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The Collapsing Empire

So I have just finished reading The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi.

Now I am not going to review it more than saying it is a great read and that it is a fun science fiction opera. It is an epic but fast paced story and it is not to long at just under three hundred and forty pages. In summary: I enjoyed and it is well worth you time.

Now what I want to talk about the language used1 and how all the characters use the same language to talk. Only one stands out because of the amount she swears.

The more I think about it the fact that all the characters speak standard english makes it very easy to read. You do not have to parse the sometimes incomprehensible colloquial sentence structure that I have seen a lot of writers use in science fiction and fantasy as well non-genre fiction.

I will add that is not the same as all the characters being the same. They are all have very different motivation and actions. This is the main difference. If you stripped away the he said / she saids and presented this as a series of dialogues you would have a difficult time separating them apart. This point has been a revelation to me. It does help that Mr Scalzi is very witty writer and all his character have some thing funny to say.

Most books I have read and people I have seen talking about dialogue say that the characters need to have completely different ways of talking. You should be able to tell them apart from each other by just the dialogue. And I have found that very difficult.

But with John Scalzi2 who is a very successful author does not worry about that. I have spent so long being paralysised by my difficultly making all my character sound different. But know I just get on with the job of writing the story I want to tell.

And maybe make my characters little sarcastic. Like me.

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The BOOK

By Keith Houston

So I am not going to do review of The Book by Keith Houston (all though it is very good).

What I am going to review is the physical book it’s self.


It one thing that is not talked about much. When ebooks first became a big thing they they always talk about how convenient they were and the old physical books are dead.

That did not happen. In fact the ebook rise has plateaued and the hard/paper back book is resurgent.

What I missed in all the kindle kerfuffle is that the biggest strength of the book is it’s physical presence. Something you can hold in your hands. Place on your table next to your bed or drop in your bath.

Admittedly you would struggle to fit a thousand books into your suitcase when you travel. But that is one of the strengths of ebooks.

This book is one of the nicest books I have ever read. The pages have a smoothness and weighty feel that is hard to explain but it leads to a fantastic feeling as you turn the page. The more I read the more I wanted to turn to the next page and continue.


It takes explaining how a book is made–and how the whole process began– to great lengths.


It starts with the cover. No dust jacket, just cardboard bound. Each of the parts that make up the cover are labelled with great care.

It has even delt with me spilling coffee on it without any signs of trouble.

I heartily recommend this book as an object. To own, to look at, to feel and even on the outside chance to read. It does help it has been informative and entertaining in equal measure.

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Amédée or How to get rid of it

On Thursday I went to see Amédée at The Rep.

What is it about?

A procrastinating writer (Amédée played  by Trevor Fox) and his put upon wife(Madeline played by Josie Lawrence) are stuck in a single bedroom flat. As the play progresses we see the cracks in their relationship as they struggle to deal with the dead body in the bedroom. I give this away as this is an absurd play, and that this is clearly not what it is about.

What is it really about?

My friends who went to the play with me all came away with different ideas of what the play was about. Did the body represent the weight of creative expectation as Amédée struggling to write as he supported by the hard working Madeline? Or the stress of marriage as it breaks down and two peoples inability to deal with it? Or is it all Madeline head as she tries to deal with the death of her husband (Thanks to Rich). Because it does not tell you and leaves you figure out for your self1

The Playwright

The play was written by Eugéne Ionesco, a Romanian Playwright. His work is of the absurdist variety(Apparently2). The play was freely adapted by Sean Foley. When I heard the name it struck the distant memory bell. A quick google later revealed where the memory was from. I had heard The Remains of Foley and McColl on BBC Radio Seven 3

The Actors

Trevor Fox and Josie Lawrence where really good in their respective roles. Trevor Fox was easily distracted as a writer would be and prone to bouts colourful prose. Josie Lawrence play his wife in a fantastically manipulative and supportive way. She wants her husband to succeed and works at a old fashioned switchboard operator to pay for his way. But at the same time will try and twist his memories to suit her needs.

The Set

The set design was possibly one of my favourites from The Rep . It was in The Studio, the smaller stage at the Rep. But they brought a piece of Parisian internal decoration to Birmingham via Dudley. All brown woods and beige cloth. As well as well an arrange of sprouting mushrooms. The stand out was probably the giant puppet that sits as the centre piece of the play. At five metres tall it is quite hard to miss. This is all set in the back drop of country which is heading to the authoritarian side. Told through over heard conversations outside and radio news. Until the second half that is but I do not want to spoil.

The other play which I really enjoyed the set design was The Government Inspector.

Overall impressions.

I came away from the play thoroughly enjoying myself and was quite surprised by the play. If I have one criticism it was that I was surprised. The first act is bit slow get going but I think that was to with the setup of the second act as that was really enjoyable and very well staged.

One note, on night that I went to see it there was a British Sign Language Interpreter there. I did not find it distracting but it was strange that she was so far away from the stage. It would’ve been nice if they had figured away of fitting her in to the plot so she could be closer but then again it only for one performance.

