Plug: Write or Die Non-Fiction Series

From Read or Die (1, 2)

It's a long plug, so you can just visit Read or Die's website for the details. Here's the relevant snippets however:

Maria Isabel Garcia, winner of the 2007 National Book Awards for Essay for her groundbreaking book “Science Solitaire” (Ateneo Press) and noted science columnist for the Philippine Star, will kickstart the Non-Fiction series on January 12, 2008 (Saturday) in Powerbooks Greenbelt from 2PM to 4PM.

Please come! Ms. Garcia is one of the most fluent writers I’ve had the pleasure of reading. She’ll be talking about science writing, an interesting and—in the Philippines—a fairly novel genre of creative non-fiction. Science teachers are especially invited to attend and to invite their students along. There’s more to writing about science than dry equations and abstruse observations about the world around you.

---

January 12 (Saturday): Maribel Garcia
Science Writing
Powerbooks Greenbelt, 2-4PM

January 20 (Sunday): Isagani Cruz
Writing Literary Criticism
Powerbooks Greenbelt, 2-4PM

January 26 (Saturday): Butch Dalisay
Creative Non-Fiction
Powerbooks Megamall, 2-4PM

Top 10 Best-Sellers as of 2008/1/6

From USA Today's best-seller list (you can find out their basis here):

1. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
2. Atonement by Ian McEwan
3. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet
4. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
5. I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
6. Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
7. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
8. The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham
   
9. You: Staying Young by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz
10. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Some Tabletop RPG Podcasts I Missed

Here's a couple of "unlisted" Tabletop RPG Podcasts I managed to find just now that's not in my weekly coverage and seem to be still active:

• Brilliant Gameologists (General Gaming)
• What Are You Working On (General Gaming)
• Project Shadow (Horror and Conspiracy)
• This is Shadowrun (Shadowrun)
  

Some RPG Tidbits

First off, check out the new Kobold Quarterly site which includes a forum and a list of all the Wolfgang Baur podcasts so far. There's even a forum thread asking what podcasts you want listed on their site.

Second, I was searching for more RPG podcasts that isn't listed under RPGPodcasts.com and I found this blog that reviews RPG podcasts and is aptly titled RPG Podcast Review.

2008/1/10 Fiction/Writing and Tabletop RPG Podcasts

Every Thursday, I post links to various podcasts that deal with the topic of fiction, writing, and tabletop RPGs.

First off, if you're unfamiliar with Tabletop RPG podcasts, check out my article on Finding the Tabletop RPG Podcast For You (alas, my psychic powers failed me so just a few hours after posting that article, I discovered the gaming podcast Geekerati). Last week, there were still some gift recommendations from RPG podcasts like Secret Life of Girl Gamers in Gift Ideas and Gamer's Haven in their Holiday Episode. We also say farewell to the podcast Gamer: The Podcasting but also usher in new gaming podcasts like Discussions from the Closet. On the fiction side, check out Jay Lake (and other authors) on his talk during the Foolscap Writing Workshop as well as ABC Radio National's The Book Show interview with Michael Chabon.

Fiction/Writing

• The Agony Column recordings: Jeremy Lassen on the best books of 2007 (part two), Ann Vileisis (part two), a panel on the New American Meal with Mollie Katzen, Michael Pollan and Ann Vileisis (1, 2), Laurie King, Charlie Huston, Malcolm Bell of Bookfellow Books.
  
• Podictionary tackles the following words: ejaculate, hologram, limbo.
  
• Word Balloon has the second part of its Brian Michael Bendis interview.
• A Way With Words has a new episode entitled Word Jocks Lettered in Language.
• I Should Be Writing has a new episode entitled Maybe You Shouldn't.
• Tor Forge Podcast has their second episode featuring Spider Robinson.
• The Dragon Page has an interview with Terry Goodkind.
• A Way With Words has an episode entitled Typewriters We Have Loved.
• The Rev Up Review continues its Dragon Con coverage in their latest episode.
• Sci-Fi Talk has episodes on Amanda Tapping and Terminator 3.
• Storytellers Unplugged has Brian Hodge talking about writing in The Right and Wrong of It So Far (part 2).
• The Secret Lair debuts with its first episode.
• The Penguin Podcast features Sarah Paretsky, author of Bleeding Kansas.
  

Tabletop RPG (Mostly)

• Pulp Gamer episodes: Gangster (board game), The Gnome is Dead (D&D: Races & Classes), Unconventional Wisdom (GTS Seminar), The Market of Alturien (board game).
  
