science fiction – Page 8 – PopCult Reviews

Solo Tabletop RPG Review & Actual Play – Dark Space/Cthulhu Dark Part One

In space, no one can hear you scream, they tell us. Popular media has certainly given us lots of scares set among the stars. Dark Space is a collection of science fiction/horror scenarios compatible with the rules-lite Cthulhu Dark, with eventual support coming for Mongoose’s Traveller system. The rules for Cthulhu Dark are included at the back of Dark Space but are also available for free online. The game would also mesh well with any of the Cthulhu-themed rpg systems on the market.

TV Review – Silo Season One

Silo Season One (Apple TV+)
Written by Graham Yost, Jessica Blaire, Cassie Pappas, Ingrid Escajeda, Remi Aubuchon, Aric Avelino, Jeffery Wang, Lekethia Dalcoe, and Fred Golan
Directed by Morten Tyldum, David Semel, Bert & Bertie, and Adam Bernstein

J.J. Abrams changed television as a producer of Lost along with Damon Lindelof & Carlton Cuse. Abrams’ “mystery box” philosophy inspired dozens of subsequent shows that sought to tell serialized stories on television that slowly spun out mysteries. While I enjoyed Lost for what it was, I don’t feel a strong urge to revisit it anytime soon; the heirs have never come close to capturing the excitement of that series. Lost’s strength was not relying entirely on its mysterious aspects and delivering character-focused solid stories. The flashbacks and what we learned about each person made Lost all the better. Silo is a new show from Apple TV+ and wants to be something like Lost. However, it was a slog for me to get through.

Movie Review – The Creator

The Creator (2023)
Written by Gareth Edwards and Chris Weitz
Directed by Gareth Edwards

I can’t say I’ve ever been greatly impressed by Gareth Edwards’ films. I’ve seen all four of his directorial efforts at this point (this film, Star Wars: Rogue One, Godzilla, and Monsters), and what lingers with me is what a fantastic production designer Edwards is. Writing characters? Eh, not so much. However, the man knows how to convey a sense of scope & scale and, even more importantly, establish the vibe of a movie. The Creator is a film that continues this trend with the director. His characters are flat and one-dimensional, but damn if the world he creates isn’t one I want to explore. He establishes excellent video game settings in many ways but then tries to make movies in them.

PopCult Podcast – The PopCult 2023 Halloween Spooktacular

It’s night of classic tricks & treats as our intrepid hosts dress up and go door to door. It seems like some of what they find is well worth the effort, but other things are getting some houses tp’ed.

PopCult Podcast – Little Shop of Horrors/The Faculty

We continue our Halloween celebration with two creepy tales of invasions from beyond. In the first, our aliens strike in the form of flesh-eating plants. In the second they take on the role of authority figures in a high school.

PopCult Podcast – Please Baby Please/Save Yourselves!

Diving deep into the indie films we came up with two obscure titles you’ve probably never heard of. One is a hyper-stylized queer comedy about a newlywed couple realizing their relationship is far more complicated than they thought. The other is a Millennial comedy about a couple disconnecting from the internet for a week at a cabin in the woods only for aliens to invade.

Solo Tabletop RPG Actual Play – Starforged: Nexus of Destiny Act III

Introduction/Prologue
Act One
Act Two
Act Three

Act Three

The Vigilant docks with the Inferno. Kei, Saren, and Harrow don the zero suits and enter the airlock. The shifting of space-time begins right away.

Zone: Operations – Command Offices

The trio finds themselves in the administrative wing of the ship. A comms channel is hissing over the loudspeakers.

(Explore a Waypoint. 3 vs. 7, 5. Miss)

(Pay the Price: The environment or terrain introduces a new hazard.)

Kei notices a comms channel is on and listens in. He suddenly hears screams and cries from the crew at a point in the past. The panel explodes in a flurry of sparks.

Solo Tabletop RPG Actual Play – Starforged: Nexus of Destiny Act II

Introduction/Prologue
Act One
Act Two
Act Three

Act Two

The Vigilant cruises back into the Underside spaceport beneath Aurora. Kei messages Jorruns to meet up onboard the Vigilant.

(Oracle question: Does Fegli have men follow Jorruns. Odds: Likely. Answer: No.)

Kei catches Jorruns up about what was found on the derelict. Then he gets down to decrypting the Captain’s datapad found on the Inferno.

(Secure an Advantage with Wits. 5 vs, 5, 1. Use Fugitive Move. Hunters Clock at 2 out of 4. Strong Hit)

(Oracle Inspiration: Scheme Resource)

Solo Tabletop RPG Actual Play – Starforged: Nexus of Destiny Act I

Introduction/Prologue
Act One
Act Two
Act Three

Act One

The Vigilant drops out of light-jump into the hazy Solana Clu

ster, a nebulous cloud of particles with a relatively young solar system already formed as its sun condenses all of this matter. Through the viewscreen, Kei Becker sees the gas giant Tenzin come into view and sets the autopilot for their intended course. Clearing the cloud cover of Tenzin’s upper atmosphere brings Aurora, the orbital casino resort, into view; its tall fungal stem towers reach up, some capped off like toadstools, whereas others bear the wrinkles of a morel.

Solo Tabletop RPG Actual Play – Starforged: Nexus of Destiny Prologue

Introduction/Prologue
Act One
Act Two
Act Three

Introduction

So what is this? Instead of spreading a playthrough over weeks, I decided to do one that was one whole arc. I also wanted to continue with the story I’d established in my previous Starforged playthrough. I did have some elements in mind: I wanted a casino and mushroom-based aliens to be a part of it. Other than that, I had no idea where this story would go. I hope that it proves a little entertaining for you. I like exploring this universe and already have another installment planned for near the end of the year.