Linkfest 2021-11-26: Black Friday

The Mixed GM: The Definitive Post On Patrons In Your D&D (or ACKS) Game

John Daker points us to this post on adding Patrons to your TTRPG game, a way to add richness and variety to a living game world. Here is a follow-up with additional thoughts.

Heroes Fall: Heroes Unleashed book 1 review
I’m a big fan of the whole Heroes Unleashed universe, a big chunk of which is on sale today. [Silver Empire affiliate link] You can get the six first volumes of the universe for $0.99 USD in the Silver Empire store, which is a screaming deal.

Silver Empire also offers a book club, which is on sale today as well. $1.99/month for ebooks, $11.99/month for paperbacks, and $25/month for hardcovers (first three months). Or lock in a discounted rate by signing up for an annual subscription. Pick the book of the month OR alternatively pick any book from their extensive back catalog. Spend paperback credits on a paperback, or save up credits to buy a hardcover instead. And Super Saver shipping is always included in your membership.

CNET: Intel's chip recovery plan could restore US manufacturing prowess
Industrial policy, innovation, and on-shoring are key interests of mine. I am also keenly interested in how this goes because lots of Intel’s fabs are in my home state of Arizona. When I went to school, lots of people I knew studied chip design and fabrication because of the presence of Intel here.

Will Wight’s Cradle: Foundation is free for two more days. Don’t miss your chance!

Grantland: The Curious Case of Lee Child

When I was researching my post on the movie Oblivion, I came across this great piece on Lee Child, the author of the Jack Reacher series that Tom Cruise also starred in the movie adaption. Jim Grant, the man who would use the pen name Lee Child to write his books, has an absolutely fascinating history in British television.

Non-fiction books

I mostly review fiction here at With Both Hands, but I have read some top notch non-fiction in the last year. Alfred W. Crosby’s Ecological Imperialism is one of the best history books I’ve read. I would suggest that you cannot understand the last 500 years of world history without grappling with Crosby’s thesis.

Zooming into a more local interest, the way in which America expanded into the West in the latter half of the nineteenth century overlaps to a considerable extent with the life of Christopher “Kit” Carson. Hampton Sides’ biography of him illumines this period of history.

The Pulp Librarian looks at the history of the View-Master, a toy with roots in the Second World War.

The Long View: Dante's World Government

Dante wasn’t just a master of poetry and fantastic literature.

With Both Hands: Hopi Tales of Destruction collected by Ekkehart Malotki Book Review

I think about this book a lot. I am absolutely fascinated by the manner in which tales are passed down in oral traditions, and what you can learn about the world by studying this.