It’s been just over two weeks since I finished Ursula Le Guin’s, The Left Hand of Darkness. I wanted to pen my thoughts on the matter. I’ll try to keep spoilers to a minimum. Although the novel is fifty plus years old, it managed to pass unheeded by me until now. It is a science-fiction tale, although at its essence it’s a story about clashes of cultures, and finding common […]
So, recently I coded up my first WordPress plugin. Nothing majorly impressive, but it did suddenly place me in some very rarified company, and that was a little intimidating. I’ve recently joined Mastodon. No I haven’t left Twitter, but my engagement there is minimal (and has been for almost a decade). It’s no longer the place it once was, and I have better things to do with my time. Like […]
Tæsca (tæːska) is the Murgaen name for the range of forested hills to the north-east of Harnsey, east of Milardus. The name is derived from the Davan word tásqa (tɑ:skʷɑ) meaning place of many shadows, an apt name given the many shadowy regions under its great boughs.
As the world becomes more and more technologically advanced, it’s no surprise that science fiction and fantasy novels are starting to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into their stories. AI chatbots, in particular, are becoming an increasingly important part of these stories. In the past, AI chatbots were often depicted as simple, robotic characters that were limited in their abilities. They were often used as background characters or as a means […]
A few weeks ago I made this as part of my #CS50 computer science course. It’s a game made with Scratch. The aim of the game is to avoid being killed by all the Aussie Terrors.
I really like Ifonsa as a character. If one can have a favourite child, then she’s mine. I love her for her attitude, but mostly because of how she has grown from the original concept. In the primaeval myth, Ifonsa was an ever-dependable stalwart, never one of the stand-out characters like the other original four. She did her part, especially when a fight was in the offing, but she was […]
I’ve had several people ask how to pronounce the names and places in my novel Coils of the Serpent. I’ve created an IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) pronunciation guide for the first ten chapters. Use the link at the bottom of the page if you’re curious on what they sound like. I recommend using a German or Dutch voice.
According to the Scroll of Hemalsdour, it is said that Men lived upon the grass plains for many generations, feeding off the bounty that the Gods had provided, their lives content, their numbers growing. They roamed widely, for they desired not to settle in one place for there was much to see, and they sought out the many things that were new to their eye, and the new foods that […]
The Kingdom of Murgaen began as an idea, which bloomed into an insurrection and ultimately a reality. The spark of liberation flared when Goblins began to migrate and conduct raids in the area. Whereas before the landowners were content with the exploitation of the land and populace, the Goblins posed a serious risk to nor just their profitability, but also their very lives. Goblins didn’t care if their victims were […]
I really like to know what my characters look like. It helps me write and get a feel for them. These images are of my protagonists from my novel The Coils of the Serpent. They began as 3D models, which I layered with various backgrounds, and items, and then adapted into these portraits. I hope you like them.