Hello!
Long time no talk. It’s been kind of a crazy month, but I thought I’d update you, the people who are nice enough to subscribe to this Substack. You’re all valuable to me, even though I do an extremely poor job of demonstrating my value to you, the reader. Thank you for not unsubscribing or assuming that I’m dead.
Book!
I wanted to thank everyone who’s bought / borrowed / read my book Good Game, No Rematch. Over the last month I did a miniature book tour and got to see a ton of friends, including folks from high school I hadn’t talked to in forever. To sound like a Victorian character dying of consumption, I feel ever so happy to have had the time I had with them while I could.
One of the more surprising things has been a lot of the kind messages I’ve received. I mean, I didn’t expect to not receive any messages, but there have been a lot of people who really connected with the book on an emotional level. To any of you who sent me a note about it, I wanted to say thank you. Knowing that something I made had a tangible positive effect on someone’s life is very nice. It’s like a drug, except I don’t feel bad if my mom knows.
If you haven’t bought the book yet - which I understand, given the state of the world - you can find it on a variety of sites and stores. Amazon, to be certain. Barnes & Noble? Sure! Feel free to ask your local indie bookstore to order it or have your local library get a copy.
Television!
I might have relatively good news at some point soon. That’s not me fishing into the ether for someone to give me good news. No, sir, there might be some legitimate cool stuff happening. That said, there is also a massive chance that said cool stuff won’t happen. I don’t even know why I’m writing it here. It’s stupid of me. I’ve jinxed it. I’m such a fucking idiot!
Video Games!
There is also some cool stuff I can’t talk about. This time because I’m legally bound by an NDA. Amazing! That said, I have been continuing my weekly column about video games in order to pay for even more video games, so here are a few highlights. Please keep in mind that these are all stupid joke-filled pieces pivoting on my own powerlessness in this world.
How To Create The Ideal Indie Game For Me, An Idiot
Seven Questions I’m Asking Myself Before Pre-Ordering A Switch 2
Everything That Happened Since Grand Theft Auto 5 Was Released
Recommendations!
I just finished reading Vanishing World by Sayaka Murata. The book came out ten years ago in Japan but just got its first English-language translation. Is it good? Well, that really depends on how you feel about Sayaka Murata. It’s certainly uncomfortable! It’s almost like a slow burn, light sci-fi body horror in which you don’t know who the actual monster is.
In the book, it’s only socially acceptable to conceive via artificial insemination and married couples are considered closer to siblings than they are romantic partners - to the extent that having sex with your spouse is called “incest.” Like I said, it’s very weird and it’s very uncomfortable, which you can see reflected in a lot of the reviews. But it is short and it is pretty wild with what it’s willing to do.
Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time is the game I’ve been coming back to a lot this past week. Imagine Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley and Diablo all combined into one cute package. You literally wear different hats working different jobs to make money and give yourself an advantage. Want the best weapons and armor? Become a miner and dig out some ore. Become a tailor to make the right textiles. Become a blacksmith to make the actual sword. I’ve spent hours in here and still haven’t finished the opening segment of the game.
I’ve also been enjoying Murderbot on Apple TV+. This is the exact type of show I would’ve made if I could go back in time and create the character before Martha Wells did. Also, the Martha Wells books are amazing. I wish I could write half as well as that lady. So if you’re looking for a less haunting book, I also recommend that series. Book or TV series, it’s just nice to have sci-fi comedy that goes beyond making fun of sci-fi tropes and actually digs into what an average (security robot) life would be like in the future.
That’s It!
That’s all I got for you. Hopefully, some of the news that’s potentially good becomes actually good and I can report back. If not, that’s the way life moves, man.