@imalcolm@mastodon.social
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

imalcolm

@imalcolm@mastodon.social

Writer, editor, game designer. Occasional bass and uke player.

Worked in game dev as a designer from Star Wars and Nightshade on NES through to Need For Speed: Shift on iOS, with 30+ titles in between.

Freelance writer and editor on various books and publications.

Bassist for several bands you never heard of.

And so on and so forth...

#reading #writing #books #fantasy #scifi #videogames #retrogames #boardgames #ttrpg #MacGaming #music #movies #photography

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

golgaloth, (edited ) to writing
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

At , the Australian science fiction writers con, and the main, constant lament seems to be that it's so difficult to get any traction as a new author, either through small press or self publishing. There are so many books!

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@golgaloth

It's definitely a problem, and not just for new authors. One of my oldest friends has over 30 books out (disclosure: a few of which I've proofed and/or edited) and has gone from niche publishers (TSR/WOTC) to self-pub and now trying small press again. They're currently very much surviving on Patreon support and an occasional RPG book sale.

(Sidenote: Loving 'Cruel Provocations'! Will say more later - only six chapters in but it's got its hooks - or possibly threads - in me. 😉)

DJDarren, (edited ) to random
@DJDarren@mendeddrum.org avatar

In the battle of the grizzly voiced singers, who would win?

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@DJDarren

Always Tom. A friend played ‘Swordfishtrombones’ for me and I was hooked, but was mainly a fan of that album and everything that came after.

But then one day I picked up a second-hand copy of ‘The Heart of Saturday Night’ on a whim, when trading some unwanted CDs, and absolutely loved it for its different vibe. So now I have every studio and live album, plus a few bootlegs… I have a Tom for any given mood… 😉

imalcolm, to movies
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

For those in Oz with a penchant for folk-horror, I noticed last night that SBS On Demand currently has the classic 1973 original of 'The Wicker Man' available.

It expires a month from now, so be sure to take a trip to Summerisle before then, otherwise their apple crops may fail once more... 😉

https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/movie/the-wicker-man/2225600067717

timrichards, to random
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

Article commenting on the lunacy of everything having to be five stars to be good. Agreed. When I was reviewing comedy shows for The Age, I ran the gamut from awarding 1 to 5 stars. It was useful.

Airbnb rating: why four stars is a fail
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/i-gave-an-airbnb-home-just-four-stars-apparently-that-s-a-fail-20240503-p5fopg.html

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@timrichards

Totally agree - if there’s no range then ratings are meaningless.

I could be wrong, but I feel like this “only five stars will do” thing really took hold with AirBnB and Uber, specifically.

It’s weird and creepy and “social ratingy”, and I’ve always hated it, even before Black Mirror did an episode on it.

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@static @timrichards

Ah yeah, you are absolutely right!

(Doh! I’d completely forgotten eBay as I somehow went from someone on there pretty much daily to someone who hasn’t bought or sold a thing there for 6 or 7 years.)

imalcolm, to books
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

Well well well, look at what delightful new treasure the post has brought me, courtesy of the lovely and talented @golgaloth ! 🥳 😎 🎉

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@golgaloth

Yep, arrived in perfect condition!

Apparently it actually arrived yesterday - I've been in "bedroom isolation" away from rest of the fam this week while I have Covid again (yay...) but was apparently asleep when the post came and then my partner got distracted and only remembered to bring it in to me this morning.

Will be sure to let you know - I'm just finishing off another book so hopefully will get to start it tonight! 😁

timrichards, to melbourne
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

The blue Crumpler building below our apartment reminds me of a big piece of Lego. What do you think?

#melbourne

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@timrichards

Seeing that building reminds me of the inexorable passage of time - I have fond memories of going in there as a student when it was Au GoGo Records, to buy vinyl... and even remember before that when it was (weird as it seems now) a gun shop. No wonder I feel old some days. 😉

timrichards, to auspol
@timrichards@aus.social avatar

Surely a Labor government should be embarrassed by delivering a surplus, when that money could've been spent on raising unemployment benefits or on building state housing.

Budget 2024: Jim Chalmers lands the surplus double

(maybe paywalled) https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/9-3-billion-chalmers-lands-the-surplus-double-in-third-budget-20240513-p5jd6e.html

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@timrichards

Or redressing the basically criminal imbalance between public and private school funding. Or improving public health… Or basically behaving like anything other than a LNP government, proudly waving bags of taxpayer money as things fall apart…

imalcolm, to random
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

Not a patch on some of the amazing shots I'm seeing, but as I'm laid up with Covid this is the best shot I've managed of the #AuroraAustralis looking out onto the street from my front porch tonight.

Just insane colours. (3 second exposure, handheld on iPhone 13 mini.)

MichaelPryor, to random
@MichaelPryor@aus.social avatar

Law No. 2 of home maintenance/repairs: the tool you need for the job right now isn't in your toolbox. You lent it to Dave four years ago and he hasn't given it back.

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@MichaelPryor

Dave... every damn time.

craiggrannell, to iPad
@craiggrannell@mastodon.social avatar

Surprise midweek column! Good riddance to the Home button – now Apple’s tablet finally fulfils its original vision • https://www.stuff.tv/features/good-riddance-to-the-ipad-home-button-now-apples-tablet-finally-fulfils-its-original-vision/

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@craiggrannell

Guess I’ll keep waiting til they refresh the iPad Mini - always preferred the smaller form factor and I’m still using a Mini 2, which has done me fine for ten years and counting, but I think by the time the next one comes along I’ll finally be ready to upgrade, as a few things are getting relatively clunky on it now.

golgaloth, to writing
@golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

Do you use reference to Greek mythology, or any other mythology?

