Michael Formichelli's Blog: Nero's Niche, page 2

Writing for RPG Games

Image from wikimedia commonsRunning games harder than it looks... Well, if you do it right I think.

Tonight I tried something new, DMing (Dungeon Mastering—a.k.a. leading a Dungeons and Dragons game) at a public store with absolutely no idea what I would be walking into (a friend asked me to help out). Due to a couple of factors I wound up running a game for all of one person, which was not the expected number. It was a bit... painful is the right word, actually...

I feel like I need to give a little background here about what DM/GM (Game Master)-ing is. For those who don't know, RPG's are basically games that combine group storytelling with dice and, usually, some form of math (which is fun, I promise). The dice/math aspect is meant to add randomness and unpredictability which makes the story a bit more interesting for everyone. As a matter of practicality, it works like this: "I'd like to hit the orc with my sword." "Okay, roll the dice. What did you get?" "I got x number (or in other systems this can be a symbol, etc.)" "Okay, you hit the orc." That's a very dry version of what happens, but that's the gist. In the real world it winds up being much more exciting. The fate of a character you invested your time in making, in writing up a whole backstory for, in being for a few hours a week, can hinge on a die roll. If you couch that in an involving choose-your-own-adventure story that can go anywhere, then you know what RPGing is.

When you run one of these things, you either use a pre-printed adventure (not my choice), or you write your own up; sometimes as you go along. It's that second one that I do. It fits, I guess, given that I write books, but the reason I write the plot-lines to these games is that I just find someone else's to be a bit restrictive. What if the players decide to do Y instead of X? If you write your own, you don't have to worry so much about this because if they choose to go off-plot you can just adapt.

So, getting back to the first thing from before, why was it painful? Well, I don't do well with single-player games of this kind. There is a kind of energy that builds up when you have 3-5 people joining in this kind of group storytelling. Everyone brings their own personality, their points of view, and their play style to the table. It winds up combining into something that is unpredictable, and therefore interesting, for everyone. When it's just you and one other person, you lose that energy and sense of belonging (which is definitely there. You and the rest are all making something together). For me, it sucks the life right out of the story. That's what happened tonight, and it's left a kind of bad taste in my mouth.

Don't get me wrong, I love writing for games as much as I love writing books, but I'm not sure this style of random grouping is for me. I'll give it another week to see, but instead of finding the "who will be at the table this week" bit that I thought would be interesting and horizon-expanding, I find I'm sort of dreading it.

Still, it's a learning experience no matter what. I'll see what happens next Wednesday.

Captain Marvel: My Spoiler-Free Review

First and foremost, I enjoyed the movie.
I went into with a little trepidation. Brie Larson's interviews and the trailers didn't get me as excited as perhaps they should have. There was, for example, the controversial choice to show her beating up an old lady on a train (there's a very good reason, but it's off-putting to see out of context). I'm wondering if different footage should have been selected for promotions or if this was a deliberate attempt to downgrade the expectations before the "wow" of the actual movie. Whatever the case, I was pleasantly surprised after the opening credits (which entailed a tribute to the late, great, Stan Lee).

The best thing about Captain Marvel was that it was fun. I haven't collected comics for a while up until last year when I began again in earnest, and from the Captain Marvel issues I could get my hands on I wasn't sure what to expect. As both an origin story and a tie-in to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) the movie served its purpose well and gave us a great experience in the process.

I'm very much looking forward to see how Captain Marvel fits into the next Infinity War installment, and of course, looking forward to watching her kick some more butt.

Trailer Credit (YouTube, Marvel, Disney)

From iO9: The Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film of the Last Ten Years

iO9 recently released a bracket to determine the best Sci-Fi film of the last ten years. My wife and I had a great time filling it out (we got different results). The results of my match-ups are below.


What's the best sci-fi film of the last ten years? Find the blank form here, fill it out, and decide for yourself! I'd love to know what you got. Leave a comment before you go.

Deep Hydra Releases Today!

Cover art by Michael LamIt's out at last! Deep Hydra releases for Kindle and in print today (though, technically the print book was available on 3/2 thanks to my faux pas).

