Darkstar Commons

Why does magic need so many rules? - io9.com

beardsinspace — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 10:26:15 -0700

Why does magic need so many rules? - io9.com

"“What will you do now?’ ‘I think I will become a monk and devote my entire life to..."

beardsinspace — Fri, 11 May 2012 09:39:55 -0700

“

“What will you do now?’

‘I think I will become a monk and devote my entire life to prayer and good works.’

‘No,’ said Rek. ‘I mean, what will you do today?’

‘Ah! Today I’ll get drunk and go whoring,’ said Bowman.”

”

- David Gemmel, Legend

"I couldn’t live a week without a private library - indeed, I’d part with all my..."

beardsinspace — Sat, 05 May 2012 09:38:42 -0700

“I couldn’t live a week without a private library - indeed, I’d part with all my furniture and squat and sleep on the floor before I’d let go of the 1500 or so books I possess”

- H.P. Lovecraft

"Artists use lies to tell the truth. Yes, I created a lie. But because you believed it, you found..."

beardsinspace — Wed, 02 May 2012 09:48:37 -0700

“Artists use lies to tell the truth. Yes, I created a lie. But because you believed it, you found something true about yourself.”

- Alan Moore, V for Vendetta

10 Untranslatable Words (And When You'll Want to Use Them) - io9.com

beardsinspace — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:23:17 -0700

10 Untranslatable Words (And When You'll Want to Use Them) - io9.com:

Fun article describing some ‘inadequacies’ found in English, then relates them to your favorite fantasy and scifi franchises.

Perfect when you want to take your druidic rituals on the go!

beardsinspace — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:56:05 -0700

Perfect when you want to take your druidic rituals on the go!

googleberry: keenpeach: 25 abandoned Yugoslavia monuments that...

beardsinspace — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:51:54 -0700

googleberry:

keenpeach:

25 abandoned Yugoslavia monuments that look like they’re from the future

“These structures were commissioned by former Yugoslavian president Josip Broz Tito in the 1960s and 70s to commemorate sites where WWII battles took place or where concentration camps stood. They were designed by different sculptors and architects, conveying powerful visual impact to show the confidence and strength of the Socialist Republic. In the 1980s, these monuments attracted millions of visitors per year, especially young pioneers for their ‘patriotic education.’ After the Republic dissolved in early 1990s, they were completely abandoned, and their symbolic meanings were forever lost. From 2006 to 2009, Kempenaers toured around the ex-Yugoslavia region with the help of a 1975 map of memorials, bringing before our eyes a series of melancholy yet striking images.”

For some of these, somebody was commemorating LotR, not WWII. Acronyms are confusing like that.

These monuments would make good fusion cores, or plasma vaults, or maybe magic sentry towers. It’s always nice to find inspiration in unlikely places (like yugoslavia). Where have you found unlikely inspiration?

"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely..."

beardsinspace — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:19:00 -0700

“In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.”

- Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

"There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story"

beardsinspace — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:00:50 -0700

“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story”

- Frank Herbert

"Surprising what you can dig out of books if you read long enough, isn’t it?"

beardsinspace — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:33:10 -0700

“Surprising what you can dig out of books if you read long enough, isn’t it?”

- Robert Jordan

Hugo Awards Nominees 2012

beardsinspace — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:11:00 -0700

Hugo Awards Nominees 2012:

It’s like the Grammys of genre fiction, only without the boring awards show. Anyone have any favorites that they would like to see win?

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

beardsinspace — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 09:05:13 -0700

“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”

- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

How The Bow and Arrow Took Over the World - Gizmodo.com

beardsinspace — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:14:38 -0700

How The Bow and Arrow Took Over the World - Gizmodo.com:

Everyone loves the badass archer. From Legolas to Katniss, the bow and arrow is not just a weapon, but a timeless symbol of human ingenuity. Here is an article on the history of the long range slayer to inspire you!

"What I say is, a town isn’t a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless..."

beardsinspace — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:43:00 -0700

“What I say is, a town isn’t a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it’s got a bookstore it knows it’s not fooling a soul.”

- Neil Gaiman, American Gods

Is Game of Thrones Too White? - Salon.com

beardsinspace — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:15:09 -0700

Is Game of Thrones Too White? - Salon.com:

An interesting essay that talks about depictions of race in Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings. Stuff to think about when doing your own world building!

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

beardsinspace — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:14:20 -0700

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

- Arthur C. Clarke

Follow DSC on Facebook!

beardsinspace — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:13:42 -0700

Follow DSC on Facebook!:

Social media is fun!

10 Books Every Fantasy Author Should Read - io9.com

beardsinspace — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:22:22 -0700

10 Books Every Fantasy Author Should Read - io9.com:

A great article talking about the books every aspiring fantasy author should read. Not Lord of the Rings, I’m pretty sure everyone who’s ever considered writing down a story with a sword in it has read that. This article talks about the books you may have skipped over, and even some you might not have thought of.

"A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge"

beardsinspace — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:24:19 -0700

“A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge”

- George R. R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

The Portal Opens

beardsinspace — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 11:31:00 -0700

Darkstar Commons is now open for business and looking for submissions! For more info, please click the ‘Submit to the Commons’ button at the top of the page.

We will have a Facebook page and a twitter soon, so keep an eye out for those to be fed tasty updates.