AI is everywhere lately. I think it’s something that won’t blow over or will go away in our lives. In the past few months, I had a craving to write stories again. So, I downloaded one of those AI chatbot apps on my phone and at first, I was afraid that it would be something very niche or something that was a fad. Yet, I found value in these apps and I wanted to talk about them in this article. This article isn’t meant as a review of these apps, but more to open a general discussion of these apps. Since, I think these apps have their place in our lives and can help if they are used correctly. Yes, they also have their pitfalls and dangers. And that’s what I wanted to explore in this article. So, let’s dive right into the world of roleplay and story creation with AI.

What are these apps?

There are a lot of these apps. You have examples like Talkie, Character.AI and Moescape. The idea of these apps is that you create a character that replies to you. In a lot of cases, these characters fantasy characters to play out a story.

Some of the advertisements don’t do these apps any favors. By advertising them as apps where “you can create your own girlfriend” or “combat being lonely”. And it’s a darn shame, since the creativity that you can find on these platforms is amazing.

I personally feel that these apps are the strongest when you look at them what they really are. Apps to let you roleplay a story like old school text adventures. The biggest difference is that you can totally craft the world and have full control of the story line.

This does create a big risk that you fall in an echo chamber. I call it the “main character syndrome”. Where your character in these stories barely get any problem in their way, without it being solved in a few dialogues later. Then again, power fantasies are something that’s quite attractive to people. It’s fun to play a character that can overcome anything and is the best version of yourself. Or where you can say anything you want in an argument.

Some of these apps add additional features for you to play with. Things like a character speaking their dialogue, creating various AI generated images or even love songs. After trying various apps, I personally landed on Moescape. At the moment of writing, this app keeps things quite simple in the character department. Giving great replies and amazing in playing multiple characters.

Essentially, these apps are apps where you can write a story, but AI plays another character and tries to challenge you from time to time to be creative. This is really something where you have to create your own fun.

Limitations of AI

While ChatGPT turned two years old this week, AI isn’t still fully there yet. It still needs quite a lot of processing power and other things to run properly. It’s quite clear that the AI is also quite dependent on your reply.

I notice that the AI in the apps I tried is rarely to never negative towards the player. Which is a tricky thing, especially when you want to create character depth.

I tested this with playing a couple going through a rough patch. And I noticed that the AI always tried to get back together with you. Even when you give it the worst backstory, your mind can come up with. But that’s not the only problem. The AI story memory is quite limited. Sometimes you need to repeat certain parts, like where you are, or what your name is.

Thankfully, almost every app has a regenerate button. This regenerates the message in case you disliked the reply or if it didn’t fit the storyline you are making at all. Some apps even allow you to give feedback to the AI on the generated messages, so the AI knows how to craft more engaging messages for you.

What I personally love about Moescape AI is that you can tweak the settings of the AI quite a lot. You have various different models to play around with to get the best experience. I even tried to play the same 3 scenarios with one of my characters with different models and got very different and interesting results.

Now, how do you make apps like this profitable? I have seen apps that limit the amount of regeneration you can do or have other limitations. Some apps even offer a call feature where you can call your AI bot. Personally, I haven’t tried that yet, since I love playing stories where there are multiple characters involved. And since the calls only answer in one voice, it’s a difficult.

But most apps have ads or limit the more advanced features. I have tried some apps, but as soon as the “BUY PRO NOW” features became too aggressive, I stopped using them. I’m not here to buy the PRO version right away. Let me first try out the quality of your AI and if I like it, I’ll buy a PRO subscription.

There was one app where I almost bought the PRO membership, but it has one major issue that I notice in a lot of apps. The issue of multiple characters.

The perfect app

For me, the perfect AI chatbot app should be able to handle to play multiple characters. I dislike app where the AI only plays one character. It’s not the stories I like to write.

I like to write stories where you can play multiple characters and interact with multiple characters. Yet, with AI, this brings its own can of worms. Sometimes the AI ends their message with a question to a character they are playing. Why don’t they reply on it themselves?

Or better yet, I have a story where you are part of a friendgroup where almost, without fail… One character gets forgotten and barely gets any interactions. So, you are not only playing the story out to its conclusion, but you are also playing a moderator on how the AI is reacting.

At the moment of writing, the app that best fits my needs is Moescape AI. The reason why is quite simple. It has the best models that fit my writing style and the way how I want to go through the story. It allows quite fine control on the settings of the app and the bot. You can see earlier generations when you regenerate replies. You can create a wiki with trigger phrases for your bots to reply too. Like if you set up certain lore, you can use a trigger phrase you set up and the AI will keep it in mind.

But, I’ll keep a review on that platform for a later article. Since, I mainly wanted to focus on how these apps can be used for good. I personally use them to write out various stories I always wanted to write and see if certain arcs would work or if they would fall flat on their face. I find them a great outlet of my creativity.

Sometimes the strange replies, forgotten characters and other weird generation things can pull you out of the story… But, a good writer knows how to solve these things. Sadly, some of these apps can be money traps. So, before you spend any money on these apps, look into it. Test it out and see if it’s for you. Since, I have to admit, I’m somewhat addicted to my stories. I’m so glad I have these apps a chance and I found the app that best clicked with me. If you want to see the characters and stories I came up with, you can find my Moescape profile here: https://moescape.ai/@jonez

I’m curious what you all think about these apps. I totally understand that they seem “weird” but, I urge you to give them a chance and look at them with an open mind. Since, they hold value. Yet, I have talked about some traps in this article. So, keep those in mind as well.

With that said, I have said everything I wanted to say about these apps for now. I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it. I hope to be able to welcome you in another one, but until then, have a great rest of your day and take care.

Sacred Rites: Journal Entries of a Gnostic Heretic
Antero Alli
Falcon Press
2023

review by R.U. Sirius

Antero Alli has been a master at gifting others with their presence in the moment and in the world as it is… and the world that we feel and imagine, although he is too humble to make such claims. His ritual journal entries bring to life the personal and group dynamics of some of his “sacred rites.” Herein Alli takes us with him as he dances on light and falls, stumbles and hurts, rises with great inner strength and then backs off and makes space for the others to struggle and play with their own angels, demons, ancestral Jungian archetypes, mutable gendered forms, true memories and conjured reflections and refractions of their personal and group experiences past and present.

Who else has shared hir journey into a sort of embodiment of depth psychology married to the theatrical and cinematic artistry of a unique individual mind? Did Gurdjieff leave behind such generous notes? Did Artaud ever climb out of his own tortured mind to guide others into a theater of revelation and share the results? I think not.

As a lonely writer and minor league media trickster playing and toiling in the fields of counterculture and model agnosticism — I am jealous of those who got to be present for Alli’s physically active deep soul uncoverings — these experiences that he calls Sacred Rites. I always intended to join one of these experiences but time was my master and my excuse. I was a busy little beaver playing in McLuhans spider web of endless mediations where I have amused and (I hope) occasionally informed others while eking out a bare livelihood feeding and housing my own brief experiment in embodiment. I now understand that this experiment would have been more successful if I had allied with him for an experience or two.

When I first met Antero way back in the 1980s we were both working and playing under the influence of the neuro-political and exo-psychological maps provided by Timothy Leary and Robert Anton Wilson. Leary brought us the theory of the minds’ evolution in tandem with biology and technology (tools). Bob Wilson gave it clarity and a heart. Antero Alli took the mind and the heart of Leary/ Wilson theory and gave it a body. He brought with him an influence from Jerzy Grotowski and his paratheatrical theories. As Alli writes, Paratheatre was “combining methods of physical theatre, modern dance, vocalization, and standing Zazen to access the internal landscape of forces in the Body – the impulses, emotions, sensations, tensions, and other autonomous forces – towards their spontaneous expression in movement, vocal creations, symbolic gesture, characterization, and asocial interplay.”

What a lovely contribution from E.C.C.O (Earth Coincidence Control Office) to bring Alli’s unique imprint into alignment with this relatively obscure path. Here, in Sacred Rites, Alli’s interior observations hide within them a map to the work he has been doing for some 46 years. It’s all here. How to create asocial interplay. How to conjure and embody visions and insights through the use of archetypes. How to move people from their stuck places. It’s not a cool cerebral picture. There’s a lot of howling, weeping. I would venture that there’s even some gnashing of teeth. Alli brings you inside these sessions and this text will leave you wanting more. Fortunately, the work will continue. Read the book and find out.

The post Review Sacred Rites by Antero Alli appeared first on Mondo 2000.

A re-release version of Sanctuary, an artbook to celebrate 40 years’ worth of artwork from Inomata Mutsumi, will come out on August 21, 2024. The book will be available via Amazon and will cost 4070 JPY ($27.80). [Thanks, Famitsu!]

The book contains 256 pages and over 2000 pieces of work from various genres that Inomata worked on in her lifetime. This includes anime, games, novels, and magazines. It serves as a chronicle that looks back on her career, which heavily focuses on designs for sci-fi and fantasy characters.

Inomata Mutsumi died on March 10, 2024, though the news broke on March 18, 2024. Her career started in 1979 and lasted until she died. She was known for her work on the Tales series, including Destiny, Graces, Hearts, Innocence, Xillia, Berseria, and Zestiria. She also worked on the animation for Urusei Yatsura and City Hunter, as well as designed for the My-HiME and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED franchise. Her art style included the usage of watercolors, and her characters tended to have large eyes and slender figures, making them look like they came from a shojo manga.

Sanctuary, which collects artwork from Inomata Mutsumi over the past 40 years in a single artbook, will come out on August 21, 2024.

The post Inomata Mutsumi Artbook Sanctuary Will Be Re-Released appeared first on Siliconera.

The new GPD Pocket 4 has just been unveiled, an impressive UMPC that offers the latest with AMD Strix Point APUs manufactured in 4nm. In this small notebook ...

The post GPD Pocket 4, introduced with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 processor first appeared on AndroidPCtv.

