Geek Syndicate

Reunited at last, the Scrolls gang bite off more than they can chew with the titanic topic of World Building in the genres we love so much. As the rubber-ball of conversation bounces around we try to get a grip on what makes for a convincing Secondary world - how atmosphere, character, otherworldly physics and location can be combined to produce a satisfying and all-encompassing experience for the reader. Through all of this we touch upon themes of authorial imagination and self-indulgence, world vs story building and what a reader's sense of ownership means.Along the way we also get distracted by trouser disfunctions, podcast power-struggles, what a petard actually is, and trying to figure out just how Frodo could navigate Middle Earth without the handy maps in the front of the book.Links You May Like -For an in-depth look at the worlds of HP Lovecraft and JRR Tolkien could could do no better than to check out the following links:Chad Fifer & Chris Lackey do an incredible job of exploring the literary and wider world of Lovecraft's mythos at http://hppodcraft.com/ and you can download their brilliant and entertaining podcast here.Likewise, Corey Olsen's fascinating explorations of Middle Earth and beyond can be found at tolkienprofessor.com and you can download his excellent podcast hereWe'd value your feedback about the podcast on e-mail [email protected] or twitter @scrollscast. You can also send personal abuse, praise and comments at @Dion_Scrolls and @Phlambleror in a more public forum at the Geek Syndicate Facebook page. Join the various discussions whilst you're there.Finally, if you like boobs and you like blood go to http://www.boobsinblood.moonfruit.com/ to get details on the movie of your dreams. You can also click here to go to the Crowdfunder page if you think you can help fund the fab film. (Every tenner helps.) There's a Facebook page as well and if that weren't enough you can keep up to date with @kittymoran on twitter too.Keep reading.

Joined by Clover from our sibling cast "Scrolls", the dithering duo turn their gaze on the gender, sex and relationships in that double-headed genre hydra that is Fantasy and Fairy Tales. Along the dark paths far from those we know, we encounter:

• Disney Princesses
• Kehaars's younger, death-metal listening self
• Are Soap Operas todays fairy tales?
• Strong Characters vs Strong Characterisation
• Game of Thrones, The Silmarrilion and Tolkien's Ladies, and women in Fantasy Cover Art
• Same-sex relationships in fantasy and history.
• Jarvis Cocker's attitude to pornography
• And because it's been a while....Roman attitudes to sex.

Wikipedia's article on the Monomyth is far more erudite than Matt and can be found here; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MonomythMore of Clover can be heard on Scrolls, here http://geeksyndicate.wordpress.com/category/gs-podcast-network/scrolls/

• [email protected] or
• twitter Matt @theGrampus or Kehaar @Clarkythecruel
• or use the new discussion boards at the Geeksyndicate facebook page http://www.facebook.com/#!/geeksyndicate

Just in time for the Easter hols we bring you, at last, *drum roll* Good Morning Geekdom episode 10!

Join Iz and Barry for another blast of positive geekdom hitting your eardrums!

The Dark Enforcer’s plan is revealed as the lives of Feedback’s loved ones hang in the balance. For this hero, there is only one way to save them all.

Our Cast;

Mark Kalita as Blackthorn

Tim O’Donnell as Back-Up

Kim Gianopolous as K2

Tanner Karns as Router

MJ Cogburn as Wolf-Girl

Phill Moxley as Emerald Knight

Steve Anderson as Alexander Forthright III

Robin Carlisle as Dragonryder

Andrey Kuznetsov as Reboot

Elizabeth Delaney as Amber

Elie Hirschman as Console

Mike Winters as Tom

Brent Terrien as Pure V

Tiffany Braford as PiperMage

Paul Mannering as Corsair

David Maciver as Homeless Man

and

Steven Jay Cohen as The Mastermind

Others of our esteemed cast members can also be found online in their own projects, including;

Howard Margolin of “Destinies; The Voice of Science Fiction” who portrayed our Scientist.

“Destinies” airs on Fridays at 11:30 PM Eastern time on WUSB, 90.1 FM, the radio station of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, or can be downloaded online at www.captphilonline.com/Destinies.

Paeter Frandsen as Pre-Fetch.

Paeter is at the helm of a stunning science fiction and fantasy audio series at www.spiritblade.net.

Timm “The Jester” Gillick, who reproduced the Dark Enforcer.

Timm is the executive producer of www.circus13productions.com, where several audio adaptations of the finest mainstream comics and other serials are found.

Scott Hinze of www.FanboyRadio.ning.com portrayed Firewall,

And the Grand Mistress of Podcasting herself, Mur Lafferty as Drive!

For more superheroey goodness, check out the story of Keepsie Branson, a bar owner in the shining metropolis of Seventh City, at Mur’s podnovel site www.playingforkeeps novel.com

But forevermore, we never cease to be amazed by our beloved principle players,

Sarah Blevins as Sarah, and her husband

—Our Hero—

Matthew Atherton as FEEDBACK!!

