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Take Traveller, bloat it up a lot, make sure you have tables for as much as you can think of, including double level fatigue and dropping the ball. This comment also nails it :- “the barely sketched out campaign milieu is a mish-mash of animal-men, vulcans, jedi, lightsabres, space nazis, space commies, martians-from-War-of-the-Worlds and implacable [...]
Continue reading about Space Opera – Edward E. Simbalist and A. Mark Ratner and Phil McGregor
A game of leftover heroes who happened to not get wiped out in interstellar battle with the Imperial forces. The Star Teams. Humans, crystal clone, hybrids, polar bear and catpeople. Some amusing artwork, but a poor game with a really oddball tone. The Luck attribute is interesting in an evolution sense. Percentile system with a [...]
Continue reading about Star Ace – Mark Acres and Gali Sanchez
Joint recipe. 2.5 out of 5
Pretty tie. 3 out of 5
Icing man. 3 out of 5
Bilby beach three. 3 out of 5
Continue reading about Exotic Indulgence – Vivan Arend and Lexxie Couper and Jess Dee
In long boots. 3.5 out of 5
An ok anthology. School of Spank : School of Spank – John McKeown School of Spank : Party Girl – Anna Sansom School of Spank : Smile for the Camera – Kathleen Tudor School of Spank : Jacqueline’s Punishment – Natasha Knight School of Spank : Not Funny – Giselle Renarde Tipperary security Head. 2.5 [...]
Face not bad stripes. 3.5 out of 5
Crop train. 3 out of 5
Continue reading about Jacqueline’s Punishment – Natasha Knight
Web James. 3.5 out of 5
Continue reading about Smile For the Camera – Kathleen Tudor
Club variety. 3 out of 5
Tipperary security Head. 2.5 out of 5
The third of the original Traveller books deals with what you find when you travel between worlds (and subsectors), with rules for planetary creation, technology, law and government. Also vehicles and animals – including how dangerous various space bovines might be. Plus, psionics and the high prices of the Psionics Institute. Then at the end [...]
Continue reading about Traveller Book 3 Worlds and Adventures – Marc Miller
Solid starship and navigation rules with creation and crewing guidelines. With tables, that would be good for solo exploration type play a la Elite. Also financing. Also vector movement and combat…which has fiddliness that will be no fun some of the time. Lucky the gravity well got me and made that missile miss! Some 1970s [...]
Continue reading about Traveller Book 2 Starships – Marc Miller
Holiday sharing commands. 2.5 out of 5
How to get killed while creating a character and then how to get killed afterwards. The first part of the original wide-ranging game of science fiction adventure and shenanigans has a lot of military career options. Including the fact that they may draft you. And a dangerous universe, chance of not making it through one [...]
Continue reading about Traveller Book 1 Characters and Combat – Marc Miller
Humanist pulp fantasy is part of what they call this. Inspired by Howard and Leiber. Or, otherwise known as Sword and Sorcery. Elf and hobbit free, where all the wizards are people descending into demon and monster abusing madness. The good stuff! An entertaining list of diseases and poison as this game about getting into [...]
Continue reading about Shadow Sword and Spell: Basic – Richard Iorio and James Maliszewski
Or, from : b. nurray c. w. marshall t. dyke b. kerr A FATE based SF game that includes tools and/or advice for a bunch of other types of games of a more wargaming flavour, or higher level conflict with nations and planets. (The one thing that the diaspora universe that these adventures are set [...]
The second Apollo quartet includes the First Man on Mars in a Stargatesque level of conspiracy as he is called out of inconspicuous and silenced retirement for a rather longer mission…to an extrasolar planet. While the tone (and his history) more than suggests what will happen to this sexagenarian there is a rather more interesting [...]
Continue reading about The Eye With Which The Universe Beholds Itself – Ian Sales
Dwarf, blacksmith and warrior team up to fight icy badness. With random crazy valkyrie action. 3 out of 5
Continue reading about The Forge In the Forest – Michael Scott Rohan
Earth is visited by aliens, past of a vast galactic population. As they discover, culture shock is a killer. Important cogs in the political struggle between alien factions who don’t necessarily want this to happen is a game designer and his friends, and an old database of alien video game information to be analysed. 4 [...]