• Heroic Cthulhu actual game recording: Cleo (1, 2, 3, 4), Sex (1, 2, 3), Elderly (1, 2, 3, 4), School (1, 2, 3, 4), Stalker (1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
  
• Dragons Landing has a new episode on bards.
• The Durham 3's latest episode is entitled The Vision Thing.
• House of the Harping Monkey actual play recordings: Giants Playtest Session 3 (Part B).
• Nuketown Radio Active talks about Zelda and various podcasts in his latest episode.
• Private Sanctuary has a new episode where they tackle moves like The Gamers and Lord of the Rings.
• Role Playing Public Radio has a new episode entitled Adult Themes.
• The Bear's Grove Podcast's new episode is Rewards in Game Design and Strategies for Storytelling.
• Fell Calls! has a new episode entitled C-Beams Glitter in the Dark Near the Tanhauser Gate.
• Geekerati has two episodes for us this week: an interview with Gareth-Michael Skarka of Adamant Entertainment and an interview with Tracy Swedlow of Interactive TV Today.
• Stabbing Contest has an interview with Clyde Rhoer of Theory from the Closet.
• Fear the Boot's new episode is entitled Ladies Podcast 2.
• Geek Label Radio covers The Movies of 2007.
• The Independent Insurgency interviews Vincent Baker of Lumpley Games.
• The Tome Show talks about D&D 4E Races and 4E Magic in their latest episodes.
  

Comics Village Plug

There's a couple of new manga reviews over at Comics Village, including my review of MW by Osamu Tezuka.

How Many Ways Can You Say Multiverse?

Perhaps one of the more interesting concepts (I wouldn't even necessarily limit it to science fiction) in the past few decades is the term multiverse, supposedly popularized by Michael Moorcock in his Eternal Champion stories. And as much as I love the term, I think it's been overused and even cliche. Yet as a reader, aspiring writer, and GM, it's a tool that can't easily be thrown out the window. In fact, many people have used the same concept albeit phrased it in different terms (planes, dimensions, hyperspace, etc.). Here's two that I've managed to discover. Any recommendations for alternatives to Multiverse?

1. Paraverse: In The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov, humanity "discovers" a new power source by accessing a paraverse--a universe very much unlike our own. This was in the 70's and while parallel universe's probably aren't revolutionary, what makes this paraverse particularly different from something like say, alternate timelines, is that it's really a universe that's vastly alien and obeys different laws of physics.
2. Omniverse: While many have claimed to have used the term, I find omniverse interesting because of its usage of omni to suggest a sense of perfection and completeness. Recently, I came upon it in the Mutants and Masterminds Freedom City campaign setting where the Omniverse takes the place of DC's Multiverse.
   

Powerbooks Does a Fully Booked: Discounts for Birthday Celebrants

From Powerbooks


Powerbooks had this promo last month but I didn't find out until it was too late but it seems they're going to do this on a monthly basis (they changed December to January!). Basically, Powercard Plus members who are birthday celebrants get a one-time 40% discount on any purchase (subject to limitations written in the fine print).

Essay: Bibliophile on Bookstores 2007

Every Wednesday, I have an essay on any topic that catches my fancy!

There was a time when I visited every bookstore at least once a week, mentally cataloging their titles, and happily going home with a new book in tow, mentally if not physically. There was a time when I'd search the bookstore for my crush, or consoled myself by buying books when I got my heart broken. There was a time--I could ramble on and on but the fact is, that wasn't what happened in 2007. In fact, I drifted away from the bookstores in general. And that's a good thing.

Why a good thing? Perhaps the only reason back then that I was able to visit the various bookstores each week was because there were so few of them. We had what, National Bookstore, Powerbooks, Goodwill Bookstore, and A Different Bookstore? And while in 2007, we mourn the unofficial demise of Goodwill Bookstore and a few independent bookstores, it was also easily the rise of the mainstream bookstores. Whereas Glorietta and The Power Plant Mall used to be the bookstore hub, that paradigm was changed when Fully Booked opened its five-story flagship store in Bonifacio High Street (easily the biggest bookstore in the Philippines) and A Different Bookstore debuted with its main branch/coffee shop in Serendra (both bookstores are located at The Fort--an area I wouldn't ordinarily go to). Not to be outdone, the other mainstream bookstore made several openings at key locations as well: National Bookstore promoted its Best-Sellers line and opened in places like Robinsons Galleria (which already has a National Bookstore branch) and the Power Plant Mall while Powerbooks continues to expand in malls like Shangri-La and Trinoma.

