Maker Faire Atlanta 2016 Post-Review
A few years ago the Atlanta Mini Maker Faire got promoted to full Maker Faire status… and for good reason. Since its first gathering in 2010, the event has continued to grow and grow.
Continue Reading
Author: James Floyd Kelly
James Floyd Kelly (aka DM Jim) is an avid RPGer and wargamer... and writer. He is the editor of the new gaming magazine, Bexim's Bazaar (beximsbazaar.com) and hosts The Tabletop Engineer YouTube Channel that focuses on creating terrain for gaming.
‘Gemina’ – A Young SciFi-Adult Horror-Action Tale
Kaufman and Kristoff have upped their game substantially with the second book in the Illuminae Files series, ‘Gemina.’ At over 600 pages, this sequel continues the story introduced in ‘Illuminae,’ but with different characters and a different location.
Continue Reading
The Epic Tale of the NERF Battles of Atlanta
The NERF Battles of Atlanta was a two-hour long NERF war with 8 kids in all bringing multiple NERF models and hundreds and hundreds of darts. It was glorious…
Continue Reading
Book Review: ‘Watching Time: The Unauthorized Watchmen Chronology’
I don’t believe you will find a more comprehensive examination of ‘Watchmen’ than with Rich Handley’s new ‘Watching Time: The Unauthorized Watchmen Chronology’ book from Hasslein Books.
Continue Reading
New Kickstarter — Castor Easy Readers Offer Diversity and Adventure!
There are plenty of young readers out there who are learning to read, and parents are always looking for new and unique ways to get their children hooked on reading. Castor Tales aims to engage young readers with three new books that are anything but boring.
Continue Reading
The Sugru Rebel Tech Kit
Sugru has released a new package of Sugru called the Rebel Tech Kit. Inside a small tin you’ll find four colors (black, white, grey, red) of Sugru, a guitar pick for careful cutting or texturing, and a book of ideas to get you started.
Continue Reading
New Kickstarter — Coding and Hardware for Spy Kids!
I’m always on the lookout for new tools to help with my summer tech camps, and the folks over at Dexter Industries may very well have a hit on their hands with their new Kickstarter, Spy vs sPi.
Continue Reading
‘Dark Sky’ by Mike Brooks — A Ship, a Crew, and Another Job
I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve special ordered a book from overseas because of a later US release date. I don’t do it very often but that’s not the case for author Mike Brooks.
Continue Reading
Kickstarter Ending: Dragonlock 2 – 3D Print Your Own Structures for Gaming
The Dragonlock 2 Kickstarter features files for building structures (in various styles), cobblestone streets, furnishings (beds, fireplaces, etc.), sewers, and even a multi-leveled windmill.
Continue Reading
Create Your Own Gaming Miniatures Paint Organizer
A month or so back, I stumbled upon a post from John Suski on DM Scotty’s Facebook group page–John created some custom paint bottle holders for his desk, complete with color samples and labels.
Continue Reading
Book Review: ‘The Tao of Bill Murray’
Fans of Mr. Murray know that he is as unpredictable as they come, and we live for those moments when he catches an individual or group off guard.
Continue Reading
New Fantasy RPG Products for DMs and Players
I think any of us who play an RPG or two (or ten) will agree that it is a GREAT time to be a role-playing gamer. Between Kickstarter and Twitch.tv and the explosion of gaming cons, there is no shortage of places to play, new RPGs to explore, adventures to watch or join, and new products to try out.
Continue Reading
‘MJ-12: Inception’ — A Cold War With Different Super Powers
Michael J. Martinez won me over with his ‘Daedalus Trilogy’ that features sailing ships moving between the planets in an alternate universe that has collided with a slightly more familiar universe (where we’ve reached Mars) and the heroes who have discovered something evil that threatens both realities. Now, Martinez has a begun a new trilogy…
Continue Reading
Titan Books Celebrates Three Anniversaries
Titan Books is one of my favorite publishers; they put out many outstanding series of books as well as one-offs, and I’m always impressed with the quality of the writing and the printing. Recently, I had three different oversized hardbacks arrive on my doorstep, each of them celebrating a milestone of sorts.
Continue Reading
Arcknight’s Flat Plastic Miniatures — High Quality Details, Low Prices
While I’m happy to create my own from paper, the Flat Plastic Miniatures Core Set is exactly what I’ve been looking for–much higher quality color and also more durable than the little cardstock ones I print out.
