A quick one, as I’m trying to get two biggish projects out the door before next week.

The Dungeon Book is out on August 11th!

Or possibly sooner, if your local bookstore has a somewhat cavalier attitude towards release dates. I’ve no idea if preorders still matter at this point, but I do know that ‘just walking into a shop and buying the damn’d thing’ will always count for something.

An irritating blot on the release - the events in Forbidden Planet and Waterstones Liverpool have been cancelled. The latter, to be fair, was up against once-in-a-decade celestial event, and the celestial event wasn’t charging for tickets. I have chosen not to dwell on such things - but if you did buy a ticket to either event, please let me know and I’ll send a token of appreciation for your support.

There will be a signing here in Cork on August 22nd in Waterstones, and I’m down a reddit /fantasy AMA on the 14th.

I was on a panel at TBR con about “what’s the difference between magic and superpowers”, which basically concluded “uhh… vibes?”

Not out but destined to come out - Merryshire Detective Club, which has ambled past its crowdfunding goal. At the time of writing I’m arguing with Robin about synonyms for Nosiness, and debating whether Barging In is a hill I’m willing to, if not die on, then at least hold for a few minutes before retreating to the redoubt of Prying and Meddling.

Also coming to crowdfunding before two long are two more projects I had a hand in. For The One Ring Roleplaying Game, the Gondor/Rohan sourcebook I mentioned last month is being bundled with a Bestiary and a new edition of the Core Rules, and they’ll all be up on Backerkit at the end of September. You can, in some arcane way, pay a buck now for a branded dice bag. https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/free-league-publishing/the-one-ring-rpg-bestiary-gondor-campaign-updated-rules

(On the topic of Tolkien, I had a lovely chat with Josh “Rise Up Comus” McCrowell about gaming in Middle-earth, facilitated by Ben Riggs.

https://readingdndaloud.libsyn.com/how-dangerous-is-middle-earth-a-conversation-with-gareth-ryder-hanrahan-josh-mccrowell-ep-110 )

Furthermore, The Prophet of the Pyre, the giant campaign I wrote for 13th Age long long ago, has escaped the toils of editing and will crowdfund in the next few weeks, along with another Bestiary. Sign up here for updates: https://pelgranepress.com/13th-age-second-edition/13th-age-prophet-of-the-pyre-and-iconic-adversaries/

New Bobby Fingers video! Is good. You watch.

Project Roundup!

BREAKING GED: The current novel! Off to the editor!

MERRYSHIRE DETECTIVE CLUB: Still one Dreadful Hare scenario to finish, and then all the extra content from the crowdfunded.

FISH STEW: Nearly done, at least in draft. Initial feedback is mostly positive.

TERRAFORMING MARS: Waiting on feedback.

DIE: METADUNGEON: Up next after..

TUNNELS & TROLLS: Rising from the depths, Caverns of the Petrified Throne. I started this last night, wrote an intro I was really happy with, then a power cut killed my unsaved word doc. It was only 300 words or so, but they were good words. Ah well. They’ll come back.

Edit: Ha! They came back when I found there was a ‘recover missing files’ dialogue box hiding behind a random window.

Currently Watching: Somewhat late to the party, I finally watched Tenet. Gah, what a borderline movie. I think it’s almost good, but to tip it over the edge would require rewatching chunks of it again, possibly in reverse, and it’s not that good yet to justify doing so. A paradox, a paradox.
Currently Reading: I reread Moore’s The Great When as preparation for I Hear A New World. It’s always odd when you read the books that inspired an author after reading their books, and seeing just how much of creativity is a reshuffling. I remember feeling that when I read Moore’s Swamp Thing run after reading Sandman, and going “oh, so much of this is Gaiman borrowing ideas off Moore”; similarly, Tolkien and Morris, or in this case Moore and Iain Sinclair. Also reading The Inklings Detective Club, and the new collection of Le Guin essays.

My thanks, as always, for your continued attention. Or, possibly, your continued deletion-without-opening. I do not judge.

Gar