I'm just about done reading "The Crippled God" by Steven Erikson, book 10 of the Malazan: Book of the Fallen. Damn it's epic and awesome. Easily my favorite book series ever.
But why oh why doesn't he publish a setting book? He's a gamer, damn it! Give us a big book of maps and pictures of characters, with some bio for each. I'd buy it, and I daresay a whole lot of other people would, too.
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Games Workshop goes even more evil than before
GW has gotten Amazon to remove a novel because it features space marines. Apparently, they think no one but them has the right to publish such material. It really pisses me off. I used to play 40k a lot, and I've read a ton of GW novels (many of which are actually quite good). But legal shenanigans like this really bug me.
As of right now, if you publish a novel featuring space marines, you could have it yanked because of GW. Heinlein and even earlier authors are likely rolling over in their graves.
Story in question
As of right now, if you publish a novel featuring space marines, you could have it yanked because of GW. Heinlein and even earlier authors are likely rolling over in their graves.
Story in question
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Appendix N, as approved by me
What the heck. Everyone else is doing it, so I'll be a lemming.
If you are a Gamer, you should read these books:
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Pretty standard for just about everyone, I'd say. Hugely influential.
The collected Conan stories by Robert E. Howard. Very easy to find these days, which is a nice bonus.
The collected Fafhyrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber. Actually, this is my favorite swords and sorcery series, even bypassing Conan.
The collected Elric stories by Michael Moorcock. Emo mage-emperor wanders the world.
The first three books of The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Not sure I'd bother after that, as I'm 99% sure he's going to die before he finishes the series, and this is a decent stopping point.
The Malazan: Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson. I personally love this series, though I have not yet read books 9 and 10.
The Deed of Paksennarrion by Elizabeth Moon. The best portrayal of a paladin in print. Nothing else is even close.
The Vlad Taltos books by Steven Brust. Psychic assassins in an elven empire. If that doesn't sell it, nothing will.
All of the various Newford books by Charles de Lint. He's the best urban fantasy author out there.
Neuromancer by William Gibson, so you can understand cyberpunk before it got twisted into the emo crap it is being pushed as now. This is the seminal book, and it's a straight-up shadowrun without magic.
Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh. My favorite science fiction book.
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. Space marines vs. bugs. Need I say more?
There's lots of other great books out there, but I think these are the best of the lot. Many Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Shadowrun, and Warhammer novels are actually quite good, though more than a few are really, really bad.
If you are a Gamer, you should read these books:
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Pretty standard for just about everyone, I'd say. Hugely influential.
The collected Conan stories by Robert E. Howard. Very easy to find these days, which is a nice bonus.
The collected Fafhyrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber. Actually, this is my favorite swords and sorcery series, even bypassing Conan.
The collected Elric stories by Michael Moorcock. Emo mage-emperor wanders the world.
The first three books of The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Not sure I'd bother after that, as I'm 99% sure he's going to die before he finishes the series, and this is a decent stopping point.
The Malazan: Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson. I personally love this series, though I have not yet read books 9 and 10.
The Deed of Paksennarrion by Elizabeth Moon. The best portrayal of a paladin in print. Nothing else is even close.
The Vlad Taltos books by Steven Brust. Psychic assassins in an elven empire. If that doesn't sell it, nothing will.
All of the various Newford books by Charles de Lint. He's the best urban fantasy author out there.
Neuromancer by William Gibson, so you can understand cyberpunk before it got twisted into the emo crap it is being pushed as now. This is the seminal book, and it's a straight-up shadowrun without magic.
Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh. My favorite science fiction book.
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. Space marines vs. bugs. Need I say more?
There's lots of other great books out there, but I think these are the best of the lot. Many Forgotten Realms, Eberron, Shadowrun, and Warhammer novels are actually quite good, though more than a few are really, really bad.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Malazan stuff I'd love to see in an rpg
I've been reading the Malazan series by Steven Erikson and there is just a ton of stuff in it I'd love to see in a published campaign world. Fact is, Malazan is based on a D&D/Gurps campaign, so that probably really adds to this feeling.
Anyways, stuff I'd love:
1. Soletaken. Powerful shapechangers that are generally resistant to magic and many of whom are mages. Some of them are dragons, others turn into a horde of rats. All of them are vicious, nasty bastards.
2. Warrens. Magic is aspected to warrens. Many mages can only access one warren, though cases certainly exist where mages can use a bunch of different ones (Quick Ben and Bottle being the primary examples).
