The New Year Is Upon Us!

The New Year Is Upon Us! — Blue Ink Alchemy

According to this report, 2013 was a good year for the blog. It was good for me in general for writing. Cold Iron sold a few copies, and I came within tantalizing groping distance of total completion with its sequel, Cold Streets. I wrote articles, chimed in on other works, and even managed to keep a demanding 9-5 dayjob in the process. It wasn't all wine and roses. A lot of things got shot down, went heywire, or blew up in my face, too. I'm looking back more to learn lessons than anything else, and to ensure that whatever plans I make for the new year aren't privy to the same landmines that decimated what came before. For better or for worse, I just hope and pray 2014 is better than the year that came before it. Bare minimum. Better than all the years would be even better. But I'll take what I can get.

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In One (Somewhat Exhausted) Piece

In One (Somewhat Exhausted) Piece — Blue Ink Alchemy

The drive home threw just about everything it could at me: snow flurries, icy patches, fog, rain, even deer. Thankfully, everyone and everything got home intact, even if it took a bit longer than I anticipated. The task left me pretty well wiped, however. So there will be no new Flash Fiction today. I'll see if I can throw something together for tomorrow. I hope you all enjoyed my series on 2013! It seemed to work well, so I'll keep that in mind for next year.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

2013: The Best

2013: The Best — Blue Ink Alchemy

This is the season for Top 5 or Top 10 lists. Games or films or books or toys - people like to rank what was best for the year, and find out how those ranking stack up against others. You may have noticed that I'm not really doing that. It's hard to pick just one thing from among the various pools of entertainment into which I dip, but things I'm still thinking about, and enjoying thinking about, in this late part of the year are definitely worth discussing, if not mentioning. So, without further ado, here are the best entertainment experiences I had in 2013.

Best Video Game - Bioshock Infinite

I want to mention Hearthstone at least in passing. Blizzard's computerized CCG is an absolute blast and challenge to play, with a surprising amount of depth and bursting with variety. The monetization system makes a great deal of sense, and it's one I don't mind at all. However, as much as I enjoy playing it, it wasn't the best game I've played that came out in 2013. That honor goes to Bioshock Infinite. While the combat isn't necessarily ground-breaking, which can be a major blow to a first-person shooter, the story and its presentation are what keep this game in my mind long months after its release. The fact that the story is less about gritty, hard-boiled everyman Booker DeWitt and more about Elizabeth and her plight is, to me, a sign that storytelling in games is moving in the right direction. The 'Burial At Sea' DLC reinforced this, and with the news that we will, in fact, play as Elizabeth soon, I'm quite curious to see how 2014 treats the franchise. I played a lot of great games from 2012 this year - Journey, Spec Ops: The Line, The Walking Dead - but among the games that came out in 2013 that I actually played, Bioshock Infinite takes the prize.

Best Board Game - Archipelago

2013 was the year I got back into board gaming in a big way. I started building my own collection, I had design ideas and gave feedback to others, and I continue to espouse that there's more to board games than staid, stale standbys like Monopoly, Clue, and Risk. I've played a lot of games with hidden roles (Avalon, Coup, Battlestar Galactica) and several cooperative games (Pandemic, Elder Sign, Escape: The Curse of the Temple), but one game that's stood out in my mind since I started this endeavour is Christophe Boelinger's Archipelago. The best way I can describe Archipelago is "Settlers of Catan meets Twilight Imperium where everyone sort of works together but not really". I love its expanding scope and constant need for players to cooperate to keep ahead of a loss, but also allows subtle plays through worker placement mechanics and hidden objectives. Its gameplay is much deeper and less random than Settlers, and it doesn't take anywhere near as long to play as Twilight Imperium. As much as I adore a deep and rich space opera universe in which I can take an active role and vie with other players for dominance through diplomacy, trade, and treachery as well as straight-up space combat, I also like to play a game that takes less than an entire day. Archipelago hits all of the right notes in just about perfect harmony, and on top of not being able to recommend it highly enough, it's the best board game I've played in 2013.

Best Book - The Fault In Our Stars

Okay, this is where I cheat again. The Fault In Our Stars was published in 2012. And while I've read quite a few excellent books - and one particularly shitty one - the one that had the most profound effect on me was John Green's New York Times bestseller. In world where a lot of people tend to look towards young adult works with skepticism or even open content, here's an example of dramatic, involving, romantic young adult fiction done absolutely right. Green paces his story just right, fleshes out realistic and endearing characters, and invokes our sympathy and support without pandering, writing down to his audience, or relying on cheap tricks or narrative slight of hand. It's a fantastic read and extremely well-written. I feel like I'm going to be repeating my review of the book a great deal, so here's a link to that. And here's a link to buy the book on Amazon.

