Dave Higgins's Blog, page 22

What Will You Play, Exile?

Between the time when I last drank my coffee, and the arrival of Una the Deep Miaowing, there was an age sometimes spoken of. And unto this, Conan Exiles, destined to bear the jewelled crown upon troubled code. It is I, this chronicler, who alone can tell thee the saga of our dealings. Let me … Continue reading What Will You Play, Exile?

The Strider and the Regulus by Tricia D. Wagner

Wagner summons up the immense frustration of teenage dreams meeting adult practicality, creating a narrative that shows that even smart people who love each other can fail to communicate effectively. At thirteen, Swift dreams of a life filled with adventure and piracy, vastly different from the careers his father and brothers have. So, when he … Continue reading The Strider and the Regulus by Tricia D. Wagner

Marilia, the Warlord by Morgan Cole

Cole blends a protagonist who must struggle for permission to use her talents with complex politics and epic battles, creating an engaging perspective on the chosen one narrative. As the daughter of a Tyracian prostitute and a Navessea officer, Marilia has spent her childhood as a servant in the brothel and everyone assumes she will … Continue reading Marilia, the Warlord by Morgan Cole

Stick… Rock…. StickRock!

As I’ve mentioned previously, I am mildly fond of survival games, especially Conan Exiles, and of a good pastiche. So, I was doubly joy-filled when I discovered Survival Logic: some of it is very focused on multiplayer (which isn’t the bit of the games that interest me) but the episode on crafting items is a … Continue reading Stick… Rock…. StickRock!

The Word Thieves by Carol Riggs

Riggs blends a complex political situation with nuanced characters, creating a tale that is driven by youthful desire for justice without reducing difficult situations to simple binaries.. As the taxes on the poorest district of Noviston become ever more extreme, Taylen Hafferill relies on her power of mech-whispering to help her band of rebels stay … Continue reading The Word Thieves by Carol Riggs

Every Hour of the Light and Dark Is a Miracle

We are creatures of light. In the metaphorical sense that we have capacity for good but also in the very literal sense that where other creatures live by scent or sound, we live by sight, needing the light to achieve non-trivial actions in a way that even most other sight-focused creatures do not. While we … Continue reading Every Hour of the Light and Dark Is a Miracle

She Who Returns by Audrey Driscoll

Driscoll blends learning and esoterica with complex characters, creating a story that evokes classic tales of occult scholarship without any of the dryness that can creep in. This novel is the sequel to She Who Comes Forth and describes events in Driscoll’s Herbert West series. Possible spoilers for both ahead. France Leighton has built a … Continue reading She Who Returns by Audrey Driscoll

Anent The Conjuring of Thought from Machine

When one ventures beyond the comforting indifference of the crowd, one finds many vastly different, yet equally strongly held, views on AI Chatbots and similar such contrivances. However, to the enlightened mind only one opinion matters: that of the Prophet Lovecraft. And so I set forth to ask. Due to a foul confluence of unclear … Continue reading Anent The Conjuring of Thought from Machine

The Witch is the Body by Farah Rose Smith

Interweaving universal experiences of love, loss, and uncertainty with urban legends, folk horror, and the fantastical, Smith offers a series of stories set in the liminal zone between human concerns and the incomprehensible other. This collection gathers eleven of Smith’s short stories. ‘Dead in September’: the last person Morton wants to see at his mother’s … Continue reading The Witch is the Body by Farah Rose Smith

Three Children in a Marianas Trench-Coat

Earlier, I was discussing the rule that one shouldn’t criticise a solution unless one was prepared to offer an alternative. As I am not the only Lovecraftian in my circle, the discussion swept over whether Yog-Sothothery was an exception, which reminded me of some strange realisations I had as a younger man about the casting … Continue reading Three Children in a Marianas Trench-Coat