Malcolm Craig
@malcolmcraig.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer in US History @ljmuofficial.bsky.social, historian of games, the Cold War, nuclear stuff, researching #ColdWar era post-apocalypse roleplaying games. #TTRPG designer. You may remember me from such games as #astaterpg, #ColdCity, and #HotWar
Futher down the thread, @fromthemorgue.bsky.social describes excatly how I feel about the physical books.
Morgan Davie@fromthemorgue.bsky.social · 14h agoWell if it isn’t the second editions of @malcolmcraig.bsky.social ‘s Cold City and Hot War from @handiworkgames.bsky.social !! (I don’t actually get new games in hard copy very often any more, because the shelves are crazy. But there was no going past this one.)
Hooting bigots having a go at the RNLI (the RNLI!) for assisting small boats in distress in the Channel should consider the Penlee disaster and then take a long, hard look at themselves. I'm proud to be a regular donor to the RNLI, because they selflessly do great work rnli.org/about-us/our...
![‘The greatest act of courage that I have ever seen, and am ever likely to see, was the penultimate courage and dedication shown by the Penlee [crew] …
‘They were truly the bravest eight men I've ever seen, who were also totally dedicated to upholding the highest standards of the RNLI.’](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:asshe5vuns6tsvxdkvycf5mg/bafkreihobqahup6u6bo55yonvjrqxzxveoikav47qhcvzowxd7tfbv65im)
Well, if she insists... www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5za...
The Fall - Hit The North
YouTube video by Beggars Banquet Records
youtube.com
Looking at the stars@lookingatthestars.bsky.social · 4d agoIn her Reform conference speech, Suella Braverman said that under a Reform government, schoolchildren will be obliged to sing the national anthem and “our great hymns”. I cannot imagine that this anything but a net vote loser.
The first film I was ever taken to see at the cinema - at the age of 4 - was the 1978 version of Superman. I recently re-watched it for the first time in decades and by heavens, it's a pretty bloody good movie. I had totally forgotten how genuinely brilliant Christopher Reeve was in it.
As a 17 year old would-be movie geek at Video Vogue, my taste-making efforts were misguided, often resulting in customer anger. Recommending Jacob's Ladder to the bloke who wanted "Something like Hellraiser" did not end well. Also repeated customer misunderstandings of Betty Blue, based on the title
MIT Press@mitpress.bsky.social · 5d agoDecades before recommendation algorithms, video stores served as social hubs where conversation and camaraderie became a form of taste-making.
And here's me, spraffing on about The Price of Freedom with @thegrognardfiles.bsky.social!
Dirk the Dice@thegrognardfiles.bsky.social · 5d agoWhat is The Price of Freedom? £16.95 apparently. The GROGNARD files looks at the 1986 game from West End games. And, we do #RPGaDay - almost thegrognardfiles.com/2026/09/04/t...
It's not often you have a meeting about a major collaborative research funding bid where you wang on about the radiation sickness rules in 1st edition Twilight: 2000. But there we are.
Topping and tailing the GROGPOD… rolling virtual gifts, apparently at random, for new Patreons. A new episode coming very soon.
This was one of the most fun parts of a|state 2nd edition to be involved with. Academic study of a social game, redacted by the authorities, and annotated by an actual player. It's an analysis of a game played within the setting of a game, but also a functional game in and of itself. Meta!
Jon at Handiwork Games@handiworkgames.bsky.social · last wk.What kind of RPG do the people who live in the dystopian sci-fi city of a|stste play? Thats what we asked ourselves when making the most meta book we've ever made. The Three Coins is the result. It's an in world artefact, an academic study from with The City of the folk game played in back alleys.
The Three Coins* is a description of a roleplaying game, which is a roleplaying game supplement, and also, a roleplaying game. This will unzip your brain and turn it around. Nothing else like it. * it needs four coins #TTRPG
Jon at Handiwork Games@handiworkgames.bsky.social · last wk.What kind of RPG do the people who live in the dystopian sci-fi city of a|stste play? Thats what we asked ourselves when making the most meta book we've ever made. The Three Coins is the result. It's an in world artefact, an academic study from with The City of the folk game played in back alleys.
That's a massive delivery of goodness!
Spencer (best served with game)@freethrall.bsky.social · last wk.I must remember to snog the postie the next time I see him. @handiworkgames.bsky.social's Cold City Hot War second edition, @jimmyshelter.bsky.social's Shallow Pines: A Meddlesome Kids Game, and @alfredvalley.bsky.social's Brute Fort: A Solo Card Game.
We're seeing renewed interest in a|state - it's a really great adaptation of the already brilliant Forged in the Dark rules. In a|state you'll take the role of troublemakers trying to improve their corner of The City, pushing back against the Trusts, organised crime, et al.