Now I have all the love for independent bookstores (which is why you should support them!) but I don't think anyone is denying that the most convenient place to acquire and discover books are in the mainstream bookstores. And honestly, the mainstream bookstores did something I never expected: they surprised me. For example, National Bookstore/Powerbooks isn't really known for acquiring rare books. Yet in the latter half of the year, me and my fellow bibliophile Banzai Cat was surprised to find them stocking independent press publications like Nightshade Books and Prime Books. Fully Booked on the other hand proved stellar in the comics field. Aside from stocking a veritable collection of indie comic titles to match any comic store, they also increased their stocks of manga titles as well as importing translated manga from other Asian countries. And while I expected them to be involved with Neil Gaiman's arrival (technically it's the Ad Congress who brought him in), the Ben Templesmith signings caught everyone off guard. Personally, A Different Bookstore has also taken in some big chances. I mean they did sponsor the 5th New Worlds Alliance Convention but they were also a second home as they were the venue for several Lit Crit sessions.

That's not to say the independent bookstore market is dead. Booktopia for example is still one of the best places to have not-so-popular authors (at least here in the Philippines) on their shelves. I mean just the other day, I was able to spot books by authors like Jay Lake, A. Lee Martinez, Jim Hines, and a couple of Writers of the Future anthologies--books that I hope mainstream bookstores will pick up but doubt that they will anytime soon. Book auction site Avalon.ph on the other hand is easily the cheapest source of Moleskine notebooks, a trend that Fully Booked started at the end of 2006.

Oh, and let's not forget the secondhand/discounted bookshops. There's Buy-The-Book which started popping up in various malls around Metro Manila. I haven't seen an actual physical store but I do see shelves of books at key locations around malls. Honestly, secondhand bookshops aren't my most favorite places to visit (I'm allergic to dust) but it's an alternative for bibliophiles on a budget.

Last but not least is that most bookstores have a web presence nowadays. Allow me to end this post with a couple of links:

National Bookstore
Powerbooks
Fully Booked
A Different Bookstore
Goodwill Bookstore
Booktopia
Book Sale
Books for Less
Avalon.ph

Red Storm Entertainment is Hiring

From Rdansky

Red Storm Entertainment, Inc is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ubisoft. With games like Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six, the studio quickly became recognized as an innovative creator of titles that provide a totally immersive gaming experience. Many of Red Storm's games feature stunning 3-D graphics, seamless combinations of action and strategic game play, as well as thrilling new types of play for online gamers. Red Storm produces games on all platforms.

Red Storm currently employs over 120 employees. We offer a great benefit package that includes a Competitive Salary, Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending, Life Insurance and 401(k).

Submitting Your Resume
To apply for any of the jobs listed, use one of the following methods:

• email your resume as a Word Document to: jobs@redstorm.com.
• fax your resume to 919-468-3308
• mail your resume to:

Red Storm Entertainment, Attn: Jobs 3200 Gateway Ctr. Blvd., Ste. 100 Morrisville, NC 27560

• No phone calls please.

URL: http://www.redstorm.com/employment/

January 12 is A. Lee Martinez Day!!

From A. Lee Martinez

Award-winning author A. Lee Martinez is celebrating his birthday on January 12 and he proclaims it to be A. Lee Martinez Day!! (don't forget the two exclamation points!). To celebrate, here's his checklist of things you can do:

Contemplate the universe. It's big. It's mostly empty. And you are just an insignificant blob of protoplasm on a mote of dust hovering around an unremarkable star. Accept it. Then give the universe the finger and decide to do something with your tiny sliver of time.

Love, Learn, and Live. Not necessarily in that order.

Kiss your boyfriend / girlfriend / wife / husband / drunk you picked up at a bar / cute hobo. I'm single and will in all probability be so for a long, long time. But just because I'm not getting any action that doesn't mean you can't!

Watch a monster movie. Godzilla, Gamera, Tremors, It Came From Beneath the Sea, The Relic, King Kong (the original or Jessica Lange remake only for the love of the Robot King!) The choice is yours.

Imagine all the people living in a perfect world. Y'know the world I'm talking about. The one with giant mutant dinosaurs battling space mutants!

But one of the best gifts you can give a writer is to check out his books:

There's Gil's All Fright Diner which won the Alex Award.

In the Company of Ogres which I've read and is something I recommended you read.

A Nameless Witch which is his latest book.

Or you can pre-order his soon-to-be-released book The Automatic Detective which comes out in February 5, 2008.

Oh, and if you visit my blog on January 12, 2008, you get to read my interview with him!

Feature: Find the Tabletop RPG Podcast for You

Every Tuesday, I'll have a feature article posted.