New 11″ dual-screen laptop that allows it to be used in various positions. Its peculiar design also adds a magnetic keyboard. This lightweight 2-in-1 computer offers two 11″ touch ...

The post New 11″ dual-screen laptop with Intel Core processor first appeared on AndroidPCtv.

Kadokawa announced that the official NieR Reincarnation art book will come out on November 28, 2024, instead of its expected launch date. The Ebten DX pack, as well as the bonus version of the art book exclusive to Ebten, will also be delayed until November 28, 2024.

When the book comes out later this year, there will be over sixty more pages than the original estimate. In total, the NieR Reincarnation art book will contain 528 pages, as opposed to 464. The price will remain the same at 4,950 JPY ($34.35). Kadokawa apologized for the delay, but promised to aim for more satisfying content in the final product.

The Ebten DX pack will cost 9,350 JPY ($64.90) and contains multiple pieces of merchandise along with the art boo. You’ll be able to get an F3 canvas board, a set of calendar postcards, an acrylic keyholder, and an A6 illustration card. This illustration card is also the exclusive bonus that comes with the art book if you purchase it from Ebten.

The NieR Reincarnation art book was supposed to come out on August 28, 2024 to commemorate the end of the game’s service. Inside of the book, there will be stills and images from the game, as well as behind-the-scenes notes on the design process. NieR Re[in]carnation ended service on April 29, 2024 after around three years.

NieR Reincarnation was available on mobile devices, but you can no longer download it. The art book for NieR Reincarnation will come out in Japan on November 28, 2024.

The post NieR Reincarnation Art Book Delayed to November 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.

Sacred Rites: Journal Entries of a Gnostic Heretic
Antero Alli
Falcon Press
2023

review by R.U. Sirius

Antero Alli has been a master at gifting others with their presence in the moment and in the world as it is… and the world that we feel and imagine, although he is too humble to make such claims. His ritual journal entries bring to life the personal and group dynamics of some of his “sacred rites.” Herein Alli takes us with him as he dances on light and falls, stumbles and hurts, rises with great inner strength and then backs off and makes space for the others to struggle and play with their own angels, demons, ancestral Jungian archetypes, mutable gendered forms, true memories and conjured reflections and refractions of their personal and group experiences past and present.

Who else has shared hir journey into a sort of embodiment of depth psychology married to the theatrical and cinematic artistry of a unique individual mind? Did Gurdjieff leave behind such generous notes? Did Artaud ever climb out of his own tortured mind to guide others into a theater of revelation and share the results? I think not.

As a lonely writer and minor league media trickster playing and toiling in the fields of counterculture and model agnosticism — I am jealous of those who got to be present for Alli’s physically active deep soul uncoverings — these experiences that he calls Sacred Rites. I always intended to join one of these experiences but time was my master and my excuse. I was a busy little beaver playing in McLuhans spider web of endless mediations where I have amused and (I hope) occasionally informed others while eking out a bare livelihood feeding and housing my own brief experiment in embodiment. I now understand that this experiment would have been more successful if I had allied with him for an experience or two.

When I first met Antero way back in the 1980s we were both working and playing under the influence of the neuro-political and exo-psychological maps provided by Timothy Leary and Robert Anton Wilson. Leary brought us the theory of the minds’ evolution in tandem with biology and technology (tools). Bob Wilson gave it clarity and a heart. Antero Alli took the mind and the heart of Leary/ Wilson theory and gave it a body. He brought with him an influence from Jerzy Grotowski and his paratheatrical theories. As Alli writes, Paratheatre was “combining methods of physical theatre, modern dance, vocalization, and standing Zazen to access the internal landscape of forces in the Body – the impulses, emotions, sensations, tensions, and other autonomous forces – towards their spontaneous expression in movement, vocal creations, symbolic gesture, characterization, and asocial interplay.”

What a lovely contribution from E.C.C.O (Earth Coincidence Control Office) to bring Alli’s unique imprint into alignment with this relatively obscure path. Here, in Sacred Rites, Alli’s interior observations hide within them a map to the work he has been doing for some 46 years. It’s all here. How to create asocial interplay. How to conjure and embody visions and insights through the use of archetypes. How to move people from their stuck places. It’s not a cool cerebral picture. There’s a lot of howling, weeping. I would venture that there’s even some gnashing of teeth. Alli brings you inside these sessions and this text will leave you wanting more. Fortunately, the work will continue. Read the book and find out.

The post Review Sacred Rites by Antero Alli appeared first on Mondo 2000.

Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame is joining playwright/actress/singer Eisa Davis and hip-hop artist Nas to reimagine The Warriors, the seminal 1979 cult film about New York City gangs. This isn't a remake of the movie (not yet, anyway) but rather a concept album inspired by the plot. — Read the rest

The post Warriors, come out to play-ee-ay! Lin-Manuel Miranda, Eisa Davis, and Nas reimagining classic film as album appeared first on Boing Boing.

If you have ever searched the Internet for recommendations about detective books, your chances of coming across Agatha Christie's works are pretty high.

Over her lifetime, Christie wrote 66 novels and 14 short story collections. While the latter has some great works available in different compilations, the novels helped the author become a household name worldwide. Her evergreen works are based on the exploits of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

While all her works are well-celebrated worldwide, let's take a look at her top 10 works of all time.

A.B.C Murders

A.B.C. Murders is one of the best novels featuring Hercule Poirot. The main plot revolves around a series of murders. While the killings appear to be random, there's a pattern—all the victims had alliterative names. While the plot is enjoyable, the unique blend of first—and third-person storytelling always drew my attention.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, with a name like that, doesn't make any attempt to hide the plot from readers. What begins as a tragic suicide soon turns into a game of blackmail and murder. Every murder mystery has a plot twist, but very few works of literature match this masterpiece. While you might try to guess who the murderer might be, the ending will leave you astonished, to say the least. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd has also been adapted to a serialized version under the title "Who Killed Ackroyd."

Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express is one of Agatha Christie's most decorated works and takes Poirot on a wild ride across Europe. What begins as a luxurious train ride starting at Istanbul comes to a halt due to snowfall. A murder is discovered on the train amidst all the chaos, but there are no apparent suspects. The murder is even more interesting as the victim, Samuel Ratchett, had feared for his own life and tried to hire Poirot for protection. While the Belgian does refuse at first, Ratchett's murder forces the Belgian detective to use his grey cells to figure out the truth.

And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None has always felt very different from other works of Agatha Christie. First, there are a lot more murders, and they appear to happen in bizarre fashions. The plot is set on an island where Mr and Mrs Owen invite eight people. However, the hosts are nowhere to be found, and soon, one murder starts happening after the next. While you might find the murders disturbing at first, the end leaves you wondering whether all the actions of the killer were justified or not.

Death on the Nile

Like Murder on the Orient Express, Death of the Nile is very well-celebrated, with a movie adaptation released in 2022. As good as the Gal Gadot-starring movie, reading the book is much more intense. As the young couple of Linnet and Simon, about to get married, starts a cruise on the Nile, they're confronted by Jacqueline, who has a bad history with both. As the cruise begins, Linnet narrowly escapes death from a boulder before the killer eventually gets to her. What starts as a happy and picturesque ride on the river Nile soon turns out to be a race between the killer and Poirot. Like most works of Agatha Christie, the ending will leave you thinking, "Oh, I didn't see that coming."

Appointment with Death

Appointment with Death introduces you to a strange character like Mrs. Boynton, whose death actually feels satisfying to some extent. In fact, Poirot even overhears Raymond telling his sister about how their stepmother needs to be killed. While Mrs Boynton's death might not affect you much, it encourages Poirot to solve the case in 24 hours even though it's not clear whether there's a murder.

Crooked House

Crooked House is one of Christie's lesser-known works since it does not feature Poirot or Marple. The central plot might appear simple, but there are many twists and turns to expect as a reader. I also like the narrative style of Charles, who is tasked with discovering more about Aristide Leonides' murder. The suspect appears to be someone inside the family, but the obvious candidate might not be the killer.

The Body in the Library

The Body in the Library is arguably my favorite Marple story, which revolves around the murders of two teenage girls. It all begins when the body of the first victim is discovered by a maid at Gossington Hall. As Miss Marple starts investigating the first case, reports of another missing girl come up, who turns out to be the second victim. What unravels from there on showcases the depths some might go to fulfill their wishes.

A Murder is Announced

Usually, murders are noticed after they happen, but in this case, the killing is announced in a local newspaper before it happens. Despite all the preparations made by Miss Blacklock, a murder does happen at Little Paddocks, just like it was announced in the newspaper. As Miss Marple starts her investigation, it appears Miss Blacklock could have been the killer. What soon begins as a case of mysterious murder turns out to be a game of stolen identities and absolute chaos.

Five Little Pigs

There aren't many works of Agatha Christie where a dead case is reinvestigated. In Five Little Pigs, Hercule Poirot takes up an old case involving Carla Lemarchant, whose mother had been sentenced to prison for killing her husband, Amyas. Poirot soon discovers that there were five other people present at the Crales on the day of the murder. Five Little Pigs is a testament that the most obvious truth might not be accurate. Despite Caroline's confessions, it soon turns out that the killer was someone else.

The post 10 Best Agatha Christie books of all time appeared first on Destructoid.

New lightweight notebook called KUU A6, featuring a powerful Intel Core i7-1280P processor with an integrated Intel Xe GPU. The KUU A6 is a new laptop with aluminium ...

The post KUU A6, new 16″ 2.5K lightweight laptop with Intel Core i7 CPU first appeared on AndroidPCtv.

One of Qualcomm's indisputable strengths are its 5G modems – something which even Apple has yet to successfully ween itself from. And while Qualcomm is not integrating a modem into its first-generation Oryon-based Snapdragon X chips, the company is still looking to leverage that technology advantage via discrete modems that can be installed in Snapdragon X laptops.

