Sources of Inspiration: Black Library Audio

On January 28, 2015 By James CastroIn Books, Opinions, ReviewsLeave a comment

Black Library Audio Books and Audio Dramas

During my high school years I became fascinated with early 20^th Century culture to such an extent that I used to check out from our local library recordings of 1920s radio broadcasts and shows. I loved the genre and it feels like something that has become lost as we’ve become a more screen-based society.

When I heard that Black Library produced audio dramas and audio books it immediately piqued my interest and I tried one.

The first one I bought was Raven’s Flight by Gav Thorpe as it was the most prominently displayed on the website at the time. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as I’d listened to audio books before where it is merely an author or a celebrity reading the text. In some cases, as with some Star Wars books the reading was accompanied by sound effects as well. In the case of the Black Library audio books and dramas it is far more like the radio shows I found as a teenager. They are acted rather than read, the sound effects are integral and take place during the performance as though you were listening to a film rather than watching it.

Since then I’ve obtained all of the audio dramas that sounded the least bit interesting and I’ve never heard a bad one. There have been one or two where the plot took a turn that made me less of a fan of it, but none have been poorly made, badly written, or subpar in performance or production. As last time I’ll list some of my favorites and/or favorite aspects of them, again in no particular order:

Chosen of Khorne by Anthony Reynolds: This one had such an impact I spent weeks drawing a picture related to it. Chris Fairbanks’ performance as Kharn is incredible, the story is tight, and the production is excellent. I’m a staunch 40K loyalist and even I loved this traitors’ story!

Trials of Azrael by CZ Dunn: As a Dark Angels fan I have a lot of options for audio dramas but this one has remained my favorite. While it has a few plot questions, the resolution and acting is so good I can ignore them and just enjoy it. Plus Dark Angels story + Chris Fairbanks as Kharn + Pandorax campaign make it extra appealing.

The Garro series by James Swallow: One of the best series and follows on from the Horus Heresy novels (Flight of the Eisenstein to be specific). Garro, former battle captain of the Death Guard now servant of Malcador the Sigillite has a number of excellent stories and some of the best-produced dramas I’ve experienced. Toby Longworth if by far my favorite voice talent in the Black Library audio drama pool and his Garro is tight, grizzled, and fiercely passionate about his cause, even when it runs counter to his masters’ goals. By all means listen to them in order but Sword of Truth remains my favorite.

Veil of Darkness by Nick Kyme: I’m not an Ultramarines fan nor am I a Cato Sicarius fan but this story is one of the best. Very well acted (Sicarius has a youthful arrogance to his voice that matches the character perfectly) and with one of the best single-stories I’ve heard it has been in my car’s CD player a number of times since I first gave it a listen.

Caiphas Cain – Dead in the Water & Caiphas Cain – The Devil you Know by Sandy Mitchell: Toby Longworth strikes again turning in a tremendous performance both as the elder Cain narrating his adventures and the youthful Cain experiencing them (as well as all kinds of characters in between) mixed with the great production, Sandy Mitchell’s wry writing style comes off perfectly and provides an excellent complement to the written character.

The Sigillite by Chris Wraight: This one is actually two parallel stories, one told in flashback the other taking place as the same character discovers the importance of his previous actions. Once again Longworth shines, this time as Malcador, giving him a voice full of power, age, weariness, fear, and awe. It’s a remarkable story.

Censure by Nick Kyme: A Horus Heresy story about Sergeant Aeonid Thiel and his experiences on his return to destruction-ravaged Calth. He faces not only the remnants of abandoned Word Bearers but the environment itself. His penal legion companion and he have an almost Lethal Weapon level of interaction.

Deathwatch: Mission Purge by Gav Thorpe: A wonderful single-story of a Deathwatch inspection led by Captain Artemis himself on a rogue trader’s ship. Of course everything goes wrong and the motley xenos hunters have to fight their way out of danger. It has a very unique feel and one of the best climactic music stings I’ve ever heard…

The Glorious Tomb by Guy Haley: A surprisingly moving story from the perspective of a fatally wounded Black Templar kept alive to continue his fight for centuries from inside a dreadnought. You hear his confusion over the passage of time, his distance from the outside world, his pain and mental anguish. It extremely potent and very well performed…you guessed it Toby Longworth is back to give one of the most powerful performances I’ve heard to date.

