Which is to say, I’m unbelievably thrilled to say this morning I’ve signed a contract with @mitpress.bsky.social for the trade publication of my next book, an exploration of the first two decades of TTRPG Actual Play.
A collage of photos including different game cultural activities (esports, crossword puzzle, arcade machines, a bulbasaur beanie, Mölkky, cosplay, larp, board games, football).
Osallistu kyselytutkimukseen pelikulttuuriin osallistumisesta ja osallisuudesta Suomessa! / Delta i enkät om deltagande och delaktighet i spelkultur i Finland! / Participate in a survey study on game cultural participation and inclusion in Finland!
A poem. Allowables By Nikki Giovanni I killed a spider Not a murderous brown recluse Nor even a black widow And if the truth were told this Was only a small Sort of papery spider Who should have run When I picked up the book But she didn't And she scared me And I smashed her I don't think I'm allowed To kill something Because I am Frightened
hungry now
HAL JORDAN: In brightest day, in blackest
BEASTIE BOYS: NIGHT!
HAL JORDAN: No evil shall escape my
BEASTIE BOYS: SIGHT!
HAL JORDAN: This is awkward because when I invited you I thought I was messaging Beast Boy from the Teen Titans.
A comedy masterpiece.
Happy International Women's Day~✨️
Wishing all the women (transwomen are women) out there a very "Women's Rights are Human Rights".
To everyone else, a reminder that solidarity means so long as any of us is oppressed, all of us are✊🏽
Cunning of you to mention this when it's on a 75% discount.
Do you know if there are plans to publish a translation?
Did you miss the chance to play Finland's biggest larp, the scifi blockbuster Odysseus? Did you play it and want to do it again?
Check out the crowdfunding campaign for building a permanent location.
Click on the link and secure your spot!
www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/...
A well-worn copy of the Pathfinder 1st Edition core rulebook.
#46
Pathfinder, 1st Edition
The game I've most likely run the most, thanks to Pathfinder Society. Note the well-loved condition of the rulebook - and this is the second one I bought, after I retired my first printing copy when I got it signed.
#45
ALIEN Roleplaying Game, 1st Edition
The game elegantly facilitates running games like the survival horror of Alien, or like the sci-fi action of Aliens. I've run this at conventions and as a short campaign, and it was great fun. Second edition recently out, haven't studied it yet.
The game Zombie Cinema in Finnish, displaying the VHS case, the game board, dice, meeples, and ice cream sticks with character prompts.
#44
Zombeja! Ovella!
Or "Zombies! At the Door!", from Arkenstone Publishing. A game packaged in a VHS case with ice cream sticks for character prompts. Released in English as Zombie Cinema. A rare TRPG that has a clear winner. Great party game.
The cover of If I Ran the Con.
#43
If I Ran the Con
It's maybe not a RPG, but I think it's also not not an RPG, if you get me. You play convention organizers trying to organize a big sci-fi convention, and go through the con prep and finally to runtime, trying not to run out of money, piss off the fans, or burn everyone out.
Well, this one didn't go as planned. We found the combat system overcomplicated and the group voted to yeet it after one session. Also I think we're all just a bit too old to have actually watched Avatar as kids.
No. I'm a fan. I've got the DVDs and the RPGs and I probably drop way too many references to the show in my normal speech. But it is over, and it was a long time ago, and we have already let go. I don't want to see the 2020s version of Firefly. I want to see new things.
In late 19th Century, during a series of archaeological excavations in La Madeleine, a cave located in southwestern France, researchers unearthed the carving. The discovery of this tiny yet intricately carved bison stunned archaeologists. Measuring only a few inches in length, the carving is a testament to the skill and craftsmanship of our Ice Age ancestors. Despite its small size, the level of detail and realism captured in the carving is extraordinary. This piece of artwork is distinguished by its remarkable realism and attention to detail. The steppe bison's muscular form, the folds in its skin, and its posture, which suggests it is engaging in a natural behavior, all serve to bring the animal to life. Just as the bison does in the photo below.
This small but vivid sculpture depicts a steppe bison (Bison priscus), an extinct species that roamed the European tundra during the Upper Paleolithic era, (circa 17,000–12,000 years ago).
It's not just that I resent having to turn your AI agent off every three days because you refuse to respect my settings: I also want its ugly-ass annoying logo and constant reminder of its existence to vanish from my UI. I don't want it, I don't want to look at it, I don't want to think about it.
I have decided that I can hold off on this for another ten, fifteen years, because that's probably when Pokémon's 30th anniversary is gonna be.
Buy a book or three. You’ve earned it.
Margaret Thatcher?
(Hard mode!)
10 Authors I've read 10 books or more from:
Terry Pratchett
R.A. Salvatore
Jim Butcher
Charles Stross
Neal Stephenson
Dan Abnett
Seanan McGuire
Agatha Christie
Elaine Cunningham
Margaret Weis
Out of curiosity, I tried to create a more complete list and came up with 65 names, while excluding anthologies, comics, and graphic novels. And plays, but that only takes out William Shakespeare and Margaret Cavendish.
5 authors I've read at least 5 books by:
Terry Pratchett
Jane Austen
Neal Stephenson
Robert A. Heinlein
N. K. Jemisin
A grim fact about the Olympics I just learned: The corpses of the contestants who die during the skiing events are left on the slopes as it is too dangerous to collect them for proper burial
Inspector Gereon Rath (Volker Bruch) and Charlotte "Lotte" Ritter (Liv Lisa Fries) in Babylon Berlin
When people question your book hoarding
This is a very specific comment but:
GOODBYE CON CRUD
2nd edition crowdfunding for the ever-original The Old The Cold The Bold by Whitney Delaglio, who authored the mermaid romance TTRPG -- PRISM.
Pulling off heists against the deserving ultra-rich has never been this fun!
The key lesson here is that you do not shit on your own product.
The other one is that you don't shill for genAI, but that'll be less relevant once the bubble bursts.