3. Ancient races that are still around, though very rare and generally extremely powerful. Examples include the Toblakai, the Jaghut, and the Tiste variants. This would also work fine with elves if they were not just the tree-hugging recluses most settings use that mid-level adventurers can kill without a ton of effort.
4. A real live Empire that includes multiple cultures and is generally quite effective at accomplishing it's goals. Most settings either have the empires long vanished or generally collapsing (Forgotten Realms is a prime example).
Anyways, stuff I'd love:
1. Soletaken. Powerful shapechangers that are generally resistant to magic and many of whom are mages. Some of them are dragons, others turn into a horde of rats. All of them are vicious, nasty bastards.
2. Warrens. Magic is aspected to warrens. Many mages can only access one warren, though cases certainly exist where mages can use a bunch of different ones (Quick Ben and Bottle being the primary examples).
3. Ancient races that are still around, though very rare and generally extremely powerful. Examples include the Toblakai, the Jaghut, and the Tiste variants. This would also work fine with elves if they were not just the tree-hugging recluses most settings use that mid-level adventurers can kill without a ton of effort.
4. A real live Empire that includes multiple cultures and is generally quite effective at accomplishing it's goals. Most settings either have the empires long vanished or generally collapsing (Forgotten Realms is a prime example).
Friday, August 17, 2012
Harry Harrison passed away
Harry wrote the Stainless Steel Rat series, West of Eden, and a number of other books. He was one of the mainstays of my childhood. It's hard to believe yet another influence on my life has moved on. RIP, Harry. Watch out for the Special Corps!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Saturday, August 13, 2011
NPR's Top 100 Fantasy/SF books
As shown HERE
1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien - read it
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams - read it
3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card - read it
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert - read Dune, don't care about rest
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin - read it
6. 1984, by George Orwell - read it
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury - seen the movie
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov - read it
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley - read parts of it, stopped. Didn't care for it.
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman - read it
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman - seen the movie
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan - read up through book 6, then stopped.
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell - read it
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson - read it
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore - read it
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov - read it
17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein - read it
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss - have not read it
19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut - read it
20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley - read it, seen multiple movies of it
21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick - read it, seen the movie
22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood - have not read it
23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King - read it
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke - read it. Seen the movie
25. The Stand, by Stephen King - read it. Seen the miniseries (which is fantastic).
26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson - read it.
27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury - have not read it
28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut - have not read it. Not interested.
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman - read it.
30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess - Seen the movie, want to read it.
31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein - read it. Seen the movie :\
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams - seen the movie.
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey - Read it.
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein - Read it.
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller - read it. FANTASTIC BOOK!
36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells - read it. seen several movies.
37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne - read it. Seen several movies.
38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys - have not read it.
39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells - read it.
40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny - have not read it. I do want to read it.
41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings - read it.
42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley - seen the movie. Not interested in the book.
43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson - Have it. Have not read it yet.
44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven - read it. FANTASTIC BOOK!
45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin - have not read it. Undecided if I want to.
46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien - read it. Wish it had several movies.
47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White - read it.
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman - read it. And the graphic novel and TV series.
49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke - have not read it. Not interested.
50. Contact, by Carl Sagan - read it. Saw the movie.
51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons - Read book 1. Good but not interested in rest of series.
52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman - read it. Saw the movie.
53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson - Have not read it. Not interested.
54. World War Z, by Max Brooks - read it.
55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle - Have not read it.
56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman - Read it.
57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett - Read it. Overrated.
58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson - read it.
59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold - have not read it.
60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett - have not read it. Not interested.
61. The Mote In God's Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle - read it. FANTASTIC BOOK!
62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind - Started it. Put it away. Not interesting.
63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy - Saw the movie. No interest in reading it.
64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke - read it. ok, not great.
65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson - Saw the movies. Not interested in the book.
66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist - read it.
67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks - read it.
68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard - read it. Hope the new movie will be good.
69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb - read it. Book 1 is fantastic, others a little less so.
70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger - have not read, not interested.
71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson - have not read.
72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne - read it.
73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore - read Icewind Dale. Salvatore should not be on this list.
74. Old Man's War, by John Scalzi - have not read it.
75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson - read it. FANTASTIC BOOK!
76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke - have not read it.