To date, Qualcomm has won 23 laptop designs with its Snapdragon X Elite SoCs, and all of the leading PC vendors have introduced systems based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processors. However, only some of them will be equipped with modems, the company detailed at Computex 2024.

While the technical rationale for this is very straightforward (not every vendor wants to buy and dedicate the space to modems), it's still a bit of a surprise in as much as Qualcomm has traditionally heavily pushed laptop vendors to include their modems. But as the Snapdragon X has entered the picture, the joint Qualcomm/Microsoft always connected PC (ACPC) initiative is taking a back seat – meaning modems are no longer being pushed nearly as hard. In its place, the two companies have pivoted hard to equipping mainstream systems with the hardware needed for local AI processing (i.e. NPUs), and with it, Microsoft's Copilot+ PC branding.

Laptop manufacturers, in the meantime, are breathing a sigh of relief, as this switch to emphasizing AI comes at a much lower hardware cost, since vendors don't need to buy additional discrete hardware. Qualcomm for its part has never fully disclosed the full cost of including a Snapdragon modem with a laptop, but the total cost adds up quickly. Besides buying a discrete modem, device manufacturers also need to buy and integrate a 5G-capable radio frequency front end module (RF FEM), as well as the all-important antenna. And mmWave support of any kind can add another wrinkle, as multiple antennas at different orientations are needed to get the best results.

And while not said out-loud, Qualcomm's premium positioning strategy for 8cx-based laptops has not paid significant dividends. Snapdragon X laptops are being priced much more competitively, as Qualcomm is aiming to capture a meaningful share of the PC market – and high-cost features like modems would drive up the final price tag.

Still, virtually all Qualcomm representatives I talked to at Computex were happy to argue that an integrated modem is a huge benefit for their PCs, as they can get fast connectivity almost everywhere in the world instantly and not depend on Wi-Fi or even their smartphones. So the dream of widespread 5G-capable laptops is not dead at Qualcomm; it may just be delayed. In the meantime, for laptop buyers that do need or want a 5G modem, there will still be at least a few premium laptop models on store shelves with the necessary hardware.

If you’re looking forward to the star-studded Thursday Murder Club movie adaptation, then it’s understandable that you might want to read the book series first. If that’s the case, you should probably read them in order, right?

Richard Osman went from a face you'd recognize on British TV to beloved author when he wrote the Thursday Murder Club books. He took a group of pensioners in a retirement home and turned them into crime-solving heroes, and the book series has so far sold over 10 million copies worldwide.

Currently, there are only four books in the Thursday Murder Club book series, although a fifth as-yet-unnamed book is set to be released in 2025. If you’re wondering which order you should read the books in, I’ve got you covered. 

1. The Thursday Murder Club (2020)

The first book released by Richard Osman, written entirely in secret and released in 2020. In this book, we’re introduced to Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron as they become embroiled in their first murder mystery. 

2. The Man Who Died Twice (2021)

Released in 2021, The Man Who Died Twice brings back Elizabeth and co. as they get caught up in a plot involving stolen diamonds, the mob, and a string of murders.

3. The Bullet That Missed (2022)

With two murders taking place a decade apart, the retired gang of sleuths are on a mission to find a killer, of course. However, Elizabeth finds herself caught up in a whole side plot where she is asked to kill, or suffer being killed herself.

4. The Last Devil to Die (2023)

You know the drill by now. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron are on the hunt for a killer, except this tale involves a smuggled package, and the team can’t even catch a break over Christmas. It’s never a dull day at Cooper’s Chase.

The post Reading order for the Thursday Murder Club novel series appeared first on Destructoid.

Asus on Tuesday said that it would announce its first 'AI PC' based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite system-on-chips later this month. The new laptop is set to be introduced at the Next Level. AI Incredible virtual launch event on May 20.

The launch of Asustek's new Vivobook S 15 will be hosted by Asus and will be joined by representatives of Qualcomm and Microsoft, who will reveal how they collaborated with PC maker to develop the first notebook based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processors. These new SoCs promise to have a significant impact on the PC market in the coming quarters as they are based on the Arm instruction set architecture and are expected to bring together high performance, on-device AI acceleration, and long battery life. 

Qualcomm itself calls systems powered by its Snapdragon processors as AI PCs, which is exactly how Asus calls it Vivobook S15 as well. Meanwhile, the only things we know about the machine for now is that it will be based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite or Snapdragon X Plus processors with 12 or 10 Oryon CPU cores (originally developed by Nuvia), a high-end Adreno GPU, and a 45 TOPS NPU; will come in a metallic chassis, and will feature a 15-inch display.

"The launch event, which will feature a collaboration between Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Asus, celebrates the first of the new-era Asus AI PCs, which are set to redefine the very fabric of computing," a statement by Asus reads. "The new laptop will usher in a new era of Asus AI PCs, breaking traditional boundaries and harnessing advanced AI capabilities. With comprehensive support for the latest AI functionality from Asus and Microsoft, it offers personalized AI experiences tailored to individual requirements."

Asus is also scheduled showcase its Vivobook laptops based on Qualcomm's processors at Computex in June. Actual systems will be available later this year.

Dungeons & Dragons is a game designed to create the illusion that you've entered another world. Epic fantasy novels heavily inspired the creators of D&D, and the tabletop role-playing game's connection to fantasy literature has only grown stronger with age.

Both the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon Masters Guide encourage players and DMs to hit their local library before they get to work designing their next character or crafting their party's next adventure. I've been playing D&D on both sides of the DM screen for years, and I can safely confirm that the ten standalone books and series listed below helped me create some of my favorite characters and campaigns.

10. The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

Some of the best D&D campaigns I've been in revolved around solving mind-bending mysteries with a magical twist. If your latest campaign is a noir-influenced fantasy whodunnit that's piqued your interest in the mystery genre, you should check out The Dresden Files.

Jim Butcher's long-running urban fantasy series follows the adventures of the titular sorcerous detective, who dedicates his eternally imperiled life to solving outlandish capers tied to Chicago's hidden magical underworld. If you're in the market for some exciting noir tales that happen to feature the odd vampire or demon, The Dresden Files is for you.

9. The Cthulhu Mythos by H.P. Lovecraft and August Derluth

Many of D&D's most iconic monsters, including the multi-eyed, beam-spewing Beholder, are beings from the Far Realm, a plane of pure cosmic chaos where the line between reality and illusion becomes illegible. I've been in more than a few D&D games where the Far Realm's innate insanity slithered its way into the mix, and this refreshing dose of existential dread wouldn't t have been possible without the Cthulu Mythos.

H.P. Lovecraft's tales about a pantheon of incomprehensible extraterrestrial gods lurking in the shadows of the universe pioneered the cosmic horror genre, and D&D players are looking to add a bit of eldritch spice to their latest character or campaign will find plenty of inspiration in them. Be warned: Lovecraft was, to put it bluntly, racist, and his uncensored work will make most readers uncomfortable.

8. The Lord of the Rings by J.R. Tolkien

It would be heresy not to put The Lord of the Rings on this list. J.R.R. Tolkien's famous literary cycle was D&D's biggest inspiration, to the point where there were legal disputes surrounding the early usage of terms like orc, elf, dwarf, and dragon.

Some D&D fans might be surprised to see The Lord of the Rings ranked so low. I'd still recommend Tolkien's iconic trilogy to any D&D player who hasn't read them, especially if they started playing a campaign set within the Forgotten Realms. However, D&D grew out of Middle Earth's shadow long ago, and saying that Lord of the Rings is "the" series for D&D fans feels a bit regressive, especially since many modern D&D settings go out of their way to buck the tropes Tolkien established.

7. Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson

One of the best parts of a D&D campaign is building the world where the story will play out, especially if the group's DM is willing to let the other players in on the world-building process. If you and anyone else at your table are kicking around the idea of starting a new campaign set at a much later or earlier point in your world's history, Malazan Book of the Fallen will give you some great ideas.

The Malazan series is a masterclass in fantasy world-building that follows the rise of the titular empire over millennia. With a cast consisting of immortal mages and dynasties with lineages stretching back centuries, Malazan is perfect for players and DMs who want to explore how the passage of time can change a character, a civilization, or even a world's innate magic.

6. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Any experienced D&D can attest that the Rogue is one of the funniest classes to play. Plenty of fantasy novels star nimble-fingered sneaks who prefer to creep through the shadows while the warriors and the mages hog the spotlight, but few will feel more familiar to D&D players than Mistborn.

Brandon Sanderson's seminal fantasy series unfolds in the world of Scadriel, where ash never stops falling from the sky, an oppressive empire rules most of the world, and the only hope of defeating the fallen hero of prophecy lies in a young thief named Vin. Vin is essentially an Arcane Trickster Rogue, and her quest to overthrow the Final Empire with magic and subterfuge is full of fun twists on established fantasy tropes that will leave D&D fans in awe.

5. The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolf

One of D&D's most "peculiar" settings is Dark Sun, a grim realm where magic is inherently toxic and a gang of vicious Sorcerer Kings rule everything under the red, dying sun. Due to some problematic elements of its world-building, Dark Sun has not received an official setting book for a while, but anyone who enjoys it will find a suitable substitute in The Book of the New Sun series.

Set on a far-future version of Earth where society has regressed to feudalism, The Book of the New Sun is a haunting parable that follows a disgraced torturer's transformation into a messianic figure who holds the key to the world's future. Visions of the future and mysterious magics abound in this series, and anyone who's experienced the world of Dark Sun will feel right at home reading this.

4. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

I'm one of those D&D players who love to lose themselves in their character, and I'll always prefer a campaign that gives me the complex challenge of navigating interpersonal relationships over ones that focus on dungeon-crawling or combat. If you're also one of those players, I can't think of a fantasy series you'll like more than A Song of Ice and Fire.

