Ordered myself the audio "A Night in the Lonesome October" as a Holiday gift. Much better price from Americana Pub than from Amazon. Looking around the web, it seems this is another Zelazny work that is out of print.
I just got off the phone with Americana Books. They have remaining stock of Zelazny's audio work (the sunset productions material) but this stock is getting low. Soon they will produce new copies on tape.
I asked them about reissued unabridged material on CD (instead of tape) and while they do not have this material planned now, they are not opposed to manufacturing it-- provided they have some "advanced orders" of a few hundred folks. Zelazny fans combined with orders they can get for truckstop distributors could make the CD production run a reality.
The info below is for your use.
Multiple book orders might be eligible for some discount, but you would have to talk to Ann about that.
> Ann Edenfield :: ann@americanabooks.com
> VP of Sales
> Americana Publishing, Inc.
> 303 San Mateo NE, Suite 104A
> Albuquerque, NM 87108
> 1-888-883-8203 x157 > 1-505-255-6189 Fax
Taken (part 7) was an interesting story, very adroit in the casting, with big kudos to the actors and actresses in the smallest parts. A theme of the story is that these Events are happening to very ordinary people, and the skill in casting and acting supports this theme quite well. You can believe that the characters are ones you might see every day, in your neighborhood or at work.
The SF Site: A Conversation With John Betancourt Now I haven't really commented much about the Dawn of Amber book. I think there are issues to it which are quite complex, and I don't have all the information to make an informed comment, and since I am also a creator of art and prose-- I have a dualistic idea about derivative works, and "leaning on" a bit of brilliance to generate something new . . . (the title of this blog should make ample statment to that-- I'd hope).
I have to say that if JB is quoted accurately in this interview, that he comes across in a shallow fashion on the art and craft of writing. As a publisher and a businessman, he seems to be a very straight arrow, very good. If this is generally true, it does make the entire tangle of his Zelazny prequel understandable. Having read the prologue sample of Dawn of Amber, I'm not tempted to read the rest.
Zelazny of PrinceRoyal :: will this item come up in the future story at Strange Bedfellows? Count on it. I can see that Bishop will meet a fellow traveler in his ongoing tale.
:)
I am properly impressed and humbled ::
Googlism : arref is gm/author/essayist/creator of the eternal city campaign/webpage
arref is a sneaky little gm and threw things at me i didn't expect
arref is putting together a pretty simple system
arref is exactly a stranger
arref is a genius
Shadows of Amber :: Comments From the Peanut Gallery :: Age and Demographics Yorlum remarks ::
"Then, of course are the Apprentices, the Newbies. They have little knowledge of RP’s and are still learning the ropes. They can be infuriating as they blunder into obvious traps or say or do the exact wrong thing at most every turn.
Yet they are also the “Life” of the game. Without that infusion of New blood, each game becomes a rehash of the last one. They offer fresh ideas, concepts and enthusiasm."
Nice observation.
I agree that the divisions are as you suggest (Greybeards 30yrs gaming, Veterans 15, Journeyman 5, Apprentices 0 to 1 year gaming) and have found a very rewarding time introducing young people to the hobby.
You can see it in each game moment, even in their faces, everything a newbie tries is an experiment, a challenge of unknown depth. It's quite odd to watch Greybeards or Veterans miss the "chemistry" of having these kind of gamers in the mix. Too often, I have to "GM admonish" an experienced player rolling eyes at something that a newbie wants to try.
There is a conflict between imagination and age that ought to be overcome.
Forgetting the Magic of Pretend might determine which category you are in regardless of gaming experience.
Having seen Shatner a couple times at conventions, he really is much like you see him in this interview.
I can get behind this idea:
Slashdot :: William Shatner Replies "Regret is the worst of human emotions. There is no going back with regret. There is no future with regret. Regret is not something I live with. If there is something I wished I hadn't done, I don't do it anymore or I forgive myself and try better."
-- William Shatner
"It begins as a seductive voice inside your head."
It is the voice of Evil. It is the Darkness that wails at the heart of What Was. This voice is the Nameless and must be resisted. This is the Enemy of life. It is the Thing That Cannot Die because it has never lived. To listen to it is to know no hope . . . but that thought itself is part of the seduction of the Dark.
While you live, there is always hope . . . and this is the thing that the Voice so desperately wishes us all to forget.
Here's a quick reference for those out there who might need a simple definition of the terms used below: Beek's Books - "RetCon" I first heard the term a few years ago from Karen Groves and she was nice enough to clue me.
Last week's WISH from: Turn of a Friendly Die:Game Weekly Idea Sharing Hegemony
WISH 24: Retcons Do you think that retroactive continuity is a good or bad thing in games? Is it a valuable GM/player tool or a cheat? Are there appropriate places for using it? Inappropriate places? How have you successfully used it or seen it used in a game? How about unsuccessfully?
I'm a big fan of adroit retcon.
For as long as I've been GMing, there have been retcons. The Characters of a game story never know everything there is to know about what's happening in the world. Fact is, the GM doesn't either, though he/she often has a better idea than anyone. It is a must to have events passing "offstage" and out-of-earshot of the PCs. Your world will not have the veneer of reality if this doesn't take place.
And it is entirely impractical to split your attention from the PCs while the game moves forward to address those "offstage" elements. You can work on them between games, if you have that kind of time (I almost never have that kind of time), but the only way I've ever addressed them is by seamless retcon work that weaves with the PCs' own story. Show how the PCs' efforts change things going on in the world. Show how the things being done elsewhere change the PCs' lives. Show how other people have to alter their plans in reaction to crafty stuff the PCs have done. I really know of no other way to do this except by subtle use of a section of my "GM head" devoted entirely to retcon weaving.
I suppose the whole category of retcon that changes things behind the PCs' backs is a different kind of issue, and personally, that's like surgery, only to be done when absolutely necessary. I'm quite careful about pulling the rug out from under Players a la the "you only thought you knew what happened" sort of story.
And I have to include this great additional bit from Ginger:
In an Amber game, you have to use a lot of retroactive continuity. It's one of the GM tools for simulating Amber Elders, who have centuries, in some cases a millennium or more, of experience in dealing with people. To keep them out-thinking and outwitting the younger PCs who surround them, retroactive changes to the plot are often necessary.
The downside is that you have to be very careful not to make the elders unbeatable--they shouldn't be--or to ruin the fun for the players. Constantly being thwarted by someone older and smarter isn't a pleasant experience. I've never enjoyed playing second fiddle to a GM's pet NPCs, and the Amber elders are pretty well positioned to fall into that category. GMs beware!
Right. My secret is out.