Occasionally, I'd get asked by fellow gamers what RPG podcast would I recommend. To simplify it, I told them it depends on what your preferences are--there's so many great tabletop RPG podcasts out there that it'll take me forever to talk about the pros and cons of each of them. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, that doesn't help the person asking the question. So here's my attempt to give you a quick guide to Tabletop RPG Podcasts. Note that while I've attempted to make this list comprehensive, there's a lot of podcasts out there that pop up yet don't get publicized. The best I can work with are those that I've managed to amassed (sometimes by sheer luck) and those that are listed at RPGPodcasts.com. If you're a podcaster, I suggest you submit your site to RPGPodcasts and get listed in the directory. Also, since I only started compiling a list of podcasts in August, if you did release a new episode since September 2007, you're not on the list.

To make this easier, I'll divide the various podcasts into categories. Not that I want to box in podcasters--and several podcasts are so diverse and tackle a lot of subjects that they'll fall under several categories--but it's a starting point. Having said that, there will be some podcasts that will appear in multiple categories but I try to avoid it as much as possible. Listings under each category are alphabetical (watch out for podcasts that begin with "the"). And last but not least, personal commentaries are my opinions. Do try out the various podcasts because what might not work for me might work for you.

Mainstream Gaming Company Podcasts:

A couple of the mainstream gaming companies actually have their own podcasts but they don't necessarily talk about the games their company produces all the time. These podcasts are usually a good place to start, especially if you're fans of that particular company.

Podcast: D&D Podcast
URL: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4arch/pod
Why Choose Them: If you like D&D, get the latest info on their products from the game designers themselves.
Frequency: Monthly.
Personal Commentary: I actually get to pick the brain of game designers behind a mainstream RPG product I frequently purchase.

Podcast: Ffnordcast
URL: http://www.sjgames.com/fnordcast/
Why Choose Them: Much like Green Ronin, Steve Jackson Games's podcast doesn't really limit themselves to their own products or staff when it comes to coverage.
Frequency: Used to Be Almost Bi-Monthly, Currently Unknown.
Personal Commentary: Unfortunately for Ffnordcast, I only started listening to gaming podcasts in August of 2007 which is when they started developing an erratic schedule and so I only have one podcast to judge Ffnordcast. It would have been a tie with Green Ronin's podcast if they came out more frequently.

Podcast: Gamer Radio Zero
URL: http://www.wizards.com/grz
Why Choose Them: Gamer Radio Zero is the Wizards of the Coast brand podcasts/videocast that tackles not just D&D but all their other brands as well including Avalon Hill, Magic: The Gathering, and their other RPGs. Easily the most consistent podcast in the block.
Frequency: Weekly.
Personal Commentary: Because Wizards of the Coast actually has a lot of products, it's actually a "general" podcast that covers a wide variety of gaming-related topics. As a podcast, I find it too short (under thirty minutes) but as a videocast, it's just about right.

Podcast: Green Ronin Publishing Podcast
URL: http://greenronin.podbean.com/
Why Choose Them: Not much in terms of episode but all of them have been great so far.
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: This is actually my favorite podcast in this block and Green Ronin doesn't just talk about their own games.

System/Setting-Specific Podcasts

Another helpful gauge, these podcasts are usually focused on a particular game system or setting.

Podcast: 3.5 Private Sanctuary
URL: http://rcjrproductions.com/35ps/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
Why Choose Them: A general discussion focused on D&D 3.5.
Frequency: Weekly.
Personal Commentary: That's a long URL... (but the podcast is quite solid)

Podcast: After Serenity
URL: http://www.afterserenity.com/
Why Choose Them: If you're into Firefly and Serenity.
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: Difficult to find the actual links to the latest podcast on their front page: one should look for it at http://afterserenity.libsyn.com/rss.

Podcast: Dragonlance Canticle
URL: http://www.dlcanticle.com/
Why Choose Them: It's kinda self explanatory: Dragonlance!
Frequency: Used to Be Monthly.
Personal Commentary: Only one episode I've listened to so far but it was a great episode.

Podcast: Fell Calls!
URL: http://podthralls.libsyn.com/
Why Choose Them: If you're into the Iron Kingdoms, they're the guys to go to.
Frequency: Weekly.
Personal Commentary: I tried listening to them but they're so focused on their niche, the Iron Kingdoms (I'm unfamiliar with the setting), which I could not relate to.

Podcast: Heroic Cthulhu
URL: http://heroiccthulhu.mypodcast.com/
Why Choose Them: Actual game recordings of a Cthulu game with "heroic elements" (i.e. the good guys win). Sorry, lots of actual game recordings of Cthulhu games.
Frequency: Updates several times in a week.
Personal Commentary: I don't listen to actual game recordings so no real feedback here. They put out more podcasts in a week than all the other podcasts combined.

Podcast: The Tome
URL: http://www.thetomeshow.com/
Why Choose Them: Another D&D-focused (or rather d20-focused) podcast, this one tackles reviews of products, news, and even interviews with people in the game industry.
Frequency: At least once a month.
Personal Commentary: Personally, if you want a third-party D&D podcast, this is the podcast to listen to.

