Wednesday, 9 January 2008

King Solomon's Mines

by Rider Haggard
Published 1885


Wikipedia reports that "The book was first published in September 1885 amid considerable fanfare, with billboards and posters around London announcing "The Most Amazing Book Ever Written". It became an immediate best seller. By the late 19th century explorers were uncovering lost civilizations around the world, such as Egypt's Valley of the Kings, and the empire of Assyria. Africa remained largely unexplored and King Solomon's Mines, the first novel of African adventure published in English, captured the public's imagination."

It was also the best selling book of 1885 and is arguably the first of the "Lost World" genre of fiction. I love the book's dedication, which reads:

This faithful but unpretending recordof a remarkable adventureis hereby respectfully dedicatedby the narrator,ALLAN QUATERMAIN,to all the big and little boys who read it.


And of course any novel with a Naval Officer named "Captain Good" cant be bad at all!

http://whitewolf.newcastle.edu.au/words/authors/H/HaggardRider/prose/kingsolomonmines/index.html



Sketchmap of the route to King Solomon’s Mines

Tuesday, 8 January 2008

Aeronef terrain on the cheap

http://www.boardgamedesign.com/pages/goshopping.htm#HOUSES

They are technically Monopoly™ houses and hotels, but with the right paint job, I suspect they'd make good ground targets and table decoration.

Electric Blockhaus

Another treasure direct from the Vanvlak archives!


Its always reminded me of a mobile steampunk version of the Rebel batteries on Hoth, in "The Empire Strikes Back". Mssr V scratchbuilt this little beauty about 2 years ago from gosh-knows-what components...

Monday, 7 January 2008

Boys Own Adventure!

A new VSF blog has popped up on the horizon:

Having claimed this heretofore blank space of the Web, forestalling the odious French, ghastly Huns and dastardly Russians, I welcome you to Boys' Own Adventure! Under the aegis of the Union Jack, and the protection of the Queen Empress it affords, on these pages you will be able to absorb the mores and morals of yesteryear when all that was needed to subjugate the globe to Commerce and Civilisation was a stiff upper lip, handsome moustaches, a pith helmet and the occasional recourse to one's .455 Mk. IV Webley. Huzzah!

Here you will find information on literature, films, games and more which all bear the stamp of Boys' Own. "But, hold on, Sir," I hear you cry, "just what is Boys' Own? What its characteristics? Whence its origins? Wherefore its heyday?"

That, dear Reader, is the subject of another post...


And it must be a top-hole kind of place because there is a link to Yours in a White Wine Sauce under the banner 'The Right Sort of Chaps" - guess it takes one to know one eh?

Sunday, 6 January 2008

Vanvlak Industries financial report


It wasnt like this in the Sudan you know...

...or maybe it was, now I think about it!

The silly buggers over at the VSF and 15mm Wargaming Blog (http://vsf15mm.blogspot.com/) posted a great link the other day, and I have been perusing it with great interest.

http://sudan1883.blogspot.com/

Lots of great stuff there for the colonial and VSF gamer. I particularly like the recent emphasis on the Royal Marines, who often seem to be get sidelined for those smart looking chaps in their redcoats.

Thankyou Gentlemen!

Saturday, 5 January 2008

Sad Loss Of Inspiration

From Graham Evans at Science versus Pluck
********************************************************
If any of you haven't noticed, that fine chronicler of Victorian
colonial warfare, George MacDonald Fraser died earlier this
week. I attach the notification from the BBC website.This is
obviously very sad for all fans of his writing & not just the
Harry Flashman books. Inevitably all of us who have read
and loved the books can only lament at the information we
will now never know. How did Flash Harry get to Mexico?
How did he fight on both sides of the ACW? How did he get
back from China?
*********************************************************
The only answer is for a noted author and fan of Victorian
memoirs to take up the challenge and complete
the series from GMF's notes.
*********************************************************
Anyway, to all members of the group, if you haven't already done
so, raise a glass to the memory of the finest historical novelist ever
this evening.

Graham

Friday, 4 January 2008

Gaming Resources

Here are some nifty sites that you might find useful:

Official seal generator:

Latin Motto generator

Newspaper article generators


Thursday, 3 January 2008

Vanvlak Industries

We've had a slight reorganisation here at WWS and introduced a new article category: Vanvlak Industries

Now you can quickly and easily peruse the many and varied works of Mssr Vanvlak and be reminded of his impressive imagination and skills.

We here at WWS are honoured to hold the exclusive rights to display the products of Vanvlak Industries!

Wednesday, 2 January 2008

The Junior General

Zophiel kindly pointed me towards this great site today, which has a bunch of paper models ready to print and cut out for quick easy playing. They may not have the appeal of lead figures, but are cheapoer and quicker to play with, especially if you just want to try a game out without going to the expence of buying the models.