Shorts:

Warmaster: An amazing soliloquy. The now fallen Horus justifies his actions to a silent audience. If I had to do a reading for an acting class I’d choose this one.
Veritas Ferrum: a small story-driven by the main character of Durun Atticus as he navigates his strike cruiser Veritas Ferrum into the catastrophe as Isstvan V. The performances and productions shine again as wily tactics and loss of humanity take center stage.
The Eightfold Path: Chris Fairbanks as Kharn in the fighting pits. It’s Kharn narration for 13 minutes and as glorious as one would expect. Worth it just for his rueful bloody laugh if nothing else.
With Baited Breath: A Raven Guard captain finds a dying guardsman and listens to his story. Great deeds…

There are countless others that have been spun repeatedly in my various CD players and queued into a playlist on my various devices. If you’re a new 40k fan these stories are EXCELLENT for mood and storytelling; setting the tone for the Grim Dark in a way more accessible than some weird people may find the dense omnibuses or the numerous, long-running series. For established fans they are a great way to hear well-known stories brought to terrific life with care and thoughtfulness.

Black Library Audio Link!

Sources of Inspiration: The Black Library

On January 21, 2015January 20, 2015 By James CastroIn Books, Opinions, ReviewsLeave a comment

Sources of Inspiration

With a new year and the hope of my own creative wellspring finally pouring forth I thought I’d take the time to examine some of the sources for my creative inspiration. This week I’m starting with a humbling catalogue of the Grim Dark (and world of fantasy) that is the Black Library.

Named after a library of esoteric and powerful knowledge, Games Workshop’s publishing wing is a remarkably diverse and impressive publishing enterprise. From gothic sci fi, to rousing action, and from grim brutality, to raucous humor, the Black Library offers something for everyone, and indeed I was a fan of the stories prior to partaking in the table top game that spawned them, my first novel being the Assault on Black Reach which I purchased shortly after buying the starter set of the same name.

I find the worlds depicted by the Black Library authors to be deep and complete. Everything has layers upon layers and builds atop decades of history already put into the stories and characters within.

Some of the authors are terrific, some are quite good and the same can be said for the quality of the stories they tell, but I can honestly say I’ve never read a bad one. Merely some less impressive than others. I thought I’d give a breakdown of some of my favorites, broken down by broad type and in no particular order of superlative.

Favorite Series

Horus Heresy by Various: Simply some of the best science fiction you’ll read anywhere. The series is vast and deep, providing a prequel view of some of the famed characters you may do battle with on the tabletop. The first four novels are sequential and could have been printed on pure gold leaf they are so ostentatiously brilliant. Want to know how the whole thing started? Here’s how. And if you don’t feel a pang of tragedy at Isstvan something is broken in your soul…
Caiphas Cain by Sandy Mitchell: Can the grim dark future be wry and funny? With a rakish and self-serving (at least according to him) hero like Commissar Cain you beter believe they can be. Sandy Mitchell (aka Alex Stewart) created a hero both likable and slightly devious. He’s altruistic and at the same time totally self-obsessed, told in the first person (with commentary footnotes from another reader, Inquisitor Amberley Vail) it’s marvelous at giving a personal obscured perspective on things. The series takes him from his humble beginnings seeking a quiet posting away from danger to all over the galaxy fighting every kind of enemy on every front. Each novel is different and each one spectacular. If you need a laugh and great adventure, pour yourself a glass of someone else’s best Amasec and open a Caiphas Cain book.
Last Chancers by Gav Thorpe: Gav Thorpe is my personal favorite Black Library author and his take on the penal conscript legion of Colonel Schaeffer one of his best works. I read the whole thing at night during a week-long trip to Chicago and loved every bit of it. The first novel is by far the best, but by the time you reach the third book’s rousing conclusion you really have a chance to look back and see how far these characters have come.

