jflaxman

Another year is almost over, and to quote an old curse, these are interesting times. I've never called myself an optimist, but I'd hoped the grim prognoses of Theodore Dalrymple and Walter Laqueur wouldn't be ignored for so long. It's harder to ignore them now, and banning books and hugging flags won't solve our problems any more than pronouns and safe spaces will. I could say a whole lot more but I'd only be shouting into the void. At home I haven't had to deal with anything worse than suburban ennui, which is the only negative of a positive relationship that's approaching its eleventh year. Some friends' lives have been more eventful. Will has found his very practical skills can't guarantee a stable income in an age of cheap, abundant imports, and what should been minor setbacks left him homeless for a while. He handled this with more courage and cheer than I think I ever could, and has since found a new job, new home and new partner, which shows there's still some justice in the

I have some finds I'd like to share. There's a chance you've heard of them, but if not, there's a chance you'll like them. I'll save my favourite for last. Trench Crusade is an upcoming tabletop game I doubt I'll ever buy or play, but looks very impressive thanks to Mike Franchina's concept art. The game itself takes place on an alternate Earth whose human defenders – with a bit of divine help – have battled hell's forces for centuries. If a Dante Aligheri/Ernst Jünger crossover with Keith Thompson visuals sounds like your thing you'll probably love it. I'm most interested in its aesthetics but it could offer others a lot more. The Forever Winter is an upcoming computer game I also doubt I'll ever buy or play, but has a very interesting premise. As AI-controlled war machines seek to dominate the world, human scavengers only seek to survive. This is less dark fantasy than prescient nightmare: a future that makes us seem like the small mammals that once cowered in the shadows of

I'm back after a six month break. In our screen-addicted age, this seems a near-eternity, so I'd like to thank everyone I've kept waiting for their patience. It should be rewarded soon. 2023 was a strange year. I posted more on DA than usual, but a lot of it was old work I'd put aside for months or years. Finishing and sharing it often felt like drudgery but brought a welcome sense of closure. There were other sources of annoyance, but if you've spent any time online, you know them, so they're hardly worth describing. Offline concerns were more important, and six months on, some land's been cleared, a gate's been fixed, a reading room's been renovated, and a whole lot of wood scraps have new personalities. This year's biggest surprise, so far, was a visit from my father, who only two days earlier had said he was going to Jakarta. He turned up with only a backpack, having crossed three states on public transport. We spent a great weekend together; time has made us more forgiving of