Category: Conventions

The Ship of Ishtar

Look, The Ship of Ishtar is an unusual book. There’s no question of that. It dispenses with traditional tropes.  A. Merritt does not tread familiar fantasy paths. He picks his own unexpected tangent and proceeds pellmell along it. The pocket universe he creates and its rules appear initially quite strange and arbitrary. But in context… Continue reading The Ship of Ishtar

Part III of a Review of “A Treasury of Fantasy.” (REH Has Entered the Chat.)

Following is my review of the last half of A Treasury of Fantasy. Part I is here. Part II here. The Wood Beyond the World. William Morris. This is not my first Morris novel, though it is, perhaps, my favorite thus far. Morris continues to employ deliberately archaic language, as one might expect. I still… Continue reading Part III of a Review of “A Treasury of Fantasy.” (REH Has Entered the Chat.)

Quick Hits: Killer and Expendables 1 — The Deathworms of Kratos

The pseudonymous Richard Avery’s The Expendables 1: The Deathworms of Kratos is decidedly an artifact of the ’70s. It is fast, fun science-fiction, replete with action, off-page sex, and a Dirty Dozen-esque cast. These last, the eponymous Expendables, are tasked with determining (“proving”) whether or not worlds light years distant from Earth are safe for… Continue reading Quick Hits: Killer and Expendables 1 — The Deathworms of Kratos

The Dice Have Been Cast. NTRPG 2024 in the Rearview Mirror.

The fifth and final day of the North Texas RPG Convention is here. I’m packed and ready to hit the road. It is hard to believe that most of a week can pass seemingly so swiftly. But there you have it. I restricted myself to purchasing only three books in the dealers’ room, an exercise… Continue reading The Dice Have Been Cast. NTRPG 2024 in the Rearview Mirror.

Convention Weekend and the Thief of Time.

I am in Lebanon, Tennessee this weekend, about twenty minutes outside of Nashville, for a small convention. This is my second appearance here. I had to back out last year, but was happy to make it back to Mike Williamson’s annual gabfest and booze-a-thon. Sarah Hoyt served as Guest of Honor. It was nice to… Continue reading Convention Weekend and the Thief of Time.

North Texas RPG Con 2023. Plus Savage Journal Entry 46.

This will be a short post, as I am weary. I have just returned from a long weekend spent in a hotel near the Dallas/Fort Worth airport where I joined 500 or so like-minded individuals playing games. The North Texas RPG Con was my first gaming convention. I’m minded to return next year. I had… Continue reading North Texas RPG Con 2023. Plus Savage Journal Entry 46.

Howard Days 2023. Plus Savage Journal Entry 41.

I made the Hajj, the Pilgrimage, to Cross Plains, Texas this weekend to visit the Robert E. Howard museum. Not coincidentally, it was also the weekend of the 2023 edition of Howard Days. I am, to be blunt, tired. It is only a five hour drive from Casa Lizzi, which is why I had no… Continue reading Howard Days 2023. Plus Savage Journal Entry 41.

Extended D&D Hiatus. Plus Savage Journal Entry 38.

It has been some years since I’ve played a game of Dungeons and Dragons. The Wuhan Whammy is probably the primary culprit. For some reason, no one other than the DM was willing to meet for a game. The move last summer halfway across the country likely extended the interruption. In the grand scheme this… Continue reading Extended D&D Hiatus. Plus Savage Journal Entry 38.