shawn rider dot com

Well, ’tis the season for getting back on that horse. I have been away from the site for too long, a perennial habit of mine is neglecting things I love.

So by way of getting going again, I recommend checking out the several book reviews I added to the library. I have managed to pick some really good books this Spring/Summer. They have kept me thoroughly amused during my commutes into La Cite des Crystals.

And I’m glad to be able to link to Brian’s revived website, on which he has resurrected his magazine Puck as a weblog. He gave some great coverage to my project in process, exQorpse, which I will post about again in the near future. For now, check out his coverage and also all the other stuff rattling out of the Vault of BCC.

If the image above doesn’t stir any feelings of nostalgia or awesomeness deep in your soul, then you should definitely read Brian’s History of Permeable Press, which was one of the big little indy presses that made the 1990s so much fun for fiction. Well, maybe “fun” is the wrong word… Read the story and let me know what you think.

I’ll be working on something special for Puck, and also trying to get back into the swing of things.

I’m a couple months late on this, but the Fall has been a blur for me. Regardless of my tardiness, everyone should head over to the Electronic Literature site to check out the Electronic Literature Collection Volume One.

I’m really impressed with this collection for a few reasons: First, it’s a great roundup of digital lit pieces, ranging from new work to classics. Second, it’s free. J’aime le free stuff. Third, it’s released under a Creative Commons license, so you can make copies of the works and share with friends. Fourth, you can request a free CD ROM version “while supplies last.” (I have seen the CDs and they are very nice.)

Finally, it’s got a piece by me. An older work of mine, myBALL, is featured as an example of satire/parody. I am thrilled to be included in the collection alongside so many of my fave writers. If you’re looking for some good reading, check it out.

I just started a new webzine called Alternative Games. You can view it at Alt-Games.com and I welcome you to be among the first to browse around and offer some feedback. It’s up and public, but we’re still getting going, so bear with us if there’s any oddness that crops up in these early weeks.

I created Alt-Games because I really want to read a publication focused on the non-conventional, experimental, fine arts, and indy / student games that are continually released online. It is very easy to find mainstream gaming coverage, and occasionally those outlets cover all kinds of things I’d personally classify as “alternative” (Katamari Damacy is an obvious example, as is Shadow of the Colossus, Seaman and any of the other “cult” mainstream games).

As a gamer, I feel a bit torn. On the one hand, the conventionalization of gaming genres and forms has really done a lot to solidify the form, providing a transparency of convention that allows certain elements to be explored. However, I also don’t think we’ve really scratched the surface of what is possible in the game medium, and I’d rather play a dozen “kinda-crappy” experimental student projects over a single “pretty good” sci-fi FPS any day. But give me excellence in either category and I’m very, very satisfied.

So here we have Alternative Games, founded in May 2006. We’re currently looking for writers. Several of the GamesFirst! staff have signed up to participate, so I know there will be a core of some very good writers. We’re pioneering a new idea in shared ad revenue: Each author directly earns a portion of the ad revenue generated by their articles.

I’m hoping this revenue-sharing proposition, along with a general love of games and interest in the less orthodox elements of game culture, will entice some great writers to step up and get published.

If you’re interested in writing for Alternative Games, contact me at feedback@alt-games.com or send a writing sample to submissions@alt-games.com