Well, what do you know. We’ve come to the end of the line. I know, it’s been fun. I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. But all good things must come to an end.
Let’s dive in, shall we? Fasten your seat-belts, it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Continue reading
I’ve had a storytelling bug for a long time, and I’ve been running RPGs for well over a decade now. I love this form of storycraft, where players narrate the actions of various characters in response to a plot crafted by a designated leader (known as the game master, or GM), a plot that changes in turn based on the decisions of the players, and all using dice and a set of rules to form a standard and yet somewhat unpredictable frame of reference. No one knows exactly where things are going to end up. That’s part of the fun.
I’ve been developing my own RPG system for the last several years, based heavily on the open-source Fate System. Another four CG authors are in a test campaign that we run on Friday nights over webcams. It’s high time we told you a bit about it. Continue reading
There’s something I frequently touch on when talking to students at Christendom College. I go there to lecture on creative writing, and my intent is not just to help them create great fiction but also to understand it — both as an art form and as a way to express their faith. That something that I bring up with them is this: what is the opposite of a culture consumed with extramarital sex? Continue reading
Happy Hump-Day everyone!
So we’re back in the saddle. Harry and his crew are ready to hunt some terrible beasties and taking us along for the ride. Will this plan go well, or will it all fall to pieces? Will the day be saved or will more mysteries be uncovered?
Let’s find out. Continue reading
Show of hands: How many think that Harry can go five chapters without almost getting killed? Anyone? Continue reading
Tim Torre as Revan
Picture this: A line that runs through the theater lobby and out the door. People talking excitedly, hoping to get in to see the new film about to be released. The same two words on everyone’s lips: Star Wars.
No, I’m not talking about The Force Awakens, although that was a film worth waiting in line for. I’m talking about something much simpler, and in my opinion much cooler, the fan film Revan. Now before you try to argue that a fan film can’t be cooler than a new Star Wars movie, let me explain. Revan was a project led by some of my closest friends. It took a lot of time, and I’m of the opinion that it was pretty great. Continue reading
My goodness, I can’t believe we’re already halfway through the book. Time flies when you’re having fun.
We’ve seen a lot of crazy things already. From near death experiences to family squabbles, there has been no end to the excitement. So let’s sit back, relax, and enjoy the next five chapters of Blood Rites. Continue reading
Undertale is a game that’s tricky to talk about, but the prospect of sharing this review with you fills me with determination. I could put a spoiler warning up, but ultimately there’s so many things about the game that I wouldn’t like to spoiler for anyone, because so much of the game rests on a sense of discovery. This is not to say that it’s a bad game without the discovery, but there are so many unique, fresh things that the game does, it’s immensely enjoyable to discover them for the first time.
So I’m going to cover what I can, without disclosing the big surprises that Undertale has in store for you. I know it had more than a few surprises in store for me. Suffice it to say that it’s an eclectic fantasy game that pays homage to classic JRPGs (Japanese video-game roleplaying games like Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, and the Final Fantasy series) while at the same time using them as a springboard for exploring new ideas and dynamics of telling a story.
It seems a silly question. The Shakespeare play Romeo & Juliet is third only to Hamlet and Macbeth in fame, and widely considered the most famous romance in the English language (though I would argue Pride and Prejudice to be more influential on literature). Yet this is a question that a former professor of mine, Dr. John Cuddeback, examined in a blog post of his own yesterday. Continue reading
Thankfully there were no monsters that needed squishing last night, and I’m all recovered from the vampire hunt. Finally, we can get back on schedule! Continue reading
This is a guest post from Hannah, one of the students who attends my creative writing lectures at Christendom College, and who now heads the club that hosts that workshop. — Matthew Bowman
I can honestly say that I would be shocked if no one reading this has at least thought about the concept of being an author. In my admittedly limited experiences with people (I am only a college sophomore, after all), just about everyone I have met who is a lover of books has also dreamed about writing something of their own, and I have at least heard about some sort of writing project from most of my close friends. The more time I spend in school, the more I read and write and talk about reading and writing, the harder I find it to try to be a writer. Continue reading
Sorry I was a day late on getting you the next five chapters. I didn’t want you to go too long without continuing on from last time, but things come up. As it turns out, I had to hunt vampires all of Saturday and Sunday nights. Continue reading
I did not plan on seeing Deadpool this weekend. I did not plan on seeing Deadpool next weekend, or the weekend after that, or basically any time. I’ve rarely enjoyed a moment of one of his appearances in print or cartoon. I have friends who love the character, but I just don’t. I figured I would see it eventually, but it would take a friend sitting me down and insisting that I watch it, just like with other crass/stupid comedies I’ve seen (like Pineapple Express or Tropic Thunder). After all, I have several friends who were extremely excited about the movie, and I figured it was a matter of time.
Instead, I went and saw it this morning, at a 10:00 AM showing at the Alamo Drafthouse. In a snowstorm. On little to no sleep. Why? Because there’s now a controversy over whether or not you can see it and be a practicing Catholic. No, really. So it was time for me to take advantage of a federal holiday, see a movie I didn’t really want to see, and then blog about it — so you don’t have to.
