Message no. 1

From:	"Steven A. Tinner" <bluewizard@*****.COM>
Subject:	I'm in Heaven! - Wolf and Raven is Out! (Possible SPOILERS)
Date:	Sat, 30 May 1998 00:33:02 -0400

Awww yeah! Now this is what SR Fiction is all about!
Action, cyborgs and magic all rolled up into tight little tales with
interesting characters and viable plots!

For those who don't know - Mike Stackpole is the author of the new SR
"Braided Novel" "Wolf and Raven"
It's really a collection of his short stories from Challenege, and Kage, as
well as some new material added in to round the whole thing out as a viable
novel.

Stackpole is the first ever SR fiction writer, and these stories show a
decided lean towards SR1.
However that in no way lessens their fun.

I will warn those out there who get bent about fiction not matching "canon"
Wolf and Raven are NOT about fitting into the"canon" SR world.
These tales take a few liberties with established FASA reality! ;-)
(And I love every one of them!)

Just what is different?

SPOILER SPACE FOLLOWS




























Well ... for one thing, Wolf is a real hybrid character. Both a Shaman,
physad, and VERY unique shapeshifter!
Mike also adds a LOT of weapons and gear that never appear in any FASA
rulebook.
Oh yeah, he also calls the Seattle Mariners baseball team the "Seattle
Seadogs", but he has a good explanation for it!

IMO he handles all his explanations well.
For starters, he frames the book as a collection of memoirs of Wolf, and
lets the reader know that this stuff all went down about 8 years ago (Or
more).
Why does he do this? Well, a lot has changed since Wolf first appeared.
Fuchi is used in the book (I think we know where Fuchi is now, don't we?)
Regular villains -the Halloweeners have radically changed since they
appeared as Wolf's nemesis.
I was glad to see Charles the Red leading a gang of motley thugs in pursuit
of Wolf personally - I don't care for the new "Firebug" motif used in
Underworld.

Overall, the book is IMO an excellent read, and a fun glimpse backwards at
the fiction that made SR what it is today.
These stories are the ones that hooked me on SR in the first place so they
hold a special place in my heart.
Give them a try, and see if they are as much fun for you!

Steven A. Tinner - ICQ#12789001
bluewizard@*****.com
http://www.ncweb.com/users/bluewizard
"Smash the Pumpkins! Billy Corrigan must Die!"