Podcast: We'd Rather Be LARPing
URL: http://ratherbelarping.mypodcast.com/
Why Choose Them: A gaming podcast focused on LARP.
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: Three episodes so far...

Podcast: Yog Radio
URL: http://www.yog-sothoth.com/index.php
Why Choose Them: For all things Cthulhu. Won a silver ENnie.
Frequency: Almost monthly.
Personal Commentary: This podcast actually covers a wide variety of Cthulhu topics including songs, readings, and more Elder Gods.

Actual Play Recording Podcasts

I actually don't really listen to actual play recordings--they don't interest me--so no personal commentary here. I'll list the shows that frequently posts actual play recordings and skip the podcasts that has them infrequently.

Podcast: Heroic Cthulhu
URL: http://heroiccthulhu.mypodcast.com/
Why Choose Them: Actual game recordings of a Cthulu game with "heroic elements" (i.e. the good guys win) using a modified game system.
Frequency: Updates several times in a week.

Podcast: House of the Harping Monkey
URL: http://harpingmonkey.com/
Why Choose Them: Covers a wide variety of games.
Frequency: At least once a month.

Podcast: The Game Master Show
URL: http://thegamemastershow.com/
Why Choose Them: Aside from actual play recordings, they also feature interviews and general game discussions.
Frequency: At least once a month.

Podcast: Virtual Play
URL: http://virtualplay.podbus.com/
Why Choose Them: Aside from game recordings, they also talk about various game topics using recordings as examples.
Frequency: At least two episodes in a month.

Game Design Podcasts

These are podcasts focused on game design, either giving their own thoughts on a game, how to design a game, or interviews with game designers. These podcasts tend to--but not exclusively--focus on independent RPGs.

Podcast: Chimera Creative
URL: http://www.chimera.info/
Why Choose Them: Matt Snyder's take on the indie RPG scene and interviews various game designers.
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: I'd love to get hooked on this podcast but it's too infrequent.

Podcast: Imaginary Worlds
URL: http://www.imaginaryworlds.net/
Why Choose Them: A step by step podcast on building your own campaign world.
Frequency: Bi-monthly is as safe bet.
Personal Commentary: Great all-around podcast for any GM.

Podcast: Master Plan
URL: http://masterplan.libsyn.com/
Why Choose Them: Ryan Macklin talks about his own experiences with publishing games and interviews various personalities in the game industry.
Frequency: At least once a month.
Personal Commentary: A great look at what happens behind the scenes and the interviews are indispensable.

Podcast: The Independent Insurgency
URL: http://independentinsurgency.com/
Why Choose Them: The rookie podcast on game design.
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: Only one episode to judge it so far... (but so far so good)

Podcast: The Voice of the Revolution
URL: http://thevoiceoftherevolution.com/
Why Choose Them: Interviews, interviews, and more interviews with indy game designers.
Frequency: At least once a month.
Personal Commentary: The interviews are great especially if you want material beyond what the mainstream provides.

Podcast: Theory from the Closet
URL: http://theoryfromthecloset.com/
Why Choose Them: If you want a podcast dedicated to game design. Couple of interviews as well.
Frequency: At least once a month.
Personal Commentary: Another set of interviews and discussions on game theory.

Cross-Medium Podcasts

These are podcasts that tackle subjects that go beyond RPGs but are usually related such as gaming in general, science-fiction and fantasy, comics, anime/manga, etc. Not every episode might relate to RPGs per se but there's a good chance that if you're a gamer, you'll enjoy them anyway.

Podcast: 2d6 Feet in a Random Direction
URL: http://www.2d6feet.com/
Why Choose Them: Covers various types of gaming including board games, card games, and RPGs. One of their hosts also owns a gaming retail store so we also get to hear his unique perspective on gaming.
Frequency: Relatively monthly.
Personal Commentary: If you want a show that tackles gaming in general, this is your best bet.

Podcast: Fandomaniacs
URL: http://www.fandomaniacs.com/
Why Choose Them: Family-friendly podcast that tackles gaming, anime/manga and pop culture in general.
Frequency: Used to be twice a month.
Personal Commentary: Short and a nice way to get people into gaming but hardcore gamers might not be too interested.

Podcast: Fist Full of Comics and Games
URL: http://www.fistfullofcomics.com/podcasts/
Why Choose Them: More of a comics podcast but some of their segments touch on gaming in general (i.e. video games, RPGs, etc.) and they have some interesting interviews.
Frequency: Several times a week.
Personal Commentary: At the very least it's worth a visit even if you're not into comics as the segments are labeled so you pretty much know what you're getting into.

