Hugh Howey talks about his self-publishing success story, Wool
If there’s one great difference between publishing on your own and going with a major publisher, it’s the management of expectations. Writers of all stripes dream of making it big and gaining a vast audience, but this fantasy feels so much more tangible when a work is launched from traditional shores. Self-publishing feels more like pushing a rickety raft from a deserted isle. You do it because you have to. Because you have no other options or you’re just not willing to wait around...
The Week in Geek Issue # 126
Welcome dear readers! This week the writer has done exciting things like play test his Macquarie Con module, cook chili con-carne for the first time and do the washing up to the sound of Anthrax’s ‘Fight Em till You Can’t’, which goes to show what an action packed and excitement filled life he leads. Now, before he bores you to tears with his domestic routine, let’s get to the news! Let’s kick things off with some really good news! Sir Patrick...
Top 10 Coolest Sci-Fi Weapons of All-time
We all have our favourite tools of defence and destruction when it comes to the annals of sci-fi lore. Over the years (and across TV and film to games and books), we’ve seen some brilliant weapon concepts develop. I’ve hand-picked my top 10 (in no particular order – they’re all supremely cool). Lock and load! Star Wars’ Lightsaber What better place to start than the one weapon kids (and adults, actually) all over the world yearned for, ever since Star...
The Week in Geek Issue # 125
Greetings dear readers! Given the amount of near misses on the roads the writer has witnessed in the past few weeks, he’s glad he doesn’t live inside an 80’s action movie, where such things would result in all manner of explosive vehicular carnage. But, on the flip side, if there was the sort of crash protection and ejector seat technology as seen in 80’s cartoons, it wouldn’t matter as you can survive anything! Why am I thinking about things like...
Why zombies can’t be killed (in pop-culture)
Zombies. I love ‘em. You probably do too—since I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who religiously reads zombie books (survival guides, novels, comics), plays zombie games (the ‘Resident Evil’ series, 'Dead Rising', ‘ZombiU’ on Wii U) and watches the shows and movies (‘World War Z’, ‘The Walking Dead’ and countless outbreak movies over the years). George A. Romero cottoned onto zombies early, popularising them...
The Week in Geek Issue # 124
Welcome again dear readers! The writer has spent this week wanting to dress like an Orc and thump people with rubber swords, or failing that, shoot zombies with Nerf guns. It’s been one of those weeks. Unsurprisingly, we’re leading with Star Wars again this week, with the hype/internet rumour/stuff I just made up machine showing no signs of slowing down whatsoever. Here’s what we do know: Michael Arndt (Toy Story 3) has been confirmed as the writer...
3D: Is the romance over?
It would seem that way. The novelty has worn off 3D for me—and I don’t think I’m alone. I ran a little user poll on @SFTVau’s twitter account and we received an overwhelmingly negative take on 3D in movies and on TV. It’s distracting, often poorly implemented – and at worst, makes you guys physically ill. So why the fixation at a movie distribution level? There are a few good reasons to consider. One, piracy. For starters, it’s getting harder and harder...
The Week in Geek Issue # 123
Greetings dear readers! The writer’s been up to his eyeballs in death traps and death lasers this week, preparing his module for Macquarie Con. It’s a hard life, having to watch Bond films and read old Doctor Who novels, but somebody’s got to do it! We start today with news from the ‘About Damn Time!’ desk – the long awaited Battlestar: Blood and Chrome will debut on the web this week, broken up into 12 minute installments which will be screened...
Meditations on Star Wars VII, VIII and IX
“We have a large group of characters and ideas and books—we could go on making Star Wars for the next hundred years.” –George Lucas Well it finally happened. This is something my dad and I used to talk about when I was a kid, back when Lucas spoke in hushed tones about a return to the empire, long before Episodes I, II and III were even on the cards. And here we are. Even after George Lucas himself spent years denying this would happen, here we are. With George Lucas,...
The Week in Geek Issue # 122
Hello again dear readers! The writer’s had an up and down week, owing to sleeping on the couch for a good chunk of it. (We’re still waiting for the new mattress to arrive, but I’ll spare you that saga.) It’s one of many things that, like living by candlelight, sounds fun at first but wear’s really thin really soon. Right, onto the news! Unless you’ve been living under a very, very, large rock, you’ll have heard that George Lucas has...
Now 2:30am
Xena: Warrior Princess
Next 3:20am
Lost Girl
Later 4:10am
Knight Rider
Today 4:55am
Medium
Today 5:45am
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
Today 6:30am
Hollywood Treasure
Today 7:00am
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Today 8:00am
Stargate: Atlantis
Today 9:00am
Early Edition
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Stargate: SG-1
Today 11:00am
Xena: Warrior Princess
Today 11:50am
Lost Girl
Today 12:45pm
Knight Rider
Today 1:40pm
Medium
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Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
