1.05.2006

A Deathy New Year to you, and you, and you!
I hope everyone made it through the holidays safely (although it sounds like Mike and Silverfyre might be suffering some liver damage).

2006. Let’s geek out quick, and get it over with.

When I was a little kid, cutting my teeth on the Dragonlance Chronicles, I used to daydream about Raistlin and his fellow students of magic. And like any nerdy 11-year old, I’d daydream what it would be like to study magic. But “magic” was really just shorthand for something of worth. Outside of Harley’s adolescent fantasy life, the question still had merit:

Given the chance to accomplish something important, how would I behave?

Would I pour myself into the work, forsaking all else in the pursuit of that one goal? Or would I elect not to try at all, rather than attempt a long shot and risk failure?

Fast forward to the present. I haven’t read any of the Dragonlance books in over a decade, but they’re still at my bedside. The covers are worn yet beautiful. I can roll over at night and see Elmore’s depiction of Raistlin, his robes shading from red to black.

And now I have something to fight for, that long shot. Five short months to impress the Masters of High Sorcery.

Time to buckle down, light the candles and blow the dust off a musty tome. Time to see if Harley, given the chance, can write something of worth. A book worthy of a reader’s finite hours.

Heh. Three decades and I’m still envisioning my life through the lens of fantasy. Fun.

Thanks for sticking around for the ride. As the song goes, “You could be anywhere in the world, tonight, but you’re here with me. I appreciate that.”


Harley Stroh for Caffeine Powered Super-Robot
Every year the fine folks at Game Wyrd host their fan awards. Of all their awards, the one I covet is the “Most likely to be a caffeine powered robot.”

I don’t have enough 2005 products to make the cut, but if - by some stretch of the imagination - I get the World of Darkness gig, I’m throwing my hat in the ring for 2006. Because if I get that book, it will have been because I was a caffeine powered super-robot.

That’s still a long way from being a reality, so consider this a preliminary stump speech. ;)


Whew. For the first post of the year, that reads like so much gibberish. If you'd care to read something of substance, might I suggest reading this?

This post has been syndicated to livejournal by the polite and well-mannered Harleybot.

6 comments:

Jeff LaSala said...

Even though I certainly have enjoyed the Harry Potter books and movies, I say with pride that I'm a lot happier I grew up, like Harley, apprenticing my imagination with Raistlin and facing his test...than with Potter.

Red robes to black, the dilemmas, plays at love, and ultimate sacrifices. Man oh man is that good stuff. Like Lord of the Rings, I find rereading the Chronicles and the Legends of Dragonlance every few years to be a much-needed caffeination.

And just this morning I was pondering rereading Weis and Hickman's Death Gate Cycle.

Anonymous said...

Nice one H.

J

Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell said...

Welcome back, Grimmy!

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Marce!

Are your little ones healthy again?

//H

Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell said...

Little ones have turned the corner, with no ER visit! Happy New Year to us! (Well, except for that USC loss, but you can't have everything...)

lcduplatt said...

I'm dying to give you this link...thought you may like it -found this site of NDEs that are cool. Enjoy! Near Death Experiences