A desperate bid to rediscover creativity
Over the winter, I played a succession of three video games that involved characters in a parenting or protective role: Fallout 4; The Last of Us; and The Walking Dead. And if parenting in today's world is hard, it's even worse once the world goes to hell. Today I'm writing about my parenting experience with… Continue reading Parenting in the Post Apocalypse: The Last of Us
Julie Czerneda brings the reader back to the site of her first book, the Trade Pact and spins a dramatic story full of surprises and twists. I can't say too much about the story without giving away the surprises that make it so fun. As always, one of Czerneda's strengths is the characters that inhabit… Continue reading This Gulf of Time and Stars – book review
Shattering bats might look cool, but they’re really dangerous for both the players and the fans. Why does that happen, and how come bats always seem to snap in the same way? Source: The Reason Baseball Bats Break Is More Complicated Than You Think
It's a challenge being a good parent. It's even harder after the world's gone to hell.
BY DAVID HOPKINS Source: How a TV Sitcom Triggered the Downfall of Western Civilization — Medium
With the newest season available on Netflix, the Underwoods are less a pair of anti-heroes and more the antagonists of their own show. Season four of House of Cards gives us more of the ongoing antics of a trio of psychopaths: Frank and Claire Underwood; and their attack dog Chief of Staff, the bootlicking Doug Stemper; and surrounds… Continue reading I’ve reached Peak Underwood
Quantum Night, by Robert J. Sawyer comes with a full freight of compelling ideas, one after another, and an intriguing set of twists and reveals. Excellent reading. Robert J. Sawyers always make me think, and in this novel, Mr. Sawyer deploys a modified narrative style to convey a densely-packed series of ideas. He's cut down… Continue reading Quantum Night, by Robert J. Sawyer – Book review
There's a mod for Fallout 4 PC version that makes children in the game killable, in case you want to, you know, kill kids. By default they're not mortal. Once of the reasons this exists, according to an article on Kotaku is to increase the immersive factor in the game. Immersiveness. That's a weird hill… Continue reading A weird stand on immersiveness in Fallout 4
An excerpt from a short story I'm working on, just under the wire for Halloween: He started in bed with the call half heard from sleep, and from instinct he was half out of bed. Again, a little girl’s drawn out and plaintive cry. “Daddy.” Fully awake now he froze. She was dead. Buried in… Continue reading Halloween Short Story
There's too much hype in the world. But Joe Posnanski and Michael Schur explain why Game 5 of Rangers-Blue Jays was a game NOBODY HAS EVER SEEN BEFORE. Source: Flipping out | NBC SportsWorld
Dispatches from Obscurity 