George R.R. Martin's iconic world runs on dynastic politics, not magic or prophecies, and its dedication to subverting and reimagining established fantasy tropes means that none of the characters you come to care about are safe. Any fan of D&D and other character-driven TTRPGs will love A Song of Ice and Fire.

3. Wings of Fire by Tui. T Sutherland

If the title didn't tip you off, dragons are an important part of D&D, and there are a wide variety of them across the game's many supplements and setting books. Some of my favorite (and most traumatic) D&D memories are tied to dragons, and the only fantasy book that comes close to challenging D&D's draconic diversity is Tui T. Sutherland's Wings of Fire series.

The world of Wings of Fire has a dragon for almost every element, and players who've run a Dragonblood Sorcerer will feel more than a little validated reading the series.

2. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks

One of the DMs in my local D&D group has weaponized the art of the "mid-campaign twist." Every game he runs shifts pitch at the halfway mark, re-contextualizing everything we've done up until that point in shocking and exciting ways. Terry Brooks Shannara series does something very similar, and D&D fans who know what it's like to watch the world you've adventured through turn upside down will feel a bit of nostalgia reading it.

At the onset, the Shannara books feel like a near-complete rip-off of Tolkien, with elves, young naive warriors, and magical MacGuffins designed to kill evil overlords. However, as the books progress, shocking secrets about the world of Shannara are unmasked, and readers are left to grapple with the knowledge that this world might not be as fantastical as it appeared at first glance.

1. Discworld by Terry Pratchett

What is D&D, if not the perfect blend of fantasy? The game gives you all the tools you'd ever need to slot every fantastical creature and form of magic into your campaign setting; the only limits that exist are those in your imagination. For this reason, I believe that no fantasy book embodies the spirit of D & D more than Discworld.

The flat realm of Discworld is a wonderous patchwork woven together with elements pulled from almost every mythology, religion, and folklore tradition in the world. Wizards, demons, gods, and Death himself exist harmoniously as part of a magical ecosystem where nothing feels out of place. As funny as it is profound, Discworld is the perfect fantasy series for D&D fans.

The post 10 best epic fantasy books DnD players would love appeared first on Destructoid.

A cookbook featuring over 50 recipes inspired by Stardew Valley is now available.

The recipe guide – which includes step-by-step instructions for delectable delights like Strange Bun and Seafoam Pudding – is written in collaboration with Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone and features "photos, appearances from Stardew Valley’s characters, and delightful illustrations".

"Welcome to Stardew Valley, where each season brings a new crop of bountiful food to make for friends and family," teases the blurb. "From farm staples like veggies, fruit, milk, and eggs to foraged mushrooms and berries to fresh fish, there's always something delicious to put on the table.

Read more

Frank Herbert's Dune series is a hefty one to get into, but one that's very much worth giving a go if you're at all into sci-fi. The books tell a very long and sprawling tale that goes beyond most other sci-fi series, but it pays to read it in order to have the best experience.

Regardless of whether you've been playing a Dune game, have watched the movies, or just know about the novels and want to give them a try, there's a reason Frank Herbert told this epic story in a specific order. However, Herbert's son, Brian Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson have also contributed to the series with prequels and expansions of the universe. Not all Dune fans enjoy these books, and they definitely impact the reading orders you could use. That's why I've offered a few of them below.

How to read Frank Herbert's Dune series in order

Frank Herbert carefully crafted the first six books in the Dune series, though many fans know he had a seventh planned based on notes found for it, the conclusion of the sixth, and hints throughout each book. These are the books that started it all, and they're what I recommend everyone reads if they want to get into the series and read the story that sparked so many people's imaginations.

• Dune - Frank Herbert (1965)
• Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert (1969)
• Children of Dune - Frank Herbert (1976)
• God Emperor of Dune - Frank Herbert (1981)
• Heretics of Dune - Frank Herbert (1984)
• Chapterhouse: Dune - Frank Herbert (1985)

If you enjoy these books and want to dip into the other novels that have been added to the universe over time, the next two reading lists allow you to do so and show where they fit with these original six.

The entire Dune series in order of publication

This reading order features every Dune book, including those written by authors other than Frank Herbert, in order of publication. Outside of the original six, this is the order in which I'd recommend reading the books because it's going to be the best way to digest every extra bit of information about the universe.

• Dune - Frank Herbert (1965)
• Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert (1969)
• Children of Dune - Frank Herbert (1976)
• God Emperor of Dune - Frank Herbert (1981)
• Heretics of Dune - Frank Herbert (1984)
• Chapterhouse: Dune - Frank Herbert (1985)
• House Atreides - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (1999)
• House Harkonnen - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2000)
• House Corrino - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2001)
• The Butlerian Jihad - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2002)
• The Machine Crusade - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2003)
• The Battle of Corrin - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2004)
• Hunters of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2006)
• Sandworms of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2007)
• Paul of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2008)
• The Winds of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2009)
• Sisterhood of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2012)
• Mentats of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2014)
• Navigators of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2016)
• The Duke of Caladan - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2020)
• The Lady of Caladan - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2021)
• The Heir of Caladan - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2022)
• Princess of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2023)
• Sands of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2024)

The way I see it, every book released in the Dune series uses the knowledge of what was available before it. So, even if a book is a prequel, it's based on every book that's been released so far at the time of publication. I'd say that means you need to know everything the authors did at the time so you don't miss out on the more subtle elements of the storytelling.

The entire Dune series in chronological order

This last order is a controversial one. Some Dune fans don't see the books outside of Frank Herbert's original six as canonical. I don't think you should let that influence you, though. Instead, you should read them and then decide for yourself. The list below is the chronological order of every Dune book.

• The Butlerian Jihad - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2002)
• The Machine Crusade - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2003)
• The Battle of Corrin - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2004)
• Sisterhood of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2012)
• Mentats of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2014)
• Navigators of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2016)
• House Atreides - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (1999)
• House Harkonnen - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2000)
• House Corrino - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2001)
• Princess of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2023)
• The Duke of Caladan - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2020)
• The Lady of Caladan - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2021)
• The Heir of Caladan - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2022)
• Dune - Frank Herbert (1965)
• Paul of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2008)
• Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert (1969)
• The Winds of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2009)
• Children of Dune - Frank Herbert (1976)
• God Emperor of Dune - Frank Herbert (1981)
• Heretics of Dune - Frank Herbert (1984)
• Chapterhouse: Dune - Frank Herbert (1985)
• Hunters of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2006)
• Sandworms of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2007)
• Sands of Dune - Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (2024)

The strongest argument I've seen against reading in this order is that the writing is much less complex in the prequel novels, making the jump to Frank Herbert's work feel jarring.

A note on Sands of Dune: I've included it at the bottom of this list because it's a novella and collection of three stories set in underexplored parts of this universe. I think you should read it if you're trying to read every book, but it's hard to say exactly where it should fit in the chronological order.

The post How to read Frank Herbert’s Dune series in order appeared first on Destructoid.

For those who don't know, the Hugo Awards are the penultimate sci-fi and fantasy awards. Their judges pick the best books, novels, and other related media that stand out from their peers and give them the notice they deserve. Held yearly, the nominations for the best novels of 2023 have been announced, with the winner to be revealed on August 11th. 

Sci-fi and Fantasy are wide genres, covering a lot of ground and types of novels. Curious about this year's nominees? Wondering if any would fit the type of book you're looking for? Here we'll go over this year's nominees, why they deserve the nod, and discuss what kind of readers might get the most enjoyment from each book.

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

John Scalzi is no stranger to the Hugos, having been nominated multiple times and won once. He's an author who runs the gamut as far as writing style goes, having written space operas that explore humanity's desire to grow, as well as fun romps that elicit giggles more than anything else. Starter Villian would seem to trend to the latter rather than the former, but beyond a goofy and hilarious exterior are some solid critiques of late-stage capitalism and the current villains of our age.

Imagine Ron Stoppable inheriting his deceased uncle's supervillain business, complete with an island lair, as well as a suite of enemies still looking to take what's theirs. The premise is as fun as it sounds, but what got this book nominated are the critiques that come later. While the Uncle was an old type of supervillain, those that are coming after him are the newer type: Tech bros backed by hedge funds, CEOs of giant corporations, and the nepo baby powerful born with money, having earned nothing themselves.

For readers who are looking for a bit of a laugh, who love the idea of talking spy cats, or who just like seeing the ultra-wealthy fail, this will be the book for you.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Emily Tesh is a newer name to the Hugos, but her nomination is no less deserved. Some Desperate Glory is a deconstruction of the Space Opera genre, showing the darkness that lurks beneath many of the near-future human societies that we root for. Tesh masterfully dissects the things we don't question that we maybe should, showing a new way forward that subverts the traditional structure of many classic sci-fi epics.

Our main character is one of the last remaining humans, raised from birth the enact vengeance on those that crossed them. Excelling at combat and frustrated with her role as a breeder to keep humanity alive, she sets out against orders to enact the vengeance she had been trained for. While vengeance is a powerful motivator, anger is also perfecting at blinding us to the evils we ourselves commit. Tesh questions the nature of such ruling governments and how they use sexism, racism, eugenics, and more, throwing back the curtain that readers for years have been fine never looking behind.

For those who love subversions of standard tropes, tales of vengeance gone awry, or who want a YA-adjacent novel that asks harder questions than you would expect, Some Desperate Glory is a solid choice.

Witch King by Martha Wells

Martha Wells is a well-known name in the sci-fi genre, with her Murderbot series already having several accolades. She seeks now to prove that no one genre can contain her as we move into her new Witch King novel, a fantasy thriller. Wells continues doing what she does best in this novel, creating incredibly real-to-life characters and throwing us into their world. While the world-building can feel breakneck for some, this gives us more time to understand the cast of characters that are introduced, endearing us to them in ways few authors can achieve.

