Mass Effect: Babel - Chapter 3

 The apocalypse is nigh! Well not really, but it’s fun to be dramatic, isn’t it?

I hope everyone has a fun time as the day goes on. However, just because the “world is ending” don’t do anything that you’ll regret tomorrow.

How would you like the world to end? I’m voting for the rise of Godzilla, personally.

Enough stalling, though! Here is the third chapter of Mass Effect: Babel, wherein we introduce the Shadow Broker.

I still haven’t heard from any initiates to the Mass Effect canon on whether or not I have successfully bridged the gap of information necessary to make this story accessible. I would love to hear from you, if there are any! Even if I’ve failed spectacularly, knowing that will help me try even harder with future stories.

Enjoy the chapter, and hopefully I will see you all tomorrow, when we officially live in the post-apocalypse.

Mass Effect: Babel

Chapter 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?5ipsy2b01bsqb9b
Chapter 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?787p1gnpckj8p6h
Chapter 3 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?xzf3eqfikpezapz

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

"My Top 5 Movies of 2012" or "Jullian spends too much time at the cinema"

 #5. Cloud Atlas
The only way I can truly think of to describe this film is “complex”. There are a vast number of themes, storylines, and characters which all attempt to weave together into a coherent whole. A few very questionable choices aside (the makeup in particular lends to some… possible racial insensitivity), this film does what it sets out to do. Concepts like reincarnation, everlasting love, government corruption, insanity and cowardice, slavery, racial equality, and genocide all find their way into the movie. The general premise is that it follows six storylines over six different time periods, and shows how the actions of people in the past can directly affect the fate of all mankind in the future. This movie virtually demands multiple viewings. That said, even with mixed reactions, I think it merits inclusion in this list for sheer ambition alone. We need more movies like this to get made. Specifically, movies that try to be daring and different.

#4. Skyfall
I am going to have to jump on the bandwagon and say that this is the best James Bond movie ever made. I was disappointed to see them abandon the story they had told in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, but that is one of the only major gripes I have with the film. The cinematography was gorgeous - in my opinion, the best of the year. Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, and Judi Dench all gave downright tremendous performances. The story turned into a fun game of cat and mouse, with espionage being a vehicle used to tell a character-driven tale rather than another rote “save the world” plotline. This was clearly a very different kind of James Bond film, but hasn’t that been the goal of this rebooted continuity, to tell different kinds of stories? Well, Craig has been signed up for two more films. Hopefully the overarching narrative returns, and he manages to go out with a bang.

#3. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Slipping back into Middle-Earth felt a lot like going home after a lengthy vacation. A lot of people bemoan Peter Jackson turning such a short book into three films. As I watched this, though, I felt immensely satisfied with this first leg in the journey. There were a lot of scenes that went a little long, however I found myself happily lingering in them rather than feeling a drag. The scope was incredible, Martin Freeman easily stole the show as Bilbo Baggins, and the “Riddles in the Dark” section is worth the price of admission alone. I remain nothing but enthused by the idea of seeing this series continue next year.

#2. Avengers
No movie was anywhere near as much fun as The Avengers this year. From the first Tony Stark quip to the Hulk having more fun than his previous two films combined, surprise and youthful energy bounded through the entire film. Every performance was spot on, every action set piece felt like a comic brought to life, and there’s no denying that the final act held some of the most overwhelming thrills to be had all summer. What more is there to say? There’s a reason it’s one of the highest-grossing films of all time.

#1. The Dark Knight Rises
Looking back on the list, this appears to have been the year of big movies. Almost every film here was around three hours in length (some a little longer, some a little shorter). Choosing my favorite movie of the year was an incredibly difficult call. So let me make one thing clear - The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises are both equally fantastic, for very different reasons. In the end I felt like The Dark Knight Rises had a story with more grandeur and twists to it. While it was not as “fun” as The Avengers, there was an undeniable power in watching the journey of Bruce Wayne finally come to an end. Bane made for a fantastic adversary, giving Batman a physical challenge as well as a psychological one, while the last few turns in the story brought the entire trilogy together in a satisfying manner. A few editing hiccups aside, this movie was on the verge of flawless.

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

"My Top 5 TV Shows of 2012" or "Praise the LORD for DVR"

#5. Dexter

Last season felt terminally underwhelming on Dexter. Especially towards the end, when they introduced the very messed up “Debra is in love with Dexter” story dynamic. Then it ended on the mother of all cliffhangers, and I still found myself on the hook for another season. How does the current season stack up? Quite well, as a matter of fact! Debra coming to grips with Dexter’s true identity has been a downright riveting series of events. His dealings with the Ukrainian mob were also quite entertaining. Now we’re headed into a finale that promises to change everything, as the show winds up for a final season meant to air in 2013.

#4. How I Met Your Mother

A part of me is sad to see this series fall so far on the list. It used to be that How I Met Your Mother would constantly occupy the “#1” spot. No sitcom that I’ve ever seen is as dense with plot twists, clever writing, rich characters, or a sense of glee and imagination on this scale. How I Met Your Mother was a love story, one with a likeable cast and great chemistry. But in it’s eighth year, the series is beginning to show its age. They are drawing near the end of the story, and I’m hoping that it will find a resurgence of energy as we finally come to the decisive moment, the moment when Ted Mosby meets the love of his life. For now though, it’s still good, and nostalgia keeps it on the list at all.

#3. Once Upon A Time

This show really grew on me. At first I wrote it off as being fun but ultimately little more than fluff. I let half the first season stockpile in my DVR, to be watched when nothing better was around. When that time finally came, let me tell you, it won me over entirely. Yes, the special effects are ridiculous, and some of the acting is hammy beyond description, but Once Upon A Time is a series of sincere optimism. Like all great fairy tales, the true value of the series only shines through most when you see the bigger picture and deeper meaning. I defy anyone to finish the first season without being hooked.

#2. Game of Thrones

I wasn’t sold on this show at first. The first season was good, but uneven, and several of the storylines felt a little flimsy. But in season two, things kicked into high gear, and that’s when this became a marvel of television achievement. With a more cohesive narrative (even though it is technically very fractured), and some legitimate payoffs in the subplots, the show became a beast of labyrinth storytelling in the finest way. Also, Tyrion might be the funniest character on modern television.

#1. Doctor Who

In the interest of total transparency, I only discovered Doctor Who this year. The ironic part being that I even met Matt Smith once, at San Diego Comic Con 2011. He seemed like a nice gentleman, but I had no idea why everyone around me was geeking out quite so much. Now that I’ve discovered this magnificent show (my new favorite television series of all time), I see what all the fuss is about. This is a show where absolutely anything is possible. I’m not kidding. There’s an episode titled “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship” (which is one of my personal favorites). If you’ve never heard of it, I urge you to go out right now and buy the dvds, because you’re missing out on a masterpiece.

