Originally posted on 4/21/2008 by FlippantMoniker about the Playing for Keeps podcast(which is why the original cover is still here).  Repost value - it’s Mighty Monday, there’s no better reason than that.

Well, now I’d like to yammer a bit about Mur Lafferty’s Playing For Keeps.

Fantastic!!

This novel is set in a very recognizable future, where a small fraction of the population has developed super powers. There are the usual players: Heroes, Villains, Police.. But there are also those people who’ve developed.. Hmm.. let’s not call them “powers”. Let’s call them.. special quirks. There’s a chick who will never drop her bar tray. There’s a dude who shoots poop out of his hands. Ooh ooh, and a guy who has ultimate, unquestioned power and control.. over elevators. And then there’s our heroine: Keepsie. Her special power: nothing belonging to her can be stolen.

The story is comfortable and easy to follow. Mur’s performance and writing are really, just delightful. She’s got some teeth, and characters to buy the farm, but it’s not a slaughter fest, which I appreciated. Ooh ooh! And another thing I loved.. Occasionally things would come up in the story, and I’m all like “Wait a minute.. That’s not right because of X Y and Z!!” Then, come to find out, I was right. It’s fun, it’s well put together, and I cared about the characters. Brava! Brava!

I feel a little compelled to say at least something negative, I mean, this isn’t much of an exercise in critique if all I do is gush, right? Hmm, Well, okay, in the beginning, it’s a little hard to keep track of the heroes and their powers. Or, well, the Pseudoheroes. Everyone is very normal, very average (and I think that’s the point) but, I found myself in a couple places wishing I’d kept a list. This levels out though.

Okay, the next thing is not a complaint, so much as a “I hope in the second book she…” statement. Next time, I’d like more in depth exploration of the would be heroes’ powers. We got a great look at them in this book, but if there is a sequel and series to follow (hope hope beg plead hope) then that is one thing I’d like to see more of, How the powers feel to use, how they become instinctive- second nature.. Stuff like that.

Again, we got a great look at that in Playing For Keeps, but I’d like to see even more in the next one.

Seriously, scroll through the entries here, cause there’s a vblog story that’s a lot of fun! And there’s merchandising! That means you can go buy stuff. So, naturally, I compell you. Compelllll compellllll!(Not gonna say it’s adult, compared to other stuff, but there is some violence, some death and some kinda graphic stuff. If you’re SUPER squeamish, maybe have someone screen the “eeeew” bits for you )

Originally published: 2/29/2008
Repost Value: Please note that you can order Playing for Keeps in novel form from Amazon.com on August 25th.  Click the banner in “You Gotta See This” for more information.

What do you get when you mix super villains with corrupt heroes and a smattering of worthless wannabes? You get Seventh City and the world of Playing for Keeps that’s what.

What good is having a talent that prevents people from stealing from you? Is being able to lug around a bar tray actually worth anything? And whoever heard of knowing something about another person by scent?

Apparently the Grand Dame of speculative podcast fiction, Mur Lafferty, thought those were interesting powers considering she wrote about them. As the author of Playing for Keeps, Mur has once again grabbed her fans by the neck and pulled them into her world. Immersion into Seventh City is so complete that by the time it’s over you want to wail and scream for more, so very much more.

In Playing for Keeps, we follow Keepsie, who’s superpower is that she can’t be stolen from, as she is harried by hero and villain alike. In just a handful of her days we’re kidnapped by Doodad, aggravated by White Lightning, and just plan harassed by the leader of the Super Hero Academy, Dr. Timson. Poor Keepsie has to deal with all of that just in the first few hours of her day.

As she and the rest of her friends find out that the heroes are just as nasty, and maybe even worse, than the villains, it’s time to decide who they want to help in the battle for Seventh City. Either way they could lose the battle and their own lives in this harrowing adventure.

That’s just the battle for the city itself, intermixed with all of this is where the heroes even came from. What’s the difference is between First Wave, Third Wave and Hero and why this close knit group that frequents Keepsie’s Bar was rejected by the Academy to begin with.

Action and adventure with just a smidgen of mystery will hook you at the navel and tug you deeper into the world of Playing for Keeps. Go take a listen at the Playing for Keeps homepage.

Strap yourselves in; it’s a wild ride, and perfect for wasting time with.

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Originally Posted: 4/3/2008
Repost Value: I’m slipping this one back into the stream today because Con-season is in full swing.  The New Media Expo is in Vegas this weekend.  ArmadilloCon is here in Austin, with John Scalzi as the guest of honor (of course, I’m FLAT broke and can’t go), and DragonCon is approaching faster than a ..er .. well.. fire-breathing dragon.  So, just a polite reminder, worship only when asked to.  And Mur seems to accept pie in form of worship. =D  To those of you attending conventions, we hope you have fun.

Is meeting people you enjoy the works of considered time well wasted? Considering I spent roughly ten minutes of time with two people at DragonCon last year and didn’t know them from Adam at the time except by name, I would say yes.