The novel tells two stories, both following the titular Witch King, Kai. The narrative is told from two perspectives, one past and one present, building a history of a world that Kai sought to overthrow and a future after he was betrayed and imprisoned for years. Wells is a master of passive worldbuilding, so expect bits and pieces to be doled out over the whole course of the novel rather than large explanations. Still, as always, the inner workings of Well's characters truly bring it home. No one writes a protagonist quite like Wells, and she doesn't falter with the Witch King.

For those who love a good antihero, want to be immersed in a deep world without infodumps, or just love character over everything else in a story, read The Witch King.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S. A. Chakraborty

Chakraborty made a name for herself with her City of Brass series, bringing to life a world of Middle Eastern mythology that hasn't seen as much fiction written about it. In the Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, we are graced with the same intelligent writing and well-researched world-building that we expect from her, but now used to tell a tale about reaching for glory one last time.

The story follows the eponymous Amina al-Sirafi, once feared pirate of the Indian Ocean, now retired and living with her daughter in solitude. Still, when an opportunity comes for one last score, she can't resist the itch that calls her back. The book has the feel of many heist novels, following Amina as she gets the gang back together for one last score. Still, the book is separated from the rest by vivid descriptions and incredible historical and mythological research that makes the world feel so much more alive, as well as the discussion and interest it gives to Amina's plight, being a mid 40's woman seeking to get back into a world she left behind.

For those who want some good old swashbuckling action, want to read about a world and mythology that isn't focused on often enough, or who want to read a thoughtful discussion of the give and take of returning to a life you left behind, this book will be perfect.

The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera

Perhaps the most literary title on this list, The Saint of Bright Doors is a lot of things. It is a look at the mythology of Sri Lankan Buddhists, a takedown of religion-led societies, and a discussion on colonialism, all wrapped in a surrealist shell that defies effort to define it. The book sinks itself into these questions and themes, moving at a slower pace to give readers ample time to understand the author's points or to form questions of their own.

The book follows Fetter, a once-destined assassin who forwent his calling, now wandering the world unsure, instead focusing on bright doors that have begun appearing in his home city. The book can often be hard to follow, shifting between more standard passages and incredibly dreamlike ones, where the focus and narrative shift constantly. Still, for those that stick with it, the payoffs are wonderful, bringing to life a vibrant and alive city and in a way that is breathtaking to read.

For those who love to get lost in prose, often read more literary works on the side, or want to explore a surreal and beautiful world of mythology retold, pick up Chandrasekera's novel.

Translation State by Ann Leckie

Leckie won a Hugo previously for the novel Ancillary Justice. In Translation State, we return to this same universe, though the book can be read as a standalone for the uninitiated. The book is full of Leckie's usual charm, endearing characters fighting for what they believe in, told in a way that feels cozy and inviting. This novel once again focuses on the issues of the future, but rather than focusing on the danger of empires and other Space Opera tropes, Translation State instead chooses to focus on social aspects. 

The book focuses on three separate characters, each with their problems but with one overarching thread tying them together: How do our genetics affect us? Do they determine who we are? Are we bound by these ideas predetermined at birth? The characters each grapple with this question in their own way, exploring from many angles the ideas of self-determination rather than our genetics deciding who we are and the trials we must go through to enact change that allows us to live in the ways we want. 

For those who like books that ask questions of the future, enjoy good character as a primary motivator, or want a great way to understand many of the social quandaries that affect us today, read Translation State. 

The post Who Are the Nominees for This Year’s Hugo Award for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novel? appeared first on Destructoid.

Chromebooks offer impressive versatility, with the ability to run PWAs (Progressive Web Apps), Android apps, and even Linux apps. Until now, there was no single source to browse through and install all these various kinds of apps for Chromebooks, but that’s about to change. Currently in the preview stage, the new App Mall promises a centralized location featuring the best apps and games for Chromebooks.

The folks at Chrome Unboxed discovered that the App Mall is currently available for preview, even if you’re not on a Chromebook. Chromebook users wishing to access the App Mall will need to enable the chrome://flags/#cros-mall flag within the Canary channel of ChromeOS 126. This should add the App Mall icon to their shelf and app launcher.

It's easy to think of the entire fantasy book genre being aimed at children, but that's just not the case. There are hundreds of fantasy books and series aimed at adults and young adults that will free you from the shackles of grounded reads and help you dream beyond the rules of reality.

I always loved reading fantasy books growing up because they take you away from the mundanity of everyday life. I can't say if the best ones blend real life with their fantasy concepts or not because I genuinely love them all and devoured any sci-fi and fantasy I could get my hands on as a kid. However, there are still plenty of fantasy books to dig into as an adult that you probably didn't come across as a child and make for accessible reads to help you get into the genre.

The best fantasy books for adults

Below, I've listed what I think are the best fantasy books for adults who want to get into the genre or return to it after a long hiatus of living a busy day-to-day work life. I've tried to veer away from anything too niche but also include a few books that are the beginnings of a really engrossing series, just in case you're hooked after the first page and know you need the next dozen novels.

10. The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien

To me, if you're looking to read the best fantasy books for adults, then you can't go wrong with anything from J.R.R. Tolkien. Author of the incredible The Lord of the Rings series, he's got a huge backlog of titles for you to delve into if you adore this universe. However, I'd recommend you begin with The Hobbit.

Unlike the movies, this story is fairly short and to the point but extremely gripping. Where the films drew out everything they could, the book is well-paced and follows the original Hobbit on his unexpected journey across Middle-Earth. During this journey, he encounters all manner of fantasy creatures, establishing the very foundations of everything we know about fantasy today.

Regardless of whether you've seen the movies or not, this is a fantastic starting point for a journey into fantasy. If you love it, you can continue on into The Lord of the Rings and far beyond. You could try the LEGO game if you want to experience the book through a new medium.

9. A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) - George R.R. Martin

If The Hobbit didn't exist, A Game of Thrones may be the most well-known fantasy book and TV series of all time. It all begins with this first book, where absolutely everything that could go wrong goes wrong. It's the start of an epic saga that sees one family torn apart by greed, and a world that doesn't know it's about to fall to darkness come closer than is comfortable to complete annihilation.

The story follows the Stark family as they enter into the highest level of society and the fight for the Iron Throne that plays out behind the scenes. No one is safe, not even the king, and there's a threat looming over the world that no one is prepared to even admit exists. Winter.

What I love about this first book in an entire series that could all be the best fantasy books for adults is how well it introduces every character, setting the tone for what's to come. You get to know a colorful cast of genuinely interesting people who have all found themselves somewhere in the royal court that extends around the entire region where it's set. There's political drama on a global and local level and some of the best lines you'll ever read.

Don't go into this if you can't take losing your favorite characters, though. This series as a whole is pretty brutal and will absolutely not hold your hand while you grieve. It delves into the darkest parts of the human heart in a world where power is everything, and you must do whatever you can to seek it.

8. The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) - Stephen King

The Gunslinger is the first book in The Dark Tower series, all of which are great fantasy books for adults, but it can be read in isolation and enjoyed without needing to continue through the full set. It follows a lonely character who equates to a fantasy cowboy on a journey of vengeance to find one man. This man has been evading him for a long time and has the ability to twist the minds of those around him, but this cowboy is more than capable of looking after himself.

This book does a fantastic job of setting up the series and makes you fall in love with some really well-realized characters. Everyone the protagonist has a meaningful relationship with becomes a friend to you as the reader, and you end up missing them when the story moves on.

If you like a bit of dark fantasy but not too dark, this is the perfect book for you. It doesn't require you to read all about tentacled monsters and flying whales, but it does invite you into a desolate world that's intrinsically linked to ours and tells a tale of reluctant fatherhood that will have you rooting for everyone involved as they trudge ever onward.

7. Neverwhere (London Below #1) - Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is a master storyteller, and Neverwhere is one of his most underappreciated books. I first discovered it as an audio drama created by the BBC, which is a great way to consume this fantasy book for adults, and was hooked on London Below from that point. the universe feels similar to Fallen London but takes a much more literal approach to its translation of the surface world.

The story follows a young man who innocently helps a young girl one night, only to be transported from Earth into London Below. This underground version of the city twists it in whimsically dark ways that make it feel oppressive at first but also somehow welcoming and charming after a while.

It's a fantastic read and a great way to get into the universe. I'd say it's probably better if you have at least some level of knowledge of the city of London because some of the characters and locations and their twists might be lost on you without any.

6. Outlander (Outlander #1) - Dianna Gabaldon

You might know Outlander from the impeccable Amazon Prime show. If not, you're in for a treat once you've read this amazing fantasy book for adults. While the series is close to historical fiction, it's all framed through a fantasy tale of a woman falling through time without any real knowledge of how she did it. She must find a way to exist in a time when women hold no power and any woman with an ounce of intelligence is treated as a witch.

I adore the setting for this book and the rest of the series: Scotland in the 1700s. It takes a beautiful country and transports you to a time when it was as lush and green with a reasonable amount of civilization as it has ever been—before the English came in and ruined it all.

Through this book and the series at large, you'll learn so much about the history of England and Scotland, but it's the love story between Jamie and Claire that will stick with you. Fair warning: pretty much every book has a few adult scenes, so if that's not the kind of thing you're after, maybe skip this one.

5. Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovich

Rivers of London is the first book in a fabulous fantasy series that's intrinsically English and explores folklore in a way I guarantee you've not experienced before. The first book here follows a police officer who, standing guard at a crime scene all night, notices what appears to be a ghost dog. This leads him into a world filled with mystical wonder and starts him on a path you don't expect when you join the force.

What I really enjoy about this book and the series at large is how it blends folklore into modern life without it ever feeling jarring. If you enjoy this entry, there's so much more for you to dig your teeth into. It's also quite a fresh series in terms of when it was published, so it's got loads of modern tropes that will help you really get lost in it.

This series can really bridge the gap between standard fiction and the best fantasy books for adults out there. Author Ben Aaronovich has worked on a number of popular TV shows and is brilliant at bringing stories to the table that are self-contained but add to a wider story arc without making you feel like you've missed something.