Best Film - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Apparently, 2013 was saving the best for last. None of the films I've seen this year were truly awful (again, I avoided certain ones deliberately), there were only a couple of disappointments, a few surprises, but for the most part, I'd say the movies of the year were "good, but not fantastic." I like that I'm seeing more character-focused storytelling, more investment in world-building, and comic relief that doesn't feel too forced. However, the experience in cinemas that excited me the most, involved me the most, and blew me away the most was definitely The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. There's so much I like about this film. Thorin as a noble, dignified dwarf reminds me of why I like them so much in Middle-Earth, in Dragon Age, and even in World of Warcraft. Bilbo Baggins is shown truly coming into his own and still employing his brain and wits as much as his sword. Gandalf and Radagast working together always makes me smile. The world feels expanded and deepend with stops like Beorn's house and Laketown. And Smaug. Smaug. I really don't have to say anything else, do I? It's my movie of the year and I'm really looking forward to seeing it again. There you have it! 2013, all wrapped up. I'm interested to see what the year ahead brings, in many ways. I hope you all have had a safe, warm, and rewarding holiday, and are ready to ring in the new year. I know I am.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

2013: The Worst

2013: The Worst — Blue Ink Alchemy

Aura of Dark Might, by Nicholas Kay To be honest, I totally avoided things I knew would be awful. I didn't see any brainless comedies or pandering lowest-common-denominator action flicks. I didn't play modern military shooters (other than the fantastic Spec Ops: The Line, which if you play video games, YOU SHOULD PLAY NOW) or sports games. It's one of the advantages about blogging not being my main source of income. As much as I may envy the likes of Yahtzee or the Nostalgia Critic, I do have the advantage of not needing to experience any entertainment that I know isn't for me. Not that I'm above it or anything - it's just been a long time since I've had a donation. Anyway, the worst thing I did entertainment-wise this year was read Word Bearers. Oh, Word Bearers. There's so much potential in a cadre of superhuman killing machines driven by faith instead of jingoistic patriotism. In the Warhammer universe, the Chaos Gods are real. I think it's a lot easier to justify your faith when you can actually have conversations with your gods, even if they do tend to squabble and fight amongst themselves. The best thing about the Word Bearers, to me, is that they seek a unified, middle-of-the-road approach to Chaos worship. You may still have one leader who's more inclined towards Khrone, and another who engages in Tzeenchian manipulations, but at the end, they're all in one place, and their debates and schemes all occur within that place. Want to know how to ruin all of this storytelling potential? Well, start with avoiding the mention of the Chaos God's names. Make all the personalities of the bombastic, energetic, and at least half-crazy Chaos Space Marines flat and boring. Kill all of your incidental characters the moment after you introduce them. Repeat the same murder sequences ad nauseum. Make your main character's struggles amount to nothing. And don't let your plot develop, deepen, or go anywhere. I never thought that picking up this book would leave me so bored. As a reader, I was deeply disappointed. As a writer, I was incredibly frustrated. It was easily the worst entertainment experience I had in 2013. What was yours?

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Flash Fiction: Within The Church (Finale)

Flash Fiction: Within The Church (Finale) — Blue Ink Alchemy

This began weeks ago with this story, prompted by Terribleminds. Many heartfelt thanks to Jon, Courtney, and Josée for keeping this going. It's time to wrap it up!

Part 1

"This is never going to work." The witch looked over her shoulder as she drew the pentagram on the wall with red chalk. "If you have a better idea, Father, I'm all ears." "Believe me, I wish I had a better idea than drawing these things on the walls of my church." "Do I need to remind you that you're the one that called me?" "And if my Bishop knew, he'd probably excommunicate me faster than you can say 'Martin Luther.'" "He might react that way if he knew about all of the guns on the premises, too." Father Benjamin looked up from the shotgun he was loading. "This is America, Miss Crenshaw. Everybody has guns. Even the clergy." "Those are the shells we discussed?" "Silver buckshot soaked in holy water? Yes." "Good." Crenshaw looked up as the pounding began on the doors. "I knew I should have started there..." "At least they're only coming from one direction." Benjamin worked the shotgun's pump action as he moved towards the door. "Finish what you've started. I'll hold them off." "What, and let you fight it alone?" Abigail Crenshaw dropped the chalk, drawing the silver sword from her dark scabbard. "Not a chance."