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

Spiderman: Revenge - Chapter 4

We’ve arrived at a major turning point in the story. Chapter 4 marks the end of the exposition, and the beginning of a lot of excitement and action. I obviously won’t spoil by getting into details as I’d rather let the content speak for itself. This is definitely my favorite chapter so far though. And you can only expect it to get more intense from here.

Spiderman: Revenge
Chapter 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?0i7za6cldbsfo8l
Chapter 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?kulywurduq0sh5f
Chapter 3 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?5br6tfcp6q9nq7y
Chapter 4 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?prtpx66m10bl61y

Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

Cover Art by Sean Anders - http://www.skyscraper48.com/

The Dresden Files: A Slippery Slope

I just finished “Cold Days”, the fourteenth book in the Dresden Files series.

My original plan was to write a review. I absolutely adored the novel. However, a darker issue suddenly presented itself, and now I feel an important need to address that issue. Because there is one aspect of the book that is utterly NOT okay.

Here is your disclaimer - this will be a very dicey post dealing with an unpleasant topic. And that is the topic of rape. If that makes you uncomfortable, please skip this. I don’t wish to offend anyone. If you don’t want to read such unfortunate subject matter, but want my bottom line? I am against rape in any possible context. And I feel that it should only be used in fiction when the concept or act has a very important point, a point that cannot be conveyed in any other fashion.

Also, this post will contain spoilers for the twelfth and thirteenth books in the Dresden Files, “Changes” and “Ghost Story” respectively.

I was so excited when I finished “Cold Days.” The scenes I will be discussing definitely made me uncomfortable, but I still logged onto the internet with glee, hoping to talk about the ending with other Dresden Files fans. When I started to read the reactions to “Cold Days”, though, I started to see just how troubling the book truly is.

To give a little context for non-fans, the lead hero (Harry) recently pledged himself to serve a dark Faerie Queen (Mab) in a recent book. To escape this fate, he went so far as to try and have himself assassinated. The reasons for him even accepting the offer in the first place are complicated, but let’s just say he had very few options. We start this novel very shortly after his failure to attempt suicide,  as he is forced to take on the title and duties of the Winter Knight.

The title and magical power of being the Winter Knight also, apparently, changes the personality of whoever holds it. This means that the main character is constantly at odds with his own mind on whether or not to give in to a powerful sense of corruption that spends the entire book trying to invade his thoughts. The more he uses this source of magic, the more hold it has over him. It’s meant to be similar to the Dark Side in Star Wars.

How do these wicked thoughts decide to present themselves?

Harry Dresden, the heroic protagonist of the series, begins to fantasize about rape.

Needless to say, I am not at all surprised that some people are outraged. I felt very uncomfortable whenever his mind drifted in this direction. I would have paused to think it over more, but mostly the thoughts last for a single paragraph, and then he recognizes that these thoughts are not coming from “him”. Add on the fact that I was inherently sucked into the plot of the novel, and I zipped away and was happy to leave those brief bouts of icky-ness in my rearview mirror while I took in the rest of the book.

These fantasies are never downright vivid, just implied. However, their very presence makes it that much harder to root for the hero. In fact, if this were the first book in the series, I’d have been out. It obviously helps that Harry has spent thirteen previous books NEVER thinking about raping someone. It doesn’t make it any better though.

I am incredibly disappointed with Jim Butcher, the author of the series. He’s obviously trying to use the idea of rape in terms of power and control. Harry’s subconscious mind, the part now being manipulated by a dark power, is attempting to corrupt him. And the very idea of power and control are integral to that.

But there are many, many other ways to do this. Why not just let it show by having the hero lose his temper more? That does happen a few times in the book, and I feel like that should have been more than enough to show that Harry is on a slippery slope. The rape fantasies were going too far, and even worse they were downright unnecessary to convey the point.

Making your lead hero struggle with disgusting fantasies is absolutely inexcusable. There is no thematic road that this can lead down that doesn’t end with me giving up the series, whether it’s my favorite book series (and it is) or not. Either Harry gives in to the urges, and I eternally lose respect for him as a character, or he doesn’t. But then he would probably be having the same fantasies until he stops being the Winter Knight.

Only one hint (a very minor hint) exists that suggests he may be able to escape being the Winter Knight (a throwaway line by Odin in the final chapter). My sincerest hope is that Butcher goes straight for undoing this. But my worry is that he is going to linger on the Winter subplot for several books. How many novels worth of rape subtext should a fandom be forced to endure? Even one book was far too much.

Now, it’s hard to say whether this was intentional or not. A lot of people say that sexism is rampant in Butcher’s novels. Personally, I have never seen that. The vast majority of the women in these books are intelligent, powerful, and multi-faceted individuals. So I genuinely doubt that sexism is the intent. I think it’s merely a byproduct of him not thinking clearly.

At the end of the day, I’m not ready to give up this series yet. There were a ton of very, very amazing things in this novel. The opening party sequence was hilarious and entertaining, the introduction of an overarching threat to the narrative was tantalizing, the novels climax was the best naval battle I’ve ever seen in a book, and there were a handful of new plot threads that really do work extraordinarily well.

I just hope the author can reel in this very, very troubling development. I’d hate to have my favorite book series destroyed.

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

"My Top 5 Videogames of 2012" or "Why I didn't manage to write more!"

#5. Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy (3DS)

The very moment I heard the concept for this game, I knew that I had to have it. A rhythm game using the music of Final Fantasy was just too good to be true! And it sure was. While the gameplay is simple, and the various modes lack a general sense of variety, I can honestly say that it felt like this game truly lived up to the hype. The graphics are charming in their cutesy sort of way, the music is amazing (a necessary element for any rhythm game, and one area where Theatrhythm blows away nearly all competition), and the game itself plays with perfect precision. Any Final Fantasy fan really should get a copy of this.

#4. Persona 4: Arena (Playstation 3, X-Box 360)

How often does the Story Mode of a fighting game surprise you? Yeah, that’s what I thought. With a plotline penned by the original creators of the Persona franchise (a series of utterly amazing roleplaying games, if you haven’t heard of them), the actual script in this game is far more engaging than it has any right to be. There are definitely some slow stretches. A lot of the stories suffer from spans as long as an hour between fights. But the effect, once you’ve experienced the entire storyline, is more than worth it. Add in excellent graphics, tight gameplay, and a perfect soundtrack, and this game is a fighting fans dream as well as a crossover marvel.