Favorite Short Stories/Novellas

Yarrick Chains of Golgotha by David Annandale: This novella/short story is simply stunning in its narrative. From the capture of the imposing Commissar Sebastian Yarrick by his arch nemesis to his exciting attempts at escape, this one has you hooked from the beginning. When you get to the end and see just HOW dangerous his infamous and nefarious captor really is to him and the Imperium it’s hard not to start the book over and read it all the way through again. I know I did. Very few books can make me say, “Ohh…whoa” out loud like this one did at its conclusion.
Survivor by Steve Parker: The tale of a young boy surviving in the ruins after an ork invasion. It’s a great story with a sharp narrative, but the reveal of the boy’s identity makes it even more powerful. A short read but one that definitely sticks with you.
Dark Vengeance by CZ Dunn: Some 40k players are all about the win. Others are all about the story. I’m in the latter category and this story is a great example of the game brought to narrative. Released to coincide with the 6^th Edition starter set, Dark Vengeance tells the story of the characters and armies you get with that box. Not only that but you get a relatively realistic portrayal of how a battle between these two armies can usually play out on the table; who lives, who dies, who’s valuable and who’s just a pawn. A great place for beginners who are just getting into the game with the starter set!

Favorite One Offs/Unique

Fifteen Hours by Mitchel Scanlon: This one’s tagline got me: “Basic Training: Four Months. Planetary Transportation: Seven Weeks. Life Expectancy…Fifteen Hours.” I loved this book. Not only is it 40k World War I style, but it’s also 40k told small. Not great heroes or famous battles, just one of trillions of guardsmen and one of millions of battles. The story doesn’t revolve around our heroes and neither do the events. We merely see a vast war through their very small scope. It’s All Quiet on the Western Front with orks and lasguns and simply a terrific read.
Deff Skwadron by Gordon Rennie & Paul Jeacock : A 40k comic about ork fighter pilots. It’s as good as it sounds. Let’s face it orks are funny and brutal. Their single minded desire to fight and kill is highly entertaining and this comic captures that mood both in a great set up and magnificent orky-art. If you read no other 40k comic definitely check this one out.
Headtaker by David Guymer: It’s not ALL the grim dark! This fantasy story revolves around my favorite fantasy battles character. With all the betrayal and backstabbing you’d expect from skaven…Queek Headtaker leads his armies, fighting against his allies as much as his foes…and showing everyone who really is the most clever rat in the under empire.

Next week I’ll tackle the audio drama/audio book arm of Black Library which is definitely worth its own separate study!

Black Library Website

The Best Revenge is Living Well: Changing your Course

On January 7, 2015January 7, 2015 By James CastroIn OpinionsLeave a comment

“The best revenge is living well”

I never understood that phrase until very recently. I always thought I did but in the spirit of my “let it go” 2015 mentality I thought I’d share how I came to realize what this really means. I apologize for the length of this post but most of us can relate and this is the last, final release of this whole thing!

In November 2012 I left a job with government I had been in for 9 years. It was my first full-time position and though the pay was low I often convinced myself it was worth it due to the laid back atmosphere and a lot of the personalities there. I met some of the most interesting people working there. When I first started right out of college it seemed like a great place. Chances for growth, good benefits, and caring leadership. Over the years there was a subtle, then a not-so-subtle shift. The pay stayed low and with the increase in benefits prices (benefits that started to get worse) I actually netted less in 2012 than I did in 2011. But from when I started in 2003-about 2010 it felt mostly ok. We liked to complain about processes and personalities, and we could goof off a bit (paperwad wars that lasted a few weeks) but overall it was just work that could be done then left at the office.

Sometime in 2009-2010 things really started to change. The leadership had a shakeup and new people came in. One of my friends actually became a second-in-charge, and there was talk that even I’d get to move up. I’d already gone from entry level, to mid-level, to project management and committee chair so it felt like things were proceeding ok.

