A Tale of Sex, Booze, and Geeks (Buy My Book)

A Tale of Sex, Booze, and Geeks (Buy My Book)

Apr 13

In 2003, I self-published my first novel, Unconventional, the story of three geeks and a fateful weekend at a sci-fi con. I promptly sold a whopping FIFTY copies, then allowed the title to fade into well-deserved obscurity.

Now…Unconventional RETURNS.

Click through below for a preview of the first chapter. Then go on and buy the novel, or enjoy it as a free PDF download.

And visit Alert Nerd Press while you’re at it, our new publishing arm.

Thanks in advance for you patient indulgence of my impatient self-indulgence.

Justice League Unlimited Is/Was Awesome

Justice League Unlimited Is/Was Awesome

Apr 12

When it comes to cool shit, or even “kewl” shit, I am often on board the lifeboat chasing behind the ship once it has sailed.

Such is true for me and Justice League Unlimited. I watched the show off and on when it aired, really losing touch by the show’s third season (well, fifth, if you count the first two non-Unlimited seasons), which some claim is the series’ best.

I’m catching up on DVD now, and it’s basically kicking my ass. What’s perhaps most astonishing to me is how perfectly the wanky guitar soundtrack fits with the superhero action. I never knew Brian May was the perfect accompaniment to the DC Universe, until now.

Tim Rogers is BACK.

Tim Rogers is BACK.

Apr 09

Actually, I’m not sure if he went anyplace at all. But he has, at least, returned to my life.

The greatest reviewer of video game entertainment ever born of mortal womb on the face of this or any other planet has launched a basic, straightforward, vicious and brilliant games review site, Action Button. He is joined by other writers, but they’re all informed by the “new games journalism,” which to me will always be Tim’s legacy.

Check it out NOWish, and don’t miss the scathing evisceration of Twilight Princess by reviewer Heather Campbell. Haven’t played the game yet, but it sounds like a well-deserved thrashing of the Zelda franchise.

Help! 360 has me in its grip! And it's squeezing!

Help! 360 has me in its grip! And it's squeezing!

Apr 07

Guitar HeroA little known fact about video game developers – when it comes to the amount of video games we play, we’re average. We play more than normal joes, but our time is unusually tight, particularly around deadlines, and it is this shape of our free-time that quirks our time spent with the products of the industry in which we work. We’re prone to short-term, hardcore play – meaning, if we find something we really like, we’ll power through it as fast as we can, lest it get put aside and lost in the shuffle.

We’re also prone to trying the first bit of most every game we get our hands on. And somewhere in between lies good games that get completed by through shift work – one dev stars while a few watch. They wander off to work. Starting dev puts it down and another will take a break from work, and pick it up – repeat until done. The number of games devs have completed by proxy is very, very high. Sure, playing is fun, but we also want to see how the game plays – how does it work?

Me, I got an Xbox 360 at Xmas and some games. I played it for two days around New Years, as I was sick. Then it got put aside for work. I picked it up again a few days ago with the release of Guitar Hero 2 for the 360, and so help me, I’m in trouble.

Must. Get. All. Achievements!

Now I’m online buying hard-to-find, critical darlings, and I just dropped $30 on the 360 games Burger King gave away.

HELP!

But seriously, is it weird to be using Visine when trying to play a perfect score on Heart Shaped Box at 4AM?

Aw, Man…

Aw, Man…

Apr 06

Gail Simone is leaving Birds of Prey!

This is a super bummer, as her writing on that title really convinced me that comics were, y’know, getting GOOD again. She will be missed, even if new writer Sean McKeever comes along and does a kick-ass job, which I hope he will.

However, the teases about Gail’s next “big” project…fascinating. Everyone seems convinced it’s Wonder Woman, which would be fantastic, but the Newsarama thread has a few other nice theories: the Marvel Family, Blackhawk, and my favorite, a new JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL title.

Why else would she bring Ice back from the dead?! All we need is for Ted Kord to be alive and well on one of those other rumored Earths they keep teasing, and we’d be all set.

Bwah to the ha to the ha.