Unwinnable

Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany, was an Irish nobleman probably best known to the modern mind as a writer of profound influence on H.P. Lovecraft (by way of his excellent short story collection, The Gods of Pegana), not to mention other 20th century fantasists from Tolkien to Arthur C. Clarke. In addition to his massive literary output, which consists of hundreds of stories, plays and poems, Dunsany was also a champion chess player. (more…)

Recently, to my overwhelming joy, the stars aligned and I found myself with a regular board game group. For three weekends in a row now, we’ve played Risk: Legacy, a variation on the classic game that permanently changes depending on who wins, who loses and how everyone plays. (more…)

Today in 1778, James Cook is the first European to discover the Hawaiian Islands, which he names the “Sandwich Islands.” Delicious! What is going on this weekend? (more…)

After my father died, I felt adrift. While his illness lingered on, long and terrible, it fell to me as the only child to take care of my mother, the house, his business and a million other things. As miserable and exhausting as that year was, though, it was also imbued with purpose. When the funeral was over and a semblance of normality returned, it suddenly felt like there was so little to occupy my time. (more…)

My house is filled with books.

Nearly every room boasts a bookcase. There is a fire hazard of oversized art and reference books lining the walls of my office. Should a fire actually break out, the first thing I would try to save is my collection of Arkham House books that stands behind a glass door in the living room. At the top of the stairs, by the door to the bathroom, is a small set of shelves filled with choose your own adventures and ’80s movie novelizations. (more…)

Fictional characters, by their very nature, are parasites. They cannot live without us – the attention we pay to them as readers, viewers and players quickens and sustains them. Our cognition is the coal that fuels their furnaces. In this way, all narrative is interactive. (more…)

I was 10 years old when I first visited Menzoberranzan, the fabled city of the dark elves. I sat on my couch and read R.A. Salvatore’s words for 12 hours straight, basking in the blazing summer sun while my mind wandered the subterranean corridors of a fictional city. Before then, my world was filled with words like “required reading” and “syllabus.” Boring words. Those words did not make me want to go and explore. Menzoberranzan, though? Menzoberranzan was different. (more…)