77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey - have not read it.
78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin - have not read it.
79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury - read it.
80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire - have not read it.
81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson - have read up through book 5. FANTASTIC SERIES
82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde - have not read it.
83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks - have not read it.
84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart - have not read it.
85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson - have not read it. Not interested.
86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher - have not read it.
87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe - read it. FANTASTIC SERIES! Should be Top 3.
88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn - have not read it. Not interested.
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan - have not read it.
90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock - read it.
91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury - read it.
92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley - have not read it.
93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge - have not read it.
94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov - have not read it.
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson - have not read it. Not interested.
96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle - read it. FANTASTIC BOOK!
97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis - have not read it
98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville - started. quit after 3 chapters. CRAPPY BOOK
99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony - have read some of them
100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis - have not read it
Monday, July 18, 2011
Book Review - Plague of Shadows
"Plague of Shadows" by Howard Jones is set in Golarion, the fantasy setting for the Pathfinder roleplaying game. It takes place in Taldor, Galt, and the edge of Kyonin. The story concerns what happens when a group of adventurers that had split up years before end up fighting with each other over a magical artifact, the Crown of Shadows.
Elyana's old lover, a current noble of Taldor named Stelan, has been cursed by their old adventuring companion, a wizard named Arcil. Arcil wants the Crown for unknown reasons, and is willing to sacrifice Stelan to get it. Elyana is an elven ranger, and she leads a group of younger adventurers, including a half-orc warrior named Drelm, a mage named Kellius, and Stelan's warrior son, Renar, on the quest.
Elyana and her band meet up with another of her old companions, a bard named Vallyn, and then proceed through Galt towards the Vale of Shadows, which holds the Crown.
I really liked the book, especially as a guide to the region. Galt is a really dangerous nation, very similar to France during the Revolution. Much of the story is centered around it, and I personally think the land is evil to the core, especially after reading this book.
The elves the heroes encounter are interesting, and not just pointy-eared humans. I like that they view Elyana as some kind of damaged orphan, since she was raised by humans and lived among humans most of her life.
There are a lot of combats in the book. They are well-written, and usually fairly short. It does seem that Elyana is almost super-powered at times, even though she doesn't come through the battles unscathed.
One thing I really like about the Pathfinder novels I've read to this point is that there are no world-shaking events. Adventures tend to be important for the small region, but don't affect the setting overall. I really prefer that, especially when compared to the old Forgotten Realms novels that made drastic setting changes every year.
For Pathfinder fans and fantasy fans, I'd rate the book 4 out of 5 stars. It's not perfect, but it is really good.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Elf and Wizard Diaries
I would think elves and magic-users of all stripes would keep daily diaries. They might include some research notes, material components that need picked up from the local alchemist, theories on why magic works the way it does, and that the new girl apprentice is smoking hot.
While one day's entry could be personal stuff like how they'd love to date the princess, the next day's entry might have magical data like the fact that iron filings mixed with silver filings in a summoning circle help bind demons better.
To make diaries interesting mechanics-wise, when a magic-user or elf finds a mage's diary and reads it, he gains 100 XP based on the magical notes in the book. I would not include any full spells in such a book, just tidbits of stuff that might give a PC mage a "eureka" moment.
While one day's entry could be personal stuff like how they'd love to date the princess, the next day's entry might have magical data like the fact that iron filings mixed with silver filings in a summoning circle help bind demons better.
To make diaries interesting mechanics-wise, when a magic-user or elf finds a mage's diary and reads it, he gains 100 XP based on the magical notes in the book. I would not include any full spells in such a book, just tidbits of stuff that might give a PC mage a "eureka" moment.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Book covers
One of my frustrations with the OSR is that many of the games have very poor cover art. I like the S&W core rulebook, the black and white WhiteBox rules (and I admit that's not even super art, but I like it), and the deluxe red Labyrinth Lord covers. Pretty much all the others are amateurish, usually in some perverse desire to ape the originals. Newsflash, if TSR could have afforded really nice art for their covers, we'd have had it. Notice the improvements in cover art through the 1980's and 1990's. There's a reason the old art style was abandoned as soon as TSR could afford to do so.
Most of the OSR covers appear to be designed for a 12 year old from the 1980's. If I was still that kid, I'd be happy. However, me, and probably 90% of OSR gamers, are in their 30's and 40's. I think publishers should take that into account.
