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Another Games Bundle - Hearts of Wulin

This is an offer of Hearts of Wulin, featuring "the Apocalypse Engine game of Chinese wuxia melodrama."

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/HeartsOfWulin

The main game material was in a previous bundle, this bundle adds three new supplements, including one for running detective mysteries in the style of Judge Dee etc. The whole lot is very cheap, and for once I don't think it's going to be worth cherry-picking if you're even slightly interested. I should probably add that I know very little about wuxia as a genre - there may be other games out there that handle it better.

Urk

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July Fic Day 13 - Supernatural - Ghostriders in the Sky

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Current Mood: annoyed
Current Music: Worldbox background music

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meta,
movie

Brain, stop dwelling on the stupid.

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Murderbot Interview

Here's a gift link for the New York Times interview with Paul and Chris Weitz, who wrote, directed, and produced Murderbot:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/arts/television/murderbot-season-finale-chris-paul-weitz.html?unlocked_article_code=1.V08.exvw.M_qE37ROOT58&smid=url-share

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FIC: Test Flight

Title: Test Flight (Sanctuary #4)
Author: blueraccoon/rebecca
Rating: NC-17
Summary: “So. Your friends want to meet me. At the dungeon, presumably?”

“Oui, I think that is the idea,” Jean-Rene says. “Brent suggested I bring you this Saturday night. There will be a public scene involving ropes.”
Notes: Not exactly a PWP (look! character development!) but there's an awful lot of kink and smut in this one. Note the tags on AO3.

If you are unfamiliar with previous stories all you need to know is I invented a members-only dungeon in Manhattan named Steel Rose that has public and private play spaces, and where anyone who's anyone in the kink scene goes to watch or play.

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2525 / Fic - A Nice Indian Boy

Alt Text
A Nice Indian Boy | Jay/Naveen | ~1200 words

(Also on AO3)

( 'You know, someone with an unflinching gaze who sees all of me?' Jay photographs Naveen. )

Current Mood: hot
Current Location: on my Chandler/Joey chair

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July Fic Day 12 - Echoes Before Judgement - Stray Kids, Chan/Felix

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Phones

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interview

Two new interviews

In Psychopomp, with me, Wole Talabi and Alix E. Harrow:

https://psychopomp.com/fantasy/issue97/interview-with-world-fantasy-finalists-part-one/

And in Scientific American:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/were-light-years-away-from-true-artificial-intelligence-says-murderbot/

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Location: on my Chandler/Joey chair

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July Day 10 & 11 - American Idol - Held in the Spotlight - Adam/Kris

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New Murderbot Short Story

The new Murderbot short story is up at Reactor Magazine:

Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy

https://reactormag.com/rapport-martha-wells/

Edited by Lee Harris, art by Jaime Jones.

And Murderbot was renewed for a second season!

https://deadline.com/2025/07/murderbot-renewed-season-2-apple-tv-1236453764/

“We’re so grateful for the response that Murderbot has received, and delighted that we’re getting to go back to Martha Wells’ world to work with Alexander, Apple, CBS Studios and the rest of the team,” Chris and Paul Weitz, said in a statement Thursday.

Current Mood: good
Current Location: on my Chandler/Joey chair

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July Fic Day 9 - Gone Quiet - Good Omens (TV)

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gurps,
rpg

Another GURPS Bundle - Pyramid 2

This is the second bundle of Pyramid Magazine issues I mentioned on Monday, covering the second half of Volume 3 of Pyramid (62 issues, Nov 2013 - Dec 2018)

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Pyramid2

There's not really much to add to what I said previously - you get a lot of material for a huge range of genres, and a lot of it is easily adapted to other RPGs. On Monday I think I underestimated how much these bundles are saving - if you buy the lot the cost is about 10% of what you pay for the issues individually. If you don't already own most of them it's probably worth a look.

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2524 / Fic - The Old Guard

Serenity Prayer
The Old Guard | Nile, Gen | ~1300 words | Thanks to

sheafrotherdon for betaing.

(Also on AO3)

( Once saved, always saved. That was what Nile had been brought up to believe, what she'd heard proclaimed from the pulpit every Sunday. A Christian might falter on the path to salvation, but no true Christian could ever turn aside from it. Constancy was key. )

Current Mood: blah
Current Location: on my Chandler/Joey chair

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July Fic Day 8 - Fractured Promises - Being Human UK, George/Mitchell

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2523 / Fic - The Pitt

siblings in arms
The Pitt | Gen | ~1100 words | Written for the

au-roulette challenge, for the prompt "roleswap." Thanks to

sheafrotherdon for betaing.

(Also on AO3)

( Dr Evans would be lost without Charge Nurse Robinavitch. )

Current Mood: awake
Current Location: on my Chandler/Joey chair

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July Fic Day 7 - Ruin - Strictly Come Dancing, Craig/Bruno

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gurps,
rpg

Two GURPS Bundles - Pyramid Magazine and GURPS 4E

Two offers for Steve Jackson Games' GURPS RPG system - The first is a new bundle of the first sixty issues of Volume 3 of Pyramid Magazine (2008-2013), the other is a repeat bundle of GURPS 4E Essentials - the rules and the most useful supplements etc.

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Pyramid1

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/July2025GURPS

Pyramid magazine has always been a useful resource for GURPS, and a lot of it is readily adapted to other systems. This offer feels a little on the expensive side, but you're paying less than a dollar an issue, compared to $6 and up if you buy them individually, which is a very good deal if you don't already own a lot of them. A follow-on bundle which launches on Wednesday has a lot more issues, the remainder of Volume 3.

When the GURPS 4E bundle was last on offer I said "GURPS is probably the most popular generic RPG rules set, designed to be readily adapted to any setting. It's reasonably easy to pick up, though there are other games out there that easier to learn, and has a vast range of support material available. This Essentials offer is aimed at people who don't already own the game at all - I own most of it already in dead tree format, the exceptions are things that simply don't interest me much such as the Mass Combat supplement. If you don't already own it, and want a very adaptable rules set, it's well worth a look." I don't see any reason to change any of that