#3. XCOM: Enemy Unknown (PC, Playstation 3, X-Box 360)

My memories of the original XCOM game are a little fuzzy, I was quite young when it first came out. I remember dying a lot, I remember the fear of the unknown, and I remember shooting UFO’s out of the sky. All of these elements made a welcome return in XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the reboot of the famous strategy series. Whether you’re engaged in tense gunfights with superior alien soldiers, struggling to manage the resources of your base, or deciding which nation to help (at the expense of another country), XCOM is filled with nerve wracking choices that force you to stretch your brain. A must play for strategy fans or gamers looking for something a little different.

#2. The Last Story (Wii)

How many JRPGs have you played where two of the leads found themselves in love? How many times did that romance actually feel natural? And I’m not saying in a “they’re surviving together under intense circumstances” kind of context. I mean how often do you see characters talk, laugh, spend a period as friends, and naturally grow closer? The Last Story does this sort of thing better than any other game I’ve ever played. All of the characters are interesting and multifaceted. The graphics are a little mediocre, and the gameplay takes getting used to, but the writing and story carry it to another level altogether. Easily the best JRPG that I played in 2012, and one of the best games of the year.

#1. Mass Effect 3 (PC, Playstation 3, Wii U, X-Box 360)

As many of you know by now, I thoroughly adore the Mass Effect franchise. I’ve been following it since the beginning, and so I knew I would feel bittersweet about the end. Now, the controversy about the ending aside, Mass Effect 3 was a downright masterful game. From the thrilling opening to the final battle, there are dozens of memorable moments and tearful farewells. The end of Commander Shepard’s journey took nearly a decade, but it was worth the wait. With the Extended Cut they even managed to turn the awkward final moments into an emotional and proper coda for the series. What else is there to say? I just hope more people discover this fantastic trilogy as the years go by, because it really is one of the most cinematic and best-written franchises you can find on a gaming shelf.

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

Mass Effect: Babel - Chapter 2

The adventures of the Normandy move forward in this second chapter of Mass Effect: Babel, wherein they follow the trail of Azrae on the ice planet Shir. Once they get there, they happen upon far more than they bargained for.

Apologies for the short introduction. I am presently on vacation, spending December with my family in Arizona. But there will be more content soon!

Chapter 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?5ipsy2b01bsqb9b
Chapter 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?787p1gnpckj8p6h

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Cover Art by Tonomura Bix - http://tonomurabix.deviantart.com

Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

Warm Stone - Chapter 6

The adventures of Alyssa continue in this chapter! She’s one of my favorite pieces of this story to write, even though we’re still in the early inception stages of her plot branch. There are a lot of exciting turns to be taken with her.

With the links to previous chapters fixed, I hope you all can actually begin reading again. Let me know your thoughts! Writers are creatures of attention. We crave it. So let your opinions, both positive and negative, be known!

Warm Stone
Chapter 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?o137wpyg673zvod
Chapter 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?7lrt03dcgai8gtm
Chapter 3 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?75mwrf7fcx0zamb
Chapter 4 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?874fd9cgds520oo
Chapter 6 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?y4e652ufh22j505

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

"Wii U: First Impressions" or "Wiik #1 Complete!"

The Wii U has officially been out for a week now. As such, I thought today would be a good day for me to give some of my thoughts on this fledgling console.

To give a bit of background - I am one of those people who has been (mostly) disappointed in the creative direction of Nintendo lately. I remember my fervor back when the Nintendo 64 was new and exciting. I was around ten years old. They set up a display at my local Toys R’ Us two months before launch, allowing people to play Mario 64. Back then, that was all Nintendo needed to blow everyone’s mind.

Even before that, I was an avid Super Nintendo fan. That was my first gaming system and I feel a tremendous amount of nostalgia for it. I cannot tell you how many days were spent jumping over Goombas and obsessing over how adorable Yoshi was (his cameo in Mario 64 was enough to make me go through the gauntlet and get every single Star).

But then came the Gamecube. It looked weird, the controller was utterly baffling, and it used a disc format that was literally inferior. This last part felt like a red flag, in particular. Hadn’t Nintendo learned their lesson with the cartridges of the Nintendo 64? Why did they deliver a machine incapable of doing everything that the competition boasted (most importantly, playing DVDs)?

I was one of the few who felt cautiously optimistic upon the announcement of the Wii. What harm could there be in letting Nintendo try and redefine gaming controls? At the time it felt like a cool idea. I saw the dangers of the gimmick and chose to believe that Nintendo knew what they were doing.

The only reason I didn’t get a Wii at launch, despite the stumble of the Gamecube, was because I couldn’t afford it at that point in my life. However when I began reading reviews (and started thinking back as early as the Nintendo 64) I began to notice a disturbing trend…

To put it simply, Nintendo is absolutely terrible at keep their systems relevant. The cartridges of the Nintendo 64, the discs of the Gamecube, and then the general hardware power of the Wii - all these things pointed towards the fact that Nintendo lives only for the “now”.

Don’t get me wrong, such a philosophy can be a lot of fun to apply in the real world. But when you’re buying a computer you want to know that your computer will be capable of running all the programs you want for as long as possible. If you pick up a vacuum at the store you wouldn’t want it to be incapable of cleaning certain kinds of messes, either. Nintendo has a great beat on the pulse of the current and the casual fans. They know what we want, plain and simple. That said, they are terrible at looking towards the future.

Does the Wii U buck this trend?

In short, it doesn’t look like it. No Blu-Ray format, a very small (initial) set of hard drives for memory, and the system specs are only a little (if even that much) ahead of current consoles. When the next wave of Playstation and Xbox are released, the Wii U is very likely to become obsolete.

Now do I regret my decision to buy a Wii U?

Absolutely not.

For starters, I didn’t own a Wii. Which meant I missed out on a number of exclusive gems such as Mario Galaxy, The Last Story, and all those ever-so-sexy Zelda games (just to name a few). I have told people that if you didn’t buy a Wii then the Wii U is absolutely worth the price of admission. I stand by this statement resolutely.

I’ve spent the majority of my time on the Wii U playing The Last Story (a charming and wonderful game, which will likely receive a dedicated post all for itself in the future), but I did take a moment or two in order to glance over my Wii U games (Scribblenauts Unlimited and Nintendo Land) and see what the system is capable of.

Scribblenauts Unlimited really brought home the idea that the Wii U is basically a giant Nintendo DS. The use of a second screen and a stylus makes the gameplay seamlessly identical to the previous games in the series. I am a big fan of the Scribblenauts franchise and I didn’t miss a step launching into Scribblenauts Unlimited.

I find the idea of a giant DS novel. However, it is hardly the breakout revolution that the original Wii made for controller design (whether you agree with this or not, it is a fact that Microsoft and Sony rushed to imitate what the Wii did for controls, with the Kinect and Move platforms).

