Pulp Nova RELEASED!

A compilation of my existing pulp stories in one volume, with the added bonus of an extra story ‘One Man McCann’ – a war story of British pluck and heroism against the evils of Nazi wonder weapons, all on the eve of D-Day!

Other stories include:

Cichol’s Children: Genealogy can take one to strange places indeed as is about to be discovered. A ‘mythos’ tale in homage to HP Lovecraft.
Stain: As with hard boiled eggs, hard boiled detectives can go off as well. Stane is a washed up detective who no longer cares, the perfect patsy for a case that nobody wants.
Shanks: An English gentleman walks the dusty trails of the old west, but do not mistake a gentleman for a sissy and don’t think grit is enough to deal with an Englishman when his dander’s up.
The Black Rat: The 1970s, a time a plaid, three day weeks, power outages and only three television channels. Dark times that call for a dark vigilante who sets his sights on police corruption and violence.
The Dastard: Howard’s Conan started out as a thief, The Dastard starts as one and remains as one. A viciously selfish antihero, cast out of paradise and making do in the barbaric world far from his home. One big score might buy him the luxury he seeks.
Wild: The jungles of Africa, the Amazon and Australia still hold mysteries to be discovered, amongst them a strange woman, white as snow, deadly as a panther and a holder of ancient African secrets.
Rink Rash: After the world comes to an end, a sport remains. Rollerbrawl.
Mimsy Burogrove: Expand your consciousness and solve mysteries with the world’s only psychedelic detective.
Doc Osmium: Two-fisted man of science, Doc Osmium teaches physics with pugilism.
Tessa Coyle: In a future world, a fever dream from the 1940s, the Science Police act as a board of ethical oversight – with extreme prejudice.
Ace Slamm: The world of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, but through a distorted lens. After interplanetary war Ace tries to find a way to drink himself to death in peace, but the old war keeps coming back to haunt him.You can get the ebook at:

Drivethrufiction

Smashwords

Lulu

You can also snag a PoD hardcopy HERE.

 

I also write stories

Did you know that I also tell STORIES?

You can buy the finished and expanded versions at Amazon, Smashwords, Lulu and so on, but you can read the rough-and-ready first versions raw and dripping with metaphorical inky-blood over on the blog.

 Here’s the last few stories from the blog:

Rink Rash – Post apocalyptic, spicy, lesbian roller derby (no really).

The Dastard – Sword and sorcery, thievery and adventure.

Cichol’s Children – Mythos horror.

What’re Da Roolz G? – A Designer Manifesto

There’s been a couple of these doing the rounds lately. Seems like it’s time to throw my particular peasant cap hat into the ring. Pay particular attention to point one as it applies to all the other ones.

1. Your Mileage May Vary.
2. Games Should be fun.
3. System Matters.
4. Plausible Worlds.
5. I’m NOT a Storyteller.
6. Agendas are boring.
7. I make what I love.
8. Once it’s Out, I don’t ‘Own’ it.
9. I’m NOT a professional.
10. Relationships are business.
11. I can be an arsehole, but you ARE a prick.
12. Fuck ’em if they can’t take a joke.

Notes:
1. These are my rules. They’re not intended to be a guide for anybody else. You can go your own way. These are just the things that I think and some of the ideas that guide me in what I do.

2. This should go without saying. Of course, the problem with saying something that everyone can agree on is that what constitutes ‘fun’ you’ll never get people to agree on. Some people find huffing glue fun, some people enjoy inflating their genitals with saline. I can’t say I understand the appeal but hey, whatever floats their boat eh? I like science fiction, fantasy, horror, high adventure, narrative mechanics, sword and sorcery, blood and tits, history, politics, the clash of magic/faith and science and a while bunch of other stuff. I’m going to do things that I find fun, because that’s the best and only guide I have.

3. Sure, you CAN play Call of Cthulhu using Toon, but it’s not a great idea. In an ideal game the system and the setting form a closed loop. The rules support and embody the setting and the setting informs and helps define the rules. Form follows function, if you like.

4. Not realistic. Plausible. A certain degree of internal consistency is good and the world should hang together for at least a passing examination without any glaring ‘wtf’ moments.

5. Whether you’re writing or GMing a game this is an important one to learn. You’re not telling a story, you’re facilitating the creation of good stories. Don’t be a frustrated writer, work that out in WRITING. Be a fulfilled game creator.

6. Not to say you can’t put your politics and the things you care about into a game but if you’re forcing it down someone’s throat the whole fucking time you’re a bore. The only people who are going to really get into this game are people who are already part of the cause. So it’s pointless. Your audience are not puppies who need their noses rubbed in shit.

7. You don’t have to love it. I’m the first audience that needs to be pleased.

8. I’m making a game. Not writing a book. People will mangle, twist reinterpret, misinterpret, use, abuse and otherwise remake and remodel anything you do. That’s cool. Who cares?

9. People who describe themselves are ‘professional’ are almost always pricks. You can say it in a good way about someone else, but generally if you call yourself a professional or call someone else unprofessional, you’re a dick.

10. Treat people right and they’ll treat you right. Might take a while, but it does come back to you. Pay on time, pay early, sling people a couple of extra bucks, pay it forward.

11. Shamelessly stolen from Andrew Maxwell. Everyone and anyone can be an arsehole from time to time. Being an arsehole is something you do. But you ARE a prick. I can be an arsehole sometimes, but I can stop. YOU, oh critic/whiner/crusader, ARE a prick.

12. Or, to put it another way, ‘Honeybadger don’t care.’