Troll in the Corner

Review of 4th Edition PH3 Playtests

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

I've had a chance to tryout four of the playtests released from WotC for their upcoming Players Handbook 3. I'm not sure if I should be excited or afraid of this next release. It plays around with how a normal turn works and how a normal character acts which could be a really interesting development or something that adds way too much complexity to the game.

Sandman Slim a magic noir revenge novel that contains no effing elves

Friday, August 28, 2009

0 Comments

Sandman Slim a magic noir revenge novel that contains no effing elves

Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim kicks ass. I mean, the protagonist literally left the text and physically kicked me in my ass. Yeah, it’s that much fun. James Stark spent 11 years killing monsters in Lucifer's arena for the entertainment of fallen angels, but now he's back in seedy, magic-riddled L.A., trying to avenge his girlfriend's murder and hunt down Mason Faim, the black magician responsible for getting him sent downtown. After that it really starts to get interesting.

Economic stress, job stress, life stress, STRESS – the value of escape into Science Fiction and Fantasy

Monday, June 29, 2009

9 Comments

Economic stress, job stress, life stress, STRESS – the value of escape into Science Fiction and Fantasy

Whenever I think my life is hectic and a bit unreal I remind myself that Ender had it a lot worse. Most of the folks in the Culture Universe that I know, although vastly more advanced than I am, are in general a lot worse off. Having a group of highly advanced aliens plotting your downfall can be a real bummer, as can angry orcs charging with drawn swords.

The Dark World by Henry Kuttner, a forgotten master

Thursday, June 25, 2009

4 Comments

The Dark World by Henry Kuttner, a forgotten master

Books like The Dark World remind me why I love fantasy/sci-fi so much in the first place. Here I’ve spent the better part of two decades reading every great author I can get my hands on, and not only are there new ones coming out constantly, there are still gems from years ago I have yet to read.

Blood Magic and Nights of Sin, The Ballad of Kirin Widowmaker

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

0 Comments

Blood Magic and Nights of Sin, The Ballad of Kirin Widowmaker

So why am I so ambivalent about this series? The character is interesting, the world mostly unique. In a word, pain. The author Matthew Cook goes out of his way to bash it into the reader's head that everyone (protagonist included) thinks that necromancy and blood magic are abominations, an evil that taints whoever uses it, no matter for what purpose or intent. Conflicted protagonists and anti-heroes can make for compelling stories (such as my favorite, the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, which I highly recommend) but this is just a little too much, a little too depressing, especially in the second novel.

The Gamers: Dorkness Rising is a near perfect examination of gaming culture. It’s funny as hell too.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

8 Comments

The Gamers: Dorkness Rising is a near perfect examination of gaming culture. It’s funny as hell too.

This is not a big budget film and you should not go into it expecting big budget sets and effects. One of the best aspects of this movie though is that this really does not matter. The Dead Gentlemen managed to wring everything they could out of their available sets and effects and more importantly their script and actors. What they've ended up with is a film that's dead on with timing, a tight script and a feature that had me laughing a lot more than most big budget, full theater releases.

A look at Kushiel’s Legacy

Thursday, April 16, 2009

6 Comments

Carey's fascinating world is loosely based around what could be seen as a late medieval alternative history of Europe and beyond. As you read the books you find yourself remembering fractions of history lessons and faint memories of mythological tales. I may be 'odd' but I found that reading these made me want to go to the nearest library or bookshop to re-familiarise myself with Greek, British and Egyptian mythology.

SciFi and Fantasy Spotlight: Joe Abercrombie and the First Law series

Thursday, March 19, 2009

2 Comments

SciFi and Fantasy Spotlight: Joe Abercrombie and the First Law series

Joe Abercrombie is a relative newcomer to Fantasy literature circles, having published three books in his series, The First Law. Containing The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged and Last Argument Of Kings, Abercrombie delivers a tight-knit, gritty and above all rewarding read. For the first time in a while I found myself reading late into the night, unwilling to stop for mere sleep.

A Water Matter – free short story from the always awesome Tor.com

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

0 Comments

The Duke of Copper Downs had stayed dead. So far. That thought prompted the Dancing Mistress to glance around her at the deserted street. Something in the corner of her eye or the lantern of her dreams was crying out a message. Just as with any of her kind, it was difficult to take her by surprise. Her sense of the world around her was very strong. Even in sleep, her folk did not become so inert and vulnerable as humans or most animals did. And her people had lived among men for generations, after all. Some instincts never passed out of worth.