Nintendo Land is where I found the things which make the Wii U special. This makes sense, as that was the entire design purpose behind the game.

Nintendo Land is little more than a minigame collection with a theme park wallpaper coated over it. The game allows you to explore and customize a theme park as you play games to earn coins. It’s through the various games that I learned what the Wii U could really do.

Whether I was rotating the gamepad manually to steer a car, pointing it at the screen to “aim” arrows, or navigating my way through invisible obstacles using the touch screen, I was thoroughly having fun the entire time. In particular I love the idea of the gamepad screen and the television screen displaying different images of the same scene - this could be used to heighten the cinematic feel of some games to great effect, if ever taken advantage of.

My one major complaint is that when using the gyroscope in the gamepad to control the camera, I frequently found myself disoriented. This never improved and I sincerely hope that Nintendo abandons the idea altogether before releasing an attempt at a AAA title with this control mechanic.

Overall, I am happy to have a Wii U. Playing classic Wii games has been worth it, but I’m also excited to see what Nintendo has in store for the future. The gamepad could create some wholly unique gaming experiences - something I’m plenty excited to explore. Will the Wii U keep me from buying the next Playstation or Xbox? Probably not. But I still think it’s a worthy investment.

"The Potential of Star Wars Episode VII: Part 3" or "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..."

My first two posts were very much concerned with the “now” of the big news, analyzing and defending why I found myself optimistic for Star Wars Episode VII. But to close out my reaction to all this, I wanted to look back on the past and see what Star Wars really means to me.

Then things took a turn. Actual concrete news began to pour out about Episode VII, much faster than I had anticipated. Suddenly a screenwriter was confirmed for the project. This added another wrinkle to my thoughts.

So let’s begin with the official announcement that Michael Arndt is confirmed as the writer of Star Wars Episode VII.

I consider this to be a move firmly in the right direction. Little Miss Sunshine had a few flaws. In particular, it was largely very obvious, written in broader strokes than a lot of other dramas.  But it was a movie with heart. A movie with several layers of subtlety, too. And those were the two most glaring omissions from Episodes I-III.

Then there’s the fact that Arndt also wrote Toy Story 3. Anyone who has seen Toy Story 3 knows that it is a work of genius, and possibly the best film in that particular franchise. Again, it was a film with a lot of heart.

Honestly, I think Michael Arndt has a great Star Wars script in him. The only possible hiccup may come from his inexperience at writing tent pole action films. But we will get to see his hand at that soon, too - Arndt is writing The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. With that due to be released in November 2013, we will have a taste of what a giant action film written by him looks like, and an even clearer idea of what we might be able to expect from Star Wars Episode VII.

This ties directly into why I remain so optimistic for the new trilogy.

One of my favorite scenes in A New Hope is quite early in the film. After finding out that he won’t be allowed to enlist in the pilot academy, a young Luke Skywalker stares out at the horizon of Tattooine from his small farm home. The twin suns are setting, the sky is orange and shades of nighttime blue, and the music swells into a beautiful crescendo. The moment has heart. The moment has genuine emotion to it. And I cannot think of a single moment in the prequel trilogy that matches this simple scene.

My hope is that Arndt will bring a strong emotional center back to the franchise. It seems to be the uniting component in all of his previous work, so I don’t consider myself overly-optimistic for thinking he has that potential.

Let’s also not forget the news that Episode VIII and IX now have writers as well, in the form of Simon Kinberg (who wrote Sherlock Holmes and the upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past) and Lawrence Kasdan (responsible for a little flick, maybe you heard of it, The Empire Strikes Back). It is presently unclear if they will be co-writing both films, or if each of them is writing a different script, but both of these strike me as hires with immense possibility. Especially Kasdan, who many people credit with the best film in the franchise.

With screenwriters now in place for all three films, it seems as though Disney really is intent on giving us a new Star Wars film every two years. Love it or hate it, this is the reality we live in. I’m personally loving it. I like their choice in writing team already. Now all we need is director news.

My personal hope? I want different directors for all three films. If I got my pick then I would go with Joe Jonhston, Guillermo del Toro, and Joss Whedon. Probably in that exact order, too. Johnston could bring a fun factor to it while also keeping the first film relatively safe, del Toro would make for a hell of a cool (and darker) middle chapter, and then I can easily see Whedon bringing us a crowd-pleaser of a finale (I’d also expect him to successfully inject a few painful twists along the way, though). But this is just my dream team of directors for the project.

I feel I’ve quite thoroughly explained why I feel a new hope (sorry, I had to) for these impending films. Let me ask one question though, to the naysayer’s and pessimists who believe this is a terrible idea - why do you feel that way? What is gained from expecting the worst, at this point?

I’d encourage you to think back to before the prequel trilogy. In those days leading up to the release of Star Wars Episode I, how did you feel? I, for one, felt as though my inner child was back for more. My mind was abuzz with the infinite possibility presented by new Star Wars films. Epic adventures filled with dashing heroes and sweeping majesty played in my mind every night before I went to sleep. Sure, we didn’t get the perfect new Star Wars films we all hoped for, but does that devalue the excitement and anticipation which came before them?

My final argument is simply this… there is so much more to be gained from optimism now. Because even if the films turn out to be disappointments, we could all share in the hope and joy which comes from gathering together in friendship and celebrating what may come next. There is something genuinely important in those late night debates among friends, in chatting on message boards with strangers about ideal casting choices, and there even exists merit in jumping on any new rumors about casting or directors.

Because more than anything, the true heart of Star Wars lives within the passion of the fans. The only day that Star Wars is truly a lost cause is when we surrender our enthusiasm for apathy.

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

Warm Stone - Chapter 5

This chapter was a long time coming, and I’m sorry about that. I’ll save you all the details of my personal life and just leave it at this - apartment hunting consumes a lot of time and energy. But I’ve found an apartment, don’t have to deal with moving until the end of December, and am going on vacation soon! This means my mind will be freed up from all those everyday worries, which will result in a lot of writing.

Here’s the fifth chapter of Warm Stone, wherein an even more random set of characters are introduced. I’d like to state, for the record, that I absolutely know what the endgame of this novel looks like. So while it may all seem chaotic now, I promise the strands will come together in a manner that is (hopefully) very cohesive when all is said and done!

Warm Stone Chapter 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?o137wpyg673zvod
Warm Stone Chapter 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?7lrt03dcgai8gtm
Warm Stone Chapter 3 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?7lrt03dcgai8gtm
Warm Stone Chapter 4 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?874fd9cgds520oo

Warm Stone Chapter 5 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?8hfeakawvq3wdmq

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

Warm Stone - Chapter 4

Admittedly, progress has been a little slower on Warm Stone than I expected. I'm going on a trip, visiting home, in a little over a week. On top of that I am apartment hunting, and trying to make time for people. Basically my writing has taken a significant hit.