Also, the Alamo is an amazing theater. You should visit one if you can, particularly if you like the idea of pub food and drinks being brought right to your seat during the movie. Just be prepared to spend a little extra money as a consequence!
Okay, on with the review. No spoilers at first, then spoilers after the warning graphic. Continue reading
The newly-released Deadpool movie has brought with it a whirlwind of controversy over film content. Foremost in that discussion has been the subject of nudity, and pronouncements that the film is immoral because of scenes with full nudity, both of men and women. Now, I have not seen and have no intention of seeing the movie myself, so I’ll leave Deadpool‘s judgment in other hands and instead address the broader question of whether nudity in film is always immoral. Some people clearly say “yes” (while treating the subject of lust and pornography as a male-exclusive issue; gosh, I hate that!), but in the words of St. Thomas Aquinas, I ANSWER THAT…
…with an excerpt (okay, an entire chapter) from my senior thesis, A Theology of Film, written in 2009 in candidacy for my Bachelor’s degree in theology from Christendom College. My fellow Catholic Geek, Matt Bowman, suggested months ago that I should revisit this subject here, and I can’t think of a better time than the present!
Because there’s a card called Nautical Dog, with the flavor text “They found him in a lake.” That’s why. End of post. Also, the card that gives you ambush sharks.
More seriously, Codex is a game that I’ve had my eye on for a long time; it’s been in development for a good long while (I should know; I hunted down a bunch of old blog posts from the designer about it), and there are a great deal of things that I love, both about its design approach and about the way the game works. It’s not going to be for everyone (and I’ll get into that below the Read More cut), but I think it’s going to be a really cool game that does some awesome things.
*queue gameshow fanfare* Welcome back to another Read-Along with the new kid! I’m your host, Aislinn Gibson.
Last time we met, we were talking about the first 5 chapters of Jim Butcher’s amazing book Blood Rites, book 6 of “The Dresden Files.” It was already off to an adrenaline fueled head-start and just kept pushing the envelope. Continue reading
Blessed Ash Wednesday, everyone!
My name is Aislinn Gibson, but you can call me Ashe. As Matthew mentioned, I’m the new kid on the block. I’m so happy to be a part of this crazy family and to share amazing stories with all of you!
I can’t think of a better tale to start off with than one of my favorites. If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading Jim Butcher’s “Dresden Files,” I couldn’t recommend it enough! This series has a little something for every reader. Monsters. Suspense. Family drama. Love. Fire. You name it; it’s in there. Continue reading
Long ago, in the ancient days of the Internet (meaning nearly twenty years ago) search functions were somewhat less . . . selective than today. It’s hard to describe to anyone who didn’t experience it in that era, but it was easy to come across such things as might make the HR department decide to call you in for a chat.
When I started teaching my mother how to use the Internet, she got very frustrated with this particular aspect of cyberspace. I happened to make her a St. Michael Prayer wallpaper for her laptop, and she said unwanted search results were significantly less likely to pop up after that. Since then, she’s always wanted that kind of background on any Internet device she uses.
A few days ago, she asked me to make her a new one, but with the words of the Act of Contrition on it. Now, I’m not skilled with stuff like Photoshop, but I can slap words over an image, an I thought I’d share it with you all. Continue reading
I can’t believe it’s not Code Geass!
So, I guess I can’t get away from those shows with a slice-of-life component! But, spoiler alert, I wound up liking this one a lot better than Plastic Memories. I’ll get into why a bit later, but for now, here’s what you should know: Charlotte is basically X-Men: the Anime, but without the spandex. The show is a 13-episode anime that aired in Summer 2015. It’s about a bunch of teenagers with superpowers, as our protagonist stumbles into a world he never dreamed existed when he develops his own power. Alongside that, there’s a lot of standard slice-of-life drama as he develops relationships with fellow teenagers and generally learns to be a better person.
As usual, I plan to make this a spoiler-free review, with just a few references involving the premise of the show.
Andy
ashetoashes
catholicgeekguest
Declan Finn
Karina Fabian
Matthew Bowman
Lori Janeski
Hannah Rose
Ross Windsor
Olivia Bushey
The Catholic Geeks 
Must the State Promote Virtue?
As I have mentioned, I help teach students at Christendom about creative writing. In the course of a conversation in the last week, I found out that some of those students, who enjoy attending the college’s Chester-Belloc Debate Society, will be debating the following resolution this weekend: “It is the responsibility of the state to promote virtue over liberty.”
This is an interesting question, because it’s not nearly as simple as it sounds even when you’re not Catholic. I’m going to attempt to show you why, and perhaps give my students a bit of debate-fodder. Strap in, warm up your Aristotelian ethics, engage your Thomistic logic, and try to navigate your way around Hobbes; it’s time to get philosophical. Continue reading →