Assorted Stuff

[shannon_a]

Had a generally relaxing 4-day weekend. As I told Kimberly, Thanksgiving Day is one of the two days a year where I sit around and don't do anything at all that might seem like work. I just let it all go. We watched a few episodes of Crusade (and I must say that thus far JMS' correct chronological order is light years better than either order that it's run on TV) and ate ham and other goodies.

---

The other notable event of the weekend was that Kimberly & I went out to the Berkeley Rep Theatre last night and saw The Argonautika, which is an adaptation of the story of Jason and the Argonauts. I had season tickets to the Rep for two or three years, around 1998-2001 or so, but this is the first time we've gone in quite some time.

The play was by Mary Zimmerman, and it was 100% brilliant. She's a great writer and also a great director. The dialogue was all razor-sharp, and there were also some great songs, plus some terrific directing nuances. My favorite scene was when the cast sings the song of the women of Lemnos, with some of the men from the Argo acting out the parts of the island's ill-fated men. It's presented as the women of Lemnos talking among themselves about what really happened, as they try and figure out what they're going to tell the Argonauts about their lack of men. After singing a tale of misunderstanding, murder, and betrayal, one of the women says to the others, "But we can't tell them that!"

---

Xenagia, Skotos' new science-fiction, fantasy, and horror site, continues to see growth that I hope will hold through all the holiday seasons.

We're trying something new out, which is an online book club. We'll be starting to discuss our first book, Charles Stross' Singularity Sky, on December 1, so stop by and join us then if you're interested.

---

I saw a copy of Mongoose's Elfs: A Guide to the Aldryami while I was at EndGame on Wednesday. I was glad to see it's out, though it'll be at least a few weeks before I get a copy.

(I remember being incredibly frustrated the first time one of my books went to press, which was when I did work on White Wolf's third edition of Ars Magica, and it took weeks and weeks after I saw copies in stores before I got my own. By now, however, that's pretty much expected Standard Operating Procedure.)

Sadly, of the 12 months of RPG writing I did from last August to this July, that's the only book I expect to see print anytime soon. But in January I'm going to start looking for a new publisher for the History book. Ultimately I need to decide whether I'm willing to go with a smaller press, or whether I keep holding out for a bigger publisher who could have done a similar job to what I'd expected from my original contract.

---

Meanwhile I've got small writing bits that are taking up plenty of my time. I've done a complete first draft of an article on RPGs for Knucklebones, which will be their first ever coverage of the topic, and I'm going to draft an article on Atlas Games after John N. helps me with some questions, probably in a week or two. I've also got a second black elf piece for Mongoose's Signs & Portents magazine which I've got half written.

(The first one should see print in December's issue, if the past publications are any indication for timing.)

Comments

[cwricheson.livejournal.com]

I think the book club is a really clever idea, I remember thinking that when I saw it on the forums. I hope it takes off!