That said, I am still fully committed to getting 50,000 words down by the end of November. That's 13 days! So if I manage to achieve my goal, there should be more Warm Stone soon, and at a very rapid pace.

Warm Stone Chapter 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?o137wpyg673zvod
Warm Stone Chapter 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?7lrt03dcgai8gtm
Warm Stone Chapter 3 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?7lrt03dcgai8gtm
Warm Stone Chapter 4 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?874fd9cgds520oo

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

Mass Effect: Babel - Chapter 1

 And now it’s time to start Mass Effect: Babel, another piece of fan fiction!

Ever since the release of the first game, I have been thoroughly obsessed with the Mass Effect franchise. I’ve read every book, every comic, uncovered every secret and corner of the games, and even made it a point to absorb any and all behind-the-scenes information I can find. Simply put, it’s one of my great and passionate fandoms. It was only with the greatest of care that I’ve crafted this story set in a universe that I so thoroughly love.

If you are new to this universe, and do not mind the spoilers, then it is very important to know this - I have included all the information a newcomer would need to hop right into this universe. While there will be a fair amount of information to take in, you need no prior knowledge of previous Mass Effect games to grasp the majority of this story.

If you want to avoid spoilers for the Mass Effect series, then this is probably where you should stop reading.

It’s set during Mass Effect 2, after the Suicide Mission and Lair of the Shadow Broker, but before Arrival. I’ll be using my own Shepard’s choices (as many do) for the story, although I’ll be using Male Shepard’s “canon” name and appearance. Any decisions relevant to the plot will be explained in some form or another within the context of the text itself, I promise! If it weren’t obvious, here is the final disclaimer – there are large spoilers for Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 peppered throughout the entire fanfic. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy the story!

Mass Effect: Babel Chapter 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?5ipsy2b01bsqb9b

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Cover Art by Tonomura Bix - http://tonomurabix.deviantart.com

Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

Mass Effect Giveaway

To celebrate the impending launch of Mass Effect: Babel, it’s time for another contest! Starting today (November 15th) and going until the end of the month (the deadline will be December 1st), see how many of your friends you can get to subscribe to my official Facebook page (a link to which can be found at the bottom of the page)!

Do you know people who love fan fiction? Then sell them on Spiderman: Revenge and Mass Effect: Babel!

Or maybe your friends are the types who like to read dramatic books? Well, tell them about Warm Stone, my half-finished novel following the parallel lives of a ranch hand and the characters he creates through writing.

There will also be original science fiction coming sometime in 2013, along with blogs that are (hopefully) fun to read. Basically, there are tons of reasons to get someone involved! Lots of ways to sell!

And what prizes are involved this time?

The Mass Effect Trilogy box set, for the system of your choosing (Playstation 3, X-Box 360, or PC). One of the greatest sci-fi epics in gaming, and you’ll get the whole thing for free!

 Also, a Mass Effect poster created by Henry William design (link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/WilliamHenryDesign).

These will be yours, and all you need to do is get your friends to subscribe. Just like the Avengers contest, the person who brings the most new subscribers to the page will win. Be sure to have them tell me that you sent them, otherwise you won’t be able to get proper credit.

But there’s more! If we get over 100 page likes by the end of the contest, then a runner-up will also win a copy of the box set! If we get over 120 page likes, the person in third place will receive a copy of the poster from Henry William design.

Thank you all for your support! Let’s see if we can’t get the page beyond 100 subscribers before the end of the year!

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

Spiderman: Revenge - Chapter 3

Things grow a little more complex as chapter 3 of Spiderman: Revenge rolls up. This chapter marks the end of character introductions (with one very notable exception), and is definitely a chapter of transition. The said, there is some big action on the horizon, and so I hope you're still with me as the intensity begins to ratchet up!

Chapter 4 will be arriving the first week of December. In the meantime, there will be Warm Stone and the upcoming Mass Effect: Babel to keep you entertained. And next week I will be announcing a new contest, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Spiderman: Revenge Chapter 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?0i7za6cldbsfo8l
Spiderman: Revenge Chapter 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?kulywurduq0sh5f
Spiderman: Revenge Chapter 3 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?kulywurduq0sh5f

Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

Warm Stone - Chapter 3

Here is the first of two story uploads for the day (the second will be Spiderman: Revenge chapter 3, sometime later on tonight).

As this chapter will make clear, I am definitely juggling a lot of balls in Warm Stone. Just go into it knowing that I have a very definitive ending in mind, which means it’s all leading somewhere. This includes the oddness that was chapter 2.

Chapter 3 brings us back to a more traditional storytelling structure. From here, you can also see a fair amount of what to expect from the novel. It is, in fact, told from a number of narrative perspectives. How they are all relevant to one another will become a bit more clear on each rotation of characters, although the complete picture won’t be formed until the very last few chapters. Still, hopefully you’re willing to go along for the ride, because it will only be getting stranger from here.

I’ll see you later on, with more Spiderman: Revenge!

Warm Stone Chapter 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?o137wpyg673zvod
Warm Stone Chapter 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?7lrt03dcgai8gtm
Warm Stone Chapter 3 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?7lrt03dcgai8gtm

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

Warm Stone - Chapter 2

Apologies for the slightly late upload. I promise it shall not happen again anytime soon!

Here is chapter 2 of Warm Stone, my NaNoWriMo novel. It’s a little on the short side, but with it comes the first traces of what makes this novel simultaneously unique and very strange. Chapter 3 shows how it all gets even weirder, as well.

Speaking of which, Chapter 3 will be going up on Friday! To find out exactly when, follow my official author page (linked below)!

Thank you for the continued support, and happy NaNoWriMo!

Warm Stone Chapter 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?o137wpyg673zvod
Warm Stone Chapter 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?7lrt03dcgai8gtm

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

Warm Stone - Chapter 1

Here it is, Warm Stone’s first chapter!

I will be uploading several chapters each week, depending on my progress on the novel. This is very rough shape. I’ve only taken a cursory glance towards editing it, and it has not been to visit my actual editor. That said, I’m quite proud of the work I’ve done on this book so far. While my original goal (to avoid this piece being anything except a drama) has gone up in smoke, I can still honestly say that I’ve never written anything like this before.

Chapter 2 will be going up sometime on Wednesday, and Chapter 3 will be hopping onto the internet Friday. The odds are you won’t see the full shape the novel shall take for a while. The story hops around a lot, and the first few chapters barely scratch the surface of what I’m doing. Still, the writing feels solid, and I have a firm grasp of the characters.