Podcast: Geeklabel Radio
URL: http://www.geeklabel.com
Why Choose Them: They tackle everything geeky from movies, DVDs, comics, video games, etc.
Frequency: Weekly.
Personal Commentary: They sell great t-shirts!

Podcast: Goblin: The Gaming Broadcast Network Podcast
URL: http://gbncom.com/
Why Choose Them: Aside from being the biggest gaming podcast aggregator, they have a podcast too!
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: One episode so far.

Podcast: Have Games Will Travel
URL: http://www.havegameswilltravel.net/
Why Choose Them: Does a little bit of everything, tackling all sorts of games (RPGs, CCGs, board games, etc.) and has interviews. Won the ENnies.
Frequency: At least once a month.
Personal Commentary: -cough- Won the ENnies -cough-

Podcast: Headgames Podcast
URL: http://headgames.libsyn.com/
Why Choose Them: All things gaming including RPGs, board games, video games, and some interviews.
Frequency: At least once a month.
Personal Commentary: Decent enough although nothing particularly stands out at the moment.

Podcast: Nuketown Radio Active
URL: http://www.nuketown.com/podcast
Why Choose Them: Still quite geeky but sometimes not so much on the gaming side.
Frequency: At least once a month.
Personal Commentary: A more general outlook on geekdom and bonus points if you're a Mac user.

Podcast: OgreCave Audio Report
URL: http://www.ogrecave.com/audio/
Why Choose Them: A broader outlook in the gaming industry and includes one of the hosts from 2d6 Feet in a Random Direction so you get retailer perspective.
Frequency: At least once a month.
Personal Commentary: For commentaries on the industry as a whole, check this podcast out.

Podcast: Pulp Gamer
URL: http://www.pulpgamer.com/
Why Choose Them: Game reviews, interviews, commentaries, several recordings of panels from Gen Con and GAMA, and a wide variety of other topics.
Frequency: At least once a week.
Personal Commentary: The recordings from Gen Con and GAMA are worth the price of admission!

Podcast: Review for Initiative
URL: http://merb101.libsyn.com/
Why Choose Them: So far it's interviews on the gaming industry in general.
Frequency: Used to be once a month.
Personal Commentary: I hope they're still alive.

Podcast: Roll 2d6
URL: http://www.roll2d6.com/
Why Choose Them: The usual spiel: board games, card games, RPGs, etc.
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: They're still alive!

Podcast: The Butcher Block
URL: http://butcherblock.libsyn.com/
Why Choose Them: All things Jim Butcher which includes the RPG.
Frequency: Admittedly irregular.
Personal Commentary: If you've heard of Jim Butcher, great for you. If not, either grab a copy of his books, watch Dresden Files, or skip this podcast.

Podcast: Wandering Geek Podcast
URL: http://wanderinggeek.podbean.com/
Why Choose Them: Also falls under the gaming niche podcasts, this podcast is focused on gamers who travel.
Frequency: At least once a month.
Personal Commentary: A Great and and conceptually creative show--also check out their all-music show if you want some geeky tunes to listen to.

RPGs in General Podcasts

These tackle RPGs in general, although they will spend specific episodes tackling a particular game, doing a game review, and even post actual play recordings of some of their sessions.

Podcast: Accidental Survivors
URL: http://accidentalsurvivors.libsyn.com/
Why Choose Them: A podcast that tackles all forms of modern gaming but each episode will have a certain topic.
Frequency: At least once a month.
Personal Commentary: While I listen to it fairly regularly, nothing really to set it apart from the rest but nothing to discredit it either.

Podcast: All Games Considered
URL: http://allgamesconsidered.blogspot.com/
Why Choose Them: Fairly frequent, shows tend to focus on specific topics or games.
Frequency: Twice a month at least.
Personal Commentary: The banter between the three hosts are lively and interesting.

Podcast: Canon Puncture
URL: http://canonpuncture.blogspot.com/
Why Choose Them: Topical shows, usually interviews with people in the game industry (both independent and mainstream).
Frequency: At least twice a month.
Personal Commentary: Love the commentary and interviews.

Podcast: Dice Make Bonk
URL: http://www.noirchickenstudios.com/Dice_Make_Bonk/
Why Choose Them: A general RPG podcast that not only offers their recordings in mp3 but in ogg as well.
Frequency: Used to be monthly.
Personal Commentary: Current status: unknown.

Podcast: Digital Dungeon Cast
URL: http://digitaldungeoncast.ning.com/
Why Choose Them: The few episodes that they have are quite interesting.
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: Checking for vital signs...

