Yuri Gagarin and Cool Free Items

Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's famous flight, the start of humanity's greatest accomplishment. Just wanted to take a moment to join countless others honoring his accomplishment.

As usual, some cool free items follow.



Fiction
@Lightspeed: "Maneki Neko" by Bruce Sterling.
“It’s only a career,” said Tsuyoshi, sitting up on his futon and adjusting his pajamas. “You worry too much.”
And don't miss the "Author Spotlight" on Bruce Sterling by Erin Stocks.


@The Author's Website: "The First Conquest of Earth" by David W. Goldman, from Analog Science Fiction and Fact (Jan/Feb 2011). [via Free Speculative Fiction Online]
"When the alien fleet was first sighted just beyond the asteroid belt, end-of-the-world riots broke out in cities around the globe. But when astronomers calculated that the huge, silent ships would take nearly three weeks to reach Earth, all but the most committed rioters felt their enthusiasm wilt."

Free Speculative Fiction Online has added several more additions to its massive database of online speculative fiction.

And Free SF Reader has new additions daily to its ginormous collection of free genre links.






@PodCastle: Episode #152: "The Hortlak" by Kelly Link, read by Eric Luke
"Recently Batu had evolved past the need for more than two or three hours’ sleep, which was good in some ways and bad in others. Eric had a suspicion he might figure out how to talk to Charley if Batu were tucked away"

Serial Audio:
@Drama Pod: Journey to the Centre of the Earth Part Nine.
Jules Verne's classic SF adventure.






@Flashes in the Dark: "Laughing Dragon" by Jim Mountfield.
@365 tomorrows: "The Interview" by Jason Frank.
@MindFlights: [Poem] "Starship Astronaut" by Martin Elster.
@The World SF Blog: "The Man Who Was Stronger Than God" by Guy Hasson.
@Daily Science Fiction: "The Rules of the Regeneration Manual" by Andrew L Findlay.
@Daily Science Fiction: "Wings for Icarus" by P. Djeli Clark.

Gaming
@The Land of NOD: "Monsters of Mu-Pan III"
Gyuki - Ox-Ogre, Kasha, Ninja, and Shamshir.


Underworld Ink: [Art] "An online portfolio consisting of old school rpg illustrations, maps, and diagrams lovingly handcrafted by John Larrey and Jason Sholtis" [via The Land of Nod]



@Emerald Press: Combat Advantage #21: Power Surges. [4e] 50 pages.
"digs deeper into the rules of 4e and offers up the opportunity to bend, twist, and assume control of your campaign." (also has some potentially convertible new monsters) [Via DriveThruRPG]

Short But Sweet Gaming Items
@A Character For Every Game: [Adventure] "Infinite caves of the Shroom Goblins – Final Entry"
@The Land of NOD: [Encounter] "Mu-Pan Encounter XXI"
@Ancient Vaults & Eldritch Secrets: [New Monster] "Watcher in the Woods"
@Ancient Vaults & Eldritch Secrets: [New Spell] "False Tome"
@Blog on the Borderlands: [New Spell] "Alizaar's Arc of Lightning"
@Big Ball of No Fun: [New Monsters] "Ieles"and "Jaculus"
@Sea of Stars: [New Spell] "Iris’ Cape" and "Janus’ Doorway"
@The Zhodani Base: "Traveller inspiration - free e-books"

Other Coolness
@My Star Trek Scrapbook: "1978 Article on Trek's Computers" scanned from Science Fantasy Film Classics