4. The Drowning City (The Necromancer Chronicles #1) - Amanda Downum

The Drowning City is a fantasy book I picked up in a second-hand bookshop because I liked the blurb and cover. It's hard to tell what the story is from either, and that's partly because it's completely bonkers. It's set in a rich fantasy world that's thick with lore from centuries of history. Every event is fueled by something that happened in the past, and it makes the whole thing feel like you're exploring a culture more than reading a book.

What makes The Drowning City one of the best fantasy books for adults is how dark some of its subject matter is. Each location is so vivid that I felt like I was walking down their streets or getting pulled into the canals by their ghosts. the

I really can't tell you much about this story without needing to add context that will spoil the plot. What I can say is that you enter the titular location as a newcomer alongside the protagonist and learn all about the magic and politics of the local region as she does. It's so much fun to explore and is part of a trilogy that you could go on to read if you like a bit of dirty fantasy.

3. The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1) - Philip Pullman

Before the TV adaptation was created, I wouldn't have included The Golden Compass in this list of the best fantasy books for adults. However, I believe that the show opened a lot of people's eyes to how dark the world that Philip Pullman created really is.

In this book, you enter into a world where human souls stand by their side as creatures that can change shape until they hit puberty when they settle into one form. What starts out as a tale of children disappearing quickly morphs into one that spans entire dimensions, leading to a war between worlds that's worthy of Magic: The Gathering.

The best part of this book, in particular, is its characters. Each one is beautifully flawed and feels like a firm friend you'll never forget. The book brings them all to life from mere words on a page, and I think any book that can do that is worth your time, regardless of your age.

2. Carve the Mark - Veronica Roth

You might know Veronica Roth's much more popular work, the Divergent trilogy. This follow-up is smaller in size but much broader in scope. It's set in a star system where the people of each planet have different roles within the stellar society and explores what happens when one society seeks to overthrow and take control of another.

This series only consists of two entries, but they're gripping and explore the fantastical side of sci-fi that sees humanity intertwined with elements of the universe in a way I've never seen explored before or since. That's why they're some of the best fantasy books for adults you could hope to read.

At the heart of the plot is a love story that's probably one of the easiest to understand and identify with, how your weaknesses and strengths can complement someone else's. It's beautiful in its own way, a small time investment, and a couple of books you won't regret picking up.

1. 14 (Threshold #1) - Peter Clines

I went into 14 expecting to be reading something along the lines of Silent Hill 4: The Room, but I was so, so wrong. While it treads the line between sci-fi and fantasy, I think it fits more into the fantasy genre because it's more of a mystery book about an apartment building and a group of people who all take the oddities they notice about it as a given, and don't ask questions. That is until one of them starts poking around and makes a startling discovery.

This book is part of a series that's connected, but you don't need to read in order. That's why I love it. If you enjoy a good mystery thriller with twists that are so out of this world you'll never see them coming, this is a fantastic book to pick up first.

The fantasy elements lean quite heavily on the work of H.P. Lovecraft. So, if you'd rather avoid the tentacled region of fantasy, give this a miss. I will say that it does a great job of not being anywhere near as vague as some of those old horror novels and won't scare you so much as it will get your adrenaline going. Especially in the final chapters.

The post 10 best fantasy books for adults to get into the genre and inspire your imagination appeared first on Destructoid.

Asus on Tuesday said that it would announce its first 'AI PC' based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite system-on-chips later this month. The new laptop is set to be introduced at the Next Level. AI Incredible virtual launch event on May 20.

The launch of Asustek's new Vivobook S 15 will be hosted by Asus and will be joined by representatives of Qualcomm and Microsoft, who will reveal how they collaborated with PC maker to develop the first notebook based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processors. These new SoCs promise to have a significant impact on the PC market in the coming quarters as they are based on the Arm instruction set architecture and are expected to bring together high performance, on-device AI acceleration, and long battery life. 

Qualcomm itself calls systems powered by its Snapdragon processors as AI PCs, which is exactly how Asus calls it Vivobook S15 as well. Meanwhile, the only things we know about the machine for now is that it will be based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite or Snapdragon X Plus processors with 12 or 10 Oryon CPU cores (originally developed by Nuvia), a high-end Adreno GPU, and a 45 TOPS NPU; will come in a metallic chassis, and will feature a 15-inch display.

"The launch event, which will feature a collaboration between Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Asus, celebrates the first of the new-era Asus AI PCs, which are set to redefine the very fabric of computing," a statement by Asus reads. "The new laptop will usher in a new era of Asus AI PCs, breaking traditional boundaries and harnessing advanced AI capabilities. With comprehensive support for the latest AI functionality from Asus and Microsoft, it offers personalized AI experiences tailored to individual requirements."

Asus is also scheduled showcase its Vivobook laptops based on Qualcomm's processors at Computex in June. Actual systems will be available later this year.

Chromebooks offer impressive versatility, with the ability to run PWAs (Progressive Web Apps), Android apps, and even Linux apps. Until now, there was no single source to browse through and install all these various kinds of apps for Chromebooks, but that’s about to change. Currently in the preview stage, the new App Mall promises a centralized location featuring the best apps and games for Chromebooks.

The folks at Chrome Unboxed discovered that the App Mall is currently available for preview, even if you’re not on a Chromebook. Chromebook users wishing to access the App Mall will need to enable the chrome://flags/#cros-mall flag within the Canary channel of ChromeOS 126. This should add the App Mall icon to their shelf and app launcher.

Asus on Tuesday said that it would announce its first 'AI PC' based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite system-on-chips later this month. The new laptop is set to be introduced at the Next Level. AI Incredible virtual launch event on May 20.

The launch of Asustek's new Vivobook S 15 will be hosted by Asus and will be joined by representatives of Qualcomm and Microsoft, who will reveal how they collaborated with PC maker to develop the first notebook based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processors. These new SoCs promise to have a significant impact on the PC market in the coming quarters as they are based on the Arm instruction set architecture and are expected to bring together high performance, on-device AI acceleration, and long battery life. 

Qualcomm itself calls systems powered by its Snapdragon processors as AI PCs, which is exactly how Asus calls it Vivobook S15 as well. Meanwhile, the only things we know about the machine for now is that it will be based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite or Snapdragon X Plus processors with 12 or 10 Oryon CPU cores (originally developed by Nuvia), a high-end Adreno GPU, and a 45 TOPS NPU; will come in a metallic chassis, and will feature a 15-inch display.

"The launch event, which will feature a collaboration between Microsoft, Qualcomm, and Asus, celebrates the first of the new-era Asus AI PCs, which are set to redefine the very fabric of computing," a statement by Asus reads. "The new laptop will usher in a new era of Asus AI PCs, breaking traditional boundaries and harnessing advanced AI capabilities. With comprehensive support for the latest AI functionality from Asus and Microsoft, it offers personalized AI experiences tailored to individual requirements."

Asus is also scheduled showcase its Vivobook laptops based on Qualcomm's processors at Computex in June. Actual systems will be available later this year.

Chromebooks offer impressive versatility, with the ability to run PWAs (Progressive Web Apps), Android apps, and even Linux apps. Until now, there was no single source to browse through and install all these various kinds of apps for Chromebooks, but that’s about to change. Currently in the preview stage, the new App Mall promises a centralized location featuring the best apps and games for Chromebooks.

The folks at Chrome Unboxed discovered that the App Mall is currently available for preview, even if you’re not on a Chromebook. Chromebook users wishing to access the App Mall will need to enable the chrome://flags/#cros-mall flag within the Canary channel of ChromeOS 126. This should add the App Mall icon to their shelf and app launcher.

Saturday, May 4, is Free Comic Book Day, on which you can go to any participating comic book store and get certain designated comic books, absolutely free. Enter your zip code at this website and you can find the participating comics shop nearest to you. — Read the rest

The post Saturday is Free Comic Book Day appeared first on Boing Boing.

Given it is a farming sim, we’ve always been able to cook in Stardew Valley. Making meals to eat ourselves, give as gifts, or ship out for money is a critical part of the gameplay experience. Since it is based upon actual farming and cooking, many of these look familiar and, well, like things we can accomplish ourselves. So now, we’re about to see Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone and Ryan Novak release an actual Official Stardew Valley Cookbook that taps into all that on May 14, 2024, and it does so in a way that keeps cooking accessible.

So the first thing I really liked about the Official Stardew Valley Cookbook is that instead of being divided into things like appetizers, main courses, sides, and desserts, it is split into seasons. Given we’re just about to head into spring and the farmer’s market near me is about to be open every week, I was really excited to see how I could take advantage of that. The Cheese Cauliflower was the first thing I made. The instructions were easy to follow, it didn’t require too many ingredients, and I felt like when it was done that someone could have easily adjusted the recipe to omit the garlic or thyme if they aren’t a fan. 

There’s a nice balance of recipes I recognized from Stardew Valley as well. So this isn’t a situation where there will be meals or items “inspired” by the game, but that I actually remembered making when in the game. So you aren’t going to see Algae Soup, but things like Lucky Lunch, Maki Roll, and Survival Burger are all there. I didn’t make the Survival Burger myself, just because the number of items needed was a lot and eggplant isn’t my thing, but it’s there and seemed really accurate! Not to mention, it’s also one of many dishes that could be made vegatarian or vegan-friendly with a few minor alterations during the preparation process.

What’s also a nice touch is that even though everything is arranged by season, I didn’t feel like it was too restrictive when reading through the recipes. While The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook version of Stir Fry includes shiitake mushrooms, purple carrots, and yellow onions, I substituted in traditional orange carrots and opted for broccoli instead of mushrooms. It was still great. And like, I still made the Banana Pudding that was in there, and it being a “Summer” recipe didn’t make it any more difficult to complete even though it is April. 

Plus, The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook maintains the right atmosphere. Recipes are attributed to characters from the game, like Linus or Pam. Other characters from the game will offer “comments” on each one. The art for each one is inspired by the actual game, with photos of actual food photographs scattered throughout.

