https://bundleofholding.com/presents/2025SR5Missions

Last time I said "Shadowrun has never been one of my favourite games, I'm not convinced the genres mesh wonderfully, but it's an OK system with a big user base.... ...The source material in the Missions Megabundle looks useful, but like a lot of this stuff it's only useful if you actually use it - I own a ton of stuff for this system in dead tree format and I've barely used it, so I won't be downloading more." I should probably add that the stuff I have in dead tree format is for earlier editions, but I think the principle is the same - I'm just not a big fan of the concept or setting, and updating the rules doesn't really change that. But if you're a fan and don't already own this stuff it's definitely worth a look.
Which 2024 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?
In Ascension by Martin MacInnes
0 (0.0%)
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
0 (0.0%)
Corey Fah Does Social Mobility by Isabel Waidner
1 (5.9%)
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
16 (94.1%)
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
6 (35.3%)
The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan
1 (5.9%)
Bold for have read, italic for intend to read, underline for never heard of it.
Which 2024 Clarke Award Finalists Have You Read?
In Ascension by Martin MacInnes
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Corey Fah Does Social Mobility by Isabel Waidner
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
The Ten Percent Thief by Lavanya Lakshminarayan

Impress your friends and potential significant others! Join the legions of James Nicoll Reviews supporters! James Nicoll Reviews is the only SF review that promises to be pyroclastic flow-free!
December 2025 Patreon Boost
Now, it should just be a matter of telling various doctors and pharmacies that my insurance has changed as of Jan. 1st, and maybe dealing with a new mail-order pharmacy for the Kesimpta.
They gave me a confirmation number, and if I don't hear from the company in the next few days I will call. (Normal open enrollment ends Dec. 7, but I have a "special election period" that runs through February.)

21 works reviewed. 11 by women (52%), 10 by men (48%), 0 by non-binary authors (0%), 0 by authors whose gender is unknown (0%), and 8 by POC (38%).
Book by book, closer to aleph null.
November 2025 in Review

An academic's dismal prospects are transformed by a magical umbrella.
The Incredible Umbrella (Incredible Umbrella, volume 1) by Marvin Kaye
The standard explanation: For the entire month of December, all orders made in the Shop of points and paid time, either for you or as a gift for a friend, will have 10% of your completed cart total sent to you in points when you finish the transaction. For instance, if you buy an order of 12 months of paid time for $35 (350 points), you'll get 35 points when the order is complete, to use on a future purchase.
( The fine print and much more behind this cut! )
Thank you, in short, for being the best possible users any social media site could possibly ever hope for. I'm probably in danger of crossing the Sappiness Line if I haven't already, but you all make everything worth it.
On behalf of Mark, Jen, Robby, and our team of awesome volunteers, and to each and every one of you, whether you've been with us on this wild ride since the beginning or just signed up last week, I'm wishing you all a very happy set of end-of-year holidays, whichever ones you celebrate, and hoping for all of you that your 2026 is full of kindness, determination, empathy, and a hell of a lot more luck than we've all had lately. Let's go.

Eight books new to me. Five fantasy, one horror, two science fiction, of which two are series and six may not be.
Books Received, November 22 — November 28
Which of these look interesting?
Kill All Wizards by Jedediah Berry (June 2026)
20 (33.3%)
The Franchise by Thomas Elrod (May 2026)
10 (16.7%)
Carry Me to My Grave by Christopher Golden (July 2026)
3 (5.0%)
Obstetrix by Naomi Kritzer (June 2026)
28 (46.7%)
Inkpot Gods by Seanan McGuire (June 2026)
20 (33.3%)
Cursed Ever After by Andy C. Naranjo (June 2026)
7 (11.7%)
For Human Use by Sarah G. Pierce (February 2026)
3 (5.0%)
The War Beyond by Andrea Stewart (November 2025)
10 (16.7%)
Some other option (see comments)
1 (1.7%)
Cats!
43 (71.7%)
( Read more... )


Two sisters, separated during calamity, join opposing sides of a divine war.
The Gods Below (Hollow Covenant, volume 1) by Andrea Stewart

A pious monk is dispatched on a mission about which he has serious reservations: steal the bones of St. Nicolas.
Nicked by M. T. Anderson
The List
( Read more... )
SHADOWRUN 5E ESSENTIALS (from Feb 2019)
https://bundleofholding.com/p

SR5 UNIVERSE MEGA (new)
https://bundleofholding.com/p

When the essentials bundle was first on offer I said "Shadowrun has never been one of my favourite games, I'm not convinced the genres mesh wonderfully, but it's an OK system with a big user base. I think that there have been previous offers for earlier releases, but this is the first for 5th edition, which updates things a lot. I think it's a pretty good deal if you want to give the system a try, or are only familiar with the earlier releases." If I'm reading things correctly this re-release adds more material - but if you bought the bundle previously you will get them added to your account without having to buy the bundle again.
The new bundle looks interesting, but I'm frantically trying to get ready for a lot of things happening at the weekend, most notably Dragonmeet on Saturday, and don't have time to look at them right now.
There's going to be another repeat bundle for this system soon, but I'm not allowed to give details.

The core rules plus essentials for the 2013 Fifth Edition of Shadowrun, the cyberpunk-fantasy tabletop roleplaying game from Catalyst Game Labs.
Bundle of Holding: SR5 Essentials (from 2019)

Eighteen setting sourcebooks for Shadowrun 5th Edition.
Bundle of Holding: SR5 Universe Mega

If you can't trust a scantily-clad demon to aid you in your war with heaven, who can you trust?
7thgarden, volume 1 by Mitsu Izumi