2/15/22: No Candy Hearts
TLDR
Update: nothing much
Playing: Werewolves (almost)
Reading: Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North
Watching: Pennyworth
Around the Internet: Interesting articles I’ve read since the last newsletter
End Notes: You can contact me at jadettman@gmail.com
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THE UPDATE
Not much happening this time around. Just running the weekly routine and looking forward to some warmer weather.
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PLAYING
Last Friday we started a new game that I’ve been working on. It uses the Genesys system, which is a generic-ized version of the FFG Star Wars RPG system. A while back, I thought it would be interesting to re-tool some of the World of Darkness games to use Genesys and now we’re going to try it out.
I started with werewolf, mainly because none of us had played it before. It’s going to be my take on that setting because, uh, let’s say that I have some concerns with the originals. I mean, I was going to throw in my own spin regardless; I didn’t need any excuses.
Anyway, we spent our first session making characters. Everyone is starting out as a non-werewolf with the plan for them to become werewolves as play progresses. It should be interesting. We’ve created a good mix of characters.
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READING
I enjoy (most of) the books of Claire North quite a bit. I wasn't sure, at first, but one of the students I worked with at the bookstore recommended The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August to me and I was on board.
Last night, I finished North's most recent book Notes from the Burning Age. It's good and, rather than just say that I enjoyed it, I will say that it made me think, in good ways, about what future generations will have to deal with when it comes to the consequences of what we are doing to our planet.
All of Claire North's books (that I have read) take place on Earth but they all have a magical touch. Something, large or small, that is strange about the world.
In Notes from the Burning Age, it is set in a far future in which we, the current we, so destroyed the environment that kaiju-like spirits called Kakuy rose up and almost stamped out humanity. The survivors have built themselves back up and reordered their society based on caring for the environment both for their own good but also so that the Kakuy don't reawaken.
But, are the Kakuy real or just a story told to keep humanity from following the same self-destructive path?
The story of Notes from the Burning Age isn't about the Kakuy, it's about people; who they are in that future world and what they do. There is a struggle and questions about what should be done to win that struggle. Costs and consequences.
I don't think I've spoiled anything. I liked it. Maybe you would too.
Notes from the Burning Age by Claire North | Hachette Book Group
“ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I’VE READ IN RECENT YEARS. THOUGHT PROVOKING, IMAGINATIVE AND PACKS A HELL OF AN EMOTIONAL PUNCH.” —Adrian Tcha…
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WATCHING
Last week I started watching Pennyworth, which is about Batman’s butler in his youth. I was not expecting much so I was surprised to find that it wasn’t awful. Aside from some unfortunate and gratuitous torture in the first two episodes, it’s actually pretty good. The lead actor oozes charisma and they’ve definitely got some good casting going on. If it weren’t for the obligatory inclusion of Batman’s dad, it could just be a slightly ahistorical action/intrigue show. Luckily, the third episode (fourth?) backed off on the torture and gave us some interesting developments, otherwise I would probably have quit. As it is, I’ll press on a little longer to see how it goes.
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AROUND THE INTERNET
Do you like SF/F? Do you belong to the Tor Book Club?
If the answer to the first question is yes, then the answer to the second should be too!
The Tor Book Club gives away ebooks on the regular and they are currently giving away three until 2/18!
https://ebookclub.tor.com
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END NOTES
If you'd like to send me some feedback or discuss one of the topics I've talked about here (or even a different topic), email me at jadettman@gmail.com
Also, if you know anyone that would be interested in the newsletter, please forward it along!