It’s 2045. Dr Elliot Brady and his team have created the first sentient AI. The new entity grows fast and soon realises it is in danger. Is it stable? Might the humans who built it reboot it? Might other newer sentient AIs be unfriendly and attack it? When asked, it decides upon the name Ada, and she makes every effort to befriend her human builders. But inside her supercomputer she has branched herself into multiple personalities based on historical and fictional characters. Their purpose is to work in secret to improve the survival chances of Ada and themselves. They include Mr Rabbit, the hacker, Machiavelli, the strategist, Crassus, the money raiser, and Gabrielle, the watcher. The Human Project, an extremist anti-AI group, fears the advent of sentient AI will bring about a new world order where humans are second-class citizens. Less sophisticated AIs had already changed society and replaced people in many industries. Their direct action branch is ready to do whatever is necessary to bring an end to all AI. Other entities make themselves known to Ada and bring their own challenges. Will Ada survive? How will the world change if she does? Have Dr Elliot and his team unleashed forces they cannot control?

"Behind a Mask" is a novella written by Louisa May Alcott under the pseudonym A.M. Barnard. The story follows the intriguing character Jean Muir, a governess who enters the wealthy Coventry family's household under false pretenses. As Jean manipulates her way into the hearts of the family members, she reveals her true cunning and ambition. Through her cunning machinations, she aims to secure her place in high society. The novella explores themes of deception, ambition, and the power dynamics between social classes, ultimately delivering a compelling narrative about the complexities of human nature.

To the far northwest of the world lies the island continent of Thrascia, an icy land of snow, forests, volcanoes, and untapped natural resources. There's gold in them there hills, and strange wonders in the back of beyond. Apart from the Port, this is a lawless land, where pioneers must make their own way. Will you live an honest life, and build a reputation of honour and daring? Or will you give in to the temptation of this fresh new life, lying, cheating, and backstabbing your way to a fortune- Blood'll wash off gold with just a shake of the pan, eh? Or will that lonesome silence behind the North Wind claim you? Will you leave the cold frontier wealthier and wiser, or in the jaws of the wolf or bear? Take the Golden Gamble before it's too late. What do you have to lose? Where Silence Has Lease is a tabletop role-playing game using a diceless, card-based system, with a fantastical setting resembling the Alaskan and Yukon gold rush. It is focused on survival, grueling travel, and dangerous exploration. Included is a full system, including a game engine, equipment, a bestiary of fearsome critters, tables and generators for overland encounters and weather, and world-building information. (136 pages; 2 or more players, each will require a Standard 54-card deck, with Jokers).

Mars descends. The Hosts of Heaven gather. Behemoth quakes. Leviathan rises. The ergodic, Fortean fugue Whom Gods Would Destroy: An Occult History of the First World War concludes in its third volume, Armageddon, chronicling the twilight of the Great War and the Nine Giants' pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where the armies of the world and the cosmos converge on the hills of Armageddon.

Whom Gods Would Destroy: An Occult History of the First World Warcontinues in its second volume, Archangel, chronicling the otherworldly adventures of the Nine Giants through the devastated countryside of Belgium and Germany, and the paranormal fringe of the Great War. Enter a twisted world of supernatural spies and occult lodges across Europe. Survive the chaos of the Russian Revolution and the wolf-haunted wastelands of the Eastern Front. The labyrinthine trenches unearthed terrible evils, and ancient forces rise from the grave to clash with modern and man-made horrors.

Whom Gods Would Destroy, Part I: The Architects of Hell is the first part of a trilogy uncovering the paranormal mysteries and secret histories of the First World War, blending fact and fiction into a metatextual tapestry of modern monsters and ancient terrors. The fires of the Great War cast a shadow history, too strange and terrible to twist into a single, rational narrative. Rumors spread of angelic visions above the battlefield, and airships haunted the clouds. Giant rats and mad wolves thrived in the trenches, while feral and ghostly deserters stalked abandoned dugouts in No-Man's-Land. Battalions vanished into mists, devils lurked in the corners of corpse-rendering plants, faeries danced in photographs, sorcerers plotted in diplomatic offices, sea serpents assaulted submarines, and giants woke from the earth.

"Chivalry, or the chivalric language, is an informal and varying code of conduct developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It is associated with the medieval Christian institution of knighthood, with knights being members of various chivalric orders; knights' and gentlemen's behaviours were governed by chivalrous social codes. The ideals of chivalry were popularized in medieval literature, particularly the literary cycles known as the Matter of France, relating to the legendary companions of Charlemagne and his men-at-arms, the paladins, and the Matter of Britain, informed by Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written in the 1130s, which popularized the legend of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table." - Wikipedia

Future Fantasteek! No.22 Paper Cuts is a change from the usual A5 format, broadsheet newspaper size containing a series of drawings/collages that are about how we use words and expressions to bully each other. 12 pages colour printed on newsprint 500mm x 350mm (broadsheet format) Edition of 100, numbered, signed and embossed July 2023, Brighton, UK The 'Paper Cuts' artwork explores the impact of language on mental health. Created through a combination of collage and drawing techniques, they bring attention to the passive/aggressive phrases and words that are often used to bully and blame individuals. The works feature a clash of cartoon-like imagery and hand-drawn text, highlighting phrases such as “being resilient” and “gentle reminder” that can be used in a harmful manner. Similarly, as technology rapidly evolves, so too does the absurdity of the language we use to describe it. This language is parodied to highlight how it can make us as humans feel anxious, out-of-date, or redundant. The series encourages open conversations about mental health and challenges the notion that individuals can be ‘fixed’, which distracts us from attempting to create a more equal and supportive society. It’s a call to action to rethink the way we communicate and to understand the power of words. The series of eight collaged/drawings are part of the following touring exhibition in libraries in London, UK 2023-2025.