Two Doors

Two for Halloween

More than perhaps any other time of year, Halloween is a good time to set aside the passing troubles of the day and pause to contemplate eternity. After all, it's where we're all spending the rest of our existence, whether we want to or not. Since worldly events are extra…
October 31, 20238 Comments
HollywoodInToto

Hollywood In Toto

The Neopatronage concept has been making waves lately. Thanks in large part to a number of high-profile crowdfunders that have buried the needle in newpub circles. Despite the 33% stagflation that's beset most Americans and the mid-October slump that plagues all crowdfunding campaigns, independent creators are finding patrons to back…
October 30, 20234 Comments
God's Word

Heathens Know Best

Or so they still keep insisting to Christians when it comes to the Bible. The character of the smug atheist who can quote Scripture chapter and verse better than Christian rubes from central casting is a shopworn oldpub cliché. Neither the fact that it's a dead meme nor that it's…
October 27, 20239 Comments
Fantasy Genre Setting

Genre vs Setting

Friend of the blog author David V. Stewart's recent stream on speculative fiction settings uncovered a curious phenomenon. It seems a lot of people, even some new authors, have trouble telling the difference between genre vs setting in speculative fiction. It's a worthwhile stream, covering a range of topics from…
October 26, 20232 Comments
Cracker Island

Cracker Island

One of my chief guilty pleasures when it comes to music is the virtual band Gorillaz. Known for their distinctive blend of electronic, hip-hop, and alternative sounds, the live-animated collab led by Blur frontman Damon Albarn caused a sensation when they burst onto the scene at the turn of the…
October 25, 202312 Comments
APC Bones

Bones for Days

Here in Current Year +N, it's hard to remember that Afghanistan wasn't always the preferred destination for soft serve ice cream, bumper car rides, and plucky British vloggers. If you're a member of Generation Y, your young adulthood was dominated by the Global War on Terror. Perhaps you even served…
October 24, 2023
The Bravest Cry, Boris Tošić

Hear “The Bravest Cry”

You demanded it, now it's here! The Burned Book original theme song, "The Bravest Cry" by pro composer Boris Tošić, is now available! This, the first-ever original song produced for one of my books, is a major milestone in our crowdfunding efforts. And you get to hear for yourself. Listen…
October 23, 20234 Comments
Amaranth Angels

Neopatronage Ascendant

Big news broke in the indie comics world this week as the upcoming manga Amaranth Angels met its ambitious funding goal. The brainchild of Ascendant Fiction writer Yakov Merkin and artist Philip San Gaspar, this sci fi adventure features all you could ever want ... Cute girls in space. Watch…
October 20, 20234 Comments
Writing Spiral

Escape the Writing Spiral

Look around the pop culture moonscape, and you'll notice that former titans of entertainment like Lost and A Game of Thrones have become bywords and lolcows - grim warnings to writers about the price of failing to deliver. Everybody says that these shows disappointed viewers because their storylines devolved into…
October 19, 2023
Actraiser

ActRaiser

The onset of fall has made me inclined to nostalgia in recent years. It could be the turning of the leaves serving as memento mori, or Western civilization's accelerating slide over the brink. Either way, this time of year gives me the itch to play classic games. And few games…
October 18, 202315 Comments