About four and a half years ago I posted about the stickers on my laptops. I noted that I first started doing this after attending DefCon. Since then I got a new laptop and so here is what that laptop lid looks like:

I continued the trend of technical, music, and extra life stickers. But since the last post I’ve become the family dungeon master / game master and so I have quite a few TTRPG stickers on my laptop lid.

Most days I only check Bluesky and Mastodon for a few minutes while I’m in between sets at the gym. When I happened to have loaded up Bluesky recently I saw a variant on those old email chains that seem to reappear on each new social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc). This one was asking people to post the first album they ever bought. Thinking back to my first ever CDs, I knew the first 3 or 4 were birthday gifts. Eventually I figured it was most likely Going Public by The Newsboys. When I had both a CD player and enough money to buy my own music I was basically only listening to oldies (thanks to my parents) or Contemporary Christian Music (thanks to my faith and the fact that it was the only rap or rock that my parents approved of). But then I thought a bit more and I realized I bought an album before that…only I bought it on cassette tape.

The Adventure

The team’s boat arrives at Wollerton. As they arrive, they hear the sounds of a brawl at the local bar. After someone is thrown out the window, the adventurers attempt to calm the bar brawl. There’s also a halfling with a sign yelling that the end is nigh. The party tries calmly asking people to stop, but the humans and dwarves do not listen. A mastic that belongs to one of the brawlers ends up biting Jackal. Eventually they end up dragged into the fight. A human and dwarf attempt to head butt each other and knock each other out. Eventually Appeluna ends the fight by casting sleep on the brawlers.

Of Things Unknown by Seanan McGuire

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s been mentioned a few times, but things were left in an unfinished state at the end of the second book. This novella, from April’s point of view, finally finishes things. McGuire does a good job portraying April’s alien state of mind as the world’s only Cyber Dryad. This seems to be one of the short stories/novellas that’s definite worth reading in publication order.

The Brightest Fell by Seanan McGuire

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Up until now we’ve barely seen much of Amandine the Liar. We know that she is considered spoiled by The Ludiaeg and that Winterrose looks down at her. Toby’s relationship and desires to know her have changed as Toby has learned more about who she truly is and what her mother did to her (psychologically and physically). Well, she makes an appearance here and we realize that Toby is lucky she has not been too involved before.

Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 117, February 2020 by John Joseph Adams

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Science fiction

Ark of Light (Victor Lavalle) - a bit of micro-fiction about using sci-fi to escape. Political of you consider when it was written. Potentially timeless otherwise. I thought it was a great example of what you can do in just a few pages.

How We Burn (Brenda Peynado) - this short story immediately made me think of China’s One Child policy taken to the extreme. It does a great job of showing the burden of being the only child with many prior generations depending on you.

Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was pretty clear to me as soon as Toby and gang developed a cure for Elf Shot that it was going to cause a huge problem with the balance of power. I don’t know how true it is, but it’s accepted knowledge that the USA and USSR having nuclear weapons throughout the cold war prevented large scale war. (There were plenty of wars, but most of them were civil wars that the USA and/or USSR gave support to - or participated in) In the same way, removal of the ability to simply send your rivals to sleep for a while would definitely cause problems.

Clarkesworld Magazine, Issue 145, October 2018 by Neil Clarke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Miracle Lambs of Minane (Finbarr O’ Reilly) - The story has an indirect way about it that I usually don’t care for, but this time it works for (and is almost key to) the story. There’s always a potential conflict between what society declares is good and right and what works for any given individual. This story tells of a future just slightly past where we’re at and how folks have to deal with an age-old situation. It goes to show that SF doesn’t have to be about robots and space and The Internet.

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What I really liked about this book: At the end we got a bunch of POV chapters, not just Rierson.

What I really hated about this book: The use of the trope where if people will just take time to talk to each other instead of being cryptic (or following up if things are busy) then things would go better for the protagonists. I know sometimes we need certain tropes “so the plot can happen!” (to paraphrase Pitch Meeting YT) but this one is just SO annoying and seems the most unlike real life. If something is that important - like lives on the line important - then you keep following up.

Heaps of Pearl by Seanan McGuire

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A fun short story that shows us how Patrick and Dianda met. As far as I can tell, it’s completely optional - nothing key learned - but it’s a ton of fun.

Full of Briars by Seanan McGuire

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This one’s a bit longer than most of the other short stories. It’s great to get into Quentin’s head, given what we learned in recent books. It also helps explain why, after the adventure with Arden, his parents didn’t immediately recall him. It’s also fun to see how Quentin sees the others.