based one named Spellfire. It didn't catch on because it wasn't as cool as Magic (and I've played both) but it was there nonetheless.
Speaking of card games...
All of the fantasy card games have one thing in common: Art. Seriously. I've already reviewed Beholder. The fact remains that some of the best fantasy art over the last forty-plus(!) years was either created for Dungeons and Dragons or descends from it. I love fantasy art. When I was married and had a bigger budget I went to the local Ren-Faire and came home with new art every single year. I bought it at art fairs. I went to a local place that features local artists... and left disappointed. There wasn't any fantasy art. But pretty much any fantasy art (with the possible exception of Cthulu related stuff) descends from D&D art somehow.
Let's not forget comics. Not only have there been like elebenty bajillion different D&D titles but the parodies are excellent. Seriously, if you haven't checked out webcomics like Darths and Droids (I cast Summon Bigger Fish because I'm a Cheddar Monk) or Rusty and Company (I haven't reviewed Rusty and Company? Why haven't I reviewed Rusty and Company? This is a travesty. THIS WILL NOT STAND!!!!)
And guys.. The novels. Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Eberron, the other ones that I'm blanking on...
They're all based on Dungeons and Dragons settings. Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman are two of my favorite authors of all time. Their first book was Dragons of Autumn Twilight. R.A. Salvatore is another one of my favorite authors. He got his start writing in the Forgotten Realms. (And can we get a decent Drizzt Do'Urden movie PLEASE?!??!??!?!?!?!?!?) He was the editor of the Everquest line of novels as well and I already noted that EQ was a descendant of D&D and therefore Gygax. (Does anyone know where I can get my hands on the old Spelljammer novels?)
There are, in my estimation, only three true giants in the field of Fantasy Fiction. The first is Tolkien who wrote Lord of the Rings and really created the modern fantasy genre. Before him, we had several ancient mythologies for fantasy stories and not much else. Since Tolkien, we've seen an explosion of Fantasy. Without Tolkein I don't think D&D would have taken off the way it did in the 1970s. I certainly don't think it would still be here.
Most recently, we have J.K Rowling. Harry Potter is something that has taken over the world. Of course, J.K. Rowling also pushed the Young Adult Genre to new heights and pretty much singlehandedly added the Young Adult sections to both the bookstore and the library and so she's a giant in other fields than JUST fantasy, but it all starts with a magic casting boy named Harry Potter. In a way though, probably the most impressive thing about Mrs. Rowling (whom I loves and respects) is that she is maybe the only fantasy author since 1977 who didn't draw on Dungeons and Dragons fandom at the beginning of her career. Most of the Harry Potter fans that have been there since the beginning were not old enough to have played D&D before they started reading HP. (Yes, I played D&D before I read Harry Potter. I was also in my late twenties when I read Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. Oh, and there were four books out by then.) Geek culture is exploding in the United States right now, and a lot of the reason for that is a British woman who can write like a champion.
The last, but definitely not least, is Gary Gygax. I've covered a lot of the reasons above. Yes, a lot of what he did was derived from Tolkien. The fact remains that he invented the modern Roleplaying Game. Gygax did every bit as much as for RPGs as Tolkien did for fantasy in general and J.K. Rowling did for the Young Adult genre. And do you know what else he did?
That's my daughter Riley at our gaming table.
Gygax and his game have brought people together and created friendships on a huge scale. A love of Dungeons and Dragons has created friendships and brought families together. When my then-wife was pregnant with my oldest daughter, I declared that I would one day play D&D with my kid. My ex thought I was crazy because “She won't be interested. She's a girl!” I just shook my head. One of the happiest days of my life was the first time my kid showed up at my gaming table and I got to present her with her first dice. I was a proud papa that day. There are millions of stories like mine. And we owe that to Gygax as well.
So rest in peace, Mr. Gygax. We miss you. I know you're somewhere banging out some natural 20s and steamrolling mobs. I'll see you when I get there.
Some Dungeons and Dragons related products are available at the links below. If you click the link and buy literally anything, I get a small percentage at no cost to you.
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