Part 2

by Jon Jefferson "This is as good a time as any," Father Benjamin said. He grabbed the handle of the door and gave it a turn. He rammed his shoulder into it and slammed the door into the hall against the creatures in the hall. They shambled as their bones clacked together. Skeletons, creatures of dark magic mobbed the hall. They weren't just science experiments gone wrong. The bones assembled at the point of convenience. Some had three and four arms, others had leg bones growing out of their skulls. A hodge podge of dark evil waited for Father Benjamin and Abigail to join them in the hall. He burst into the hall blasting rounds from the shotgun into several of the skeletons near the doorway. Their bones exploded in a spray of powdery bone shards. Abigail followed his lead. Her silver sword swung in a wide arc severing bones as it swept through the group. "Back to back," Benjamin yelled. "Don't let them through." Another blast of the shotgun brought them closer to clearing out his side of the hall. "Having fun yet deary?" she asked. The silver of her sword flashed through the skeletons that charged her en masse.

Part 3

by Courtney Cantrell Father Benjamin grinned. "Just like my seminary days." Two skeletons darted beneath sword and shotgun, circling to attack from the sanctuary end of the hallway. Abigail lunged at them. "Crenshaw! Wait!" yelled Benjamin. Too late. A third skeleton slid between the witch and the priest. Then a fourth. Abigail shrieked as the first two surrounded her. Benjamin took aim, but his gun gave no more than a click. Empty. With a roar, he reversed the gun and slammed the stock into one skeleton's head. The skull shattered, but the bones dragged at him as he thrust the barrel against the still-standing skeleton. Abigail took the head of one hellspawn pinning her to the wall. But the last one kept coming, and more poured into the hall behind Benjamin. "I warned you not to get in my way," said a voice. All around them, the skeletons froze. Abigail's cry echoed in the sudden quiet as she thrust her swordpoint through her final attacker's skull. Together, she and Benjamin turned toward the end of the hall. Beyond the motionless horde stood a figure in purple robes. A hood hid the face, but the skeletons' puppetmaster was unmistakable. "Hello, Gillian," said Abigail. "Hey, Abby," came the answer.

Part 4

by Josée De Angelis "Long time no see" Abigail said, still holding her sword ready for attack. "Yeah, sorry about that. You know, I've been busy, or I would've called... How's Mom?" "Mom?!" This from Father Benjamin. He turned sharply to Crenshaw, his prayers forgotten, his fingers loose around his cross. "You didn't know this, Father? Abby and I go way back. To the womb, actually." Gillian took a step forward. "But don't worry. Just move away, let me get the stone and I'll go on my merry way." "You were never a good loser, Gill. My spells are stronger now." Abigail advanced, her sword held high, her other arm at her back for balance. "This changes everything!" Benjamin cried out. Abigail, not changing her stance, directed her words to Father Benjamin behind her but kept her eyes on Gillian: "What do you mean? Why?" Gillian chuckled. Yes, she chuckled, a frosty, chilling chuckle. Her skeletons waited for her orders. "There's a reason why I asked you here, Ms. Crenshaw. It had to be a Crenshaw witch for this to work. Now I know why." Gillian's cold, loud laugh shook the hall and the skeleton bones rattled.

And now, the conclusion:

"Chalk." Abigail blinked, sword still at the ready, processing what she'd heard. "What?" "Chalk!" Benjamin repeated. "Toss it back to me." Abigail's free hand fished around to find it. Skeletons shambled towards the pair as she threw the chalk back towards the priest, without looking. Benjamin had to step towards it to catch it. The skeletons reached out, and Abigail's sword flashed. Gillian laughed as her sister moved to defend the priest. "This would be a great deal easier if you just gave me the stone, sister. Are you really going to defend this... this man?" Abigail shook her head. "And you gave me shit for staying in school." "Abby!" It was the first time he had used her given name. She turned, and saw him holding up a black slate. On it in chalk was a complex circle, ringed in runes, that Abby recognized instantly. Without hesitation, she sliced the palm of her left hand on her blade, and slapped the slate Benjamin held. Instantly, there was a loud pop, and the skeletons collapsed. Abigail turned, and Gillian was gone. "Here." He began wrapping a cloth around her hand. "How...?" "Later. Right now, we have a church to clean up."