My last year there all my illusions were suddenly and violently ripped apart and reality became clear. I was named “co-head” of a new department. I was kept at my previous salary despite essentially managing other employees and still chairing and budgeting for my committee. I considered it ok, it was still a move up and into better things. Then came the yearly evaluations. The other co-head and I were asked to provide these for our direct reports. I wrote honest but well-tempered evaluations, pointing out where things could be improved but always measured this by how what could be considered “defects” were often bonuses. Yes some of us took extra time to perform a task others might do in a fraction of the time, but the end result of that individual’s work was often subtly far superior due to her training, experience, and natural eye. Yes some of us might take some time to have non-sequiturs and discuss movies, video games, or kung fu for a few minutes but that kind of atmosphere is the reason we were considered to be the “best” department to be around by visitors. We were all friendly and morale was high, even when hitting roadblock after roadblock in our work.

During my evaluation (I was one of the first to be evaluated in my group) I was told I received one of the very few (I’d heard less than 5 out of 100 but that could’ve been untrue) perfect scores and was told by the big boss “we can’t do what we do here without you.” When I inquired whether I would qualify for any kind of extra compensation based on my performance I was told “you aren’t qualified.” This despite money spent in this organization on PC replacements every two years, iPads for directors, and catered food for some ivory tower departments.

When the rest of the team was evaluated I discovered that many of my comments were edited and only the negative focused on. It turned out, according to the bosses, people were wasting time (and cruelly told they wouldn’t be replaced when they left) or talking too much. Parts of what was intended was taken out of context and used against them.

I felt awful that something I said could have been used this way. That I should’ve been more careful. And that I’d been used as an unwitting spy against my colleagues. I fired off an email the following day to the staff involved and the leadership saying as much. I received a minimal response, but at least one employee did get his evaluation amended.

This is what I felt like they made me do…

It was at this point that I went from being so valuable “they couldn’t do what they do without me” to being a pariah. Simply by speaking out against what I saw was an injustice I wasn’t included in meetings. Duties shifted to the other co-head (who was far more “compliant”) and any talk of my performance (which was universally regarded as exemplary) resulting in further advancement silenced.

More importantly the management had proven themselves to be willing to do anything, sell anyone out, and use anyone in order to get the side of the story they wanted. There were people they didn’t like and they used others to hurt them.

Given that environment I started looking for a new job. A friend of a friend turned me on to a startup department in a private company. It wasn’t in my field but given the chance to move up and out I interviewed. I liked what the manager had to say about being involved from the ground up and teamwork and when I got the call I was being offered the position I took it. This surprised essentially everyone I knew as we all assumed we’d be in our familiar “ruts” forever.

I turned in my two weeks’ notice and not one person in management seemed to care. They seemed only to care if I agreed to stay in my current job at my current salary (doing supervisor work for 26k pretax yes 26k after NINE years of perfect evals and TWO promotions…). So I turned in my two weeks and got ready to leave.

Even in my last two weeks I spent full days finishing an exhibit I was working on to make sure it was done in time for a media event planned for the political boss of my organization (which entirely by consequence was held on my last day). I finished it just in time and one of my best friends managed to get food and the press there for the guests (it was for veterans of the Korean and Vietnam Wars.) I was even to say a few words to the crowd about the importance of this display.

Before I got up to talk my organization boss stood up and made some comments. One of which announced it was my last day and added, “well money talks.” After everything that had happened that comment was shocking to me. Everything I’d done, almost anonymously there, all the extra time I put in, all the hard work I’d done right up until the end was put into the light that I’d left them because I was unappreciative of them. Given the audience I ignored his jibe and stuck to my comments about how important the exhibit was (one of the veterans highlighted called it “the best day of his life”). And with that I left that place.

The new job was strange. My new manager made it clear we all are needed to follow the same procedures and made us feel appreciated for doing good work. In my off time I built a database for fun. Word about it apparently got out and other department managers came by to see it saying “I’ve heard you did something cool.” In less than two years I was given the opportunity to move into supervisory and leadership roles twice. I wasn’t the only one. Other great performers were also given their due. And every step of the way our sacrifices and good work weren’t just appreciated but often we were given kudos publicly so others could see what the team could do and their morale increased as well. I’d never been in a place like this. It’s not perfect but a good manager goes a long way. Someone who is there to teach you, assist you, and defend you rather than steal your ideas and throw you under a fleet of buses.

