The Campbell, awarded every year at the World Science Fiction Convention, is given to "the best new science fiction or fantasy writer whose first work of science fiction or fantasy appearing in a professional publication was published in the previous two years." James L. Cambias wrote GURPS Planet Krishna and the upcoming GURPS Planet of Adventure, co-wrote GURPS Castle Falkenstein, and contributed to a number of In Nomine supplements. He is also a regular contributor to Pyramid Magazine.
Jo Walton co-wrote GURPS Celtic Myth with Ken Walton, and has contributed to other GURPS projects -- I'm particularly fond of the GURPS French Skills article they wrote . . .
Here's a complete list of 2001 Hugo and Campbell award nominees.
Congrats again to James and Jo!
-- Scott Haring
Traveller illustrator Glenn Grant has been nominated for an Aurora Award (Canada's fan-voted science fiction award) in recognition of his contributions to Starports, Rim of Fire, Alien Races 3, and Ground Forces.
The Auroras are presented at the annual national con, Canvention, which is in British Columbia in early May this year. Congratulations Glenn, and good luck!
Grave matters seem to weigh heavily on Richard A. Slezak's mind. Oh, sure, you can find Spooky Concentration and the Elizabethan Curse
Generator at The Minotaur's Labyrinth, but the big thrust seems to be graves and
graveyards. See how your local boneyard stacks up against the best the City by the Bay has to offer.
-- Suggested by Paul Dickey
Architects are proposing a giant arcology, the "Bionic Tower," for Shanghai. It would house 100,000 people in a single building more than 3,700 feet high. Here's the Sunday Times writeup.
Another sign of our brand new tech level - the folks at Northwestern University in Evanston are building cyborgs. Little robots, guided
by disembodied lamprey brains. Today all they can do is move toward light. How long before they're writing the Daily
Illuminator? Read the story in The Guardian.
Those of you interested in the Ogre scenario design contest recently run on WU need not worry. The contest ended
several days ago, we have all the entries, and judging continues.
-- Scott Haring
I got the pointer to this one at one of my favorite comic sites: Schlock Mercenary. It's
silly, violent, vulgar, and very intelligent; it's the second one I check every night, right after Sluggy Freelance. Ever see an online strip with science notes before? And the author is serious
about the strip; he tries to draw it as much as a month ahead, so you won't run into any of that "Whoops, got sick / ran out of ideas /
had to work late" stuff that's the bane of the online comics fan. I really like Schlock
. . .
-- Steve Jackson
Wow. In case you didn't hear it, WOW. That's more than 6 years of information, press releases, questions, answers, rulings, discussions, backstabbing, recrimination, illumination, humor, jokes (practical and impractical), spam, and "Bob." Feel free to go and see what the game is all about at the official INWO pages, and read any or all of the 40,000+ Kb of digest.
And now's the time to get into the game, because the next expansion is
on the way!
If the job market dries up, don't blame the president, blame the kindly, soft-spoken creatures that inhabit Bogus Bay. They're the ones locking up all the good jobs with hysterically
less-than-plausible résumés.
-- Suggested by Don Magor
Remember the XXXenophile card game? Great mechanics, fun game, but due to the subject matter, you couldn't play it with just anybody . . . Well, now James Ernest has revived the game system and tied it to Phil and Kaja Foglio's new Girl Genius comic series. This is not a "Cheapass" game . . . the cards are full color, professionally printed, with cool Phil Foglio art. The game is fun and fast-moving.
If you like Foglio's work . . . OR if you like James' games . . . you should definitely take a look at this one.
-- Steve Jackson
GURPS Discworld Also
In GURPS Discworld, gamers visited the strange and wonderful
setting of Terry Pratchett's best-selling novels. Everyone had such a good
time that we've booked a second trip! Our guide for GURPS Discworld
Also will again be Phil Masters; he promises that the Dungeon Dimensions
are not on the itinerary, and Mr Dibbler's meat pies are not on the menu.
You will, however, visit the Lost Continent of XXXX (and its Cart Wars), meet the Hermit Elephants and a very big troll, and go on a mission for Unseen University to find out why the Librarian's supply of bananas has dried up . . .
128 pages, #6061, ISBN: 1-55634-447-3, $20.95
GURPS Undead (reprint)
You're dead, so now what? Get GURPS Undead, the complete "book of the dead" for GURPS!
Undead covers everything from subtle hauntings to undead necromancers, from Gothic vampires to the brain-eating zombies of the B-movies. Inside you will find a history of the undead, guidelines for creating your own undead (including animals, plants, microbes and even vehicles) and a dozen classic undead archetypes with variants and sample characters. You'll also find extensive advice on how to use the undead dramatically as scenery, plot devices, monsters, villains or heroes. As well, Undead features discussions of many related topics, including tombs, death gods, embalming, funerary rites, grave robbery, necromancy, pathology, souls, the afterlife, spells, symbolism and more. In short, everything you need to inject new life into your undead.
What are you waiting for? Life is short . . .
#6086, ISBN 1-55634-352-3. $20.95.
Deck Plan 3 Empress Marava-Class Far Trader (for GURPS
Traveller)
The Empress Marava-class Far Trader is a tough, long-range cargo ship. It's a favorite of many adventurous traders . . . which
probably includes the PCs in your campaign.
This big package shows every detail of a Marava on 20 two-sided maps . . . hexes on one side and squares on the other, to fit any campaign! Also included is a sheet of Cardboard Heroes miniatures to crew your Marava, and a large cargo-hauling air/raft.