Most of the OSR covers appear to be designed for a 12 year old from the 1980's. If I was still that kid, I'd be happy. However, me, and probably 90% of OSR gamers, are in their 30's and 40's. I think publishers should take that into account.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Using pdf's at the game table
Over at RPGNet, I made an off remark that "who would want to run a game from a pdf?". Naturally enough, a fair number of people got offended and said I'm some kind of luddite and that pdf gaming is the future. I understand economically that many game producers have to go pdf-only, or maybe have a print-on-demand option (I have had only good experiences with Lulu).
But I can't imagine bringing a laptop to the table to run a game. Maybe it would be easier for those who have an iPad, but I don't. And I'd be terrified that someone would spill a soda on my machine. Computers aren't cheap. And trying to look up rules on a computer screen, to me, would take too long. And I'd probably end up with a headache after trying to read too much. Maybe bookmarking helps a bit, but for me, pdfs will never replace real books.
But I can't imagine bringing a laptop to the table to run a game. Maybe it would be easier for those who have an iPad, but I don't. And I'd be terrified that someone would spill a soda on my machine. Computers aren't cheap. And trying to look up rules on a computer screen, to me, would take too long. And I'd probably end up with a headache after trying to read too much. Maybe bookmarking helps a bit, but for me, pdfs will never replace real books.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Saddle-stitching
I've noticed that a number of my gaming products that I bought in regards to S&W have started doing the bend. I stack those books and magazines, and the side that's stapled is thicker than the open side, so they tend to bend up. Last night I was going through them, and they all have a permanent bend now, thanks to sitting on top of each other. Blah.
I know many of the products can't be perfect-bound due to length or publisher circumstances, but I have to say that I really prefer perfect-bound books, after looking through my staple-bound books. They tend to be flat, and so stand the rigors of shelf life a little better. And I won't have to worry about staples rusting in 10 years.
Just an observation that I thought I'd share. I'm sure some people feel the opposite way, possibly for very good reasons.
I know many of the products can't be perfect-bound due to length or publisher circumstances, but I have to say that I really prefer perfect-bound books, after looking through my staple-bound books. They tend to be flat, and so stand the rigors of shelf life a little better. And I won't have to worry about staples rusting in 10 years.
Just an observation that I thought I'd share. I'm sure some people feel the opposite way, possibly for very good reasons.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Systemless gaming books
Not sure about anyone else, but I love these types of products. I can use them with S&W, Runequest, and maybe even Traveller, depending on the supplement. I wish more companies produced these items.
Systemless books I own and recommend:
The Mother of All Treasure Tables by Necromancer Games - tons of non-magical treasures separated by value.
The Random Esoteric Creature Generator by James Raggi IV - weird monster creation. Kinda aimed at D&D clones, though.
Gary Gygax's Extraordinary Book of Names by Troll Lord Games - must-have book. Just lists of first and last names by culture. Also very good reference for authors.
Ultimate Toolbox by AEG - Just a big book of lists of all kinds of different subjects, from medicinal plants to city names and lots of other stuff.
Freeport books by Green Ronin - cool pirate setting. A bit more 1600's than I usually am willing to go, but great stuff.
I do have some other similar books, but these are the ones that stand out for me. I'd be interested in what other books are out there that I may not have heard of.
Systemless books I own and recommend:
The Mother of All Treasure Tables by Necromancer Games - tons of non-magical treasures separated by value.
The Random Esoteric Creature Generator by James Raggi IV - weird monster creation. Kinda aimed at D&D clones, though.
Gary Gygax's Extraordinary Book of Names by Troll Lord Games - must-have book. Just lists of first and last names by culture. Also very good reference for authors.
Ultimate Toolbox by AEG - Just a big book of lists of all kinds of different subjects, from medicinal plants to city names and lots of other stuff.
Freeport books by Green Ronin - cool pirate setting. A bit more 1600's than I usually am willing to go, but great stuff.
I do have some other similar books, but these are the ones that stand out for me. I'd be interested in what other books are out there that I may not have heard of.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Bad fantasy novel covers
http://www.goodshowsir.co.uk/
There are some real winners here. I found this site on Dragonsfoot. It makes me think about some of the fantasy books I like, and just how bad some of the covers are. You can rate each cover, as well.
There are some real winners here. I found this site on Dragonsfoot. It makes me think about some of the fantasy books I like, and just how bad some of the covers are. You can rate each cover, as well.
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