So back to “the best revenge is living well.” I’ve heard that phrase my entire life but always misunderstood it. To me it meant that you can get revenge on those who have wronged you by living well and doing so to show them how well you’ve done; to really rub it in that you’ve succeeded and you no longer need their approval or assistance. How wrong-headed that kind of thinking is…by being spiteful you are validating that they still have sway over you. The best revenge is living well because once you get to the “living well” part you no longer care about the wrongs done to you. They don’t have any meaning. I have no desire to go back to my old job and rub my success in their faces (clearly as I haven’t named anyone in this narrative) it’s enough just to be satisfied.

Recently another friend left and she confirmed that all the anger and sadness she felt working there essentially evaporated upon leaving.

I’ve said it before but we all can find ourselves in poisonous and negative relationships. They might be coworkers, friends, or relationships but by getting out of them and finding your own way you can take your revenge better than any desk-flipping, profanity-laced tell-off might. Anger takes effort and energy. By moving on and living well you do them the worst damage: you forget about them. And with this post, and my realization of what “the best revenge is living well” I’m forgetting that place forever. It’s just a thing that happened now to get me here.

So here’s to living well in the new year!

Had to use this one! There’s a little of the Unforgiven in all of us…it’s just best not to unleash the Interrogator Chaplains *every* time.

The Philosophy of Frozen

On December 24, 2014December 23, 2014 By James CastroIn Movies, OpinionsLeave a comment

I’m a guy in my thirties so why would I discuss a Disney animated feature from last year marketed (if you buy into the whole “gender roles” thing) mostly to young girls? Because I think it actually has a lot of very good messages that apply to everyone. It may have just hit me at the right time, but it really did strike me as a having very positive philosophic message and I picked my favorites. Since it has a wintry atmosphere it felt like the right season!

1.) Conceal it Don’t Feel it: A lot of us have found ourselves in environments where repression was favored over personal expression. As the film, and life, have shown that kind of thinking only leads to temporary containment and eventual explosion of bottled up emotion. These releases can be positive or negative…so it’s better to live with and as you truly are. The people who truly care about you will understand.

2.) Nothing’s in My Way: A number of times over the past few years I’ve felt that “waiting for the right time” or the “perfect moment” was the best thing I could do. Keeping the status quo until everything was just so would yield the best results. Only very recently I realized there is no perfect moment. And the only thing in the way of my progress was me. So for the first time in forever I’ve really felt like nothing’s in my way. And that’s true for most of us.

3.) Let it Go: The most important message I think of the film. We all linger on what could have been, stew over how we were wronged, and lament over what we’ve lost. Spend too much time looking back and you’ll never see what you have here, and now. All that stuff is a burden and a weight to carry. Use it, learn from it, but once we’ve used it…let it go…and make room for something new.

4.) People Don’t Really Change: Though it’s mentioned in a song about love I find this to be true in all human interactions. Though the details of a person may change their foundations never do. Honorable people generally stay honorable, scoundrels stay scoundrels. Loyal people are loyal to the end and bastards always seek their moment to be bastardy. And it may sound strange but I firmly believe that we can have all these kinds of people as friends, even the worst of the worst, as long as we fully understand who and what they are. Trying to change that chaotic evil into lawful good though will result in nothing but agony for both.

and last but not least…

5.) Reindeer are Better than People: That goes for most animals…they are better than people 😉

This movie really did have an impact on me. Again it may have been the right story at the right time…but it opened me up to a number of realizations about how I perceive my own life.

From the RevPub Team to all of you, Happy Holidays (or happy lack of holidays for all the non-celebrators out there) we’ll have more new content coming soon and will have even bigger and better stuff coming in the new year!

Good Manners: Where Are They Now?

On December 14, 2014 By R. PettyIn OpinionsLeave a comment

How many of you have been cut off while driving this week? What about had someone let a door close on you? Or received a response just as ‘yeah’ or been ignored completely?

If you answered yes to any of these, just know you are part of a large group of people who suffer from people with bad manners (I’m guessing 75 percent of the population). Normally, I would blame the holiday season because people behave at their worst this time of year, but the lack of good manners is just how society has evolved.

