Among the more bizarre Japanese tokusatsu hero shows of the 1970s was Warrior of Love: Rainbowman. This sounds contemporary, but the show had nothing to do with LGBTQ people or rights, as it debuted in 1972. Due to the special training he received in India from the yogi Devadatta, young hero Takeshi Yamato was able …
Category: Fantasy
Jan 04
Worldbuilding Wednesday 1/4/23: Best of Twittersnips 2022
xxxx(Magic Items)
My favorite Twittersnip magic items of 2022. 2022 Magic Items Anzha’s Bubble: This glass bubble measures 2” and constantly shifts colors. When held in the palm, it induces memories of the most tranquil place the holder ever visited, inducing in them calm and peace. Bag of the Banshee: This cursed sack screams loudly whenever …
Dec 28
Worldbuilding Wednesday 12/28/22: Best of Twittersnips
xxxx2022 (Spells)
My favorite Twittersnip spells of the year! 2022 Spells Alter Skeletal Alignment: Gives the effect of a visit to the chiropractor on any creature that has bones. Arrow of the Mage: Not a physical arrow, but the dynamics of ‘shooting’ it are the same. Enables one mage to send a spell they know to …
Dec 27
Masks of the Snow Queen, Part 2
In the opening chapter, prologue really, of The Snow Queen the reader is treated to a humdinger of a setup for the rest of the book. During the planet Tiamat’s masked festival/ball, a couple sneak away to have sex in one of the side rooms, where they fall asleep from drugged wine. Arienrhod, the Winter …
Dec 07
Worldbuilding Wednesday 12/7/22: Magic Spells of
xxxxAncient Egypt
As far as we know, most of the magic spells of ancient Egypt dealt with protecting the dead on their journey to the afterlife. Amulets were concealed in mummy wrappings and spell-prayers carved in hieroglyphics all around the tombs — on the walls, columns, even ceilings. These people took their afterlife very seriously. As I …
Nov 30
Masks of the Snow Queen, Part 1
For many years my favorite science fiction novel was The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge. The book was a comfort read for me. I had read it so often I could quote it, and given a sentence or two from anywhere in the book, I could tell what came before, and what came after. …
Nov 30
Worldbuilding Wednesday 11/30/22: Magic Items of
xxxxAncient Egypt
Ancient Egypt, I’ve found, is so fascinating on its own that for fantasy writers and worldbuilders there isn’t a lot that needs to be created from scratch. The amulets above, for example, were created in about an hour using text prompts and various AI art generators. And ancient Egyptians did love their amulets. Any significant …
Nov 23
Worldbuilding Wednesday 11/23/22: Names of Ancient
xxxxEgypt
The civilization of Ancient Egypt has enthralled the Western world ever since Napoleon’s forays down the Nile brought it to the attention of European scholars. Part of that was the indecipherable hieroglyphics that covered its temples, tombs, and monuments. Not until the 1850s were these translated into English, using cross-translations from the Rosetta Stone. In …
Nov 21