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Second Board Game Night

Well we had another game night.

And we played Mysterium with me and my wife’s good friend Rich and Hannah.

It also the first time we had played with the Hidden Signs expansion to Mysterium. Steff bought it as a christmas present for me. And as a strange twist fate so did Rich and Hannah.

Mysterium played by candle light.
Hannah and Steff are trying figure out what the card mean.
Rich enjoying being centre of attention.
The Layout of the cards.
View as the ghost.
Top down view of the layout.
Close up of the potential bad murderers.
Locations(potential) of the bad murder.
Potential Bad murder weapons.
Alternative game at Rich and Hannah’s.
Top view.
Action Shot
Another action shot.

Mysterium is a game for three to seven players. Were one plays as a ghost who was badly murdered and one to six psychics who investigate the bad murder. The ghost can only communicate with the psychics through dreams. These dreams are given to the ghost in the form a hand of seven exquisitely drawn cards. The Ghost gives a number cards to each of the psychic each hour. The hours function as turns of the game and you get seven of these. The psychics each have to use the dreams to figure out who their individual murder suspect is. When you have got all of the individual murder suspects the ghost will give up three cards to psychics to guess as a group who the actually was the bad murderer was.

One the standout features is how beautiful the card arts is.

Gratuitous box shot.
Expansion box shot
Expansion box and card.
Suspect Card
Suspect Card
Suspect Card
Suspect Card
Suspect Card
Suspect Card
Suspect Card
Suspect Card
Suspect Card
Location card
Suspect Card
Location card
Location card
Location card
Location card
Bad murder weapon card
Bad murder weapon card
Bad murder weapon card
Bad murder weapon card
Bad murder weapon card
Character sleeve

Now that brief description does not even come close to the joy of how great guessing the right is. Or the frustration of being given another card that confuses your thoughts rather than enlightening them. You work as a team to figure out what the dream and it is that discussion aspect that is the fun part of the game. And also to view as the ghost.

There was times when I was the ghost and I heard my friends talk to each other. One would have an idea but it not to be quite right. Another would have a light bulb moment and guess the right answer but the group discussion would lead to a totally different answer. You as the ghost can do nothing to set them on the correct path. The one instruction you have as the ghost is that you can under no circumstances talk or indicate that the psychics are right or wrong. And you can only confirm with a knock whether they are right or wrong.

It is in essence and excellent dinner party game. Because it is collective victory or nothing then you want others to succeed and have a vested interest in their success. If you want to win the game then everybody has to succeed. As opposed the to Cluedo which when I last played it devolved into a guess who blocking session because we all guessed at the answer at the same time and then spent of the game stopping other from succeeding.

The reason why I say dinner party game as apposed to party game. It is more relaxed and perfect with candle light. There are other games such as One Night Werewolf and Funemployed which function better with larger more bombastic groups.

[Update]

I have recently played this with my parents who enjoyed once they got the hand of it and my parents only really play Trivial Pursuit as a rule.

Thanks to Libellud as their website has excellent materials for press. Their sister company Asmodee Digital even have a Mysterium App for iOS, Android and Steam. Shame that Asmodee Digital’s Website is a bit simple.

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York’s Artisanal Bakery

So I wanted to go to 200 degrees Coffee Shop on Colmore Row. But when i got there is was rammed and had not a single seat free.

I swung round to 3 Threes Coffee shop on Martineu Place. And it was dead. But what really put me off was the place smelled of food but not coffee which i found unnerving. I have become to realise that i have become quite snobby about coffee. Oh well I just hope my bank balance can forgive me.

I thought I’d try the Updated Yorks Bakery near New Street Station. They had expanded in to the into the building next door.

It was also busy.

I made first impression by trying to use the old entrance the Coffee Shop which is no longer used1. Gathering up the tattered remains of my pride I continue my search down the only wall along which I had not travelled. And I found small enterance that seemed a bit to small be a main entrance but no it was the right one. The next thing i found was that 6/8 Kafe was not longer the only Coffee Shop with a Basement in Birmingham. York’s Coffee Shop had imaginatively called ‘York’s Basement’. The decor was rustic wood and artisanal signs. As expected from the business is Yorks Artisan Bakeries  LTD

I ordered a flat white2 and a lovely cake called a ‘Smores Tart’. The Flat white was very nice. Possibly not the best flat I’ve had but leagues ahead of the last coffee I had in there when it was smaller3.

But what was more impressive then the coffee and cake4 was the staff. They remembered what drink I was having and offered to make me a new with out prompting. Which blew me a way.

All in all I shall be return to York.

 

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Outside facing near Grand Central. Next the current last tram stop.
They even have their own roaster.
Cool Artinsal Lights. IE bare light bulbs.
Front cake and coffee kiosk.
Fancy selections of cakes.
Seating Downstairs.
The downstairs basement. As opposed to the upstairs basement.
Smores cake and Flat White.
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Shadow Complex Remastered

Shadow Complex

Well I bought the remastered version of Shadow Complex. It is currently on Sale on the PS4 with an extra 15% of for Playstation Plus members. Not bad value at £5.59.

