The Micro-nomicon

#nopolitics This is a puppy. He does not give a f$&k about communism or capitalism or any ism, he likes to eat…

indiegogo.com/en/projects/au… What I’m learning from an IndieGoGo failing audiobook campaign (with three days left). 1. Never start a campaign during a mercury retrograde period. 2. Scams. I had people pledging thousands of dollars and pulling the deposits days later—all scammers. IndieGoGo doesn’t police or enforce this. My emails were flooded with solicitations. 3. Crowdfunding is really just pre-sales for those that have the following. I don’t. 4. I did everything myself so I’m not a creator, I’m a crowdfund manager. Take gun; insert in mouth. 5. I’m too old to create media and manage a campaign. I like the idea of making videos but the process had to be pieced out and I hate Fiver and Upstart (Upset).

Because The Thing

Do you have ANY idea what these guys had to put themselves through to look like this? But no, being asked to suck your gut in for a few seconds was clearly far worse.

This just in 🚨[breaking] Every time I post one of these I receive a community note telling me it’s total bullshit. A community note to the community note: I don’t post these because I believe they are true, I post them as ideas for writing fiction and ttrpg scenarios. Thank you

Red Sun (1971)

Known for its over-the-top violent action dark humor and classic 90s military sci-fi vibe Battlelords of the 23rd Century is a military science fiction tabletop RPG first released in 1990 by Optimus Design Systems and designed by Lawrence R. Sims. Its newest tagline is Roleplaying in a Galaxy at War. The setting is a gritty war-torn universe in the year 2279 where megacorporations control everything. Players take on the role of over-equipped under-trained expendable corporate mercenaries misfits soldiers or spies fighting in endless corporate conflicts alien invasions and galactic wars. It features dozens of unique alien races powerful weapons advanced armor psionics and high-lethality combat with frequent severe injuries and death. The game uses a d100-based system in earlier editions while the current 7th edition Revised Edition from 2019 uses the X150 system. Character creation is detailed with lots of options for species skills equipment and backgrounds. The core book is self-contained and includes extensive setting lore timelines vehicles and gear. The latest edition is a full-color hardcover over 500 pages available in print and PDF from 23rd Century Productions. There is also a Savage Worlds adaptation for those who prefer that ruleset. It is known for its over-the-top violent action dark humor and classic 90s military sci-fi vibe with a huge universe perfect for campaigns involving corporate intrigue espionage and brutal frontline combat. Great if you like Warhammer 40k style grimdark but with more corporate satire and alien weirdness.

The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks by Max Brooks, illustrated by Ibraim Roberson. It's the graphic novel version that brings the historical zombie attacks from the original survival guide to life in brutal black-and-white art. Samurai zombies, modern outbreaks, ancient horrors — all in one wild ride. Perfect quick read for any zombie fan. Highly recommend if you loved World War Z or the first Zombie Survival Guide. Who's adding this to their shelf?

Remember this? It’s free (4th and 5th edition) Talislanta is a fantasy TTRPG first released in 1987 by Bard Games, created by Stephen Michael Sechi. It is famous for its tagline Still No Elves and its wildly original alien high fantasy setting on the continent of Talislanta on the planet Archaeus. The world feels like a strange mix of swords and sorcery, Marco Polo travelogues, Arabian Nights, and post-apocalyptic weirdness after a magical disaster centuries ago. It has dozens of unique races and cultures like lizardfolk, bird people, hyper-intelligent snails, mutants, and warrior races, with no standard Tolkien-style elves, dwarves, or orcs. Magic is common, and the tech level mixes medieval with bizarre technomagical elements like windships and automatons. Gameplay uses a simple d20-based Action Table for all resolutions (combat, skills, magic). Character creation often relies on ready-made archetypes combining race and class-like roles, with over 100 available in recent editions. Older editions (especially 4th and 5th) are available for free on the official site talislanta.com under Creative Commons. The latest is the Epic Edition (6th edition, 2024) from Everything Epic, with stunning full-color art in big books covering the Player's Guide, Atlas/GM Guide, and Bestiary. There is also a separate 5E conversion guide for those who prefer D&D 5th Edition rules. It is known for rich world-building, exotic adventures, and a refreshing break from generic fantasy tropes. Perfect if you want something truly different.

Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee at the Colosseum in Rome, 1972.

It does work like a muscle.

Ray Bradbury

Vincent Giarrano - “Morning Light”

Stephen Hickman (My favorite portrayal of Cthulhu)

Time for some 1e DnD at GaryCon! Oh yeah!