#WritingCommunity #AmWriting #writing #authodons

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@golgaloth

Euripedes' trousers, Eumenides' trousers...

imalcolm,
@imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

@golgaloth

Ah-Weird-I Thought-I'd-Already-Done-That Trousers!

However it turned out I had not.

But I definitely have just now. 👍 😉

flockofnazguls, to random
@flockofnazguls@mastodon.flockofnazguls.com avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    imalcolm,
    @imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

    @flockofnazguls

    I almost got whiplash doing a double-take at seeing a Master's Apprentices song posted on here, especially one that wasn't "Turn Up Your Radio" which was a regular fixture on classic rock stations here in the 70s-80s.

    Have to say I definitely prefer the prog vibe of 'Games We Play'. 😎

    imalcolm, to Starwars
    @imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

    It's Star Wars Day once again, so with that in mind, here's a bit of minor Star Wars gaming history for the three people who might be still interested, haha - an interview I did with Jack Yarwood for Time Extension last year, about developing NES Star Wars for Lucasfilm/JVC back in the day.

    https://www.timeextension.com/features/flashback-how-an-australian-developer-helped-lucasfilm-make-its-first-star-wars-game

    timrichards, to random
    @timrichards@aus.social avatar

    Her upcoming tour sounds like fun.

    Joanna Lumley on why Absolutely Fabulous could never be made today

    (maybe paywalled) https://www.smh.com.au/culture/celebrity/absolutely-not-joanna-lumley-on-why-ab-fab-could-never-be-made-today-20240418-p5fkyq.html

    imalcolm,
    @imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

    @timrichards

    Yeah I reckon it could def be a good one.

    Have to say though that whenever comedians/comedic actors claiming their old show could not be made anymore “Because everything has now become unacceptable … “ (to quote Lumley directly from that piece) I wish I could point them to shows like “Always Sunny in Philadelphia” or even “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, which are massively popular and long-running shows that go far further than something like Ab Fab ever did.

    golgaloth, to Pubtips
    @golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

    Me at the start of my Kickstarter, vs Me at the end of my Kickstarter.

    Well that was a ride. I didn't anticipate being hospitalised halfway through my campaign, but we're funded and I'll have my first book available through Ingram Spark for everyone in June/July.

    Writing is easy compared to publishing.

    imalcolm,
    @imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

    @golgaloth

    I'm sure it will be worth the effort - looking forward to reading it!

    golgaloth, to australia
    @golgaloth@writing.exchange avatar

    It's Sunday here in . I have big plans for the day. Biiiig plans. So big.

    imalcolm,
    @imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

    @golgaloth

    Bestest plans right there. 👍

    craiggrannell, to random
    @craiggrannell@mastodon.social avatar

    Weeknote!

    🤖 Not everything needs AI and subscriptions
    🍎 Where Apple will be in 2030
    👾 The Game Boy turns 35
    🐥 Tiny Wings is my latest classic app
    🎂 Our indie magazine hits issue 300
    🪫 The strange nature of the RGB30 console

    https://reverttosaved.com/2024/04/27/weeknote-27-april-2024-thinking-about-milestones/

    imalcolm,
    @imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

    @craiggrannell

    Inspired me to go and redownload Tiny Wings to play for the first time in over ten years. Noyce! 🏆

    Binder, to random
    @Binder@petrous.vislae.town avatar

    Borrowing a cup of stone off of the neighbor to get some soup going.

    imalcolm,
    @imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

    @Binder

    😉

    DJDarren, to random
    @DJDarren@mendeddrum.org avatar

    Just noticed a comment under The Chats - Pub Feed saying “How many new national anthems do these guys need to write”, and I’ve never felt more kinship with the Aussies than I do right now.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LGM82uPuvA

    imalcolm,
    @imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

    @DJDarren

    Yeah, they're pretty bloody good. The only thing I always wonder about in that clip is the Fosters t-shirt, but I'll have to give the drummer the benefit of the doubt and assume he's being ironic. (Or possibly iconic, for better or worse...)

    imalcolm,
    @imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

    @DJDarren

    Haha, definitely, especially as they're from Queensland.

    When I was in my late teens/early 20s I had one friend who drank Fosters. We all thought he was a freak. 😉

    jmac, to random
    @jmac@masto.nyc avatar

    Literally nobody in a 3,000-person work chat liked my story about how walking past a nearby burger bar when its window is shuttered makes me say "We're closed now!!" in a weird voice because I'm remembering a 1983 TV ad for the video game Burgertime, so I'm telling you instead. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjJ0Tl3WENQ

    imalcolm,
    @imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

    @jmac

    I was an Atari VCS kid, but for some reason Burgertime was like the killer title that made me occasionally wish I had an Intellivision instead.

    I honestly have no idea why, in hindsight. Thinking of all the fantastical experiences and things you could simulate, making burgers while being chased by eggs and pickles really shouldn't be up there. And yet...

    imalcolm, to random
    @imalcolm@mastodon.social avatar

    1. Change one word in the first sentence of a famous novel to change its meaning.

    “I write this shitting in the kitchen sink."

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • megavids
  • rosin
  • ngwrru68w68
  • Durango
  • DreamBathrooms
  • mdbf
  • magazineikmin
  • thenastyranch
  • Youngstown
  • khanakhh
  • slotface
  • everett
  • vwfavf
  • kavyap
  • provamag3
  • osvaldo12
  • GTA5RPClips
  • ethstaker
  • tacticalgear
  • InstantRegret
  • cisconetworking
  • cubers
  • tester
  • anitta
  • modclub
  • Leos
  • normalnudes
  • JUstTest
  • All magazines
    •