malcolmcraig.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

Good thread. Such as the tradition exists, US military parades have previously been about symbolically celebrating the citizen-soldier as tribune of the people. This vulgar act of obeisance today is about glorifying a toddler king. It demeans the US Army.

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

Cold City and Hot War! We successfully funded this pair of classic indie RPGs of espionage and apocalypse a little while back. The text of Cold City is now almost entirely complete! Late pledges remain open for a while longer. www.kickstarter.com/projects/jon...

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

To mark this weekend of military parades and presidential birthdays, everything we get from Drivethrurpg this weekend will be donated to the ACLU. Pass it on. Join in if you want to. Good luck today, American friends. Hope you’re all ok. www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher...

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

Last night's cocktail of choice was the Trinidad Sour. With 45ml of Angostura Bitters, it's certainly not for everyone! www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/re...

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

I just asked our Discord community for their reccos for horror movies - either high end artsy stuff or plain ole shlock that's adorable. What's good in the world of horror movies? Assume I've been out of the loop for maybe 30 years? Fill me in, friends. Fly-guy for decoration

submitted 12 days ago • 20 comments

Today sees the first trial run of my paper 'The Price of Freedom is $19.95!: Invasion, apocalypse, and tabletop role-playing games in Ronald Reagan's America'. It's at our annual internal faculty conference, so god knows what colleagues from other departments are going to make of it.

submitted 12 days ago • 3 comments

Regardless of what you think of other people's RPG designs, one creator slagging off another creator (& tacitly encouraging a pile-on) is deeply unprofessional & deeply unedifying. Yes, some designers make over-inflated claims based on a lack of wider experience. That's no reason to single them out.

submitted 12 days ago • 1 comment

Stereo Total, 'Aua', obviously. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhma...

submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

1) After time to recover (because it was exhausting), some reflections on @ukge.bsky.social 2025. I was delighted that 40+ people gave up their time to attend my 'Playing in the Bomb's Shadow' talk. It was delightful to have so many great questions and positive interactions.

submitted 12 days ago • 1 comment

Heading off to @ukge.bsky.social in a couple of hours. I'm doing a talk on my research at 11am tomorrow (Friday). Plus, I'll be on the @handiworkgames.bsky.social section of the huge GMS Logistics booth for the rest of the weekend. Always happy to chat! www.ukgamesexpo.co.uk/events/2154-...

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

Liverpool John Moores employs about 2,500 people, UCLan employs more than 3,300. If Dan Carden and Jonathan Hinder want to close those universities they’ll have a lot of people in their constituencies suddenly out of a job.

submitted 18 days ago • 7 comments

It's true! The talk also features prizes!* And if you're a podcast host or write about RPGs, then do drop me a DM if you'd like to chat at UKGE. And! Everyone should feel free to drop by the Handwork Games booth on the big GMS Logistic stand for a bit of a yarn. *Not good ones, though.

submitted 19 days ago • 1 comment

I cannot promise to be "in full effect". Most of the time I can only manage to get to "in partial effect". But I will be enthusiastically partial, mind you!

submitted 23 days ago • 0 comments

Chortling away as I put together the slides to accompany my conference paper for @hotcus.bsky.social 2025, on The Price of Freedom RPG.

submitted 23 days ago • 0 comments

Delighted to be writing a chapter tentatively entitled 'War to the Sound of Clattering Dice: Tabletop roleplaying games and Cold War conflict' for the edited collection War in Modern U.S. History: A Transatlantic Perspective, coming from Ohio University Press in 2026!

submitted 26 days ago • 0 comments

I have come up with a brilliant new idea for a game mechanic.

submitted 32 days ago • 1 comment

Repeating again for latecomers: we do not own a cat. [For reference, her name is Ivy, she lives next door, is of indeterminate age, was once a stray, and is very small. She now owns two homes, travelling between the two. She's very fond of chicken, sleeping on knees, and the music of Dave Brubeck]

submitted 32 days ago • 1 comment

A small preview of the research we will be enjoying soon at Lancaster for the HOTCUS Annual Conference 2025! Check it out at hotcus.org.uk/events/annua...

submitted 32 days ago • 0 comments

If you're a historian of modern Ireland, we are currently welcoming applications for a temporary position in @ljmuhistory.bsky.social. This is to cover my esteemed colleague @gillianobrien.bsky.social, who will be on research leave in AY2025-26. www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNB992/l...

submitted 32 days ago • 0 comments

Been on social media hiatus because of marking/writing. However, my paper on The Price of Freedom RPG for the @hotcus.bsky.social 2025 conference is done! Deliberately cheesy slides included!

submitted 32 days ago • 1 comment

Character folios done for running Cold City in Germany this week. Quick stop off in Berlin, but it's fine, don't worry @handiworkgames.bsky.social @malcolmcraig.bsky.social I have got my Zonal Travel Permit stamped for all four zones. :) #ttrpg

submitted 61 days ago • 2 comments

On the train to @conpulsion.bsky.social! Still revising the current text of Shipwreck! before this morning’s session. The Scene Direction stuff is new, totally inspired by @lackingceremony.bsky.social’s Quiet Year.

submitted 65 days ago • 0 comments

@conpulsion.bsky.social starts tomorrow! If you're there, then I'm doing a bunch of stuff! And assisting @handiworkgames.bsky.social on the stall!

submitted 65 days ago • 0 comments

MPs being (rightly) recalled over the 2,700 jobs at risk in British steel, while 5,000 university jobs are actively being cut this year with a further 5,000 jobs under threat and very little intervention is... interesting. Academia is also an industry in collapse. www.ucu.org.uk/article/1393...

submitted 65 days ago • 7 comments

Sometimes you read the opening paragraph of a book review and inadvertently shout out "If all of that is a bloody surprise to you, then you shouldn't be reviewing any book on this topic!" I apologise to those colleagues with adjoining offices.

submitted 69 days ago • 0 comments

Of course, now feeling the urge to write a short article on the Forge and the British indie RPG scene, 2000-2010. The Forge's international reach and influence is criminally under-explored in the extant literature.

submitted 69 days ago • 1 comment