I am referring here mainly to sci-fi and fantasy related shows as these are the main ones that I watch, and ones that I see copious amounts of debate about on the Internet, and ones that have very vocal and loyal fanbases who disagree with the network’s decision to axe the show. Examples of such axed shows include The 4400, Firefly, Dollhouse, Legend of the Seeker, Flash Forward, Stargate:...
I like movies, but ever since November 2009 when LOVEFiLM started their dispute with Universal Studios I have not been able to rent any new Universal movies through their site. In the last few months, this has started to really annoy me as there are a growing number of movies I would like to watch but LOVEFiLM still is unable to offer. The dispute rumbles on and there is no word about whether it...
This post is made as an aid to research for the stories I write, and for anybody else seeking the information. I don't profess to write it first hand, but simply collate a summary for reference ...
Samhain – Hallowe’en 31 October; The Witch’s New Year Samhain is the Witches’ New Year. It is a time when the veils between the worlds are thin. This allows us to communicate with our loved ones who have passed on and our ancestors. We invite them to take part in our celebrations. Witches gather to celebrate the final harvest with family and friends. We leave out offerings...
A selection of dos and does nots.
Arriving at the party, and greeted by the macabre realisation that the host is secretly having his dog buried in the grounds, Alexandria wonders what other skeletons may be unearthed this evening. ⟸ Logline. Evening has drawn its inky velvet curtains across the tapestry of the day. Faint memories of once magnificent stars now dot the skies, keeping only the full moon as their guide in the...
Fear is one of the most primal instincts. It makes us tick. It even helps us stay alive. It cannot be avoided, but today's world tries to protect us from it, which leaves us in need of a fix once in a while.
To be blessed twice with such love as I once shared would ...
Darling Melisande, A hundred years have passed and I have fought in the Dark Wars beneath the circles of power which dot the lands of The Above world where you, my chosen Ember, live. The forces of the Nything were strong this century and we finally managed to drive them out of The Below world into the light of your world. They are a common foe and we suffered many losses. Fear not, for I am...
I am drum, Numb ...
Many (many) years ago, I discovered role-playing and Dungeons and Dragons in one of the after school clubs. It revealed a universe that allowed me to flex my storytelling muscles and enjoy a mixture of fantasy and sci-fi and feed the escapist dreamer inside.
Over time, I played (and story-led*) many systems including Call of Cthulhu*, Shadowrun, Dungeons & Dragons*, Middle Earth, In Nomine*, Bushido, Chivalry & Sorcery, Chill, Warhammer, Warhammer 40k, Gammaworld, Hawkmoon, Stormbringer, Immortals*, Marvel Super Heroes, Paranoia, RuneQuest, Vampire: The Masquerade*, and a couple of my own devising (Medieval* and Parody*).
I explored live-action role-playing – eventually running my own club and developing my own LARP systems (Fools Gold and Dream Conquest) – and usually found myself in script-writing or game-master duty, writing over 500 individual live adventures over the period, many linked into the world events of the fantasy land we created. I also volunteered for Curious Pastimes and Lorien Trust at their main LARP events (special effects at the Ritual Circle), and did a little script work, cameos and improv for Curious Pastimes. I was also the South East's Editor (UK) for the LARP magazine The Adventurer.
The rest, as they say, is history.