Pretty much anything you can think of is here, from Dinosaurs and Cavemen to Colonial Troopers of varying Nationalities and Regiments. There are also some great pre-dreadnought models which could work very well for Aquanef, such as the Russian Heavy Cruiser Admiral Makarow above, and these US Civil War Ironclads.


CRYPTO-CRITTERS Anthology Series

CRYPTO-CRITTERS I

A terrific new collection of stories featuring crypto-zoological subjects from around the world! Everything from Big Foot to pink elephants is tackled in this one, and the most fun for visitors to this website, of course, is the fact that CJ has two stories in this one.

CRYPTO-CRITTERS II

In remote parts of the planet they lurk, the unknown, the unsuspected, the sometimes rumored ... they are the creatures of myth and legend, until someone finally finds one and pulls it whole and breathing into the modern age. This is it, the much anticipated follow-up to the original smash hit, Crypto-Critters, and it’s packed with the best crypto-zoological sci fi, fantasy and horror stories of all time. Join Bruce Gehweiler, Patrick Thomas, James Chambers, John Sunseri, Edmund R. Schubert, Diane Raetz, Scott Thomas, Graham Watkins and, as you might suspect, our own C.J., who brings three tales to this stunning sequel!

http://www.cjhenderson.com/store_anth.html

Tuesday, 1 January 2008

Scratchbuilt Aeronef protoype revealed!

Eli at "I see Lead People" has revealed his mate's first attempt at a Nef - I cant wait to see what else he comes up with!

Mad Scientist President?

Just to prove that all is not well in the former colony (and you shouldnt have rebelled should you?), a mad Scientist is now running for President. Of course, he cant be a very good mad Scientist if he is actually going through the democratic process rather than just seizing power through some kind of doomsday device...



Just in time for the Iowa caucus and owing to the fact that I am not entirely pleased with any candidate being offered by the major parties, I am glad to announce my candidacy for President of the United States. As I recently stated on the Exile Games forum, I will be running on the Mad Scientist party ticket.

At a recent press conference, one of my carefully placed plants in the audience raised a cunningly scripted question about my stance on zombies. Here was my spontaneously pre-packaged response:

I'm glad you raised that issue. Millions of Americans such as yourselves are rightly concerned with this clear and present threat to our way of life. My voting record will show a strong and decisive response to this concern based on three key principals: preparation, research, and response.

Preparation: I have repeatedly stated that zombie survival hinges on resource management. Therefore, through tax incentives to private citizens and auto manufacturers, I will strive to ensure that every household in America is prepared with a basic survival kit including water, chainsaws for both utility and defense, lumber to board up windows, and car batteries that will insure every car made in this country will start on the first turn of the key, even in the dark with a legion of Oogie-Boogies shambling towards you.

Research: Some of my detractors have suggested that we should ban all zombie-related research. However, this would mean that Al Qaeda has won. Such strictures would weaken our nation's economy and erode our God-given right to play Prometheus in our basement laboratories. We cannot allow America to suffer from a Zombie Gap any more than we can afford a Giant Robot Gap or a Deathray Gap. In the past, those of us in the Mad Scientist party have been accused of not doing enough to ensure adequate safety procedures in our zombie research facilities based on a few isolated incidents of our studies spilling over into the general population and leading to plagues of brain-munching ghouls. I will insist on the highest attention to safety; under my budget, for every 8 billion dollars spent on zombie research, companies will be required to spend $3.79 on a really good padlock to keep the undead blighters in their pens. That ought to take care of it.

Response: In the event of the inevitable zombie breakout, I will personally parachute into the afflicted area equipped with running shoes, camouflage cargo shorts, my kukri, a pump action shot gun, and all the ammo bandoleers I can carry. Within forty-eight hours, the zombie threat will be quelled. That is my campaign promise to you.

I hope I can count on your vote in the upcoming primaries. Vote for me and I'll put a ninja on every corner and two in between. Thank you.

Monday, 31 December 2007

Hangovers...

Like me, you probably have a shocker right now...try Naughty Nelly's patented elixir:

The Almighty Hangover Emergency Cure
2 aspirins
600mg vitamin C
1 tablet vitamin B-complex
1 banana 1 small can V8 (or any vegetable juice)
6 large strawberries
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup orange juice
1-2 cups milk (or soy milk)
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash of nutmeg

Preparation time: 10 minutes (or longer depending on just how bad your hangover is...)
Serves 1

Sunday, 30 December 2007

National Geographic Map Collection


Over a hundred years of searchable, zoom-able maps here - just the thing for planning an expedition or next season's campaign!

http://www.ngmapcollection.com/

An exploration of debauchery, vice and other reasons to be a man!

An exploration of debauchery, vice and other reasons to be a man!