Be sure to let me know your thoughts! You can reach me via my official author blog, linked below.

Warm Stone Chapter 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?o137wpyg673zvod

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

"The Potential of Star Wars Episode VII: Part 2" or "Directors! Directors! Directors!"

Yesterday I posted a few of my initial thoughts on the announcement of Star Wars Episode VII, as well as some of my reasoning for being cautiously optimistic. In particular I made note that, if the right talent can be gathered, we might get something special.

What do I mean by “the right talent”, though?

Obviously the choice of writer and director will be utterly essential. Below are some of my top picks for directors, and the probability of them even being in the running. Most of these are dark horses, but I think they’re the kind of visionaries that Star Wars needs to move forward beyond the shadow of Lucas.

Joss Whedon
Most Popular Films: The Avengers
Most Relevant Films: The Avengers, Serenity
Odds of Involvement: 0% (too busy making Avengers 2, Episode VII), 50% (for Episode VIII and/or IX)

Danny Boyle
Most Popular Films: Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire
Most Relevant Films: Sunshine
Odds of Involvement: Maybe 5%

Guillermo del Toro
Most Popular Films: Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth
Most Relevant Films: Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Pacific Rim (probably)
Odds of Involvement: 15%

Gore Verbinski
Most Popular Films: Pirates of the Caribbean, Rango
Most Relevant Films: Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy
Odds of Involvement: 35%

Ryuhei Kitamura
Most Popular Films: Godzilla Final Wars, Versus
Most Relevant Films: Godzilla Final Wars, Midnight Meat Train
Odds of Involvement: 1% (if even that much)

Alex Proyas
Most Popular Films: The Crow, Dark City
Most Relevant Films: Dark City, I Robot
Odds of Involvement: 10%

Steven Spielberg
Most Popular Films: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park
Most Relevant Films: Indiana Jones franchise, Minority Report
Odds of Involvement: 30%

Peter Jackson
Most Popular Films: Lord of the Rings trilogy
Most Relevant Films: Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit trilogy
Odds of Involvement: 0% (Episode VII), 20% (Episode VIII and IX)

Let’s not forget that different directors all tackled Episodes IV, V, and VI. Lucas only technically directed IV. Sure, his fingerprints are everywhere, but this means that any combination of people might be involved in the upcoming trilogy. Will we see a single director helm all three, as was the case with Episodes I-III? Or will this series follow the footsteps of other franchises like Harry Potter. Could we see slight variations in the artistic stamps of each film? Might we wind up with work that we can spend hours debating over, deciding the merits and faults of each film in the trilogy?

Imagine what might happen if a completely unexpected director, Oscar winners probably still grew up with wide eyes as they watched A New Hope, took the helm. I imagine that Disney will want a younger voice though, someone with fresh ideas. Even so, how amazing would it be if Martin Scorsese or James Cameron decided to go outside of their on wheelhouse to work on these films?

I would say the choice of director is the single most crucial piece to the puzzle. It will instantly announce Disney’s intentions to us, just like when Joss Whedon was hired to direct the Avengers. If they can pick someone that inspires a similar wave of fan enthusiasm for Star Wars, then it will show us that they intend to give us another iconic trilogy.

Well that’s all for today. But expect the final part of my Star Wars Episode VII reactions soon! In the meantime, why don’t you go to my Facebook page and click “Like”? You’ll get lots of information and updates on my current projects!

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

“Ghosts of Sorrow: Excerpt” or “Happy Halloween!”

To celebrate Halloween, here is an excerpt from “Ghosts of Sorrow”. This is a book I wrote quite a while ago, and I still consider it one of my finest stories. I hope to one day have the free time to go back and edit the whole thing. For now, enjoy this little tease. I hope you get to read the rest someday!

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    The storage unit was very cluttered. There were stacks of boxes in disorganized piles. Furniture covered in either sheets or dust was strewn about. She could see a number of old, and likely broken, appliances. The arrangement felt like a claustrophobic maze.

    Miki navigated slowly, and the whispers began once more. This time they were jumbled and busy. Saying more than they could manage, speaking all at once, none of the voices distinguishable from the others. It was impossible to find the exact words being said, and so it all drowned into an odd white noise.

    Something caught Miki’s eye, a particular suitcase. It was a very large green suitcase covered in stickers. When she moved over to it for a closer look, they were all bumper stickers representing various countries. Dozens of languages and designs from everywhere a person could imagine were laid out colorfully. Miki reached forward and unclasped the case. She felt a moment of intense unease. A part of her, a dark survival instinct in the back of her head, screamed for her not to look. The whispers all urged her onwards. She slowly pulled the suitcase open.

    Inside were four prisms made of crystal, one in each corner. At the center was a single bundle of white cloth wrapped around something. Miki hesitated as her hand hovered above the bundle of fabric.

    But the voices kept lingering along her ear and she had to continue. She began to slowly unravel the fabric. It was woven both intricately and tightly, making this a much longer process than one might have expected. Every new layer brought a faint and unique odor into the air. Ages of particles found themselves freed after an untold amount of time. The musty scent brought a roil to her stomach. The bundle grew smaller and smaller, with the pile of fabric gathering at her feet becoming larger in comparison, until finally she reached what was hidden inside.

    Miki had no idea what it was at first. The object was small, maybe the size of a tumb. It looked like a piece of dried fruit. She held it in her hand and stared at it, puzzled. Clarity came when she turned it around in her palm, and instantly the shape took on an entirely different significance. Eyes and a mouth on one end. This was a very old, very small, fetus. One which had been left in here for a long time…

To Be Continued

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

"The Potential of Star Wars Episode VII: Part 1" or "Why I'm an eternal optimist"

The news was announced yesterday that Disney had purchased Lucasfilm (and by extension, Star Wars and Indiana Jones). On top of that they confirmed a Summer 2015 release date for Star Wars Episode VII, with Episodes VIII and IX to each debut two years later in 2017 and 2019, respectively.

To put it mildly, the internet went into quite an uproar. How could it not? This is the kind of news which sends fans into a frenzy. Whether that frenzy was positive or negative remains unclear. I’ve heard a lot of opinions. I decided to throw in my two cents today for a very specific reason - I wanted to give everyone some time to mellow out.

Let me start off with a disclaimer: I am one of the few people who genuinely enjoyed the prequel films.

… still reading?

Okay then.

Were the prequels perfect? Lord no. We had Jar Jar Binks, fart jokes, midichlorians, the wooden acting of Hayden Christiansen, terrible writing (the “love story” of Episode II is almost as bad as Twilight), and a reliance on visual spectacle over core character development.