Continue reading about Constellation Games – Leonard Richardson
Crazed suicidal alien attack run by psionic witch cabal space opera. Consultant, doctor and bureaucrat to oppose. 3 out of 5
Crazed suicidal alien attack run by psionic witch cabal space opera. Consultant, doctor and bureaucrat to oppose. 3 out of 5
Things come to a head as finally the Shield Brethren and other Knights-Martial and gladiator prisoners take a shot at the master of the arena and the Khan of Khans…plus, pope decision! 3.5 out of 5
Continue reading about The Mongoliad Book 3 – Neal Stephenson and Greg Bear and Mark Teppo
Josh and Janie take a collection for viewing. 3 out of 5
The assorted groups of Shield Brethren, Binders and crazy priests and popes, Mongol khans and more get up to more shenanigans and mortally challengedness as the former manoeuvre to try and reduce the numbers of the latter. 3.5 out of 5
Continue reading about The Mongoliad Book 2 – Neal Stephenson and Greg Bear and Mark Teppo
Not crazy and some detective work. 3.5 out of 5
Continue reading about LoVINing the Alien – David Cranmer and Paul D. Brazill
War return decision. 2.5 out of 5
Champion couple. 3 out of 5
Neighbour meal. 3.5 out of 5
Ray Oot. 2.5 out of 5
Tied up with a spy, no dye. 3 out of 5
Library observation fine. 3 out of 5
A werewolf double, even. 3 out of 5
Finding a speller. 3 out of 5
An uplifted monkey used as cheap labour, an AI rights activist and a prince get involved in a nasty plot. As does a brain-damaged cyborg journalist investigating the death of a husband who had been working on advanced technology. And hardcore massive multiplayer games with ninja plagues. Quarterstaves, giant nuclear airships, fascist interplanetary plots and [...]
It is always annoying when your genetic forebear wants to take over the world. Especially with a dinosaur army controlled by psychic lizardmen from another world. Such a dastardly plan takes most of the Century Club out…and captive. It is left to a few to try and do something about it: Mack Silver, Sally Slick, [...]
Rapscallion, scoundrel, knave, reprobate. Really dodgy bloke will do for dos Hellespont. Despite the name, he actually isn’t a supervillain megalomaniac, just a garden variety lowlife gambler and crook. Fails to be a general, noble or vampire, either, given his name is Marius. Pretending to be not alive draws the attention of those actually not [...]
An introduction to the story as the 21st Phantom deals with the passing of his father and inherits the mantle. Also the story of growing up, including the time Julie became the Phantom. So some interesting bits here. 3 out of 5
Surrogate for a couple of ghosts for a while. 3 out of 5
Barlow and Ramsey in Tzapotl. 3.5 out of 5
Continue reading about Kum Raul The Unknown Terror – Steve Berman
A bit of a spy story with Long Tom in an important role A Soviet mastermind, mysterious Orient crimelord shenanigans, virus plots and of course a bit of biffo to finish. Solid. 3.5 out of 5
Continue reading about Terror Wears No Shoes – Kenneth Robeson
Looking to help a down plane leads Doc and followers to twins and a war criminal expatriation plot. 2.5 out of 5
Cranston gets involved with a small town sheriff’s murder case. Complete with disturbed vet. 2.5 out of 5
Continue reading about The Shadow – 319 Murder On Main Street
Cranston gets involved with a small town sheriff’s murder case. Complete with disturbed vet. 2.5 out of 5
Continue reading about Murder On Main Street – Maxwell Grant
A hypnotist act gets too real on the kill yourself suggestion, and the Shadow’s adversary leaves him with a sore throat. 3 out of 5
Even stuck in hospital Lamont Cranston finds death. 3 out of 5
Lamont Cranston goes Tweedledee to solve a murder in the middle of Dodgson fanatics. 3.5 out of 5
Truck off road variety. 3.5 out of 5
Snow machine booze axed. 3 out of 5
Clean setup. 3 out of 5
High-g spaceship too far. Am dead, but likely stopped a resource war. 3.5 out of 5
Different appendages and Jupiter craziness. 4 out of 5
Continue reading about The Girl-thing Who Went Out For Sushi – Pat Cadigan
A surprise visit means a different wedding is likely. 3.5 out of 5
Dulcey spectacle. 3 out of 5
Refuge for bioengineered. 3.5 out of 5
SF author gets involved in time travel experiment…alternate Australia has a rebel Ned Kelly having revolutionary success, complete with multinational and German socialist plotting. Backwards and forwards it goes from the present day President Kelly – in the Vietnam war area. Dirigibles and cannons, Kate Kelly as time tracks shift as Grimes decides what to [...]
New gym employee has competition for boss orders. 3 out of 5
Quickly the world is overrun by mutant ratpeople. Russia even nukes a couple of its own cities to know avail. A plucky band of survivors with a ship find a scientist near an oblivious nudist colony that may just be able to make a weapon to stop them. 3 out of 5
Continue reading about The Hamelin Plague – A. Bertram Chandler
Farm girl gets new guy, puppy and vet action. 3.5 out of 5
An evolved race of porpoises that have been taught to talk to humans, a couple of crazy guys and a marine scientist and colleagues equals a conflict with delusions of grandeur on both human and sea beast sides. Stuck on an island captive people work for the guy with the weapons and those that control [...]