Podcast: Dragons Landing
URL: http://www.dragonslanding.com/dli/
Why Choose Them: A really, really long (almost 2 hours) podcast on RPGs that covers several topics in each show.
Frequency: Monthly.
Personal Commentary: The length I think is one of the show's strengths that sets them apart and they have various interesting segments in each episode.

Podcast: Fear the Boot
URL: http://feartheboot.libsyn.com/
Why Choose Them: A very frequent podcast on specific RPG topics.
Frequency: Weekly.
Personal Commentary: The hosts have personality!

Podcast: Gamer's Haven
URL: http://www.canadiancrusaders.com/
Why Choose Them: A general RPG podcast that is topical and features the occasional interview; they have a comprehensive show notes.
Frequency: Monthly
Personal Commentary: I usually look forward to this show when it comes out and they did have some great Gen Con interviews as well as a recording of a Goodman Games panel.

Podcast: Grimm Studios Podcast
URL: http://grimmstudios.libsyn.com/
Why Choose Them: Topical episodes and each episode has a nostalgic Atari game design cover.
Frequency: Used to be three episodes a month.
Personal Commentary: They're currently tackling the various alignments of D&D (three down!).

Podcast: Midnight's Lair
URL: http://midnightslair.com/wordpress/
Why Choose Them: Each episode tackles a variety of topics including a main feature (sometimes an interview) and a game review. Occasionally forays into actual play recordings or recordings of panels.
Frequency: Monthly.
Personal Commentary: A decent enough show although the last three episodes (all released in November) were actual play recordings.

Podcast: Role Playing Public Radio
URL: http://slangdesign.com/rppr/
Why Choose Them: Topical shows and has the occasional actual play recording.
Frequency: At least one episode a month.
Personal Commentary: Enjoyable lively episodes.

Podcast: Sons of Kryos
URL: http://sonsofkryos.livejournal.com/
Why Choose Them: General RPG topics with special episodes that features a wide variety of interviews.
Frequency: Monthly
Personal Commentary: The title might baffle you but they really are a RPG podcast. Also a great show in general.

Podcast: Something Wild
URL: http://somethingwild.libsyn.com/
Why Choose Them: They tackled Spirit of the Century in their first episode.
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: Was this a one-shot podcast or will it release more shows in 2008?

Podcast: Stabbing Contests
URL: http://stabbingcontest.libsyn.com/
Why Choose Them: There's usually a special guest or host in each episode!
Frequency: Weekly so far.
Personal Commentary: A relative newcomer but I like what I'm hearing.

Podcast: The Basics of the Game
URL: http://thebasicsofthegame.libsyn.com/
Why Choose Them: Each episode usually focuses on a certain game, campaign setting, or interview.
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: It's okay, usually more like a review show more than anything else.

Podcast: The Bear's Grove Podcast
URL: http://bearsgrove.com/
Why Choose Them: A general enough RPG podcast that features the occasional interview or actual play recording.
Frequency: Unkown.
Personal Commentary: I wish they'd come out more often.

Podcast: The Durham 3
URL: http://www.durham3.com/
Why Choose Them: A short, comfortable and casual chat between gamers on a specific topic.
Frequency: At least twice a month.
Personal Commentary: It's a nice, relaxing listen and the candidness between the hosts is evident.

Podcast: The Square One Podcast
URL: http://squareonepodcast.com/
Why Choose Them: A back to basics RPG podcast.
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: Two episodes in one year.

Podcast: This Modern Death
URL: http://www.thismoderndeath.com/
Why Choose Them: The usual general coverage podcast with the occasional interview thrown in from time to time.
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: I've listened to one episode so far and it was okay.

Gaming Niche Podcasts

These podcasts usually have a theme or gimmick (outside of the expected norm) that ties their episodes. Do try them out as a show's niche usually gives them character.

Podcast: Godzilla Gaming Podcast
URL: http://godzillagamingpodcast.libsyn.com/
Why Choose Them: Gaming from the perspective of gamers currently residing in Japan!
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: The one episode I managed to listen to was interesting enough and I think they do set themselves apart from the other podcasts, it's just a wait and see how consistent they can get their episodes out.

Podcast: Secret Life of Girl Gamers
URL: http://secretlifeofgirlgamers.blogspot.com/
Why Choose Them: Gaming from the perspective of girl gamers.
Frequency: Two episodes in one month so far.
Personal Commentary: A brand new podcast, looking forward to hearing more from them.

Podcast: The Digital Front
URL: http://thedigitalfront.com/
Why Choose Them: If you're interested in the electronic tabletop RPG market, this is the podcast you should be listening to.
Frequency: At least once a month.
Personal Commentary: Interviews, interviews, and more interviews!