The circle is now complete, and the exciting end to the Blood Siren series is at hand. Nero must face his maker in a winner-take-all battle to the end. Will he succeed, or will the enemy of the Confederation triumph? Read it and find out!

Thoughts on Dark Phoenix

Image: 20th Century Fox
via WikimediaDark Phoenix releases June 7th of this year.

I've been looking forward to this movie since seeing the end of Apocalypse in 2016. I'm a big fan of the Dark Phoenix/Phoenix Force stories from the Uncanny X-Men, and grew up with the characters that sprung from them in the 80's and 90's (looking at you Phoenix (not this one) and Cable—which on a side-note, I'm kind of sad they didn't link in recent films. I also will express my ignorance here of recent comic book chronology/genealogy, and acknowledge that maybe Phoenix and Cable aren't siblings anymore). It's exciting to see the story come to the big screen... again.

2006's X-Men Last Stand was a massive disappointment for me. I was more hyped then to see it after the 2nd X-Men movie than I am now to see Dark Phoenix, probably because it was so bad. The way they handled the story was nothing short of bizarre for an older fan like myself. This time around they have the chance to do it justice and make it a truly entertaining movie. Dark can be good, as we've seen in many films for years now, but only if handled the proper way. It becomes depressing or jarringly bad if it's not. After watching the initial trailer for Dark Phoenix, and considering the acting talents involved, I'm quite hopeful that this time around the trip will be a whole lot better (despite some early review rumors).

More on this after June 7th.

Pre-Order Deep Hydra!

For the first time, I've got an eBook pre-order available. Deep Hydra can now be pre-ordered before its March 5th launch date on Amazon.com.

Following the narrow escape from Zov, Nero Graves and his allies make their way back to the capital to complete their mission, but unknown to them, the political climate on Kosfanter has changed.
Cylus Keltan is on his way to seizing total power, but is his meteoric rise a result of Baroness Sophiathena's diabolical plans... or something even more sinister? And just what part is the Daedalus AI playing in all of this? Is it the protector of the Confederation, or the architect of its downfall?The final conflict has arrived and the answers lie within a place no human eyes have ever seen...Deep Hydra.
Pre-Order Deep Hydra here!

Deep Hydra: Cover Reveal and Excerpt

With publication approaching, I'm very excited to announce that Deep Hydra will soon be available. Once again the talents of Michael Lam will be on display for the cover, and within you can find the conclusion to the Orion Spur series.


Cover art by Michael LamMichael Lam is a great artist. I invite you to check out his website at www.michaellamart.com.


Deep Hydra is the conclusion to the story that began with Blood Siren. Deep Hydra immediately follows the events of Eye of the Abyss, but you don't have to have read the previous books to get into this one (though it helps fill in the background). From the back cover:


Following the narrow escape from Zov, Nero Graves and his allies make their way back to the capital to complete their mission, but unknown to them, the political climate on Kosfanter has changed.

Cylus Keltan is on his way to seizing total power, but is his meteoric rise a result of Baroness Sophiathena's diabolical plans... or something even more sinister? And just what part is the Daedalus AI playing in all of this? Is it the protector of the Confederation, or the architect of its downfall?

The final conflict has arrived and the answers lie within a place no human eyes have ever seen...
Deep Hydra.

Below is an excerpt from Deep Hydra. Enjoy! And remember to watch this blog for further announcements! Deep Hydra should be available on or around March 5th (I'll do my best).


