A HOLIDAY BREAK YOU SAY??
By Alex Ness
December 28, 2023
Things to do in quiet moments during the break.
Lord Dunsany The King of Elfland's Daughter, a work that reads both as a long form blank verse poem, and a lushly written narrative of an other worldly visit. Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene is an allegory, metaphor, satire and more, in poetic form, of the reign of Queen Elizabeth the Virgin queen. Seamus Heaney's excellent translation of Beowulf received tons of praise, deservedly, and I loved it. But Burton Raffel's translation moved me more. However, never presented in such finery as the Heaney version. And Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival is a masterpiece, a work that expands the tales of Arthur's knights, and even secrets of the Holy Grail... However, there is no perfect translation.
Movies about dragons can be fun. Dragonslayer is my favorite of the four shown, but it isn't great in the effects department. Dragon Heart had a clever concept, but I didn't care about any of the characters, and the effects again, really didn't move me. I've been told that Reign of Fire is great and people love the effects. While the idea behind it moved me intellectually, nothing else about it did. I thought it was a cross between crap and shiny crap. I Am Dragon is a good movie, and the effects are the peak of the technology and art. While I didn't love it, I know others who absolutely did love it. So perhaps I am just a stinky old fart who likes old movies.
The Black Rose is a romance with action. It features an a-historical tale of a bitterly rejected inheritance, mass battles, a fake Genghis Khan and a lovely French gem of an actress. It cheers my heart when I am depressed. The Adventures of Robin Hood is a similarly used tonic for my spirits, it isn't great, but I love it. Conan wasn't really Conan of the Robert E. Howard books, but it was quite good for what it was. And for all the shit I heard about the 13th Warrior, I loved the original book it is adapted from (Michael Crichton's Eaters of the Dead) and I loved the movie. So if you are one of those who hates it, or hates others on the list, go watch something else.
NOW, these four choices are made for specific and perhaps unusual reasons. I think a great game to play on break if you are alone is Tunnels & Trolls, since it excels in solitaire form. But the others here require more players.
I didn't like Mouse Guard any bit as much as Mice Templar. But in game form, it allows an exploration of the concept, and that does help the story work. Artesia in RPG form is brilliant. It allows an exploration of the world, and demonstrates how well it was constructed in how you are able to roam and have fun.
The original collected pamphlets of Dungeons and Dragons, that is, not Basic and certainly not Advanced D&D, and it is fun, for what it is, as so much else has been developed and expanded, it feels simple, fun, and logical, without the complications of the 40 years of edits ever since first release. It can be fun, and a great entry into the game for those who think RPGs are far too rule heavy in the present.
The Boxed set of Gamma World for me was a joyful and fun product. It has some flaws (One can ally themselves with pure humans who treat mutants and others as the Nazi SS might treat those they considered subhuman.) But, with people who despise that sort of thought, there are work arounds and home rules that can be developed. It is fun. It is also not fantasy, it is a mutant heavy post apocalyptic world. It does end up using fantasy rpg character rules for creation and such, without saying so. But without D&D you'd never have had GW. It is great fun. Try T&T too, btw.
THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
I didn't like Mouse Guard any bit as much as Mice Templar. But in game form, it allows an exploration of the concept, and that does help the story work. Artesia in RPG form is brilliant. It allows an exploration of the world, and demonstrates how well it was constructed in how you are able to roam and have fun.
The original collected pamphlets of Dungeons and Dragons, that is, not Basic and certainly not Advanced D&D, and it is fun, for what it is, as so much else has been developed and expanded, it feels simple, fun, and logical, without the complications of the 40 years of edits ever since first release. It can be fun, and a great entry into the game for those who think RPGs are far too rule heavy in the present.
The Boxed set of Gamma World for me was a joyful and fun product. It has some flaws (One can ally themselves with pure humans who treat mutants and others as the Nazi SS might treat those they considered subhuman.) But, with people who despise that sort of thought, there are work arounds and home rules that can be developed. It is fun. It is also not fantasy, it is a mutant heavy post apocalyptic world. It does end up using fantasy rpg character rules for creation and such, without saying so. But without D&D you'd never have had GW. It is great fun. Try T&T too, btw.
THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT
I have had many health issues that over time haven't gone away. I've mentioned them, kept saying I'll be fine. Well this time I'll need surgery and follow up treatment. It might be fine. It might be really not fine. I won't be interrupting my hiatus like normal, but if there is a big event or important news discovered, I'll share. I often get people sending me emails asking what is going on and I share, but I am not doing that this time. It actually is that important.
I love my readers. I love writing. But life has had a cost. Since 2002 I've been writing at least 60 hours a week. I was still a full time father when starting my career, and back then wrote so many ghost written pieces, people have no idea how many of my articles they've read without knowing. From 2006 to 2019 I wrote 80 hours a week. It has taken a toll. I am not necessarily dying. I am not necessarily going to have a major surgery. But I've had cancer, more than once, I have tumors. I have cancer now. I've had over 5 important and broken bones, including three in my neck. Life has cost me a great deal. And I promise, it isn't just going to magically change. I was medically ordered to take a two month minimum hiatus from working, and no great projects, no great means of avoiding the hiatus. I won't be taking road trips. I won't be doing anything but reading, watching movies, tv, feeding my beloved cats, and perhaps I'll be catching up on correspondence with people.
I am not happy to stop writing. But shutting down social media won't be a problem. I might leave X, and keep Facebook open for messages and book sales. I will reply to emails sent to me, if not spam or hate mail, (found below) but once hiatus begins, I am a man of leisure.
A QUOTE TO CONSIDER
Dr. Caligari "Step right up.Now showing for the first time: Cesare, the miraculous, 23 years of age, has for these three and twenty years been sleeping - night and day - without a break. Before your very eyes, Cesare will awaken from his death-like rigidity. Step right up. Step right up."
CONTACTING ME FOR REVIEWS OR OTHERWISE
I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address.If you send hard copies for review I will try to always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.
My Creative Blogs:
5k poem blog AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com
Published works AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html
Social Media:
Bluesky
X/Twitter
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