An ordinary original SF anthology. Universe 06 : Journey To The Heartland – Brian W. Aldiss Universe 06 : What Did You Do Last Year? – Gordon Eklund and Gregory Benford Universe 06 : Custer’s Last Jump – Steven Utley & Howard Waldrop Universe 06 : The Wine Has Been Left Open Too Long And [...]
Bad frame. 2.5 out of 5
Continue reading about Shifting Parameters In Disappearance And Memory – Charlie Haas
Mad ship dual. 3.5 out of 5
Dying energy collector. 3 out of 5
Galactic entropy gathering ennui. 3 out of 5
Castle Orion dying. 2.5 out of 5
Continue reading about What Did You Do Last Year? – Gregory Benford and Gordon Eklund
Dream machine interview. 3 out of 5
Continue reading about Journey To the Heartland – Brian W. Aldiss
Vera Council. 2.5 out of 5
A decent issue. Interzone 241 : Steamgothic – Sean Mcmullen Interzone 241 : Ship’s Brother – Aliette De Bodard Interzone 241 : One Day In Time City – David Ira Cleary Interzone 241 : Railroad Angel – Gareth L. Powell Interzone 241 : Invocation Of The Lurker – C.J. Paget Aeronaute restoration. 3.5 out of [...]
Shamaness Kingdom girl do anything. 3.5 out of 5
Continue reading about Invocation of the Lurker – C. J. Paget
Dead Neal track. 3 out of 5
Moped heist wreck. 3 out of 5
Continue reading about One Day In Heist City – David Ira Cleary
Outsider Mind. 3.5 out of 5
Aeronaute restoration. 3.5 out of 5
Manage loan. 2.5 out of 5
Hauling dead people. 2.5 out of 5
Continue reading about A Good Summer Job – Anthony Neil Smith
Shooting kids. 3.5 out of 5
Bad guy crossover. 3 out of 5
Continue reading about Birds of Prey – J. A. Konrath and Blake Crouch
A collection of okish bloody Norse fantasy. Wine of Ravens : Diminisher of Peace – Chris Howard Wine of Ravens : The Witch of Khoreios – Chris Howard Wine of Ravens : The Breaker of Gods – Chris Howard Wine of Ravens : The Feeder of Ravens – Chris Howard Wine of Ravens : Wonderdeed [...]
Head parasite plan. 3 out of 5
Arrow problem. 3 out of 5
Squinty hang. 3 out of 5
Priest bloodletting. 3 out of 5
A collection of quite short okish horror type stories. Flower of Scotland : Turn Again – William Meikle Flower of Scotland : The Yule Log – William Meikle Flower of Scotland : Twitterspace – William Meikle Flower of Scotland : Supply and Demand – William Meikle Flower of Scotland : A Picture of Hitler – [...]
Not Scotch enough. 2.5 out of 5
Elder God twitter countdown. 3 out of 5
Wind watcher no. 3 out of 5
Surge victim. 3 out of 5
Stevenson note. 3 out of 5
Continue reading about The Strange Case Of Dr Mcintyre – William Meikle
A solid anthology, including one great Michael Shea story. Co-existence with aliens, from silly to slaughter. Aliens Among Us : The Other Celia – Theodore Sturgeon Aliens Among Us : Residuals – Paul J. Mcauley and Kim Newman Aliens Among Us : Eight O’Clock In The Morning – Ray Nelson Aliens Among Us : Expendable [...]
Continue reading about Aliens Amongs Us – Gardner Dozois and Jack Dann
Alien ruboff dimorphism. 3.5 out of 5
Take the poojum. 2.5 out of 5
Continue reading about Popeye And Pops Watch The Evening World Report – Eliot Fintushel
An extremely high quality anthology with almost all the stories very good and none that are average. A Day In The Life : On The Storm Planet – Cordwainer Smith A Day In The Life : Slow Tuesday Night – R. A. Lafferty A Day In The Life : This Moment Of The Storm – [...]
Klef mad ship. 3.5 out of 5
Brother beast. 3.5 out of 5
Drug dream alien possession apocalypse…reunion unlikely. 4 out of 5
Continue reading about The Pilgrims Of Parthen – Kristopher Reisz
Forty-five is officially old in this society…paperwork and a euthanasia pill if you prefer that option as life becomes very difficult. Or, survival and forced labor camps…or Martian prison work camps. Men in prison, women in prison, areoforming screwups and revolution for a new Mars. 3 out of 5
Continue reading about The Bitter Pill – A. Bertram Chandler
On the shelf. 2.5 out of 5