From the upcoming 2019 sci-fi novel, Deep Hydra, by Michael Formichelli:

“Of course,” Baroness Cronus said, “there are some loose ends to tie up.”“What do you mean?”“Should Zalor discard Cylus he will still have support. His personal tragedy and recent events may draw some of the others to him. It might be enough to interfere in your reelection plans, especially if my mother and aunt get involved.”“Of course they’ll be involved,” Dorsky said. “What do you have in mind?”“My mother and aunt are sympathetic figures in their own right, and many of the barons feel guilty about not supporting Mitsugawa Yoji’s motion after his death. No doubt the Cronus sisters could pull more of them to Cylus’ cause. Without them, his chances of going the distance alone are…” She raised her eyebrows and inclined her head to the side.“I see.” Dorsky frowned in concentration. “Don’t think for a moment I don’t see you angling to bring IntelSys into your hands.”“I only want what is best for the Confederation, and for you.”Dorsky snorted.“It’s a good plan,” Baroness Vargas said. “He’s close to them?”“Cylus? Yes.” Sophi nodded.“Then it’s a very good plan,” Vargas said.“More murder? This is not the way,” Baron Xitar buzzed. “We don’t need to do this.”“Don’t go getting a guilty conscience now, Baron.” Dorsky licked his lips. “We need to take drastic action. If Baron Keltan is distracted by the Cronus’ deaths—”“He’ll be devastated,” Baroness Cronus said.Bitch, she’ll even betray her own family,Cygni thought.
Across the room, Giselle crossed her arms and tapped her elbows.

Deep Hydra will soon be available here.

Alita:Battle Angel, A Review

Image from
IMDB.comThis weekend my wife and me went to see Alita, the new Robert Rodriguez/James Cameron movie based on the manga, Battle Angel: Alita. It stars Rosa Salazar, Christoff Waltz, and Jennifer Connelly, all of whom did an amazing job. Ms. Salazar was particularly good in portraying the cyborg, Alita. I say this as a long time fan of both the manga and the anime. Her ability to go from childish wonder to battle-hardened berserker was nothing short of fantastic, and really sold the role.

The story stayed mostly true to the one I remember from the manga (I have to re-read them asap), which is a cyberpunk twist on the Pinocchio story (kind of), and was a thrill to see on the big screen. From start to finish it enraptured me with its intensity. Not only was the film visually stunning but the characters were well written and compelling. I was with Alita every step of her journey of self-discovering and realization. I felt her pain, her frustration, and her joy as the movie progressed. I wish more sci-fi was this well written.Mahershala Ali gives a (as usual) mesmerizing performance as Vector, and showed why he won an Oscar and is in the running for a 2nd. (Also, watch True Detective this season, it's amazing).Alita took #1 at the box office this weekend with a 27.1 million dollar take (source: IMDB.com), though it did open on Valentine's Day and so the total money made so far is over 30 million. Given that it had a 200 million dollar budget to make, it seems in jeopardy of not making its money back. I'd hate to see this happen since, a) I'd like to see a sequel, and b) it would be a shame to have another Dredd situation where the movie is excellent but people only discover this when it's too late.
I highly recommend Alita, tell your friends, go see it in droves. It's well worth it.

Image Credits: Small poster: IMDB.com, Trailer: YouTube/20th Century Fox

It's coming...

Yes! I took too long, but I have something of an excuse. After reviewing the book I wound up rewriting the second half (as I may have mentioned before), but now the edits are finished and I'm finally moving forward!

Book 4, Deep Hydra, the conclusion to the Chronicles of the Orion Spur (or Blood Siren series if you prefer) is coming soon! I should be getting the proof copy/galley within a week or so, and then I'll be able to start the final stages of putting Book 4 into your hands!

I'll do some more announcements here on the blog once I know more.

Also, my apologies for not doing my annual Sci-Fi movie preview. It's been a bumpy start to the year with how busy I've been, medical issues, and a death in the family. I hope to get back to regular posts soon.

In the meantime, watch the Orville, it's awesome.

Book 4 Update: I'm moving slower than I thought...

We find ourselves in the in-between time, waiting for those end of year holidays having just passed (in the US) Thanksgiving—and I have one more work/read-through to do on Book 4. Unfortunately, this means I won't be making my goal of having it out by the end of the year (ugh), but it will be out in early 2019.

Since Amazon now allows for Pre-Orders I think I'll be putting it up for that as I finish out the publication process. I think I'll find the number of people waiting for release to be motivating.


 So, I'd say now is the perfect time to catch up or re-read the series in preparation. Swing by my author page on Amazon and check 'em out!