I had come by the Dragon Moon Press booth in the dealer’s hall because Jenn bought me a copy of Legacy of Morevi and I wanted Morevi. Tee Morris wasn’t there the first time, so Nick (FlippantMoniker) and I shopped around and then came back (with a giant stuffed boar in tow). Low and behold, there was Tee, whom I knew of because of Jenn, and some cadaverous male that I had no idea who was until Tee said his name. It turned out to be the Future Dark Overlord, Scott Sigler.

So, how do I act around these people? Jenn had gushed about how wonderful Tee Morris’ Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy and Billibub Baddings were and how much I would like Scott Sigler’s The Rookie. I wasn’t doing the podcast stuff at this time, hadn’t listened to anything they’d done, but I knew WHO they were, and that was enough to impress me.

What impressed me more is that I admitted to not knowing who they were by their works and they didn’t seem to care! They encouraged me to read their stuff, yes, but it didn’t change the way they treated Nick or me. Could be because we admitted to being the Brewmistress’ quality inspectors and they did seem to remember her beer, but I don’t know. They were exceptionally nice to both of us and it was in those moments that I decided… “Ok, when I get home, I’m gonna listen to the Rookie and to Billibub Baddings.”

Do they remember this? Probably not. Doesn’t matter. What matters is that in the span of ten minutes, they gained a listener who became a pimping junky fan of both of them because they were nice to me. I treated them both like average Joes off the street, didn’t fawn all of them just because I knew the names, and had a short discussion with them. Nick and I bought our books, had them signed by Tee, said our farewells and went on our way. A memorable moment for us, simply by the courtesy we’d received from them, that turned out to be time very well wasted, and all because we’d doubled back.

Etiquette and courtesy seem to be the hot topic among the writers and podcasters lately. John Scalzi has already blogged about it (read it, there’s good advice here), Mur Lafferty mentioned it yesterday on Twitter, and with convention season in full roar it seems to be a good topic for discussion.

My advice as a fan, just because you know who these people and you enjoy their works, doesn’t give you the right to expect favors from them. Treat them with respect and kindness and you’ll likely be treated the same way. Requests and demands are two different things and on a personal note, they owe us nothing. The podcasters especially, as they GIVE us their work already. Treat them like people, not gods, unless they’ve made it clear that worship is desired and expected.

Make those five or ten minutes you have to buy a book, collect an autograph and say hello all the more memorable by being polite and the time wasted would be well spent.

Elizabethan England is one of my favorite times to read about and when Philippa Ballantine mixes it with the world of the Fae you get a captivating story. With main characters such as William Shakespeare, Puck and The Dark Goddess Sive you’re promised a good story, and the story delivers. The weaving of the tale, of the worlds, and Shakespeare’s interaction in both, makes me wonder if A Midsummer Night’s Dream would have been better as A Midsummer’s Nightmare.

I can genuinely say that Chasing the Bard is a splendid story, the worlds and characters are both well researched and well developed. Philippa displays a personal level of pleasure regarding the Bard in her writing, it breaths a certain fascination of Shakespeare from the pages when he’s on the scene. All the characters are so well created that you are left wondering who the real main character is, or is there a focus on a single character at all. Either way, the story works.

Having finished the book I found myself surprised. I love the story, I enjoy the characters, but I liked the villain, Mordant, more than I liked Sive. Pointedly, while I enjoyed Sive, I actually detested her. I found her to be a completely unlikable character with few redeeming qualities until you reach the last pages of the novel. To me she came off as self-centered and willing to stop at nothing to get just what she wanted, no matter who she had to use and run over to get it. This is not usually the case for me, I usually love the main characters.

That didn’t make the novel any less enjoyable. The other characters make up for Sive’s shortcomings by far. Eventually, as I said, she does become redeemable, but that doesn’t mean I liked her any better. That could easily have to do with my own favoritism toward Puck, so don’t judge the character simply by what I have to say about her. Try it out for yourself.

For the plot itself, as you know, I always feel that a blurb can speak better than I can, and this way I avoid spoiling an element as well:

Born into the human world with a gift; a gift that brings him to the attention of powers both dark and light from the World of the Fey, it is his burden to defend all the world.

Sive, the goddess of battle, hopes that he may be able to change the fate of her people.The Fey are dying, killed by something beyond the boundaries of worlds, and Sive will do anything to save them. So she enlists the help of her trickster cousin Puck to guard the child, and watch him grow into his gift. But a dark power imprisoned by human and Fey, plots to destroy both worlds, and unmake all that they have created.

Can one boy stop the destruction, even if he is William Shakespeare?

Currently Philippa is releasing the story via podcast in weekly episodes. We’re currently up to episode seven and it’s worth listening to. She’s got an excellent cast, each one with a dreamy voice of their own. I do encourage people to check it out and enjoy the story. If you get hooked and can’t wait to see how it all ends you can pick up the book here and here.

