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ffutures ([personal profile] ffutures) wrote2025-07-21 07:45 pm
Entry tags:

A Mysterious Map That is Mysterious

At some point in the last few years I printed out someone's parody of the BIG space sector hex map for an SFRPG, split up into various regions. For example, it has "Catgirl Empire" near the top middle, "Sufficiently Advanced Aliens Who Give Zero Fucks" near bottom right, "Space Vikings" next to "Psychic Space Communists" at bottom middle, and "Megacorps" above "Retro Space Feudalism" on the left. A big starfish-shaped central region is "Diverse Alliance of Nice Guys". Unfortunately I have a printout on A4 paper but it's a bit tatty, I don't know where it comes from, and I think I'd like to see if there's a BIG version of it I can print out on a couple of sheets of A3 the next time I rev up my old inkjet printer.

Does this ring any bells with anyone?
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ffutures ([personal profile] ffutures) wrote2025-07-21 07:33 pm
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Another Day, Another Repeat Bundle - Advanced Adventures Megabundle

This is a repeat of a 2023 offer - Advanced Adventures Megabundle featuring 43 Old School dungeon crawls
from Expeditious Retreat Press.

 https://bundleofholding.com/presents/2025AAMega



Last time I said "As I seem to be saying a lot lately, this is not my preferred style of play, but it's probably worth a look if you like dungeon-bashing adventures."  Don't see any reason to change that.
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james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-07-21 08:52 am
Entry tags:

Clarke Award Finalists 2006

2006: J. Richard Gott III’s methodology suggests 80-year-old Queen Elizabeth will live until somewhere between 2032 and 2066, a European heatwave sets a record that will surely stand in perpetuity, and Profumo’s demise at an advanced age reminds Britons of the dire consequences for politicians of scandal… nil.

Poll #33385 Clarke Award Finalists 2006
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 43


Which 2006 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?

View Answers

Air by Geoff Ryman
14 (32.6%)

Accelerando by Charles Stross
29 (67.4%)

Banner of Souls by Liz Williams
9 (20.9%)

Learning the World by Ken MacLeod
14 (32.6%)

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
8 (18.6%)

Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds
8 (18.6%)



Bold for have read, italic for intend to read,, underline for never heard of it.

Which 2006 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?
Air by Geoff Ryman
Accelerando by Charles Stross
Banner of Souls by Liz Williams
Learning the World by Ken MacLeod
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds
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james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-07-20 01:48 pm
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james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-07-20 08:52 am

Basilisk edited by Ellen Kushner



An assortment of disco-era fantasy stories.

Basilisk edited by Ellen Kushner
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james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-07-19 08:53 am
Entry tags:

Books Received, July 12 — July 19



Four works new to me. three novels, one TTRPG supplement. Two appear to be fantasy, one SF, and one is a mystery (by an author famous for their fantasy). Two appear to be stand-alone and two are series.

Books Received, July 12 — July 19



Poll #33375 Books Received, July 12 — July 19
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 39


Which of these look interesting?

View Answers

The Bloody and the Damned by Becca Coffindaffer (April 2026)
12 (30.8%)

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Sea Wardens of Cothique by Dave Allen, Dominic McDowall, Michael Duxbury, Jude Hornborg, Naomi Hunter, Steven Lewis, Simon Wileman, et al (4th Quarter, 2025)
1 (2.6%)

Boy, With Accidental Dinosaur by Ian McDonald (February 2026)
18 (46.2%)

Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin by Nancy Springer (February 2026)
11 (28.2%)

Some other option (see comments)
0 (0.0%)

Cats!
28 (71.8%)

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james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-07-18 10:03 am
Entry tags:

Checking in on Our Old Friend, Barnard’s Star



In case you've been waiting for an update for the last seven years...

Checking in on Our Old Friend, Barnard’s Star
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james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-07-18 09:05 am

Club Contango (Tracerverse, volume 2) by Eliane Boey



Terrible life choices gave Connie Lam a mountain of debt. The most recent poor decision left her as the lead suspect in a murder case.

Club Contango (Tracerverse, volume 2) by Eliane Boey
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james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-07-17 09:32 am
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james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-07-17 08:55 am

Unwillingly to Earth by Pauline Ashwell



A teenager's social engineering skills are harnessed for good.

Unwillingly to Earth by Pauline Ashwell
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ffutures ([personal profile] ffutures) wrote2025-07-17 06:12 am
Entry tags:

Another Fantasy Bundle - Battlezoo

This is an offer for the Battlezoo Bundle, featuring Fifth Edition monsters and monster hunters from Roll for Combat. This offer helps Roll for Combat as it deals with the creditors of bankrupt Diamond Comic Distributors, who have seized many publishers' unsold stock.

 https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Battlezoo



This isn't really my sort of thing, since I don't play any relevant system, but it does suggest an often overlooked twist on fantasy monsters for anyone who needs it - hunting them down for potions ingredients and magical raw materials, rather than killing them to get past them and find treasure. Of course this probably pushes the species towards extinction, but maybe someone will write up a gamekeeper / conservation organization for this, or something like PETA or the RSPCA working to see monsters killed humanely...
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james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-07-16 02:17 pm
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Bundle of Holding: Battlezoo



The Battlezoo Bundle presents the Battlezoo line of monsters and monster hunters from Roll for Combat for D&D 5E and compatible tabletop roleplaying systems, compiled from winning designs from the annual RPG Superstars competition.

Bundle of Holding: Battlezoo
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james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-07-16 08:57 am

Red Sword by Bora Chung (Translated by Anton Hur)



The only fate more glorious than dying for the uncaring empire is dying over and over for the uncaring empire.

Red Sword by Bora Chung (Translated by Anton Hur)
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james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2025-07-15 09:07 am
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A Maze of Stars by John Brunner



An intelligent ship crisscrosses space-time to track the progress of the colonies it established

A Maze of Stars by John Brunner