October Transmutation

For the duration, lightning magic, generally the coolest magic, becomes frightning magic. I suppose that means something morale-based, which tends to be useless or overpowered, flamethrower-like.

Addendum

As for alternate history, I'm not sure that actually exists in our timeline, probably because the Battle of Stamford Bridge turned out the way it did. I don't need to tell you the outcome, same-timeline buddies. Obviously someone whose name begins with "Har" won.

State of Speculative Fiction

Naive portrayals of honorable warrior races have fallen out of favor. That's why nobody likes science fiction anymore. Fantasy is hanging in solely on the double back of thinly disguised erotic fiction (the thinner the better).

Video Game Retrospective

Looking back on it, the Quest for Glory games would have sold double if not quadruple had they been called Quest for Virtue, Quest for Goodness, or Quest for Justice. Did they think they were selling games to vikings or something? To Mycenaean-age Greeks?

Addendum

The only alternative is that ghosts are actually aliens and people just didn't know about space. While that's almost certainly true, supporing novel theories is the way to get ahead. It's not as if I'll endure any penalties if I'm wrong. The papers will have already been published and the citations counted.

October Update

Anybody been spooked to death yet? I'm hoping to confirm my theory that ghosts read blogs all day which is why everyone started reporting alien sightings instead (they can't be entertained by anything short of a cat video).

The Sage and the Exacting Dart

The people implored Grudge Sage Tudin to apply his prodigious knowledge of curses toward allaying their fright at the terrible beast. He was neither unwilling nor incapable.
"The cost however is inestimable," he told them as he explained the terrible armaments he had devised at their request. "Each of these darts makes its demand upon life itself if used, reducing by one the span of years . . ." There he swirled and pointed. "Of that man in particular."
"Such a sacrifice!"
"Why him and not the thrower?"
"We will support your family, sir! Be sure of that."
The whirl of relief and regret failed to rustle the indicated man. "Is this over the fence, Tudin? You didn't come up with this in a month."
"In any case," Tudin continued, "as grim as the matter is, we must ask my dear neighbor Iswar . . ."
"Pay me one dart of a like size in solid gold for each expended and I won't object," the victim declared. The people praised his sacrificing spirit. The monster, meanwhile, suffered what they hoped. It met its death rather sooner than one year per dart, or perhaps exactly as fast, since Tudin impelled several dozen of his cruel missiles, most of them after the thing lay still.
The people anticipated a lavish funeral for the richest man in the region at which they might compete to deliver the most moving eulogy, Grudge Sage Tudin most of all. They continued to anticipate it till the release of the scholarly tract I Discovered the Undying Secret and Here It Is: I Have Known It for Years but I Wanted to Work Out a Curse That Prevents Grudge Sage Tudin From Reading This Explanation Before I Published It by Eternity Sage Iswar.
Finis

The Big Problem With Spaceships

Once we get to mining all them asteroids and such, we'll just fill space with a big complex we can traverse using scooters instead of resorting to big clumsy ships.

For Latecomers

The latest four-book series has finished over on Royal Road for you alpha-omegaists who like to know there's an end before you embrace the beginning.

Fantasy Travel Question

Q. Can riding a dragon or pegasus cause jet lag?
A. No. Dragons and pegasoi never submit to being ridden by someone who might succumb to jet lag.
Q. Suppose however that a passenger is suffered to come along. A rescued princess, perchance.
A. In that case, yes, but the problem can be resolved by curative magic of Rank D or better.

Addendum

That is, if the inheriting family members don't kill one another in the resulting dispute over the priceless legacy, which they most likely will. Whoops!

Future Implementations of Estate Taxes

When spaceships become hereditary, it won't be feasible to break them up and sell the parts. That means a new captain will owe service, possibly a galaxy-ranging quest, a year patroling the space marches, or public transport.