That Spoilery Point

So there is a point where talking about various TV shows and games and such gets a bit difficult because all of the things that make me giddy to the point of jumping up and down is filled with so many spoilers that stating anything about it will ruin any possible feelings of wanting to jump up and down in others.

This commonly happens in real life as well, where I am talking about The Walking Dead with someone until it is revealed that they haven't seen any of the episodes of the new season. Now, there are SO many spoilers in just the first episode of this new season that if I mention anything it will be ruined for the other person, even the other episodes spoil so much that was built up into last season's finale that I can't even express how awesome a certain character getting his leg munched on was. You know that last bit will probably sound very weird to anyone who hasn't either seen the show or know the comics or both, but as someone who has seen the comics of the Walking Dead let me just say that it was amazing to see them do it in the show. So lets talk about stuff without spoilers (kind of).

But yeah, Gotham is really awesome despite being batmanless, Agents of Shield is good with the stuff and the people and the hints at the things, Arrow is getting pretty good with all of the poking at the audience, I still think the Flash a bit 'meh' but thats me, and finally that Doctor Who finale was interesting.

I do want to comment on the finale or mid-season finale of Doctor Who, I mean it was great seeing that... person, especially with the... differences made to that character's... attributes. But I didn't really like seeing the... minor villains yet again for a season finale. Don't get me wrong I love those... beings, and they are cool and all it just feels like they have already been done, a lot. And for some reason it just didn't seem all that thrilling. I mean sure the premise of the... main villain's plan was sort of interesting but it didn't seem all that threatening, especially when you consider what they did the last time that character had a finale appearance. With the minor villains appearing, and then doing nothing for like 80% of the time, only to then in the end not do anything. Because I mean come on, that final choice the Doctor had to make, did anyone seriously think he would have made any other decision? Seriously, its the Doctor, he wiped out (or at least he thought he did, but whatever) his entire species just so he could wipe out a different species. Who needs an army when you are the Doctor? And if for some reason he wanted one, as can be seen in the Demon Run's storyline, he can just form one by plucking some of the people he has helped over the years out of their own timelines and sending them at his enemies.

Ah, I don't know. It just seems like ever since this new season of Doctor Who started the story quality got lowered relative to the special effects getting increased. I like the concept of the new Doctor, it just seems like he isn't being used to his fullest story telling potential and rather being used as a character around cool looking special effects. I mean geez, one of my favorite episodes of Doctor Who is still the one where virtually the entire episode takes place in one small room that is dressed up like the inside of a vehicle, as the Doctor and the passengers of the vehicle have to figure out 'What was the sound?" while being broken down on the side of a road on a planet where if they leave the vehicle they will be incinerated. There were almost no special effects for the majority of that episode, but the acting and story telling was just so amazing that is in my opinion one of the greatest works of television!

Fourth Book For Sale

Well I had been focusing possibly a little too hard on writing this episode of the Tales of the Fable Star series, but it is finally finished! Yes, the fourth and final entry in this Tales of the Fable Star series is done and now available on the Kindle Market!

Tales of the Fable Star: Episode 4: Here Be Dragons.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PCYLEY0

This episode took quite a bit of time to write, maybe because I put a little too much into it (it is the longest episode at 56k words) but I did have a lot of fun with it. Without revealing too much, I tried to aim for a bit more with this episode. To show the changes in Captain No-name, both mentally and physically, and to wrap up several storylines that have been running in the background. While of course poking fun at everything I can think of. While this is the final entry in this series, I may write more about the crew of the Fable Star in the future, or I may even write up some things in the same universe and expand upon a variety of background and side characters.

...Or you know, go binge watch the last 3 seasons to How I met your mother, because I STILL have to catch up with that show. Ah, something interesting will happen I am sure.

That Arrow Zombie

So the latest season of the Arrow TV show premiered the other day. It was actually really good. Usually the season openers for Arrow aren't the best but setup plotlines that you can tell will be good later on, and while it did setup some interesting plotlines, this opener was actually very good in its own right. A lot of action, drama, and people getting killed to the point that I was genuinely surprised how good it was. I honestly can't wait for the rest of the season, because based on the this first episode it is going to be awesome.

Another awesome season opener was the latest Walking Dead season premiere. Holy crap! That is all I can really say without spoilers. So many good things and surprises in this premiere that I have been giddy to talk about it with just about anyone who will put up with me! This episode actually felt more like a season finale than a premiere, which just makes me really really excited to see how the rest of the season will play out. How can they possibly top themselves now, chainsaw wielding zombies falling out of planes? Hm, now I actually want to see that...

Flash Gotham Writing Completion

So I finished the first draft of the Fourth Episode of the Tales of the Fable Star book series today. A lot of things happened, some story lines get wrapped up others get furthered and then there are always splosions.