#6621 ISBN 1-55634-508-9. $22.95
Planetary Survey 1 - Kamsii/Core
(for GURPS Traveller)
The first of a new series of 32-page GURPS Traveller books,
each one a detailed look at a single planet. Written by Loren Wiseman and
Steve Jackson, this book describes a planetary theme park - a whole world
dedicated to entertainment - but with a hidden dark side. From family fun
to lavish decadence, from hundred-mile kiddie rides to recreations of the
court of Caligula, Kamsii has it all. The Kamsii Company says everybody
will have a good time, and nobody crosses the Company. Not
twice.
32 pages. Stock #6801, ISBN 1-55634-495-3. $8.95.
-- Keith Johnson
GURPS Monsters has room for about 8 more submissions. Why not take a look at the submission guidelines and immortalize your most diabolical creations on paper?
GURPS Steampunk Catalog is only about half full; there is still room for over 100 submissions! Check out the submission guidelines and start inventing! Contributions to the Clothing and Armor, Heavy Weapons, Drugs and Chemicals, and Life Forms chapters would be especially welcome.
Thank you!
David George Gordon's Website has some curious literary offerings. He'll help you get rid
of slugs and other pests. How? Well...How hungry are you?
-- Suggested by Rob Knight
No foul play is suspected, which is in itself suspicious, and that's no doubt the way he would have wanted it.
-- Steve Jackson
As the Wounds Unlimited Ogre scenario design contest enters its last week, we've received several excellent entries -- but we haven't seen yours! Check out the full rules at Wounds Unlimited, and get your submission in by Tax Day (April 15th) for your chance at fame and fortune . . . or at least $100 in individual Ogre Miniatures from Warehouse 23 and unlimited bragging rights.
Game industry veteran Scott Haring has returned to Steve Jackson Games, nearly 18 years after the start of his first stint with the company.
"I guess you really can go home again," Haring said. "I've known Steve for 23 years, and I'm looking forward to another opportunity to work together."
Haring will serve as Marketing Editor, writing and editing ads, the retailer newsletter, sell sheets, and all other promotional and marketing materials. Commented Steve Jackson, "Now that we're up to a half-dozen releases a month, it's a big job just to make sure that the information gets out. It was time to bring in a pro."
Haring first worked for SJ Games from 1983 to 1987, as editor of Autoduel Quarterly and Car Wars line editor. He returned in 1993, serving as Managing Editor through 1998 and editor of Pyramid magazine until early 2000. Three separate stints with the same company may be some sort of adventure game industry record, though research has not yet confirmed this. Haring noted, "It took me six years to come back the first time, and only one year to do it this time. Maybe I'm getting smarter."
"I'll also be helping out Loren Wiseman with the GURPS Traveller line, which will be big fun," Haring said. "This is one of the great enduring roleplaying game universes, and I'm very excited to be contributing to it."
Nancy Feldman, who can be reached at braille@sjgames.com, has undertaken this project on a
volunteer, nonprofit basis.
If you have a yen to collect the treasures of history, no time-tripping is necessary. You can stay in your own era and have Design Toscano produce a wide variety of falcon statues, to-scale King Tut sarcophagi, and
replicas of Stonehenge as it appeared thousands of years ago. And if their talent pool has that kind of information, you can be sure
delivery will be no problem.
-- Suggested by Rus Hall
The Cabal is the conspiracy, trade union, and mutual-assistance society that lets all these creatures survive in a world of hostile humans. If a demon needs a lawyer to keep the exorcists off his back . . . or if a little old vampire lady needs a bit of daylight muscle . . . who are they gonna call? The mortal-busters . . . the Cabal.
Written by Ken Hite, this book also includes a detailed system of Hermetic magic that expands the original GURPS magic system.
GURPS Cabal is now in playtest. Pyramid subscribers can
access the playtest files. And if you're not already a subscriber,
subscribe today!
-- Keith Johnson
Winston J. Hamilton, former GAMA officer and game publisher, died of a heart attack in mid-March at his home. Winston had been an engineer in Vietnam, a labor organizer, and a successful businessman in several fields besides gaming. He was a game publisher, designer, and player. He served the Game Manufacturers' Association in several positions over many years, including executive director, secretary, and vice president.
Winston was tireless in his promotion of gaming, as he was in his other businesses, and in his political and social causes. He was
the archetypical "grouch with a heart of gold," a tough opponent on the wargames table, and a good friend.
-- Loren Wiseman
GURPS Transhuman Space is now in playtest. Pyramid
subscribers can access the playtest files. And if you're not already a subscriber,
subscribe today!
-- Keith Johnson
The original Bavarian Fire Drill message on the newsgroups was dated March 31. It was, as it happens, true :-)
The denial, on the other hand, was dated April 1. It was titled "April Fools." It was accompanied by the I Lied card. We call these things "hints." The denial was, as it happens, not true.
The Truth is . . . Bavarian Fire Drill, a new non-collectible supplement for INWO, has
just been moved into our active queue. We have not officially "announced" it yet, and there is no web page for it yet; we don't
have a scheduled release date for it. Probably around October, give or take a month. There's art to be done and final playtesting to
complete. But it's now officially under way.
-- Steve Jackson
The supplement is still in playtest, but at this time there are no definite plans for its release.
-- Steve Jackson