But if you are going to buy more games, then Cold City and Hot War show taste and discernment
Derek Johnston@drdjohnston.bsky.social · 2w agoMe: I shouldn’t buy any more games; I don’t have a group, don’t have time to read them, don’t have book space. Also me: @handiworkgames.bsky.social @malcolmcraig.bsky.social
So I've said many times that we do not own a cat, but that neighbours cats used to come round and hang out. Well, that has changed. We now have a cat, Oscar. He was a stray living in our garage, now he sleeps on our sofa, enjoys regular meals, and very much likes chasing string around.
Jon offers some astute insights into Cold City and Hot War second editions
Jon at Handiwork Games@handiworkgames.bsky.social · 2w agoWith Cold City Hot War arriving with backers and pre-order customers, we thought it was time to take a look at... well, what even is it? handiwork.games/what-is-cold... #coldcity
1) With 3000 reads and a whole bunch of responses since publication, I'm very grateful for each and every response to my Twilight: 2000 article. I'd say about 80% of responses from the TTRPG community have been positive. I'd like to address the negative ones - in particular some common criticisms.
Malcolm Craig@malcolmcraig.bsky.social · 10mo agoHurrah! My article on the Twilight 2000 RPG in the Journal of American Studies is now open access (OA), so anyone who wants to can have a read. OA is important to me, as I want my work on RPG history to go beyond the academy and reach the gaming public. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
As previously mentioned on this channel: gosh we’ve been so busy. But Cold City Hot War dispatch is nearing completion! Another massive batch was dispatched yesterday. So I’m writing about the games, since we need to tell folks about them as near general release. They’re really good. #coldcity
It says something about Dolly Parton that back when I co-DJ'ed an alternative music club night you could play Head Like a Hole by Nine Inch Nails, then Enter Sandman by Metallica, and only when 9 to 5 came on would the dancefloor erupt.
It's delightful to see the new editions of Cold City and Hot War arriving with our generous backers.
Erin/Ktulu (she/fae) 🏳️⚧️@greatktulu.bsky.social · 3w agoJust when you thought you had finished packing all your ttrpg books…a new parcel arrives! Cold City/Hot War 2e by @handiworkgames.bsky.social
Having been forced to plod through Howards End in English class at school, I was astounded about a year later when I first read 'The Machine Stops'. I could not believe it was the same author.
Alex Wellerstein@wellerstein.bsky.social · 3w agoFor Doomsday Machines this week I wrote about one of the most remarkable early-20th century “end of the world” science fiction stories I have read — E.M. Forster’s “The Machine Stops” (1909). It is impressively prescient and relevant to our present moment.
This speaks directly to my interests (inc. Lovejoy, which was staple viewing in our house when I was growing up).
Breakfast in the Ruins Podcast@breakfastruins.bsky.social · 3w agoNew episode: The Space Guardians Mateo Latosa returns to continue our discussion about the Powysverse of Space 1999, author Brian Ball's adaptation of three of the best episodes from series one, the relentless horror of 70s SF telly, and Lovejoy
For Doomsday Machines this week I wrote about one of the most remarkable early-20th century “end of the world” science fiction stories I have read — E.M. Forster’s “The Machine Stops” (1909). It is impressively prescient and relevant to our present moment.
Rage against the Machines
E.M. Forster’s “The Machine Stops” (1909)
doomsdaymachines.net
When writing a non-fiction book, there's always at least one parallel book struggling to get out from contextual paragraphs and the footnotes. With my work in progress on the Cold War and RPGs, there's a story of science fiction and the Cold War. I never intended that, it's just happened.
Malcolm Craig@malcolmcraig.bsky.social · 3w agoManaged to send myself down a deep rabbit hole today. Started with writing up some stuff about The Morrow Project TTRPG and ended up on the history of suspended animation in fiction, followed by real-world transhumanism. Which has resulted in approximately no words being written.
Managed to send myself down a deep rabbit hole today. Started with writing up some stuff about The Morrow Project TTRPG and ended up on the history of suspended animation in fiction, followed by real-world transhumanism. Which has resulted in approximately no words being written.
"See you on the road, skag! See you like we saw your friend, The Nightrider!"
Steve Horton 🚀 The Comic Book Story of Space Exploration@mst3k.fan · 4w ago“FUCK you, Harold!”
"My children? Do a vocational course or apprenticeship? Heaven forfend!"
Ewan Gibbs@ewangibbs.bsky.social · 4w agoJust remember this message is aimed at your children not theirs.
Do you enjoy: 1) Externally burned but internally uncooked food? 2) The tasty tang of paraffin? 3) Destroying the natural environment? 4) Endangering other people? Then why not try a dispoable barbecue? Massive bellends only need apply.