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I am a HUGE fan of Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel series. Since having Jenn thrust Kushiel’s Dart into my hands I thought that I would never find a book or series that could surpass it in action and intrigue.

I was wrong.
Morevi, written by Lisa Lee and Tee Morris, surpasses the Kushiel series in both, and it has less pages. Though, that is just the humble opinion of this amateur blogger. I think my hands were glued to the book when I picked it up and I finally pulled myself loose upon reaching chapter 5 because I knew I would be up overnight reading had I not.

Admittedly I’ve been guilty of having this book in my possession, autographed even, and hadn’t cracked the book since Tee Morris signed and stamped it at DragonCon 2007. Since that time I’ve listened to Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword and listened to a few of Tee’s Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy podcasts, but the book hadn’t even been unpacked yet.

Now I can’t wait to get into the sequel, even though Jenn swears I’ll be throwing it… I’ll probably owe her another dinner.

Enough blather…

Morevi is an excellent blending of a fantasy world and Henry VIIIth’s England. Rich in the storytelling and ripe with adventure with well researched history and character names. The landscaping of the story is vivid enough it word that it takes no time for the imagination to supply not only the characters but the places with imagery.

And let’s admit it; it’s ripe with ideas for role-playing games and recipes.

Let the novel speak for itself however:

Across a mysterious rift in the space-time continuum exists a world called Naruihm. In this world is a realm called Morevi, a landlocked kingdom ruled by Askana Moldarin, crowned “First Queen” following a swift and bloody rise to the Throne of a Thousand Suns. Yet hidden traitors are already at work to destroy everything that she has won.

Enter Rafe Rafton, privateer captain of the Defiant. Arrogant. Overconfident. Dangerous and cunning enough to pillage the Queen’s own ships and survive. As a man, he is the embodiment of everything she has fought against, and the perfect instrument in a last desperate bid to save her kingdom.

With the sum agreed upon, Rafe and Askana embark on an epic adventure spanning the kingdoms of Naruihm and King Henry VIII’s England. Two souls, drawn together in the battle for a kingdom.

Get it. Read it. Love it. It’s an excellent source for wasting time.

If you’re like me, poor as a church mouse comes to mind, and if that’s the case try catching the Morevi podcast if you can’t afford the novel just yet.

Rating:

Original Post Date - 23 Feb 2007

Directed by Ridley Scott
Starting Tom Cruise, Mia Sara and Tim Curry
Released in 1986

What is the draw to this film that keeps me coming back to it? The incomparable proof that unicorns are real and Hollywood keeps them for themselves? The outrageously handsome Tom Cruise wearing skin tight clothes (and armor) for the whole of the film?

Uh uh baby. Tim Curry as Darkness. Man makes Evil sexy.

Legend is the quintessential high fantasy film. You have light verses darkness, elves, fairies and unicorns, the simpering royal princess and her crush, the woodland raised boy, and most importantly the one vile deed that changes everything in the blink of an eye.

I originally saw this film when I was eight or nine. Didn’t understand half the complications going on, only fell in love with handsome Jack and those ultra realistic unicorns. Darkness terrified me as a kid. I only cared for the righteous defeat of evil by the powers of good that were wielded by Jack and his forest friends.

And there was one more thing that held my attention, almost more than the film. The soundtrack that was provided by Tangerine Dream (with some vocals by Yes’ Jon Anderson). The scene in Darkness’ home where he seduces Lily with the ebony gown is the scene I most remembered as a child. The seduction was lost on me, but the music and dress burned themselves into my memory.

But as I grew older and continued to watch the movie I was left unsatisfied. I began to understand the implications of what would happen if Darkness won, but Lily’s “change” from light to dark left me wanting more. The whole thing just started to feel unfinished.

Then I got my greedy hands on the “Ultimate” version of Legend and found the British release of the film. You know - the one with exquisite Jerry Goldsmith’s score.

I don’t think I’ve watched the American version since. The UK release of Legend is what the story should have been to begin with. The rock and roll score is gone, replaced with the lilting and haunting melodies that underscore and finish the scenes. Lily is no longer a simple, pampered and simpering princess; you actually get a feel for her as becoming truly evil instead of fakery when she’s dealing with Darkness. Jack’s role didn’t scream pure naivety anymore, he actually comes off as clever in many scenes and you lose the feeling that he’s an expert with the new sword and shield as soon as he has to use them. And Darkness….

Well, let’s just say I wasn’t terrified of him anymore. You get an understanding of Darkness that was lacking before. There’s times, even knowing how it ends, you want to cheer for him. You get an introduction that was missing and helps complete the film and you get an ending that isn’t the predictable Hollywood drivel.

I’m not saying that this film would be any easier for a child to understand, but here it is complete. And at least with the Ultimate edition you get both versions, just in case you still have a weakness to see a dancing black dress moving to a nice rock n’ roll score.

And no matter what version you watch, you just can’t resist the appearance of Voyager’s Doctor, Robert Picardo as Meg Mucklebones.

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