Wednesday, 4 January 2017
“Of the Month” January 2017
TV Show of the Month:
The Expanse
A very intelligent Sci-Fi show on the SyFy channel. At its heart it’s a mystery—Why did these events happen? Who orchestrated them? Why? How? It slowly unfolds into an epic scope but stays focused on a core cast of about six people, sifting its story through the lenses of three intertwining storylines: an old-fashioned, hard-boiled detective; a crew of working-class space miners; and a very powerful government worker of nebulous rank and legality. Periodic vignettes and flashbacks show what life is like in the Solar system about 200 years from now. Turns out it’s a gritty, downtrodden, paranoid place. A powderkeg waiting to blow. But should the fire be put out or should the flames be fanned? Gripping and exciting. Excellent.
Comic Book of the Month:
Steven Universe: Too Cool for School
Basically like an episode (or likely a two-parter) of the cartoon, “Too Cool for School” wonders what would happen if Connie took Steven to school for show and tell… and he ended up staying. There are monster fights, gem superhero action, and some junior-high drama all mixed in together. It’s great fun.
Tabletop Game of the Month:
Takenoko
Takenoko (Japanese for “Bamboo Shoot”) is a game about creating a bamboo garden in which a hungry panda lives. Points are scored by laying down certain configurations of garden tiles, by growing certain configurations of bamboo, or by having the panda eat certain configurations of bamboo. It’s a very easy game to learn with some surprisingly complex strategies, and the art style is delightful. The little panda playing piece is pretty durned cute!
Categories: Of the Month.
