So, I had these done a while back but only finished the covers and put them up on Amazon a short while ago.
The first is a short book that gives the history of spaceflight in a very basic way, but that covers what I think is the REAL history, including the mostly faked Moon landings, along with what I think really happened with the actual Moon landings, Operation Hijump, the Nazi Bell, Roswell, etc.
In short, if you want a basic primer that covers all the real and hidden basics, you may want to get this for yourself too, even if you’re an adult. Plenty of images in it, and all in full colour:
The second is a short book that I plan to use myself with my children, so as to introduce them to the concept of tabletop role-playing using pens, paper and dice.
It’s going to be interesting because the 2 year old obviously can’t read yet, though she understands basic numbers and can count to 20 or so, but luckily the 13 year old enjoyed a few more advanced games of role-playing, one or two using the RPG I put together called The Dirty Old West (set in the (potentially also slightly supernatural) Wild West), and some Traveller once with friends. So she will be helping the little one along. Because there is no way she will not want to be included once she sees her 4 year-old sister and 6 year-old brother playing it.
This book is written so that the rules are super simple and basic (one six-sided die is all you need for each player) and there are plenty of images in it and a complete little adventure to get everyone started. The idea is that dad (or mom, if so inclined) is the referee and presents the situation, adventure or game to his children, possibly along with heir little friends if unlike me you don’t have half a football team’s worth of them.
The point of doing this activity is that it is now an absolute certainty that most children spend waaaaaay too long on “smart” phones, tablet and watching brainropt crap on YouTube. And it affects them badly in many ways. Our kids are presently discussing what to do with the latest giant bug they found.
And later tonight, if it doesn’t rain again will probably be running around the local playground and surrounds with other kids their age playing football until 10 and 11pm at night.
The concept of being able to do activities with other live human beings, face to face, listen, use their imagination, do some basic math and story-telling themselves, are all skills that serve everyone well in life, and which they can learn while playing , so not even realising they are learning skills.
The benefit of RPGs to real life is something I am an absolute advocate for, because it develops emergent skills most people have no clue about. My brother and I essentially have the idea that there is no such thing as a problem that can’t somehow be solved, partly due to RPGs. In essence, life will present you with a set of problems throughout your time here, and most of life is the resolving of those problems. The better you are at attacking issues head-on and dealing with them in a variety of imaginative ways, the more likely you are to succeed at whatever you plan to do in life.
Learning to solve problems as a routine part of a game that fosters the evolution of your imagination, makes this an instinctive reaction later in life too.
And if you can’t make the time to play with your own children, which invariably has some hilarious elements to it, then perhaps you need to solve that very problem yourself, first and foremost!
Plus, $20 for a game that can literally provide years of entertainment for the whole family is a pretty good return on investment anyway.
I have not converted these latest two to e-books yet, also because they are better as physical colourful books, so they are not available cheaper at my e-shop like the other books and RPG games , including Surviving the Current Zombie Apocalypse , an RPG game more for adults, which has been enjoyed and well-received by all those I know who played it, and who also found it very funny, particularly if they know us personally.
This post was originally published on my Substack. Link here
