Blog Archives

God might not play dice with the universe, but the devils do. In The Black Moon Chronicles: The Sign of Darkness, written by François Marcela-Froideval and drawn by Olivier Ledroit, Lucifer grows tired of his generals throwing matches in their little games. So he engineers a game in the mortal world where none of the […]

This week’s new releases showcase mercenary giant robots, the return of a Weird Tale, genetic engineering run amok, and a warning from the Penultimate Men. The Buried World (The Grave Kingdom #2) – Jeff Wheeler The orphaned Bingmei didn’t choose to be a hero. She has no wish to cross the Death Wall to save […]

I’ll be light on content as I try to come up with a good article topic related to “Blame!”, Tsutomu Nihei’s cyberpunk masterpiece. Highly recommended. In the meantime, take a look at the Superversive livestream. Sunday, June 28, we talked about the topic of spirituality in anime – which anime/manga handle it well and which […]

Master smith Angus Bjornson hates growing old. Age and an accident at the forge have crippled him, leaving Angus unable to make the swords and armor that are his passion. To help ease the pain, his children give him a VRMMO headset and a medieval game where he can continue his craft in a manual […]

Crafter’s dungeons, post-apocalyptic water worlds, MMO blacksmiths, and even a three-headed ogre appear in this week’s science fiction and fantasy new releases. Aquaria Falling (Aquaria #1) – Finn Gray Centuries ago, the Memnon War devastated Aquaria. The defeated Memnons fled the Aquarian system in search of a new home. Or did they? Blamed for the […]

As literary RPGs have demonstrated lasting power in the turbulent mix that is publishing, authors have taken the idea of novelizing immersive gameplay and applied it in new ways. Most litRPGs take up the story of adventurers clearing out dungeons for profit and story progression, describing the adventurers’ growth and skills along the way. But […]

Final battles approach, families clash, and traitors abound in this week’s science fiction and fantasy new releases. Burning Core (School of Swords and Serpents #4) – Gage Lee The quest for the Empyrean Flame has begun, and a deadly new threat has appeared from beyond the realms of mortals. As the new school year begins, […]

One of the delights in reading the pulps is being able to trace various sources of inspiration, such as Manly Wade Wellman’s wild west plots or C. L. Moore’s use of the Gothic poisoned garden. Some of these inspirations are more direct and well-known. The Secret Six millionaires who funded the fight against Al Capone resurfaced in Amusement, Inc. […]

This week’s new releases features elemental mages, world-wide disappearances, future tech thieves, and the penultimate volume of Blood on the Stars. Descent into Darkness (Blood on the Stars #17) – Jay Allan Victory or Death. Tyler Barron and his associates are divided, split between two courses of action. Barron doesn’t believe in the desperate plan […]