One Pill, Two Pill, Red Pill, Blue Pill
Well, with the new Matrix movie out (no spoilers at all, perfectly safe to continue), it’s time to revisit the red pill, blue pill debate.I’m going to consider it safe to talk about an aspect of the original, 22-year-old The Matrix here without ruining it for anyone....
Hear the Drums, Fear the Game
If you know Jumanji, you probably get chills just reading that drum beat. For those who don’t, Jumanji is a 1995 comedic adventure movie starring Robin Williams that was continued in 2017 and 2020 with a pair of sequels starring (among others) Dwayne Johnson. The...
Soldiers on Ice
Sometimes ideas come to us at the weirdest times. The middle of the night is all too common. In my house, we refer to a shower as "Brain Rain" for a reason. And plenty of times, I’ll be driving and ask my wife to text me a reminder of something that just popped into...
The Only Fun Pandemics
The two classic responses to crises are avoidance and action. If you don’t want to hear any more about rampant diseases and what to do about them, just close this email and go on about your day. However, if you feel like kicking some viral ass might brighten your...
In a Few Years, This Will Feel Normal
Once upon a time, there were games you played with rocks on a table. Then carved pieces on a table. Eventually, people developed little cardboard mats that allowed games to be played without having to carve up a whole new table for each. More recently, games ditched...
Choose Your Own Fantasy Race
After magic, the most defining feature of fantasy fiction is the inclusion of non-human races. While you CAN have a fantasy without them, the examples are few and far between. Most commonly, there are thinking, feeling creatures with societies of their own that aren’t...
Cowboy Bebop != Cowboy Bebop
Spoiler alert: Cowboy Bebop (Netflix and original animated versions)OK, so I’ve watched all of Cowboy Bebop, both the original and Netflix versions. I was an early viewer, so my opinions weren’t yet colored by the critical response to the series. Once I found out how...
Fun idea, wrong outlet
Time to dust another idea off from the old scrap heap and take a look at why it’s still there. Our latest autopsy subject: Master of the Clouds.What was it? In short, an anime-inspired elemental swordmaster story, set in a nebulously non-Earth setting reminiscent of...
An RPG you have time to play
Sleeping Gods is a different sort of RPG. Or board game. Or both. See, this is where it gets a little hybridy. It’s a board game with a map book, storybook, character placards, beautifully-illustrated encounter and monster cards, and XP that carries over between...
The Rosie / Terminator Continuum
Imagine a future where you wake up to a freshly brewed coffee and the morning news, provided by your personal robotic assistant. You dodge deftly aside as another robot cleans your floors, already started on the daily household chores; it would have avoided you, but...