Let’s Talk About: Ad Astra
-Ad Astra is a sci-fi epic set in the near future. It stars Brad Pitt as Roy McBride, an astronaut who voyages to the farthest reaches of the solar system in search of his father, Clifford (Tommy Lee Jones), who vanished sixteen years earlier and is now thought to be responsible for a series of catastrophic energy surges on Earth. Our editors share their reactions.
Parallel Worlds Podcast Issue 2
-In this issue: Netflix’s Dark, Dragonslayer, original fiction, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Worldcon, Star Wars: Outer Rim, Kickstarter Roundup, global government, Star Trek, roleplaying games, World of Warcraft, Half-Life, Magicka, and more. 00:00:18 – Editorial 00:02:26 – Interview: Adrian Tchaikovsky 00:08:38 – Review: Star Wars Outer Rim 00:13:20 – Box half full: why Dungeons & Dragons is so popular 00:25:14 – Mini of the month: Uthred Steelmantle 00:28:08 – Ruling the world 00:38:21 – Version control: which editions should you play? 00:50:50 – Original fiction: Beneath the Waystation 01:04:41 – Destiny 2: being five years late to the party 01:21:21 – Beyond…
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Box Half Full — Why D&D is so revered and popular
-In the first issue of this publication, we made the case that Dungeons & Dragons is overly combat-focused, and ought to become less combat-heavy. This month, we present another perspective on the world’s most famous tabletop roleplaying game.
Keeping Trek – Part 1
-Rubber ears, communicators that look like flip phones, and a familiar spaceship chassis with a forward saucer section and two rear nacelles — Star Trek has some of science fiction’s most recognisable hallmarks. To the uninitiated, Trek can seem like the older, nerdier cousin of Star Wars, and the two franchises are often in competition for the same audience. Fans of Trek are often derisively labeled ‘Trekkies,’ a pejorative they have accepted and turned into a rallying cry. Once you understand the full context and vision of Star Trek, however, it’s clear that the world of Vulcans, phasers, and Starfleet is a truly unique and divergent universe.
Kickstarter Roundup: October 2019
-We have a great selection of successful Kickstarters to recap this month. All these projects have been successfully funded and will be available to buy soon! BattleTech: Clan Invasion BattleTech is a board game set in the 31st century, in which war rages across the galaxy and empires clash in epic combat. 30 foot-tall epic humanoid mechanized titans, bristling with weaponry, fight for power and the glory of their Empire. Originally created over 35 years ago, it’s been a favourite board game of mine from the start. I love the way that the mechs have damage sheets which target…
Beneath The Waystation
-Akkaia is not a forgiving world. The equator is marred by a sheen of dead off-white, a great plain of salt from an ocean boiled into nothingness. The poles are heavily forested with thick, calamitous jungles, and everything between those two extremes is red, unyielding rock and dry yellow grass. Water would be worth more than gold, if Akkaians gave a damn about yellow lead. Skips Luke was the exception to that rule. Wiry and silver-haired, he crouched behind the lip of an outcrop,…