“My Calling” theme written and performed by Jeffrey Wayne Kirkpatrick.

Series original score by David A. Krause. You can find David’s music compositions for “A Hero’s Calling” at http://davidallenkrause.com

Post production was done by Alan White.

Return here for Season Two of “FEEDBACK: A HERO’S CALLING”

(P.S. STAY UNTIL AFTER THE CREDITS…)

Welcome Ladies and Gentleman to Episode 30 of Small Press Big Mouth, we have a plethora of news and reviews for you as always. Stace reviews all the L's - Luchadoras, London's Calling and The Lovecraft Anthology vol 1 and Lee tells us all about Accent UK's Wolfman, Moon by Beyond the Bunker and he get's cute with Gronk. Not to be confused with The Gronk - oh his poor heartses!

Ant and Amaechi once again bring you the latest news from the gaming world. In this episode Ant starts work on his ultimate gaming room in his new house

In the news

· Max Payne 3 lives

· Hunted Demon’s Forge gets a 15 rating

· Sony Ericson Xperia Play launches in the UK

· Sony’s NGP could be delayed due to the Japan Earthquake

· PSN users raise $1.3m for the Japan earthquake relief

· Nintendo 3DS sickness

· Brink

· Battlefield Free to play

· Resident Evil 4 and Code Veronica being remade for the PS3 and Xbox 360

Reviews

Buy, Rent or Avoid - features our reviews of Top Spin 4 and Star Wars: Force Unleashed 2

This episode Scrolls flips over the page to see things from the other side in terms of starting out as a writer. Acting as a companion piece to the Author Interviews

recorded at the SFX Weekender we've pulled together three authors who have taken non-traditional approaches to getting their fiction out into the public domain.Joining Phil and Clover in a virtual round-table discussion of their experiences, and the pros and cons of these alternative avenues are:-

Barry Nugent (Shadowy Godfather of the Geek Syndicate and author of Fallen Heroes, self published through Lulu's print-on-demand service)Alex Keller (Author of pre-teen steampunk novels Haywired and Rewired, printed by small-press publisherMogzilla) andMark Bell (Author of folk horror novel Binder of Bone, Keeper of Corn which he has published exclusively as an e-book).Here are some additional links to items mentioned in the episode that may be of interest to you:Barry's twitter and Fallen Heroes, the comic http://fallenheroescomicdotcom.wordpress.com/Alex's twitter and website http://alexkelleruk.tumblr.com/ (although I believe a Wordpress blog is in the offing soon)Mark's blog http://sirswithinswift.blogspot.com/Normal Service - i.e. blather, banter and bullshit about books - resumes soon in the next episode 'Life, the Multiverse and Everything.'Keep reading.

Join the guys as they catch up on their gaming fortnight - including Barry's huge Mass Effect 2 session. In other news, we look at the winners from this year's gaming BAFTAs and discuss the pro's and con's of digital distribution for games.

Buy, Rent Avoid features our reviews of Fight Night Champion and Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands.

The Dark Enforcer has crossed the line, forcing Tech Support to utilize their elite paramilitary cadre to run interference while Feedback prepares for a rematch. This time the stakes are high, threatening to prove too much for both our hero and his support team, but unknown to Feedback he’s about to gain an ally from the most unexpected battlefront—home!

Cast of Characters;

Mark Kalita as Blackthorn

Paeter Frandsen as Pre-Fetch

Tim O’Donnell as Back-Up

Kim Gianopoulos as K2

Tanner Karns as Router

MJ Cogburn as Wolf-Girl

Robin Carlisle as Dragonryder

Timm “The Jester” Gillick as Dark Enforcer

Zack Fester as The Executive

Steve Anderson as Forthright

Andrey Kuznetsov as Reboot

Elizabeth Delaney as Amber

Steve Hykes as Archive

Elie Hirschman as Console

Mike Winters as Tom

Brent Terrien as Pure V

Phill Moxley as Emerald Knight

Tiffany Braford as PiperMage

Paul Mannering as Corsair

Natasha Lathrop as The News Correspondent

Steven Jay Cohen as The Police Officer

and

Ryan Stockton as The Paramedic

It is our privilege once again to have Scott Hinze of Fanboy Radio (http://fanboyradio.libsyn.com/) as Firewall,

and welcome our honored new cast member, Mur Lafferty as Drive!

(For more superheroey goodness, check out the story of Keepsie Branson, a bar owner in the shining metropolis of Seventh City, at Mur’s podnovel site www.playing for keeps novel .com)

And as always, we remain awed and humbled by our featured players,

Sarah Blevins as Sarah

and

Matthew Atherton as Feedback!

“Shinobi” is a trademark of Sega.

“My Calling” theme written and performed by Jeffrey Wayne Kirkpatrick.

Original Score by David A. Krause. You can find David’s music compositions for “A Hero’s Calling” athttp://davidallenkrause.com

Post production was done by Alan White.