However, there are many things to praise in the prequels, as well. Liam Neeson’s presence in Episode I, Darth Maul (and by extension, the invention of the double bladed lightsaber), Yoda becoming an even bigger badass, Mace Windu, Ewan McGregor growing so well into the role of Obi-Wan, and Anakin’s fall from grace (which brought a genuine sense of darkness to Episode III).

When all is said and done, I do not consider the prequels masterpieces in any sense, but I also do not view them as irredeemable.

That being said, I am filled with very reluctant optimism for Episode VII. What gives me that optimism? A few things really.

First of all, it sounds like George Lucas will not be directing the film. This gives room for a director with a passion for the material, as well as a stronger sense of character and tone, to try their hand. Maybe we’ll even see a different director for each respective sequel.

According to the press release there is an “extensive treatment” for Episode VII, VIII, and IX. For those who are unfamiliar with filmmaking jargon, a treatment is a detailed summary of a script. This means the storyline is generally worked out, allowing for a (hopefully) cohesive trilogy to be created from the content. After the disjointed feel of the prequel trilogy, this is a very promising possibility.

With a solid director chosen, and a competent screenwriter finishing the treatment, we could be looking at something special here. Only time will tell if that’s what we get, but I imagine we shall all be following every scrap of information with unwavering scrutiny.

A few people have, unwisely, lamented the fact that Disney will be making this sequel trilogy. These people seem to have forgotten the fact that Disney’s recent live-action films have been largely wonderful. And the ones of lower quality have been, at worst, entertaining.

Consider the fact that The Avengers was hailed, by many, as the kind of film that the older Star Wars movies used to be. A lot of reviews compared it favorably to the original trilogy, saying that it held a sense of adventure and a spark of awe that is so vitally lacking in most modern entertainment. The Avengers was made by Disney (partnering with Marvel).

Also look to the first Pirates of the Caribbean film, a collaboration with Jerry Bruckheimer, which proved to be an absolutely elative piece of film. Maybe not high art, but certainly high fun. Even the sequels, while inconsistent, had their moments.

John Carter and Enchanted were both quite a bit enjoyable as well. And the upcoming Lone Ranger looks promising.

Pixar has thrived under Disney, producing their best film yet (in my opinion at least, this would be Brave). Marvel is working better than ever, with Phase 2 of their cinematic universe set to utterly stun us.

So why wouldn’t this partnership work well for Star Wars? If they can assemble the right talent to the project, then we may just get the most amazing thing of all - the modern Star Wars trilogy that we’ve always dreamed of. To me, that is worth taking a chance on.

There is still quite a bit more to say on the matter. I do not wish to ramble on too long, and not all at once. As such, look forward to further speculation from me in the coming days! Tomorrow I will be naming a few of my top picks for directors who could potentially shape the future of Star Wars in new and exciting ways.

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Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

NaNoWriMo - Warm Stone

As promised on my official Facebook Author Page (which can be found here: http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer), today I am announcing the first details on my NaNoWriMo project!

But first, a little background, for those of you who are not familiar with NaNoWriMo.

National Novel Writing Month began in the Bay Area way back in 1999. Initially it was a very small movement, but has gained more and more momentum every year. Last year there were over 250,000 people that participated. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel over the course of the month of November. Quality is not the aim, just to create a finished product. It’s meant to be a communal effort wherein writers support one another to achieve their goals.

I’ve participated in NaNoWriMo twice. The first time, in 2009, I finished the novel. Then I tried again in 2011, and didn’t quite make it. This year I’m prepared to try again!

This year the novel I am writing a novel titled “Warm Stone”.

Warm Stone follows Jeremy, a young man who lives on a horse ranch in the harsh desert, and who is expected to take over someday. Jeremy has always felt out of place, despite a natural talent for working with the animals, and is unsure if he wants to follow in the family business.

One day, Jeremy begins to write a story. He gets increasingly lost in the story, the line between fiction and reality blurring - and it leads to a tipping point in his life, a fork in the road from which there will be no return.

This will be a very different kind of novel for me. Most of the people who read my work know that I’ve usually veered pretty thoroughly into the fantasy/sci-fi/horror genres (and some fanfiction). Well this one shall be primarily a drama, with some twists and turns to it. I hope you all like it! My plan is to post each chapter as it is finished, and for you all to hold me accountable to my NaNoWriMo goals.

Spiderman: Revenge - Chapter 2

The second chapter of Spiderman: Revenge has arrived! As Peter Parker has an unexpected visitor, we also catch up with Captain George Stacey. The mystery begins to deepen a little as the unknown villain starts circling his prey.

As always, if you enjoy it, feel free to leave a comment! And don't forget to go "Like" my official author page on Facebook if you want further updates on when to expect more of this (not to mention fun contests, giveaways, and general tomfoolery).

Spiderman: Revenge Chapter 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?0i7za6cldbsfo8l

Spiderman: Revenge Chapter 2 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?kulywurduq0sh5f

Official Author Page - http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer

Nerd Girl

Nerd Girl

You roll your D20 like a rock star,
and wear your hood up like a Jedi.

Go ahead and glare at Captain Hammer,
he’s not the hero you need right now, anyway.

You could teach a class about the Master Sword
while jumping from castle to cloud like Mario.

Crack a whip like Indy,
because only a hero survives a nuke in a fridge.

Your starship brings all the boys to the yard.
so set your phaser to “stun”.

Quoting River Tam gives you no trouble,
so recite that crazy like it’s Shakespeare.

You leer at the Twi-hards
before totally Gleeking out.

Push those blocks,
solve those puzzles,
fight those goblins,
you totally got this.

You never got rid of your SNES,
because games were way better back then.

No dungeon can hold you.
No dragon can tame you.

You hope that there will never be a final fantasy.
you never want the dream to end.

Penguins make you go “Squee!”
Since they can never take off their tuxedos.

Oh, beautiful and lovely nerd girl,
what rare loot you are.

"Why I Love Fandoms: Part 1" or "The night my life turned into a musical"

Welcome to the first part of a series of blogs that, as the title might suggest, will be examining the myriad reasons that I absolutely love fandoms (and perhaps more importantly, fans themselves).

I have heard so many true stories about the kind and inclusive nature of the nerd community - tales told that suggest we really are all friends, despite the number of expletives blurted out on Star Wars vs. Star Trek forums (Star Wars FTW, by the way).

To me, though, all of these stories really were nothing more than stories. It’s not that I didn’t believe in the basic goodness of my fellow human beings, I just considered the concept to be a distant and abstract one. It never occurred to me that I would be witness to an inspiring act of spontaneous kindness, much less find myself in the large group of people who participate in it. Which is exactly what happened on my first day of Emerald City Comic-Con in 2012.