Continue Reading
New Kickstarter – 3D Printed Buildings From Fat Dragon Games
I’ve got a large post coming up in mid-September featuring a number of fantasy RPG gaming aids, and I’ll be covering Fat Dragon Games’ new Kickstarter in a bit more detail in that post. The Kickstarter, however, has already started and there are a number of stretch goals and surprises in store for backers.
Continue Reading
‘Cumulus’ Is a Make-You-Think Novel About Tomorrow
Eliot Peper’s Cumulus is a novel that takes place in Oakland, California and centers on a tech giant corporation, its social media and surveillance advances that are not too hard to believe, and the haves and have-nots who must live day-to-day with the ramifications of a society that must either accept certain things as normal or resist.
Continue Reading
My Gen Con 2016 Wrap-Up and Notes
It’s been three weeks since I departed Indianapolis and left Gen Con 2016 for Atlanta; before memory fades too much, I wanted to sit down and write down as much as possible about my experiences this year at Gen Con.
Continue Reading
A Chuck Wendig Mashup—’Jurassic Park’ Meets ‘A Bug’s Life’
I enjoyed Chuck Wendig’s ‘Zeroes,’ a rush of a novel involving fringe hackers, an AI danger, and a wake up call about our dependence on technology. I was quite happy to hear that Wendig would be revisiting the world he created for ‘Zeroes’ in the recently released ‘Invasive.’
Continue Reading
The ‘Star Realms’ Combat Deckbuilding Game
While wandering the Exhibit Hall at Gen Con a few weeks ago, I picked up a card game called ‘Star Realms’ (not quite new, but new to me) that I thought my oldest would enjoy. I wasn’t wrong.
Continue Reading
‘Escape Room: The Game’
Two weeks ago at Gen Con 2016, five of my fellow GeekDads (including a spouse) and I were doing our best fast-walk through the corridors of the convention center as we rushed to make our 8:15 appointment with… ‘Escape Room.’
Continue Reading
2.5D AdventureCraft TileMorphs Kickstarter
If you’re interested in creating some 2.5D tiles but maybe lack the time or paint, check this out.
Continue Reading
My Flight to Gen Con 2016 (and Two Reviews)
On the morning of August 3rd, I was doing my last bit of packing and preparing to head to the airport for Gen Con 2016. My plan for the long line was to watch a movie on my iPad with headphones.
Continue Reading
Worldographer: Hexographer 2 Kickstarter
If you’re looking for a tool to develop hex-based terrain maps, you’ll want to check out Worldographer from Inkwell Ideas. I got to check out the software at Gen Con 2016 along with some of Inkwell’s other products, and I loved what I saw.
Continue Reading
Don’t Miss These Two Great Bundles!
Right now, there’s an excellent science fiction story bundle called the Starward Bound StoryBundle going on. At the time I write this, there’s about two weeks left on the timer.
Continue Reading
Our Most Favorite Things About Gen Con, 2016 Edition
How is it possible for Gen Con to both feel too short and too long?
Continue Reading
Book Review: ‘Electronics for Kids’ by Øyvind Nydal Dahl
I’ve been looking for a book to use for a Beginner Electronics summer camp… and ‘Electronics for Kids’ is the one. There’s just the right mix of reading and hands-on projects that I’m confident the kids won’t get bored.
Continue Reading
Fantasy RPG Papercraft Sale — Act Fast!
Act fast, as there are two sales on some great papercraft for your fantasy gaming table. Buy, print, cut, and glue… then play!
Continue Reading
Exploring the Gen Con Gamer’s Yearbook
Last year was my first time attending Gen Con. I was the Geekdad rookie, mouth wide open in awe as I first entered the Exhibit Hall. This year I’m excited to use the Gen Con Gamer’s Yearbook to help organize my visit to this year’s events!
Continue Reading
O ‘Star Citizen,’ ‘Star Citizen,’ Wherefore Art Thou, ‘Star Citizen’?
We here at GeekDad love a good Kickstarter. We’ve backed hundreds and probably written about even more to alert our readers to projects of interest. We’ve all backed some incredibly successful projects and lost money to some failed ones. Suffice to say, every Geekdad writer probably has an interesting story to tell about Kickstarter. Here’s mine.
Continue Reading