Of Cogs

And
Culture:

The Steampunk
Renaissance

Moffat
And the
Doctor:

A Love Letter to
Humanity

Walking
Through
Walls
Chapter 6:

FREE

Into the Belly

of Kathulos
Original Fiction by

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com
UtahGeekMagazine.com

Page 1J West
David

Page 2

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Like our for

age
p
k
o
o
b
e
Fac
in
w
o
t
e
c
a chan es!
priz

Join us
August 21-23,
2015 and play
at the first annual

Gateway to Gaming

St. George Board

Game Convention
http://stgcon.org

Where:

When:

Who:

Lexington Hotel and

Conference Center
850 South Bluff Street
St. George, Utah

Friday 21: Noon to 10 pm

Saturday 22: 10 am to 10 pm
Sunday 23: 10 am to 6 pm
Additional open gaming
10 pm to 10 am

Everyone who likes

to play games!

Family
Friendly

New &
Classic
s
Game

PlayTo-Win
Games

Tournaments &
Raffles

Game
Trading
Space

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Schedu
led
Learnin
g

What?
Get all the details at
http://stgcon.org

Quality
Vendors

Open
Gaming
Space

Page 3

24 Hour
Board
Games

ToshoCON is Coming
By Stephanie Sharp
www.UGeek.us/StephanieSharp

uly 31st the Viridian will open its doors to an expected 2000
teens for this years ToshoCON! In its 3rd year, ToshoCON is the
only library-sponsored anime convention in the nation to be
created exclusively for teens and by teens. ToshoCON is a completely
FREE event for teens who love anime and manga.
Most of the planning and panels are done by
local teens and tweens. There will be a cosplay
contest, craft room, celebrity guest, and the
annual art contest. Art contest & Skyhops
podcasting bootcamp entries are taken online. The
vendor room will have 16
teen-run business vendors
this year!
Why ToshoCON?
Because tosho means books; in
Japanese, of course! ToshoCON sprung from the librarys
anime clubs in 2013 as is now held each year by the Salt Lake County
Library System. Club members had attended other local sci-fi and fantasy conventions, but there wasnt much that was teen specific. We
wanted to do something fun. We wanted to reach out to 12-19 year
olds. We wanted a great event just for teens! A teenagers life is pretty
structured. Theres always someone telling you what to do or where
to be. We wanted to make this our own event. We wanted to do it our
way! says teen services senior librarian Carrie Rogers Whitehead.
There are over 350 active teenage members in the ToshoCON Facebook group. We spend all year planning, discussing, and taking surveys to find out what our members want to see at the next ToshoCON.
Carrie said. There are seven teens-only anime clubs in the county. The
virtual groups are alive with ideas and SLCLS Anime Club members
and librarians work together to bring these ideas to life!

Anime

The first teen panel had over 70 panelists! Celebrating Homestuck

(the animated GIF comic), with so many panelists, their friends, attendees, and parents, made for a fun, chaotic, flash-mobesque panel.
This year ToshoCON will have ten great fan panels, all with teen
panelists. So whether you want to ask your inner Sehshi, travel
with a Time Lord, create a cosplay, or join a host club at Ouran,
therell be a panel for you. Jennifer Cihi (the original singing
voice for Sailor Moon) will be there, too!
And finally, Utah Geek Magazine is involved, too. Well be
featuring winners of this years art contest in an upcoming
issue! Entries will be judged on Facebook and Pinterest later
this month and all entries will be on display at the ToshoCON
art show. Be sure to vote for your favorites and watch for the
winners to be printed in Utah Geek Magazine!
Date: July 31-August 1, 2015
Time: Friday 4:00 - 9:00 pm & Saturday 3:00 - 10:00 pm
Location: Viridian Event Center, 8030 S 1825 W, West Jordan
Website: www.slcolibrary.org/teen/ToshoCON
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Toshocon
Pinterest page: www.pinterest.com/slcolibrary/toshocon-art

On the cover:

Photography: Vladimir Chopine, www.geekatplay.com

Models: Rauben Rib Creed, Valina Eckley
Shayna V Fairbanks, John Bigbie

Page 4

Publisher & CEO

Dennis Lundstrom

Executive Editor & VP

Adrian Broadhead

Contributing Editor
Ricky Alvarez

Contributing Writers

David J. West, Deborah Moore, Carter Reid,

Zac Johnson, Mercedes Roberts, Daniel Yocom,
Stephanie Sharp, Nick and Ashlee Montelongo,
Michael Greenker, John Blackham, Keith Olsen
Utah Geek Magazine may, or may not, agree with the
contents herein. Copyright Utah Geek Media LLC. Reproduction without our expressed permission is prohibited. Utah Geek Magazine, UGeek Media, and the UGeek
logo are trademarks (TM) of Utah Geek Media LLC.
To advertise in Utah Geek Magazine, visit
UtahGeekMagazine.com/advertise, or call Dennis at
801.839.4581