I brought it on the Xbox 360 when I was suffering from a severe chest infection and could not leave my bed. I enjoyed it then and still do. It is a fun mix of Metroidvania mixed with 2.5d shooter. I also like the amour and mecha design. You will have seen ChAIR designs in Infinity Blade 1-3 on iOS.

Shadow Complex
Shadow Complex Remastered ©Epic Games.

Now the remastered version does not seem to add any thing to it as far as I can see. I mean it clearly high rez and it seems the animation is smoother. But if you ask me to tell you were the one hundred plus addition and enhancements I simply could not tell you. Now I looked online and one review mentioned the extra close combat animation but which ones are new I could not tell. Only place I could find any information about the addition was on Steam were they mentioned a ‘bonus proving grounds’.

Well I guess it does not matter really.

The game is still a fun blast to play. Just don’t expect a great story or even much of one. The story is not where is it is at.
You play a young man chasing a women in to a forest 1and the forest just happens to be on top of secret military base. And that is it for the introduction. Most of the rest of the plot is told with over heard conversations and flash backs. There is much to be said for a game that sticks you directly into the gameplay without burdening you with a lot of exposition.

What interest me the most is something else. A lot of what is missed with games these days is the idea that games are created in isolation and come completed in perfect form. This is barely the case and missed by a lot of gamers. Hence the furore around No Man’s Sky.

When they first Shadow Complex on Xbox 360 in 2009 they advertised connection to Orson Scott Card. I faulty remembered that he had created it with ChAIR. But a quick wikipedia check revealed that ChAIR licensed it to Orson Scott Card2. But in the new version there is not mention of Orson Scott Card two Empire Duet novels3. The only thing on the Epic’s website is that story was penned by Peter David.

As did some quick check I found that the founder of ChAIR Entainment, the epically named Donald Mustard, worked on another gamed called Advent Rising. It was not a very good game but it story was written by Orson Scott Card and Cameron Dayton.

There is a good article on wikipedia that goes in to the detail of creation and how a chance to work with apple diverted them to create Infinity Blade.

What this tells me is that if you don’t do the research it is very easy to have preconceptions the colour your views. I thought that Orson Scott Card’s history related to his anti gay marriage issue had caused bad blood between him and ChAIR. Not only was I misinformed, I was factually inaccurate. But it does lead me to think that some time some of the most interesting aspects to a game are related to the story that happens behind the scenes. How sometimes small mishaps shape how came is created or released. And sometimes a company greed can cause it to reach even greater heights only to crash.

TLDR

I recommend Shadow Complex if you want fun without the expectation of plot it is worth a check .

 

Also recommend the article on the fall of Lionhead Studio by Wesley Yin-Poole on  Eurogamer.

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Scrivener for iOS : Thoughts

I have been using scrivener for a while now on my iPhone and iPad.

And I like it. It is a lot less over whelming then its desktop counterpart.  I sat with my phone and wrote over five hundred words when while my other half was watching Deep Space Nine on Netflix.

I have used Scrivener for mac for going on five years now. Even I can find it difficult to get my head around. It is undoubtedly powerful but sometime feel like that power is trapped behind it’s convoluted interface. Now to be honest that most of it power is connected to that interface. I have always liked that there is more than one way to do most things and it adapts to how you want to work.

More so than say Microsoft Word. 1

The simplicity of the iOS version is staggering. It has all the powerful features I like to use but contains them in a much more simple form. It is such a joy to use.

I can see why Keith has had to take such a long time to develop it. Aside from the loss of two iOS developers it is more than worth the wait since it was first announced.

I for one cannot wait to see what Keith and the fine people at Literature and Latte do with Scrivener for mac next. It should be good.

Might to have to buy the iPad Pro 9.7” with Smart Keyboard now they finally have international layouts. Either that or the iPad Pro 12.9” with the Razer Mechanical Keyboard as it even has Backlight Keys!

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Quarter Horse Coffee

The Quarter Horse Coffee1 shop is an odd one. Located on the Bristol Street road which is on the Queensway dual carriage way through Birmingham.

I say odd because it is slightly out of the city and not the place normally connected to Indie Coffee shops. No footfall of office or shop workers. And another odd thing is that they have their own roaster on the premises. I guess it must get hot in the summer months when that thing gets going.

Now I have not had a coffee there as I am suffering a bout if insomnia. As it was about three pm when I got there I had a Chai Latte. It was perhaps the best chai latte I have had in a long time but I cannot tell you what the coffee is like. I will add an addendum to this post when I have had chance to get one.

The plus side with it not being in the city centre is coffee shop was nice and airy. I sat at a simple wooden bench at a simple wooden table. If I had to use one word I would use the word ‘Minimal’. White walls, high ceiling and plenty of windows lead to it feeling spacious. Calm and quiet which is very nice to write in. One down side is the table where I sat rocked slightly. Quite nice all around though.

A side note that Quarter Horse Coffee was originally opened in oxford. When looking to expand they decided on Birmingham and to have enough space for their roaster. Which might explain the location.