Author Archive: Sarah Hoyt

JUST REMEMBER, THE DUMB HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WITH US, BUT THE SPECIES GOES ON:  Sometimes I Despair.

FROM M. C. A. HOGARTH:  Live, Love, Level.

In a world where virtual reality gaming lets players shape their own stories, Nick desperately wants to join the beta test for Omen Galaxica’s revolutionary AI update. There’s just one catch – he needs a partner who’s never played before. Enter his mother Amanda, currently on bedrest during a difficult pregnancy. Together, they must rebuild the destroyed village of Donner’s Beck while defending it from a notorious griefer intent on wreaking havoc. But as virtual and real worlds blur, both Nick and Amanda discover that games aren’t just about escape… they’re about connection, growth, and finding your place in a rapidly changing world.

A heartwarming tale of family, friendship, and finding meaning in unexpected places, perfect for:

  • Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z (and boomers who know)

  • parents and teens and people in-between

  • gamers and people who love but are baffled by people who game

  • dragon, AI, and pizza enthusiasts

SPEAKING OF WHICH:  Triggering.

HE WAS HIGH ON EDIBLES:  Fakes‑Giving: Campbell’s 3D ‘Meat’ Allegations May Sour Holiday Soup Sales.

Look, they might be using the “fake meat” like the type they tried to sell us under the Bidentia. Vegetarian meat like substances, basically. But they are not using 3-D printed meat. At this point that’s more expensive than normal meat, and is basically “meat blob” with unappetizing texture. Even for soup, they’re not doing that. I’d guess the VP was high on edibles. or something much stronger.

FROM MARY CATELLI:   A Diabolical Bargain.

Growing up between the Wizards’ Wood and its marvels, and the finest university of wizardry in the world, Nick Briarwood always thought that he wanted to learn wizardry. When his father attempts to offer him to a demon in a deal, the deal rebounded on him, and Nick survives — but all the evidence points to his having made the deal. Now he really wants to learn wizardry. Even though the university, the best place to master it, is also the place where he is most likely to be discovered.