Podcast: The Gamer Traveler Podcast
URL: http://highmoonmedia.com/tgt/
Why Choose Them: Daniel Perez relates his travel experiences with gaming.
Frequency: Used to be monthly.
Personal Commentary: It's a great, unique show that has a different take on gaming.

Podcast: The Groovecast Podcast
URL: http://thegroovecast.libsyn.com/
Why Choose Them: A podcast that focuses on playing RPGs online.
Frequency: Used to be at least two episodes a month.
Personal Commentary: Lots of interesting shows including RPGs in general and interviews. Hopefully they get back on track soon.

Podcast: The Wandering Men
URL: http://www.wanderingmen.com/
Why Choose Them: If you're interested in following the exploits of The Wandering Men, gamers who go out to experience the real world to add to their gaming experience and churn out fiction.
Frequency: Unknown.
Personal Commentary: Only one episode so far which are excerpts from their fiction.

Podcast: Wandering Geek Podcast
URL: http://wanderinggeek.podbean.com/
Why Choose Them: Curt the Camera Guy will appeal to gamers who travel and he has various segments including an all-music show, a review show, and a general topics show.
Frequency: At least once a month.
Personal Commentary: Great show and lots of interesting segments. You don't need to be a gamer who travels to appreciate it.

PGS Special Halloween Issue: Call For Submissions

From Philippine Genre Stories:

After the PGS holiday-themed issue, let's try, at the suggestion of award-winning writer and PGS contributor Yvette Tan, a Halloween-themed one. In fact, seeing as the workload for PGS is piling up, and it's becoming harder to manage things as both publisher and editor, I've accepted Yvette's offer to let her be the guest editor for this special issue due out near Halloween 2008.

Since stories of the supernatural are what grabs Yvette's attention (and what flows from her pen most of the time), editing the Halloween issue seems like a perfect fit. The guidelines:

- Submissions have to be of the horror/suspense genre. Ghost tales and stories of the supernatural are welcome. Cross-genre tales are also welcome (think "Alien", the first one, which is really more horror with a mix of scifi). Trying to mix horror with other genres like humor, fantasy, or romance is also welcome.

- Horror tropes, whether local or international, are welcome, but preference will be given to tales with a fresh take. Feel free to set your story anywhere, or write about any topic you want, but be aware there are things that have been done many times before.

- It's all right to use in your story mythic creatures, settings, or items that are not copyright protected (like kapres, aswangs, werewolves, vampires, El Dorado, the Fountain of Youth, etc.). But stories with such that are still under copyright protection will be rejected.

Pure, original stories, with original or copyright-lapsed characters, items, and settings, are most welcome. :)

- Send your submissions to pdohs(at)yahoo(dot)com. All stories will then be forwarded to Yvette Tan.

- Deadline is June 30, 2008, about six months away from the date of this post.

All previous horror/suspense submissions that are currently pending will be automatically forwarded to Yvette for this special Halloween issue. If you have any questions, just leave a comment here. Thanks!

Avalon.ph Blog

Local book auction site, Avalon.ph, has a blog which is currently in its beta stage. It features book reviews as well as news.

URL: http://blog.avalon.ph

Book Review: The Dark: New Ghost Stories edited by Ellen Datlow

Every Monday, I'll be doing spoiler-free book reviews.

It's only recently that I'm getting acquainted with horror fiction and The Dark: New Ghost Stories seems a good place to start as any. The anthology includes an introduction by renowned editor Ellen Datlow as well as 16 short stories from various authors, some of which I usually associate with the fantasy or speculative fiction genre more than the horror genre but they prove adept at telling, at the very least, interesting stories. The format of each story is that there is a short bio of the author followed by the story itself and then ends with an afterword from the author about their favorite ghost story. I actually find this format helpful as I remember more details about the author while the afterword are "special features" that gives us insight into the minds of our favorite writers. As for the stories, they are all competently written and without a doubt deserve a place in this collection. Having said that, here are my top three short stories in the anthology: "Limbo" by Lucius Shepard for me is the strongest piece that has the most resonance for me for it is an intricate horror story that works on many levels and is layered with much characterization. "One Thing About the Night" by Terry Dowling uses an interesting and original concept to convey the kind of horror he plans to unleash upon the reader and was an enjoyable read. "An Amicable Divorce" by Daniel Abraham uses various techniques to draw the reader in and the end is proof that just because your short story has ghosts doesn't necessarily mean they're the source of something horrifying. Overall, The Dark is a decent horror-themed anthology that has depth and sophistication. It's not easy reading by any means and while there are some stories that are short, for the most part there is lots of time and emotional investment required to appreciate this book.

Rating: 4/5.