• Fiction,  Mountain Sound

    Mountain Sound | One

    Mist wraps around the mountains like a thick cloak, stained grey-pink with early morning light. There’s an unnatural stillness in the air, the heavy silence that comes from the sudden absence of human life. In the distance is a massive downed ship, smouldering still in the distance; a dead, metal behemoth so like just another mountain on the horizon.

    A bleat breaks through the silence, then another, and another still. Shadows move behind a curtain of fog, until the pale tendrils peel away from a grassy outcropping where the dark shapes manifest into a flock of sheep. In the midst is a faceless guardian, standing against the bitter breeze with a branch-turned-staff clasped in one cold hand while a velvet face, haloed with frosted breath, nuzzles the other.

  • Blog,  Mountain Sound

    Mountain Sound | About

    Starting (northern hemisphere) Friday next week, I’ll be releasing my FIRST serial fiction story: Mountain Sound, with a new chapter every third Friday from then on.

    With the cities aflame and massive warships silhouetting the sun, the human race is once more on the verge of destroying itself. The countryside was supposed to be far from the war, but death spreads like a virus—not that Efa would know. An android built for many jobs, Efa was given only one: to protect the sheep placed under her care.

    Until a dying girl stumbles upon the flock, shattering Efa’s peaceful existence and forcing the android to think beyond her basic programming. The war is coming—has already come—raising new questions neither of them can answer alone. All Efa knows is that she cannot abandon her sheep.

    Mountain Sound is a story about humanity, love, responsibility, and sheep. I don’t know exactly when it will end, but I’m planning around 10 chapters. I have a page dedicated to keeping track of chapters and characters, and it will be updated as the story progresses.

    This is an effort to start showing my creative writing more, as all I’ve done publicly for the last year plus is write editorials and book reviews, with my creative stuff hidden behind-the-scenes. No more!

    Patrons will get to see chapters early, on Wednesdays!

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  • Blog,  Blogging,  Books,  Star Wars

    An Incomplete Ranking of 2015 STAR WARS Literature

    For someone who has fully embraced the new canon of Star Wars, this year has been a great year for reading. For the past two years I’ve been slowly making my way through the now-Legends novels  chronologically (though the X-wing series got pushed ahead, for obvious reasons), and I can definitely say the ratio of books I’ve enjoyed to those I’ve slogged through has been much higher with the new stuff than the old EU.

    That’s not to say I don’t love what I’ve read of the old novels, but I absolutely adore some of the newer books, so much so that two of them have become two of my favourite books ever, something that none of the old EU books have managed to do so far. In fact, that list is damn hard to get onto, because I dislike almost everything I read.

    Protip: never suggest I read your favourite book, because odds are I will hate it and will pick apart all the reasons I think it’s awful right before your very eyes. (I’m so sorry, friends who like The Name of the Wind.)

  • Podcasts,  Rogue Podron

    Rogue Podron Mission 10: State of the Squadron 1

    To Rogue Squadron. To the friends we’ve lost, the battles we’ve fought, and the utter fear our return will bring to our enemies.

    Gather around the strategy table as we recap our adventures through Book 1, X-wing Rogue Squadron, with our special guests Nanci and Brian. This week, we run down the Rogue Squadron roster, sharing thoughts on the pilots, crew, and Imperials, and answer some discussion questions, including a lot of fancasting!

    Link to the ryshcate recipe Nanci references: tosche-station.net/bake-it-so-rysh…ecan-cake-bars/

    Hosted by Meg (show notes), Danny (editor), Saf (social media extraordinaire), and Heath (artwork and social media) with Nanci and Brian from Tosche Station.

    We will be back in January, 2016 to begin discussing book 2, Wedge’s Gamble. Until then, Happy TFA and Happy New Year from your friends at Rogue Podron!

  • Podcasts,  Rogue Podron

    Rogue Podron Mission 9: Is That A Sarlacc In Your Belly Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?

    All wings report in! This episode: Chapters 32-epilogue of X-wing: Rogue Squadron.

    This week on Rogue Podron, we wrap up our first book in the X-wing series! Join us as we talk about Erisi’s total lack of subtlety, Rogue Squadron quotes that we want to tattoo all over ourselves, why “Bro Squadron” should never ever be a thing, how much we all love cake, and more!

    Listener Question of the Week: Who’s more incompetent, Kirtan Loor or Bothans? Tweet your answers to @roguepodron or send your stories to [email protected]

    Hosted by Meg (show notes), Danny (editor), Saf (social media extraordinaire), and Heath (artwork and social media).

    NEXT WEEK: We will be discussing our overall thoughts on X-wing Rogue Squadron in our first ever “State of the Squadron.” We will be joined by special guests Nanci and Brian from Tosche Station!

  • Blog,  Diversity & Media Criticism,  Gaming,  PAX Aus

    Female Protagonists, Who Cares?

    While at PAX Australia earlier this month I tagged along to a panel called, Who Cares About Female Protagonists? with a friend because, well, I care about female protagonists a hell of a lot.

    There’s a reason the majority of my favourite games are headed by women and girls, or at least give the player the option to pick their gender (props to you, BioWare.) These games make me feel like I can be a hero in a way male-led games do not. They make me feel like I can be something more than I am.

  • Podcasts,  Rogue Podron

    Rogue Podron Mission 8: We Are Not Space Pilots

    All wings report in! This episode: Chapters 26-31 of X-wing: Rogue Squadron.

    This week on Rogue Podron, Bro Jace makes us laugh! Andoorni makes us cry! Tycho makes us swoon! And Corran makes us give him some serious side-eye.

    Listener Question of the Week: What other stupid contests do you think Corran and Bro Jace do to prove who is superior? Tweet your answers to @roguepodron or send your stories to [email protected]

    Hosted by Meg (show notes), Danny (editor), Saf (social media extraordinaire), and Heath (artwork and social media).

    IN TWO WEEKS: We will be discussing chapters 32-epilogue of X-wing Rogue Squadron.

  • Podcasts,  Rogue Podron

    Rogue Podron Mission 7: Cra-cray Kre-fey

    All wings report in! This episode: Chapters 21-25 of X-wing: Rogue Squadron.

    The rogues have a pretty serious case of the giggles this week, during which we discuss how prevalent we think x-wings will be in Rogue One, vent our frustrations with Kirtan Loor, deeply analyze Twi’lek displays of affection, discuss the love languages of the pilots, and more!

    Listener Question of the Week: If you were a pilot, what would you want Emtrey to scrounge around to find for you? Tweet your answers to @roguepodron or send your stories to [email protected]

    Hosted by Meg (show notes), Danny (editor), Saf (social media extraordinaire), and Heath (artwork and social media).

    NEXT WEEK: We will be discussing chapters 26-31 of X-wing Rogue Squadron.

  • Podcasts,  Rogue Podron

    Rogue Podron Mission 6: Sassy Wedge Salad

    All wings report in! This episode: Chapters 17-20 of X-wing: Rogue Squadron.

    Fresh on the heels of surgery, travel, Halloween, and our first character death, the podron is feeling a lot of emotions this week. We discuss whether we hope to see an opening crawl in Rogue One, our ever-increasing love of Wedge Antilles, law puns, mourn the loss of our first Rogue Squadron pilot, and more!

    Listener Question of the Week: If you were best pilot, what chores would you have the worst pilot do? Tweet your answers to @roguepodron or send your stories to [email protected]

    Hosted by Meg (show notes), Danny (editor), Saf (social media extraordinaire), and Heath (artwork and social media).

    NEXT WEEK: We will be discussing chapters 21-25 of X-wing Rogue Squadron.