I wasn’t raised in a strict household and forced to say yes ma’am, no sir, etc. I remember my dad trying to instill this in me, but most times I refused because I didn’t respect him. As I grew up, I learned you should use these responses with elders, bosses, parents, and pretty much anyone – especially if you respect them. But most people don’t say please and thank you, so should we expect them to go a little further? Yes.

And here’s why: good manners are dying off. I remember saying yes ma’am to a manager several years ago, and she said, “Don’t call me ma’am, it makes me sound old.” Really? Having someone show respect makes people feel old? I never quite broke the habit, and still answer my desk phone yes ma’am or yes sir whenever possible. Of course, I didn’t want this woman – who was the same age as me – to feel old, but I would always show respect because I had no reason not to. People don’t do this anymore because they simply don’t care. ‘Yeah’ seems acceptable. People seem too busy to have good manners, and I have two words for that: bull stuffings.

What to Do

When I’m at work or a store and hold the door for someone, most times they look shocked. And I’m shocked at their response. I expect people to hold the door, and they should too. If you get to a door first and someone is right behind you, hold it. If someone is coming out and you are going in, open it. It’s probably the easiest thing to do in a day and can make someone smile or feel respected. And this doesn’t apply to just women. Men seem just as shocked and appreciated, and at the end of the day, we’re all the same. We’re just people.

Driving is probably the worst example of bad manners. The Nashville area is notorious for having bad drivers, and one reason is because people feel where they have to go is more important than everyone else. Tail-gating, honking, cut-offs, taking someone’s turn at a stop sign are things I experience every day. We all need to just take a deep breath and relax. Cutting someone off will save you a whopping three seconds and could cause a wreck, so it’s not worth it. And you may find someone who has good manners and will let you into traffic because they know what it feels like to wait. No matter how hard we try, we’re always going to have to wait.

Let’s not allow good manners to die. One person can make a huge difference, and maybe we can get back to a point where it’s not so rare. Good manners have been lost in older generations for so long, so if you’re younger than 50 and reading this, think about it. With a little change in our day-to-day, we can make the world a little easier to live in.

Thanksgiving: Take a Break

On November 30, 2014November 29, 2014 By R. PettyIn OpinionsLeave a comment

This Thanksgiving, I found myself in more of a holiday mood than I’ve experienced in years. I decided this week’s post would be simple, and I hope you enjoy it.

A few weeks ago, I became a little more sensitive to whining and complaining. I really started to listen to people and what they said. It surprised me how much complaining we all do every day. So, I decided to try to stop complaining and focus on – you guessed it – what I was thankful for. I decided I would do a Thanksgiving Day resolution, and since Thursday, I am complaining less and enjoying what I have.

Here are the things I’m thankful for, and as we approach the Christmas/holiday season, I hope this finds you a little nicer and in better spirits. The holidays are stressful and busy, but let’s not forget what’s really important.

1. Friends and family. I combine these because my friends are very much my family as well. Each day, I am surrounded by amazing people who try their best to work hard and support others. For the most part, everyone is happy and healthy.

2. Work. Let’s face it: no one loves to work all the time, but I do enjoy working and I’m happy to have a job that allowed me five days off this Thanksgiving. I so needed it. I’m thankful to my company and that I have a good job, working with even better people.

3. My home. Home is a very sacred place and should be the one place you can hide from the world if needed. It should be an escape, and I’m thankful to have a home that is comfortable and warm.

4. My car. I love my Z for its speed and hotness, but it also gets me where I need to go. I drive that little car all over the place, and it hangs in there. There are days I take out my stress on it, and it keeps up with me.

5. Love, nature and beauty. Love keeps us going in the darkest times, and I feel loved by many. It is truly the greatest emotion to have, so be sure to spread some this holiday season. Also, if you struggle with the grayness and dreariness of the weather, keep fresh flowers in the house. It’ll help. Nature is truly beautiful, and when you stop to smell the roses (so to speak) you’ll be surprised how much better you feel.

Feel free to share what you’re thankful for in the comments section, and here’s to a happy holiday season!

Revenant Publications

Category: Opinions