Classic SF with Andy Johnson

David "Moose" Adamson's musical project Jookabox lasted from just 2007 to 2011, but made some truly odd and otherworldly albums which make for perfect lockdown listening. Inspired by the urban decay of the East Side of Indianapolis, the songs summon up zombies and ghosts but always have a humourous side and a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel.

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XCOM: Chimera Squad was announced and swiftly released in April 2020. Set five years after XCOM 2, it is set in City 31 - where humans, aliens and hybrids are attempting to live in peace. This brief review looks at the game's interesting remixing of familiar gameplay elements from the successful XCOM series.

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One of the more divisive entries in the series, Sonic 3D Blast is an unusual isometric adventure for everyone's favourite blue hedghog. This short retrospective makes the case that 3D Blast might be one of the more undervalued Sonic games.

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Published in 1960, Harry Harrison's novel Deathworld launched a trilogy and has been an influence on numerous later works including Avatar. This action-packed but thoughtful novel is set on a planet where every living thing is seemingly dedicated to killing the human colonists.

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A brief look at the novel Earthlight (1955) by Arthur C. Clarke. The story is set on the Earth's moon, in the relatively near future. Humans have colonised much of the Solar System, but the moon becomes a stage for espionage, paranoia and potentially the first war for two centuries.

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A look at the book Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days (2003) by British sci-fi author Alastair Reynolds. The first novella "Diamond Dogs", concerns the exploration of a deadly tower on an uncharted alien world; the second novella "Turquoise Days" is set on an ocean world inhabited by the mysterious, alien "pattern jugglers".

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A capsule review of Aquatica, the undersea-themed boardgame launched by Russian company Cosmodrome Games at SPIEL 2019. 

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Developed by Gray Matter and released in 2001, Return to Castle Wolfenstein was a triumphant return for the series that helped popularise the first-person shooter. This retrospective takes a look at the distinctive combination of retro elements what was then cutting-edge FPS design that makes RTCW an enduring classic.

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