But I would rather talk about TV shows. The Flash TV show just (not so recently) came out, and it was quite interesting. Now, I am a fan of Arrow and think that show is great, but I don't know about Flash. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. The first episode of course handles the origin story and that is never exactly easy so maybe it will get better, but I don't know it just feels very tonally different than Arrow. Which I suppose on one hand is a good thing, I mean the Green Arrow and the Flash are two VERY different characters and types of heroes. The Green Arrow kills everybody and is just rather dark and gloomy. While the Flash is almost the exact opposite, being very cheerful and bright and upbeat and doesn't really try to kill people. So I guess its a good thing that the show is sticking to the source material, but I guess it just means that I don't really like the character type. Hm.

Anyway, Gotham is getting better. Very good cop show set in the batman universe and is really showing promise. I don't want to spoil anything, but the name dropping is getting very very fun and makes me a tad giddy.

Now, as for book business. While I am still making edits and such to the episode four, here is what the book cover is going to look like along with the reveal of this episode's name. Hehehe.

Batman without Batman

So I wanted the Gotham TV show pilot. It was good. Yeah, and that's the thing, it was just good. Not great, not bad, just good. It setup an interesting city with interesting characters and a lot of potential plotlines. Plus even as the Marvel fan that I am, I did get just a bit giddy when they not really introduced not quite villains.

But the main issue was that, well, its a Batman story without Batman. The pilot starts off with Bruce Wayne's parents getting killed, so we have a good twenty-ish years before Batman can really be Batman. And all of the Super Villains are now the pre-Super not so Villainous Villains who I guess we will see turn into the Super Villains we all know and love.

I was sort of hoping Gotham was going to be more like the comic series Gotham Central, which followed the Gotham Police in a world with crazy super villains and super heroes who are doing all sorts of wild and usually technically illegal things. It was interesting to see how Police in such a different world react and think of things. But instead we see how police deal with things... pre-Super Villains, which I assume will get so bad that Super Villains will be formed and require Super Heroes to save the world.

I don't know, I mean I will still keep watching the show because it does seem interesting. It just leaves me with an overall feeling of 'Good, not Great'. Which is, well, better than being bad, right?

Oh, and don't even get me started on how awesome that Agents of Shield season premiere was!

Saley Sale

From now until the 27th of September the 3rd episode of the Fable Star Series, Legacy, will be on sale for both the US (67% off) and UK (52% off) stores.

Links:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MWBXMNC
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00MWBXMNC


Now if you are wondering why there is a difference in the percentages of the sale based on region. Well it turns out that in the UK there is this thing called a VAT tax on eBooks, and it is added on top of whatever price I want to set for those books. Which of course means no end of headaches trying to adjust the prices so that the books are roughly the same in all regions. Its moments like these that I wish everyone just used the same currency, lets call it Earthlingos and be done with it already!

Cyborgy Caliphaty Who?

Huh, it has been a while hasn't it? Ah, well you know I have been quite busy with all of the cyborg octopi and cyborg mantis men... or women. Researching the specifics of praying mantis genders is actually on one hand very interesting and just as equaling terrifyingly strange. Seriously, praying mantises are some messed up bunch of bugs.

As I am writing episode 4 of the Tales of a Fable Star series, I am forced to look back at some of the story lines and species in the earlier episodes. And I have to say I keep thinking "Oh, I should have made that guy a cyborg." But alas that sort of thing just wouldn't fit the universe... that I made up in my head. Hm.

Speaking of research, as (spoilers) a part of the fourth episode will be featuring a Space Caliphate I have been doing a lot of research on the subject and found some pretty interesting things. Well, I suppose they are interesting to me, not sure how many other people will find minor cultural differences and various customs all that interesting. But darn it I just found it so fascinating that you don't see Muslims giving each other noogies is because they believe that their spirit is located at the top of their head and you are DEFINITELY not supposed to touch it. See? Told you no one but me would find it fascinating.

Ah, oh so Doctor Who has returned and is getting.... kind of interesting? I don't know. I mean, without saying too much, I am not entirely sure about this new season. I liked the start, the new Doctor was interesting and mean and dark and just very new and not really like any of the others. But the third episode was just... I don't want to say fraking terrible, but... It was pretty close to the worst episode I had ever seen. And that is saying a lot, I mean in relaunched Doctor Who series they have had some pretty out there and strange and even stupid things happened, that I have actually liked or at least think was better than this. And it isn't so much a result of a low budget, like some of those episodes seemed to be, but it actually might be because they have too much of a budget. You could clearly tell that they heavily upgraded their cameras, heck it even seems like they but a bunch of new ones, and a lot of graphics and special effects seem to be upgraded due to them having more money.

But thats the thing, when Doctor Who had a low budget they had to sell it to people through the story, through really really good writing. So that even if you are looking at terrible CGI, or what has got to be a bunch of tin cans or something, the writing and acting was so well done that the story out shined any issues with the graphics. But in this third episode, it seemed like it was the other way around. The graphics were great, the props were very well done, the make-up looked like a very experienced team of experts was involved, but the story was HEAVILY lacking.

I hope it was just this episode and isn't the setting of trend for what this new season will be like. Because I really liked Doctor Who for the imaginative stories and spot on acting, not the special effects. I just hope someone involved will realize that and not go too far.

Well, that was a rather long rant. Hm, back to cyborging the octopi!