Top 5 Games Powered by the Apocalypse
I sat down with Jake of the Top/Worst (Whatever) podcast to talk about our favorite role-playing games using the Powered by the Apocalypse game engine. We also delve into what makes the engine such a great basis for story-forward games. Take a listen to the episode to hear Jake and my rankings, but here's a preview of a few of the games we discuss: Masks Blades in the Dark Hearts of Wulin World Wide Wrestling Urban Shadows #Podcast #Games
Icarus: Rime of the Martian Mariners
The Bored Ghost storygame podcast invited me back on to play Icarus, a game about the fall of great civilizations. We wove a story about a towering Martian city brought down by hubris, whaling, and experimental music. In this game, I play Sarta Morningstar, the winningness lobbyist on Mars. (Warning: Rated RG-13 for allusions to sci-fi sex and violence.) Listen to both parts of the story at the links below: Part One (49 min) Part Two (41 min) #Podcast #BoredGhost #Games #Sci
Fiasco: Toil and Trouble Off-Broadway
Be bloody, bold, and resolute! I'm back on the Bored Ghost podcast playing Fiasco—specifically, the "Break a Leg" playset. I play a jaded Shakespearean director named Timothy Thistleton Jr. What chaos will be unloosed by the characters' petty ambitions and poor impulse control? Will the actors successfully rob the theater? Will Timothy Thistleton Jr. ever show up his father? Who's going to meet the business end of that "prop" dagger? (Content warning: PG-13 for lechery, treac
Dread: Band on the Run
My debut as gamemaster on a professionally-produced gaming/storytelling podcast, Bored Ghost! I run a scenario I devised using the game system Dread. Dread is a game of horror and hope played with a Jenga tower. The Altered Saints are a band on the run from something sinister in the woods. Will they survive? Only the Tower will tell. (Warning: rated PG-13 for some strong language, violence, and terror) Listen to both parts of the adventure at the Bored Ghost site: Part One (
Faith and Dystopia on Doxacast
I sat down to record a conversation with Doxacast, the Christian sci-fi/fantasy podcast associated with Doxacon. We discussed the history of science fiction, the eugenic dangers of utopia, and the best religious science fiction. I also give a small preview of my upcoming Doxacon talk on theology and teleology in Magic: The Gathering. Here's an excerpt from the conversation: "If we consider science fiction to be a category of worlds where there are revolutionary changes and wh
Resisting the Voice of Thanos
I made another appearance on the podcast God and Comics, this accompanied by my wife Leah Libresco Sargeant, chatting with a geeky priest and deacon about the latest and greatest superhero epic, Avengers: Infinity War. One of the most interesting parts of the conversation was our discussion of the real world resonance of the film's antagonist Thanos, who reflects the despairing anti-natalist bent of many real people. Here's a transcribed excerpt: ME: I really appreciate what
Superhero Origins and the Incarnation
I returned to God and Comics to talk about comic book origin stories. Which are our favorites? What trends in origin stories do we find upsetting? Are all retcons and retreads of origins bad? How does this all relate to God and the Incarnation? Plus, as a third-time guest on the show, I have the distinct honor to run the This-or-That segment—the first guest to recur often enough to do so! Listen to the podcast at the God and Comics site. #Podcast #GodandComics #Comics #Superh
Parenting in the Upside Down
Haley Stewart and Christy Isinger brought me onto their podcast, Fountains of Carrots, to talk about season 2 of Stranger Things. We chatted about the show, its themes, and what it could teach us (especially those of us who are parents.) Here's what they wrote about the episode: "In this episode we discuss a piece by Alexi that we loved about what makes children vulnerable in the world of Stranger Things and what parents can learn from the series. How do we equip children to
A Song of Vice and Fire
I stopped by First Things to record a podcast on Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire. Julia Yost and I discuss the moral universe of the book series (and the HBO show based on it), with some digressions into the neoconservatism of dragons and the way Westeros's decadent elite parallel those in power in our world. Brace yourselves, Demographic Winter is Coming. Listen to the episode here: #FirstThings #Television #Literature #Fantasy #Podcast
Authority and the Marvel Cinematic Universe
I was a speaker at Doxacon 2017, a Christian sci-fi and fantasy convention in Washington, DC. My talk was about power & authority, Cap & Iron Man, and the whole moral architecture of the MCU. Find out why Tony Stark makes all the wrong sacrifices, what Captain America teaches us about conscience—and, finally, how Spider-Man: Homecoming is a cinematic exploration of Catholic social teaching's concept of subsidiarity. Listen to the talk at Ancient Faith radio. #Podcast #Speakin
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