I really like what Concerned Ape and Novak accomplished with The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook. There are a lot of matter of fact, fairly simple recipes here clearly taken from the game. All involve food you would eat on a regular basis, so it’s genuinely practical. Plus the vibes are impeccable and really capture the spirit of the game. It feels like a fun complement to the game. 

The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook will appear on May 14, 2024. It will be available digitally or physically. Stardew Valley is available for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PCs, mobile devices, and the PlayStation Vita. Stardew Valley is available for the Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PCs, mobile devices, and the PlayStation Vita. 

The post Official Stardew Valley Cookbook Makes It Easy to Cook Homey Meals appeared first on Siliconera.

Just out in front of all of this I am going to say if Peter Dinklage doesn’t get cast as Bijaz I am going to be extremely disappointed.  I mean, he can’t get ALL the dwarf roles, I know.  But I also think his body of work shows him to be well suited for this particular part.

So yeah, it has been confirmed that Denis Villeneuve will be bringing us a third film in the Dune saga based off of the second book in the original series (or the 14th book in the expanded Dune-verse if you’re into that) Dune Messiah.  I mentioned that in my look at Dune Part 2, and that set me on a path.

The thought of Dune Messiah being made into a film prompted me go back and re-read it to see just how strange it was going to have to be.  I hadn’t looked at it since the late 80s, so it was clearly time for a refresh.

But before I did that I went and skimmed Dune first.  I couldn’t bring myself to read it fully through… I’ve read it a few of times and both films and the mini-series were so true to so much of the start of the book that I felt like I had just read it even though it has been a few years.

Still, I jumped through enough to get a good refresher, remind myself of the timeline from the books, which as I noted in my post about Dune Part 2, were considerably different than the latest film, and a few other key items.  I had forgotten how early on in the tale Paul knows who his grandfather really is, how Paul brings a fighting technique… the “weirding way” so-called… which is what gives the Fremen mastery over the emperor’s Sardaukar, and the fact that Paul has been trained as a mentat, a human computer.

That last omitted from the film kind of annoys me if only because it is set up by a scene that could have been played for a laugh.  It could have gone something like this:

Leto: Oh, and we’re going to start training you as a mentat.

Paul: I thought you couldn’t tell somebody they were being trained until they reached the right age as they needed to be conditioned for it without their knowledge.

Leto: …

Paul: …

Leto: …

Paul: Oh, right… I guess I am that age now…

Also, the fact that Paul is a mentat… and mentats in general… make kind of a critical plot point going into the next book.  But they can probably gloss over that a bit.

Anyway, I was grounded enough to dig into Dune Messiah, which takes place years later with Paul as emperor, Princess Irulan, the old emperor’s daughter as his wife, Chani as his lover, and Alia, Paul’s sister, now the teenage high priestess of the cult of Paul.

Oh, and the Fremen jihad has cleansed the life from dozens of planets, brought hundreds under the rule of Paul, and have caused the death of something like 60 billion people along the way.  Paul isn’t all that happy about his lot or being used as the justification for such mass slaughter.  But he wasn’t happy with the old order either and he can see the future in a vague way and is trying to thread the needle to find the best path forward.

Meanwhile, the old order isn’t too happy with him either.  The Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild, and the Tleilaxu have teamed up to try and, if not overthrow Paul, to at least gain control of him to make him do their bidding.

And here we’ll get into some deep water with the next film.

We got a bit about the Bene Gesserit in the first film, though not as much foundation as they deserve.  They have been working to shape humanity for centuries, Paul as the Kwisatz Haderach being their ultimate goal, and they are more than a bit salty that they can’t control him after all the effort they put in to bring him into being.  (Yes, technically he wasn’t supposed to be the chosen one, but his mom decided to throw the dice and came up double six.)

But I guess we can get away with what we’ve learned about them so far.  Shady female organization, referred to as “witches” by resentful men, and wearing sinister costumes… though again, I think there was some comedy missed in not going somewhere with strange women with boxes administering painful tests being no basis for a system of government or something.

Then there is the Spacing Guild, which figures at least somewhat in the conspiracy against Paul.  I will say again, I want to see this sort of thing.

Image from Screen Rant

And the story pretty much demands it.  The Spacing Guild ambassador, in his zero-grav mobile spice huffing tank, is the conduit of the conspiracy, at least initially.  But I guess we could pass them over yet again, not get bound up in their weirdness, if the script is getting out of hand.  But if you want to know where David Lynch got his vision of the guild navigators as in the image above, Dune Messiah was the place. (He was also sizing up a second film based on the second book.)

Which leaves us with the Tleilaxu, or the Bene Tleilax, to contend with. (I didn’t casually know those two names for the same thing, I had to look that up even after reading Dune Messiah.)  They and their abilities and their skill with genetic manipulation and their ability to bring people back from the dead… kind of a big effing plot point in Dune Messiah.  You don’t dig into that, you might as well just admit you’re throwing Frank Herbert overboard and just doing your own thing.

Unlike the Spacing Guild, it is okay that they didn’t get a mention in the first two films.  In the books they get a passing mention in Dune, being the provider of specially horrible mentats.  Baron Harkonnen’s mentat, Piter De Vries, was a Tleilaxu special, and the baron mentioned that he needed to put in an order for a fresh on as De Vries seemed to be about done.

But with Dune Messiah they are out front and demand attention.  I will be very interested to see how they translate the aspects of the Tleilaxu onto the big screen.  Some of it will lend itself to a visual medium.  The metal Tleilaxu eyes and the face dancers should make for interesting sights.  But how to get across what the Tleilaxu do without having it all intoned by some character telling you what is up will be an issue.

And, like I said, Peter Dinklage better get the Bijaz role.

We have a couple of years before it will be released.

Meanwhile, now that I have wrapped up Dune Messiah, do I carry on into Children of Dune?  Again, I haven’t touched any of the Frank Herbert work besides the first book since the late 80s.  As I recall, this is where things start getting really strange.  Dune Messiah though, it was short and wrapped up the main story line pretty well.  Not the worst title you could pick up and read.

Those in the market for a new Chromebook that won’t break the bank are in a bit of luck today. Amazon just slashed $230 off the ASUS Chromebook Flip CM5, matching its previous lowest price from Black Friday last year. The versatile device is down to just $299.99 in the sale.

ASUS Chromebook Flip CM5 for $299.99 ($230 off)

Just out in front of all of this I am going to say if Peter Dinklage doesn’t get cast as Bijaz I am going to be extremely disappointed.  I mean, he can’t get ALL the dwarf roles, I know.  But I also think his body of work shows him to be well suited for this particular part.

So yeah, it has been confirmed that Denis Villeneuve will be bringing us a third film in the Dune saga based off of the second book in the original series (or the 14th book in the expanded Dune-verse if you’re into that) Dune Messiah.  I mentioned that in my look at Dune Part 2, and that set me on a path.

The thought of Dune Messiah being made into a film prompted me go back and re-read it to see just how strange it was going to have to be.  I hadn’t looked at it since the late 80s, so it was clearly time for a refresh.

But before I did that I went and skimmed Dune first.  I couldn’t bring myself to read it fully through… I’ve read it a few of times and both films and the mini-series were so true to so much of the start of the book that I felt like I had just read it even though it has been a few years.

Still, I jumped through enough to get a good refresher, remind myself of the timeline from the books, which as I noted in my post about Dune Part 2, were considerably different than the latest film, and a few other key items.  I had forgotten how early on in the tale Paul knows who his grandfather really is, how Paul brings a fighting technique… the “weirding way” so-called… which is what gives the Fremen mastery over the emperor’s Sardaukar, and the fact that Paul has been trained as a mentat, a human computer.

That last omitted from the film kind of annoys me if only because it is set up by a scene that could have been played for a laugh.  It could have gone something like this:

Leto: Oh, and we’re going to start training you as a mentat.

Paul: I thought you couldn’t tell somebody they were being trained until they reached the right age as they needed to be conditioned for it without their knowledge.

Leto: …

Paul: …

Leto: …

Paul: Oh, right… I guess I am that age now…

Also, the fact that Paul is a mentat… and mentats in general… make kind of a critical plot point going into the next book.  But they can probably gloss over that a bit.

Anyway, I was grounded enough to dig into Dune Messiah, which takes place years later with Paul as emperor, Princess Irulan, the old emperor’s daughter as his wife, Chani as his lover, and Alia, Paul’s sister, now the teenage high priestess of the cult of Paul.

Oh, and the Fremen jihad has cleansed the life from dozens of planets, brought hundreds under the rule of Paul, and have caused the death of something like 60 billion people along the way.  Paul isn’t all that happy about his lot or being used as the justification for such mass slaughter.  But he wasn’t happy with the old order either and he can see the future in a vague way and is trying to thread the needle to find the best path forward.

Meanwhile, the old order isn’t too happy with him either.  The Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild, and the Tleilaxu have teamed up to try and, if not overthrow Paul, to at least gain control of him to make him do their bidding.

And here we’ll get into some deep water with the next film.

We got a bit about the Bene Gesserit in the first film, though not as much foundation as they deserve.  They have been working to shape humanity for centuries, Paul as the Kwisatz Haderach being their ultimate goal, and they are more than a bit salty that they can’t control him after all the effort they put in to bring him into being.  (Yes, technically he wasn’t supposed to be the chosen one, but his mom decided to throw the dice and came up double six.)

But I guess we can get away with what we’ve learned about them so far.  Shady female organization, referred to as “witches” by resentful men, and wearing sinister costumes… though again, I think there was some comedy missed in not going somewhere with strange women with boxes administering painful tests being no basis for a system of government or something.

Then there is the Spacing Guild, which figures at least somewhat in the conspiracy against Paul.  I will say again, I want to see this sort of thing.