It happened at a karaoke party. There was a large stage on which everyone performed, and some of these people were nothing short of fantastic. In particular, there was a man cosplaying the Green Goblin who brought the house down like a rock star. I’m serious, he was nothing short of incredible.

Some of my friends went up on stage, announced their engagement to the world, and sang some pretty excellent songs! One of them even convinced a lot of people in attendance that she was British, with an excellent fake accent while she sang.

However, at the halfway point of the evening, a girl went up on stage. Through a mix-up, the wrong song was programmed in for her. The song playing was… mildly sexually suggestive. She was obviously shy at first, and then when she saw the lyrics she became embarrassed. The girl ran off the stage and out of the room, on the verge of tears. Everyone was surprised. A lot of people commented with things like “I hope she’s okay”. I felt particularly bad, even contemplating trying to find the total stranger in the hopes of helping, not that there was anything I could do.

The evening went on, eventually we were all able to move past the incident, and we went back to having fun. A guy dressed as Duke Nukem did “I’m Sexy and I Know It”, a true highlight of the evening, and Captain America performed “Baby Got Back” (with a ton of the women at the party proceeding to dance suggestively in front of the stage). Basically, it was one hell of a party.

Towards the end of the evening, the embarrassed girl returned to the stage. She was still shy, but she came back, which I felt to be an amazingly brave gesture.

When the girl took to the stage, the entire crowd went absolutely crazy. I mean that in the most wonderful sense I ever could. There was applause, cheering, whistling, and so on - easily the most enthusiastic welcome that the (admittedly exhausted and smaller) crowd could put forth. This shy girl smiled, and suddenly found her voice. She began to sing, and for the entire song we all encouraged her.

Then, almost all of us ran on stage with her, singing along and dancing. Even my two friends, who had said earlier in the night that they would *never* be on that stage, went up. The girl wound up so happy, so encouraged, and it was clear that she felt a love and acceptance that many people spend years looking for.

I can honestly say that I was proud to be able to give someone else such a moment in the spotlight. I was proud to go up on stage with everyone and make a stranger feel like family.

I was, quite sincerely, proud to be a member of the community.

That sense of pride, and that sense of unanimous friendship and love among strangers, is why this is a memory I will happily carry with me. And it’s a memory I proudly wish to share with anyone who can read these words.

Spiderman: Revenge - Chapter 1

 This is the first  piece of fan fiction that the site will be showing you, Spider-Man: Revenge.

As the title implies, it’s about Spider-Man, and revenge!

This is a story I’ve wanted to tell for quite a while. It re-imagines the world of Spider-Man in a new way, with a continuity that’s separate from any of the comics or movies. This is it’s own universe, and it’s important to know that going in, otherwise some of the differences may be a little jarring. An example? Gwen Stacey is very much alive in this continuity. Don’t worry, any and all relevant information will be included sooner or later. Some of it is meant to be mysterious at first.

So what is Spider-Man: Revenge about?

Peter Parker is in his mid-twenties, and his career as Spider-Man is already in full swing. When someone begins targeting Oscorp, with deadly results, it’s up to Peter to find out why. What he uncovers leads to a conspiracy that not only affects Oscorp itself, but also leads back to one of Spider-Man’s greatest failures as a hero, an incident from Peter’s past that he still regrets.

Without any further delay, here is the first chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

Just follow the link! And don't forget to leave comments and thoughts. Also, seeing as this is my first time uploading a story, let me know if any of the links or downloads are broken. Thank you!

Spiderman: Revenge Chapter 1 - http://www.mediafire.com/view/?0i7za6cldbsfo8l

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Cover Art by Sean Anders
http://www.skyscraper48.com/

Avengers Giveaway!

“I love fantasy. I love horror. I love musicals. Whatever doesn't really happen in life is what I'm interested in. As a way of commenting on everything that does happen in life, because ultimately the only thing I'm really interested in is people.”

Joss Whedon is one of my favorite creative minds of our current generation. He’s the man behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and the driving force that made The Avengers into the phenomenon it has become. That’s not even mentioning his fantastic thriller, Cabin in the Woods, or his mind-bending idea for Dollhouse. Simply put, Joss Whedon is a talent the likes of which I aim to become someday.

For my first ever contest, I wanted to pay homage to this marvelous man, and so I am announcing the Avengers Giveaway!

What are the prizes?

* The Avengers Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack

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* A Loki pendant/necklace created by the amazing Megan (be sure to check out her Etsy shop at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/oxyx2001)



















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* An Avengers poster created by William Henry Design (here’s the link to his Etsy shop as well! http://www.etsy.com/shop/WilliamHenryDesign)



















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How do you enter? It’s really quite simple. Go to your friends list on Facebook, and get as many of them to subscribe to my page as you can.

For those of you reading this off of Blogspot, here is a link to my page so you can enter!

http://www.facebook.com/julliangmortimer 

The person who gets me the most new subscribers before the deadline is over will win. The contest officially starts today, Wednesday October 3rd, and will end on midnight of October 14th!

Just send me a message listing the names of your friends who have signed up, so I can know which ones you’re responsible for. Or alternatively, get them to message me (via the official page) saying who referred them. This part is obviously vital, because otherwise I won’t know who gets credit!

Now to close, some more inspirational words from this visionary hero:

“I also don't trust Caribou anymore. They're out there, on the tundra, waiting... Something's going down. I'm right about this.”

"Regeneration!" or "How I returned to blog about all things nerdy."

Well, this is rather embarrassing, now isn’t it? I’ve left this blog to collect dust, when I very well should have been updating regularly.

So where have I been? All kinds of places! I’ve explored my first several comic book conventions (experiences which in themselves warrant a separate post), gone on a number of vacations, found and lost love, discovered the majestic fandom surrounding Doctor Who, and of course I’ve also done a fair bit of writing.

The good news is that I’m back, and not going anywhere anytime soon! In fact, there are a lot of exciting things on the horizon that I am eager to share with anyone who is interested in reading.

What can you expect on here? Here’s a handy list!

1. Updates on my writing projects, both original and fan fiction.
2. Announcements regarding my soon-to-be published first novel, look forward to this soon!
3. Rants about fandoms.
4. Reviews of movies, videogames, books, comics, or anything else that piques my interest.
5. Links to other like-minded nerds, talented artists, and other fun things!
6. The occasional random cute picture.
7. Likely many more things that aren’t dancing to the top of my mind now.

I hope you’re as excited as I am. Keep your eyes peeled, several updates will be coming very soon! In fact, I’ll be attempting to make at least one or two posts every week, hopefully even more.

As such, stay tuned! More is on the way! And thank you for reading. Don’t forget to refer your friends!