Beam Me Up...to Canada!

Through the wonder and power of modern blogging/wormhole technology I've scheduled a few posts while I'm in Toronto for work next week. Random space finds has resumed it's regular Sunday schedule and will be followed by a few other posts throughout the week. I've programed Eddie here to keep an eye on things so no funny business.

While I doubt I'll get a chance to hit any comics or games shops when I'm in Toronto, I did a little homework anyway and dug up a few near my hotel should the occasion present itself. If you've got suggestions feel free to comment below. Also, please continue to drop in and comment on posts--I'll do my best to check-in and respond back!

Oh Canada, here I come!

Appendix N for Sci Fi (Circa 1980s)

D&D had it's Appendix N--it's suggested reading for further inspiration--which was loaded with Sword & Sorcery classics from the pulp era and beyond. Grognardia has done a wonderful job of highlighting those books. I wondered if TSR's Star Frontiers had an equivalent a while back while I was flipping through the manuals I'd bought off eBay. Low and behold--it did! Though it wasn't an official appendix, it was listed under the title "READING FOR FUN AND IDEAS". The list is filled with great stuff, but its also dated.

Following are the titles listed on the back cover of the Expanded Game Rules, from the first printing of July 1982:

NON-FICTION:

• Asimov, Isaac—Extraterrestrial Civilizations
• Bylinsky, Gene—Life in Darwin's Universe
• Dole, Robert—Habitable Planets for Man
• Feinberg, Gerald and Robert Shapiro—Life Beyond Earth: An Intelligent Earthling's Guide to Life in the Universe

FICTION

• Anthony, Piers—Macroscope
• Anderson, Poul—Ensign Flandry series
• Asimov, Isaac—Foundation trilogy: I, Robot; The Gods Themselves
• Aspirin, Robert—The Cold-Cash War
• Bester, Alfred—The Stars, My Destination
• Blish, James—Cities in Flight
• Bradbury, Ray—The Martian Chronicles
• Brown, Frederick—What Mad Universe
• Brunner, John—Stand on Zanzibar
• Budrys, Algis—Rogue Moon
• Chandler, Bertram A.—Commodore Grimes series
• Clarke, Arthur C.—Rendezvous with Rama; The Fountains of Paradise
• Clement, Hal—Mission of Gravity; Close to Critical; The Nitrogen Fix
• de Camp, L. Sprague—Krishna series
• Dick, Philip K.—Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
• Dickson, Gordon R.—Dorsai series
• Drake, David—Hammer's Slammers
• Farmer, Philip Jose—Riverworld series
• Garrett, Randall—Starship Death
• Goulart, Ron—many short novels
• Haldeman, Joe—The Forever War
• Hansen, Karl—War Games
• Harrison, Harry—Bill, The Galactic Hero; The Stainless Steel Rat; Deathworld series
• Heinlein, Robert—Starship Troopers; The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
• Herbert, Frank—Dune series
• Laumer, Keith—A Plague of Demons; Retief series; Bolo series
• LeGuin, Ursula—The Left Hand of Darkness
• Lem, Stanislaw—Solaris; The Cyberiad
• Longyear, Barry—Circus World
• Niven, Larry—Ringworld; Ringworld Engineers; Tales of Known Space
• Niven, Larry and Jerry Pournelle—The Mote in God's Eye
• Norton, Andre—Star Rangers
• Pohl, Frederick—Gateway
• Pournelle, Jerry—The Mercenary
• Russel, Eric Frank—The Great Explosion
• Saberhagen, Fred—Berserker series
• Silverberg, Robert—The Man in the Maze
• Simak, Clifford D.—City
• Smith, E. E.—Triplanetary; Space Patrol; others in the Lensmen series
• Stapleton, Olaf—Last and First Men
• Vance, Jack—Big Planet; The Grey Prince; Tschai, Planet of Adventure series; Demon Princes series
• Van Vogt, A. E.—The Weapons Shops of Isher; The Silkie; Voyage of the Space Beagle
• Varley, John—The Persistence of Vision
• Zelazny, Roger—Lord of Light

I can't say I've read even a fraction of these and I'm trying to track down several more for my collection. There's even more not on the list that I do own, that I'd probably consider "reference" when I think of sci-fi in general. So gentle reader, what's on your list of go-to science fiction? Anything new? How about long forgotten? Or off the beaten path?

Leave a few of your own in the comments. (Movies, comics, whatever--it's all acceptable!)

Random Space Finds #9

Floating flotsam and jetsam, tumbling slowly in the void (1d10):

1. Six person lifeboat, fully occupied, no survivors
2. L-type, dual firing rocket pack (single user)
3. Turning signal replacement fluid, 55 gallon drum
4. Shipment of laser rifles (25) with sabotaged ammo cartridges rigged to to backfire on users after 1d4 turns
5. Fishing pole, slightly used
6. Heisenberg compensator, permanent firmware failure
7. Fourty barrels of highly dangerous biohazard waste, (35 liters each)
8. Communications relay pod, replaying 900-year-old distress signal
9. Dozen radiation badges, mint condition
10. Galagan hornet's nest

FIGHT ON! #8 HAS ARRIVED!

The latest issue of Fight On! is here--and it has a few sci fi elements. I think the entry I looked forward to seeing the most is the Insectaurs from the esteemed Sniderman. (Congrats!)

And there's plenty of fantasy in this issue as well.

Not to mention an interview with the international man of zany weirness himself, Erol Otus!

Ooo! Mysterious!

Brave Halfling to Publish X-plorers Sci-Fi Retro Clone!

As creator David Bezio says "it's a done deal" Brave Halfling Publishing has exclusive rights to publish the X-plorers retro clone RPG! I'm so freakin' excited that I can hardly stand it!

I have so many hopes for this that I can't contain them. So John, if you're listening, here's my ultimate X-plorers wish list:

• A bevy of modules and supplements (e.g., rules for creating vehicles, and I'd like to see the proposed psionic and vehicular combat rules part of an "official" release at some point too)
• A BOX SET a la Swords & Wizardry (oh please!)
• Option to buy separate box set booklets (again like S&W)
• An MS Word version for house ruling (one of the best features of S&W, I think)
• New sci-fi art by some beloved OSR artists; Peter Mullen did the cover (see above pic) for the 2nd printing--and it's fan-freakin-tastic!

Finally, sci-fi gets it's due in the OSR!

Check out BHP's announcement for more info.
Check out the X-plorer's Yahoo Group (linked at right)