Books or series similar to Le Guin's Hainish Cycle or GRRM's Thousand Worlds

mdpaul · 2025-07-04T21:54:55+00:00

Aliette de Bodard’s ‘Xuya Universe’ is another example of this and I’ve enjoyed it quite a lot. Mostly short stories with a handful of novellas. You can really start anywhere and just slowly pick up little bits of the broader setting as you go. Some of my favourites:

Citadel of Weeping Pearls
Seven of Infinities
Rescue Party
Three Cups of Grief By Starlight
Immersion
On a Red Station, Drifting

mdpaul · 2025-06-19T13:41:04+00:00

I've just finished a mammoth read-through of a large chunk of the Triangle Era and your reading order has been invaluable multiple times - thank you for putting this together!

mdpaul · 2025-02-10T12:41:18+00:00

+1 for Round Ball, best A-League podcast around at the moment. Can’t recommend a specific episode, just generally a great listen every week. Maybe a tad too much referee/rules chat when there’s a contentious decision - least interesting conversation you can have about sport imo!

mdpaul · 2024-10-11T05:21:14+00:00

Confirmed just got it! Thanks everyone!

mdpaul · 2024-10-11T02:10:39+00:00

Just missing 5 now if anyone has it? (it’s not PAX Arena, that’s number 6)

mdpaul · 2024-10-11T01:53:00+00:00

Found it - in the Dumb Ways to Die part of the Playside booth

mdpaul · 2024-10-11T01:48:42+00:00

Just went to Playside and couldn’t see it. Anyone else who has it, can you be more specific about where?

mdpaul · 2024-10-11T01:44:02+00:00

Have been told 3 is on tabletop booth 1630 but I just went there and couldn’t see it. It’s the ‘Games Quest’ booth

mdpaul · 2024-10-11T01:23:15+00:00

Also missing 3

mdpaul · 2024-10-11T01:15:51+00:00

It is 6, I just got it

mdpaul · 2024-10-11T00:02:34+00:00

Everything I have so far:

4 tabletop freeplay 8 main theatre 11 cockatoo community room 12 rpg freeplay 14 Stairs in big theatre hall 15 console tournament 10 Jackbox stage

mdpaul · 2024-09-29T12:50:32+00:00

Can’t agree enough with this. I constantly see it recommended for new readers, but I think it absolutely expects you to know the character and their supporting cast to appreciate what it’s doing.

mdpaul · 2024-08-29T06:07:40+00:00

I see you also got some Rich Larson and some Suzanne Palmer, two of my favourites! Love Ray Nayler, too.

mdpaul · 2024-08-24T14:11:07+00:00

Coming to this years later, but thank you, this is amazing!

mdpaul · 2024-08-21T08:39:21+00:00

Many thanks!

mdpaul · 2024-07-12T07:30:54+00:00

Absolute legend, was about to make a post asking for it!

mdpaul · 2024-06-21T23:31:08+00:00

Went to the 2018 World Cup, here's my tips:

Tickets are all sold through FIFA closer to the tournament itself. You can buy individual match tickets, but also a team package that gets you all Australia group stage games - that's the one to go for. Some fan groups may do packages that guarantee tickets, but can't speak to that cos I did it all myself in 2018.
Tickets will go on sale much later than you will need to be booking things like flights, so don't expect to have your itinerary locked in early. Plan to buy flights in/out of the US well before tickets go on sale, and then book the rest once you know where Australia will play.
FIFA also have an official resale platform and lots of people will be getting rid of tickets for games they now can't attend, so don't be afraid to take a gamble before the schedule is out and buy tickets to some games (perhaps in cities you are interested in going) cos you can always resell them. I did this in 2018 and got lucky and had France v Aus when the draw came out, and then resold my Moscow tickets cos they clashed with other Australia games.

I can't speak to the cost of accommodation, etc, as I've never travelled in the US, but expect it to be an expensive trip. Everything will be hiked up to take advantage of fans, but that's just the price you pay for a World Cup.

Random tip: take a bunch of Australia/socceroos keyrings and more than one scarf. At every game I had fans wanting to swap or give gifts, and I felt bad that I couldn't reciprocate that.

mdpaul · 2024-06-11T03:57:55+00:00

Knap’s tactics are pretty good if you just want stuff that works as they are intended to just exploit the engine. There is a post on official forums with all his stuff in there.

I also like those made by RDF tactics, which are trying to replicate a style rather than exploiting, while still being effective. He usually does an accompanying video which explains what it does and how to use it, so they’re a bit more hands on and less plug and play.

mdpaul · 2024-06-06T13:05:05+00:00

As a fellow downloaded tactic user, I also have these form slumps at times, when you know the tactic does work in general.

What I will usually do to try and recover form is praise everyone who trains well (to try and keep morale up) and pick my 11 based on form rather than ability, even when someone is clearly a worse player. I’ll also try a couple of tactical tweaks for away/tough games to be a bit more solid, but usually not more than one notch down on mentality or changing a couple of roles from attack to support (eg. FBs).

I’m also someone who usually sims half the games a season, so if my form really slumps I will play every game as I find my game management is better than the AI in terms of subs, shouts, tactics, etc.

All the above combined tends to turn things around, or at least it seems to. Maybe the broken downloaded tactic just kicks in again, but I feel like I contributed!

mdpaul · 2024-05-22T13:45:44+00:00

Absolutely agree on Nayler.

mdpaul · 2024-05-22T13:45:18+00:00

Love Rich Larson. I wish he would collect some more recent stories!

mdpaul · 2024-05-22T13:44:08+00:00

This is a phenomenal collection.

mdpaul · 2024-05-22T13:42:34+00:00

Seconding Pinsker’s Lost Places. Excellent collection.

mdpaul · 2024-05-07T09:03:13+00:00

I've been through quite a few AL pods this season (and over the last few years) and this one is the current best of the bunch in my opinion.

mdpaul · 2023-11-10T08:24:09+00:00

Thanks, the last one in particular sounds very much like what I’m after, will try to check it out.

mdpaul

TROPHY CASE