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Blue Ink Alchemy

2013: The Disappointments

2013: The Disappointments — Blue Ink Alchemy

Man of Steel, by Rudyao 2013 was a year that was mostly populated with sequels, and sequels are a double-edged sword. You have an established world and characters to work with and build upon, and an audience already interested in what you're doing. However, you also run the risk of undoing good work done in previous installments, watering down the message previously established, or alienating the audience, or at least some of it, when you move in a new direction. The two movies that disappointed me this year demonstrate these pitfalls extremely well, and I'm going to take some time to detail what I feel went wrong in both cases. Let me clarify something, however, before we begin. I enjoyed watching both of these movies. I will admit there's great stuff in both of them. At no point during either one did I throw up my hands and storm out of the theatre, feeling I'd been spoken down to or that the filmmakers had pulled an untoward bait-and-switch. These are high-quality films with great casts and interesting ideas. But I'll be honest: both of them really disappointed me. When JJ Abrams took the helm of Star Trek, I was curious. After the first movie under his command, I was intrigued. A fresh new cast inhabiting the classic characters in a new timeline with new aesthetics had me highly anticipatory of the direction they'd go in. Unfortunately, the direction they chose was back to the past. Star Trek Into Darkness did quite a few things right in executing one of the best-known storylines from the classic era, but as well as those things were done, they could have been done just as well with new characters unconnected to the previous tales. What's disappointing to me about this is that its demonstrating a trend towards pandering and fanservice. These things aren't necessarily bad, but when they're the core of your creative endeavor rather than a fringe benefit, the entire work can suffer for it. I know this creative team is capable of better. I'm cautiously optimistic that they will learn from their mistakes and give us something new. More than Into Darkness, however, I was deeply disappointed by Man of Steel. Again, we have a very talented cast working within a fascinating aesthetic that breathes new life into a world we already know. However, rather than utilizing these high-quality tools to provide a counterpoint to Christopher Nolan's interpretation of Batman, as Superman is almost always Batman's counterpoint, I can't help but feel like these characters have somehow become virtually one and the same. Where Star Trek leans towards pandering, Man of Steel was more concerned about Superman's messianic overtones and the tendency lately of superheros being dour, grim, stoic miseryguts rather than concentrating on using their abilities to help people. The titular character in Thor: The Dark World acts more like Superman than Superman does in Man of Steel, a clear indication that something's gone wrong with our friend Nolan and Goyer. There are moments in the film where something truly exciting in the world of Superman can be glimpsed, but it gets overshadowed by the darkness and seriousness that dominates the film. It smothers the fun we could be having, it undercuts the talents of the cast, and just leaves me feeling irritated and frustrated. This could have been so much better! What disappointed you the most in 2013?

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2013: The Surprises

2013: The Surprises — Blue Ink Alchemy

There was a lot that took me by surprise in 2013. Some surprises were good, and others were not so good. Rather than dwell on the negatives, I'd like to look back on some of the things that came along in both an unexpected and pleasant way, at least in the realm of entertainment. In all honesty, I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was by Sleepy Hollow. I had already plowed through all of Supernatural, so I've already galvanized myself towards television dealing with all sorts of fascinating scenarios dealing with the unknown, the strange, and the mythical. It's especially been proven that this works even better for me when the characters are interesting and the storylines decently written. So, Sleepy Hollow fits that bill pretty effectively. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, really: the level of camp in the show is nowhere near as high as I thought it might be, the use of practical effects and sets is actually incredibly endearing and unique in a world inundated with CGI, and the diverse and talented hero cast keeps everything coherent and thoroughly watchable. On the other hand, I really have no idea where Almost Human came from. Cyberpunk certainly hasn't gone anywhere, and while the show does seem to call back to the likes of Blade Runner and Deus Ex, it has an aesthetic and realization all its own. Like Sleepy Hollow, the core of the show is an excellent hero cast at the top of their game. The future envisioned by the show doesn't seem ridiculous, and many of the cool gizmos simply exist in scenes, instead of getting lengthy technobabble explanations. It feels like a living, breathing world, and the fact that it's populated with complex, interesting characters makes the show a must-watch for me. However, I think the biggest surprise to me in 2013 was Pacific Rim. I knew the film would be a fun time at the movies, but I was thoroughly surprised at how good it is. Gulliermo del Toro probably could have skated by merely by virtue of the hook: giant robots fighting monsters with modern aesthetics and technology. However, Pacific Rim explodes with imagination and color, wrapped in the drive and atmosphere of classic supernatural disaster flicks like Independence Day or any given Godzilla movie, and features characters that aren't as one-note as they easily could have been. It tells a coherent and well-paced story, it has a killer soundtrack, it informs its characters through action instead of exposition, and yes, it appeals to the basic child-like desire to pilot a robot just as big as a giant monster so you can punch said monster in the face. I know it isn't perfect and I know it'll have its naysayers, but when I think about Pacific Rim, I can't help but smile. It's just too damn fun for me to dwell on its flaws, and I really can't wait to see it again. What surprised you the most in 2013?

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