Read more about the article Liftoff!—Joining SciFiMonth
Consuming all things SFF

Liftoff!—Joining SciFiMonth

I think it was 2 years ago when I first came across the SciFi Month on Sarah Higbee’s blog. I loved the idea, since I’m as much a fan of science fiction as I am of fantasy, but it felt rushed to try joining mid-month. Instead, I hoped to join the following year, which in the end, never happened.

This year, I was determined to not miss it. I noted the date in my calendar and started gathering ideas—and there were so many! Time, of course, flies and I might be far from feeling prepared, but I’m still joining it. (more…)

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October 26, 2020
Read more about the article The Wasted Potential of Netflix’s Dragon’s Dogma
Consuming all things SFF

The Wasted Potential of Netflix’s Dragon’s Dogma

I played Dragon’s Dogma shortly after the game came out, back in 2012 (has it really been that long already?). The gameplay was enjoyable, and the setting felt just right: dark, but not overly gritty, showing a world with little hope but without trying to shock the player or plunge them into the depths of despair.

And though I might have missed the initial news of Netflix preparing an animated adaptation, once I’ve learned about the project, I was, well, hopeful. My expectations weren’t particularly high: a decent show capturing the game’s best aspects would do. And now, over a week after the series’ release, I can’t get over my disappointment. (more…)

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September 28, 2020
Read more about the article Melfka’s Best of 2019
As a Side Note

Melfka’s Best of 2019

Do end-of-year lists have a point? 355 days is enough time to both get acquainted with massive amounts of creations and… forget about a lot of them, no matter how good they were. Yet, those subjective “the best of” lists do have an appeal of discovery of another person’s favorites that in the next year might become mine.

Nowadays I’m more focused on creating rather than consuming, so I don’t have dozens of books or tv shows to pick from, but I still can point toward my favorites, so here’s a meager Melfka’s Best of 2019 list. (more…)

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January 6, 2020
Read more about the article Gaming Writer’s Saturday: Greedfall
Gaming Writer's Saturday

Gaming Writer’s Saturday: Greedfall

I don’t game as much as I used to, with writing greedily taking over every available moment, but after I won NaNoWriMo a few days early, I gave myself a weekend of video gaming in reward. That meant finally getting to the end of Greedfall: a game that I came across by chance and that surprised me in many positive ways. (more…)

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December 21, 2019
Read more about the article Waiting for the Witcher
As a Side Note

Waiting for the Witcher

I first read the Witcher series in my early teens, grabbing the books off the bookstore’s shelf as soon as they were published. Through years to come, I’ve re-read the saga almost as much as I used to read one of my other favorites, The Count of Monte Cristo. At some point, I knew pieces of dialogue and descriptions by heart, and reading those books impacted my growth as a writer.

Yet, my relationships with the Witcher’s derivative works were—so far—very lukewarm. Can the Netflix’s upcoming series change that? (more…)

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December 15, 2019
Read more about the article A Month in a Writer’s Life – March 2019
A Month in a Writer's Life

A Month in a Writer’s Life – March 2019

This month’s report is a little bit earlier as April will be full of A to Z challenge posts (I’ll be talking about the setting of my fantasy world – come back to check them out). If February was an earthquake when it comes to my plans, March could be called aftershocks. Even though work-wise it was a quieter month, I was in a constant catch-up mode, trying to meet my self-imposed deadlines. (more…)

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March 31, 2019
Read more about the article Finding Time for Important Things
Personal Rants

Finding Time for Important Things

My flamenco shoes have been sitting in the wardrobe for years… A random thought triggered by an online add made me realize that my shoes had been stuck in various wardrobes for good 10 years now. My bellydancing scarf might not have accrued such an impressive number, but it isn’t far behind, and the fan veils I wished to learn to use… I never took them with me from Ireland. And that’s only dancing I’ve been neglecting. If I had a closer look at my art supplies, the list would become even longer, though at least I make use of it once every few months.

Such is the the fate of the creative types who always find more things to do or try. (more…)

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February 25, 2019
Read more about the article A Month in a Writer’s Life – November 2018
A Month in a Writer's Life

A Month in a Writer’s Life – November 2018

Oh what a month it was! When I was making plans for November, I’d never thought that cutting down on my activities would mean I’d get even busier! Shortly after it started, my freelance work took over, pushing everything else to the side, and making me chase various deadlines and last minute requests. As you can guess, it wrecked havoc among my perfect schedules. But, nevertheless, it turned out to be a splendid month. (more…)

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December 10, 2018
Read more about the article Gaming Writer’s Saturday: Fallout 76
Gaming Writer's Saturday

Gaming Writer’s Saturday: Fallout 76

I’ve been a fan of Fallout series since almost the very beginning of the series, back in 1998 when Black Isle Studios made the first two installments of the game. The post-apocalyptic world, so unlike the contemporary lousy YA renditions, mesmerized with the mix of great storytelling, complete freedom, and that pinch of an absurd humor that fitted right in with the world changed by the nuclear bombs.

Then, Bethesda Studios know of its Elder Scrolls series, took over Fallout and breathed new life into it. I was once – or actually twice – more lost in the world of retro sci-fi.

Yet, at the announcement of Fallout 76, I couldn’t help but wondering. An online game sounded like fun, but even if it wasn’t a massive multiplayer, and the prospect of venturing into West Virginia with a couple of my friends was enticing, gaming with other people brings a fair amount of problems. Extensive player killing, annoying players, simplified game mechanics or quests… On top of that, the studio announced there wouldn’t be any human non-player characters which required a new approach to quests and revealing the storyline. This all raised concerns. Would it live up to Fallout’s legend?

At the same time, Bethesda never disappointed me. From Morrowind through Fallout 4 to Elder Scrolls Online, not a single game had disappointed me so far. I knew I’d have to try it out, no matter what others were going to say about the game. (more…)

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November 24, 2018