Image from Screen Rant

And the story pretty much demands it.  The Spacing Guild ambassador, in his zero-grav mobile spice huffing tank, is the conduit of the conspiracy, at least initially.  But I guess we could pass them over yet again, not get bound up in their weirdness, if the script is getting out of hand.  But if you want to know where David Lynch got his vision of the guild navigators as in the image above, Dune Messiah was the place. (He was also sizing up a second film based on the second book.)

Which leaves us with the Tleilaxu, or the Bene Tleilax, to contend with. (I didn’t casually know those two names for the same thing, I had to look that up even after reading Dune Messiah.)  They and their abilities and their skill with genetic manipulation and their ability to bring people back from the dead… kind of a big effing plot point in Dune Messiah.  You don’t dig into that, you might as well just admit you’re throwing Frank Herbert overboard and just doing your own thing.

Unlike the Spacing Guild, it is okay that they didn’t get a mention in the first two films.  In the books they get a passing mention in Dune, being the provider of specially horrible mentats.  Baron Harkonnen’s mentat, Piter De Vries, was a Tleilaxu special, and the baron mentioned that he needed to put in an order for a fresh on as De Vries seemed to be about done.

But with Dune Messiah they are out front and demand attention.  I will be very interested to see how they translate the aspects of the Tleilaxu onto the big screen.  Some of it will lend itself to a visual medium.  The metal Tleilaxu eyes and the face dancers should make for interesting sights.  But how to get across what the Tleilaxu do without having it all intoned by some character telling you what is up will be an issue.

And, like I said, Peter Dinklage better get the Bijaz role.

We have a couple of years before it will be released.

Meanwhile, now that I have wrapped up Dune Messiah, do I carry on into Children of Dune?  Again, I haven’t touched any of the Frank Herbert work besides the first book since the late 80s.  As I recall, this is where things start getting really strange.  Dune Messiah though, it was short and wrapped up the main story line pretty well.  Not the worst title you could pick up and read.

Those in the market for a new Chromebook that won’t break the bank are in a bit of luck today. Amazon just slashed $230 off the ASUS Chromebook Flip CM5, matching its previous lowest price from Black Friday last year. The versatile device is down to just $299.99 in the sale.

ASUS Chromebook Flip CM5 for $299.99 ($230 off)

Final Fantasy 16’s (presumably) final DLC, The Rising Tide, is a fascinating case study on how fan speculation can wildly shape an audience’s expectations. On one hand, Square Enix and the folks at Creative Business Unit 3 never promised this DLC pack would impact the main storyline of the game. However, prerelease…

Read more...

The second DLC pack for Final Fantasy 16, The Rising Tide, is officially playable around the world. Compared to its predecessor, Echoes of the Fallen, The Rising Tide promises a longer campaign and new Eikonic powers for Mr. Clive Rosfield to bring into battle. That said, if you’re still early in your journey across…

Read more...

Journalis, author and Boing Boing contributor Glenn Fleishman has launched a Kickstarter to fund an upcoming book, How Comics Were Made: A Visual History from the Drawing Board to the Printed Page. The book is scheduled to be released October, 2024. — Read the rest

The post Upcoming book: How Comics Were Made: A Visual History from the Drawing Board to the Printed Page appeared first on Boing Boing.

Comic book letterer and historian Todd Klein has released what he calls an "online book" on his blog: The Art and History of Lettering Comics.

Neil Gaiman, who employed the lettering services of Klein on his legendary Sandman run, among other projects, writes in the introduction:

If you have even a passing interest in lettering, Todd Klein's writing on the subject and the people who he knew and the people he only knew through their work is gripping.

— Read the rest

The post Todd Klein's online book, The Art and History of Lettering Comics appeared first on Boing Boing.

The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 made out best Chromebooks list as the best-looking entry, but it has the performance to match its stunning design. Amazon just slashed 50% off the price for the first time ever, giving you the chance to pick it up for just $349.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 (128GB/8GB)

Sacred Rites: Journal Entries of a Gnostic Heretic
Antero Alli
Falcon Press
2023

review by R.U. Sirius

Antero Alli has been a master at gifting others with their presence in the moment and in the world as it is… and the world that we feel and imagine, although he is too humble to make such claims. His ritual journal entries bring to life the personal and group dynamics of some of his “sacred rites.” Herein Alli takes us with him as he dances on light and falls, stumbles and hurts, rises with great inner strength and then backs off and makes space for the others to struggle and play with their own angels, demons, ancestral Jungian archetypes, mutable gendered forms, true memories and conjured reflections and refractions of their personal and group experiences past and present.

Who else has shared hir journey into a sort of embodiment of depth psychology married to the theatrical and cinematic artistry of a unique individual mind? Did Gurdjieff leave behind such generous notes? Did Artaud ever climb out of his own tortured mind to guide others into a theater of revelation and share the results? I think not.

As a lonely writer and minor league media trickster playing and toiling in the fields of counterculture and model agnosticism — I am jealous of those who got to be present for Alli’s physically active deep soul uncoverings — these experiences that he calls Sacred Rites. I always intended to join one of these experiences but time was my master and my excuse. I was a busy little beaver playing in McLuhans spider web of endless mediations where I have amused and (I hope) occasionally informed others while eking out a bare livelihood feeding and housing my own brief experiment in embodiment. I now understand that this experiment would have been more successful if I had allied with him for an experience or two.

When I first met Antero way back in the 1980s we were both working and playing under the influence of the neuro-political and exo-psychological maps provided by Timothy Leary and Robert Anton Wilson. Leary brought us the theory of the minds’ evolution in tandem with biology and technology (tools). Bob Wilson gave it clarity and a heart. Antero Alli took the mind and the heart of Leary/ Wilson theory and gave it a body. He brought with him an influence from Jerzy Grotowski and his paratheatrical theories. As Alli writes, Paratheatre was “combining methods of physical theatre, modern dance, vocalization, and standing Zazen to access the internal landscape of forces in the Body – the impulses, emotions, sensations, tensions, and other autonomous forces – towards their spontaneous expression in movement, vocal creations, symbolic gesture, characterization, and asocial interplay.”

What a lovely contribution from E.C.C.O (Earth Coincidence Control Office) to bring Alli’s unique imprint into alignment with this relatively obscure path. Here, in Sacred Rites, Alli’s interior observations hide within them a map to the work he has been doing for some 46 years. It’s all here. How to create asocial interplay. How to conjure and embody visions and insights through the use of archetypes. How to move people from their stuck places. It’s not a cool cerebral picture. There’s a lot of howling, weeping. I would venture that there’s even some gnashing of teeth. Alli brings you inside these sessions and this text will leave you wanting more. Fortunately, the work will continue. Read the book and find out.

The post Review Sacred Rites by Antero Alli appeared first on Mondo 2000.

You wouldn’t often associate Chromebooks with gaming, but Acer is dispelling that notion with the Chromebook 516 GE Cloud Gaming Laptop. It was already affordable for a gaming machine at $649, and now’s your first chance to pick it up at a 26% discount. It’s down to just $479 in the Best Buy President’s Day Sale.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE Cloud Gaming Laptop for $479 ($170 off)

Sacred Rites: Journal Entries of a Gnostic Heretic
Antero Alli
Falcon Press
2023

review by R.U. Sirius

Antero Alli has been a master at gifting others with their presence in the moment and in the world as it is… and the world that we feel and imagine, although he is too humble to make such claims. His ritual journal entries bring to life the personal and group dynamics of some of his “sacred rites.” Herein Alli takes us with him as he dances on light and falls, stumbles and hurts, rises with great inner strength and then backs off and makes space for the others to struggle and play with their own angels, demons, ancestral Jungian archetypes, mutable gendered forms, true memories and conjured reflections and refractions of their personal and group experiences past and present.

Who else has shared hir journey into a sort of embodiment of depth psychology married to the theatrical and cinematic artistry of a unique individual mind? Did Gurdjieff leave behind such generous notes? Did Artaud ever climb out of his own tortured mind to guide others into a theater of revelation and share the results? I think not.

As a lonely writer and minor league media trickster playing and toiling in the fields of counterculture and model agnosticism — I am jealous of those who got to be present for Alli’s physically active deep soul uncoverings — these experiences that he calls Sacred Rites. I always intended to join one of these experiences but time was my master and my excuse. I was a busy little beaver playing in McLuhans spider web of endless mediations where I have amused and (I hope) occasionally informed others while eking out a bare livelihood feeding and housing my own brief experiment in embodiment. I now understand that this experiment would have been more successful if I had allied with him for an experience or two.

When I first met Antero way back in the 1980s we were both working and playing under the influence of the neuro-political and exo-psychological maps provided by Timothy Leary and Robert Anton Wilson. Leary brought us the theory of the minds’ evolution in tandem with biology and technology (tools). Bob Wilson gave it clarity and a heart. Antero Alli took the mind and the heart of Leary/ Wilson theory and gave it a body. He brought with him an influence from Jerzy Grotowski and his paratheatrical theories. As Alli writes, Paratheatre was “combining methods of physical theatre, modern dance, vocalization, and standing Zazen to access the internal landscape of forces in the Body – the impulses, emotions, sensations, tensions, and other autonomous forces – towards their spontaneous expression in movement, vocal creations, symbolic gesture, characterization, and asocial interplay.”

What a lovely contribution from E.C.C.O (Earth Coincidence Control Office) to bring Alli’s unique imprint into alignment with this relatively obscure path. Here, in Sacred Rites, Alli’s interior observations hide within them a map to the work he has been doing for some 46 years. It’s all here. How to create asocial interplay. How to conjure and embody visions and insights through the use of archetypes. How to move people from their stuck places. It’s not a cool cerebral picture. There’s a lot of howling, weeping. I would venture that there’s even some gnashing of teeth. Alli brings you inside these sessions and this text will leave you wanting more. Fortunately, the work will continue. Read the book and find out.

The post Review Sacred Rites by Antero Alli appeared first on Mondo 2000.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.