Website: www.UtahGeekMagazine.com
Email: info@ugeekmedia.com

Follow us on Social Media:

Facebook.com/ugeekmedia
Twitter.com/ugeekmedia
YouTube.com/ugeektv

We are currently seeking talented

people, like you, to contribute to
Utah Geek Magazine. We are looking
for help with:
*Ad Sales & Marketing*
Consulting
Distribution
Content Writing
Video Production
Photography
Cosplay Modeling
Graphic Designing
Original and Fan Art
If you are interested in volunteering
in any way, or have questions about
Utah Geek Magazine, please visit:
UtahGeekMagazine.com/Contribute

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Coal Baron
By Daniel Yocom
www.UGeek.us/DanielYocom
Photo credit eggertspiele

thers see you sitting in your office

looking over your coal mining
operation, thinking its the easiest
thing in the world, but you realize the true

strategy it presented, one of my companions

played it again with others. Later, I saw some
younger players with the game who were
not only enjoying the play, but the artwork
and components used for play.
Coal Baron was published in 2013 by
eggertspiele, and was a Meeples Choice
Nominee that same year. It is designed for
2-4 players, ages 10+, and is expected to last
70 minutes.

By Daniel Yocom
www.UGeek.us/DanielYocom
Photo credit Chaosium

entered the diner where the cultists had

held one of their rituals. I grew up in
the inner city of New York, and pulled
a couple of tours in the Middle East, so Ive

importance of what you are doing. Youre the

one making the decisions, and there are a lot
of things to keep track of, if you are to make
the right ones. You decide what orders are
accepted, then you need to make sure the
workers are in place to get the coal out of
the mine and delivered. There is a strategy to
how you get the most out the limited number of men on your crew, and if you manage
everything better than the other mine owners, you will become the coal baron.
Coal Baron is a worker placement game
where you manage your crew through three
shifts (scoring phases) to cover one full
day of mining operations. You are not just
mining the coal. You are also taking orders,
which requires the right grade of coal and
arranging the appropriate transportation
to deliver the order. You must also watch
your finances so you can keep the operation
active. You need to plan the expansion of the
mine to keep it safe. Each phase incorporates
more options for scoring, so planning earlier
in the game for later scoring opportunities is
important. Worker placement buys the coal
carts, orders, process for deliver, and even
your money needed to pay for what you
need to buy.
Three of us played Coal Baron at SaltCon
(we checked it out of the game library as one
of the play to win games). We had seen others playing the game and decided to give it a
go. After a little bit of a rough start (understand how you can buy a location already
occupied), we were able to complete the
game easily within the suggested time limit.
All three of us enjoyed the game and the

As an investigator, you try to hold on to

your sanity as you work to keep the horrors
of the elder gods, and their minions, from
gaining a hold on Earth. As a game, this one
relies more on thinking through a
scenario instead of battling through it.
If you are a player of games where you
want to attack first and ask questions
afterwards, you will probably find
Call of Cthulhu frustrating. To put it in
perspective, I was involved in a game
for almost four hours before a fight occurred. As a team we investigated the
scenes for clues and needed to share
the information to allow for individual
skills to be most helpful. This is a cooperative game, first and foremost.

Tabletop Games

Call of
Cthulhu

standing. The roleplaying game (by Sandy

Petersen and Lynn Willis) allows fans of the
horror genre to step into Lovecrafts visions.

Chaosium publishes Call of Cthulhu

and it uses the same mechanics as
RuneQuest. There are no levels for the
characters. Skills are used to perform
most tasks, including combat, and
must be used in some manner to be advanced without outside training. Proficiency
in skills is ranked on a percentage (01-100).

There are three main settings established

in the game book. All use the same mechanics so the setting helps provide the feel the
gaming group is looking for in their horror
story. The first is the 1890s, then the 1920s,
and finally in the present.

seen some atrocities. But nothing in my past

prepared me for what was laid out in that
greasy spoon. Before I lost it, I turned to the
professor and told him I would check and
secure the perimeter, while they were inside.
Ive been walking the edge of a section 8
since hooking up with
this crew.

Call of Cthulhu does require more preparation on the part of the game master (GM),
or keeper. The adventures are investigations
which requires a GM to create a more sophisticated scenario. This includes the placing
of clues, designing a timeline, and working
with intelligent antagonists. I know many
GMs already put this into their adventures,
but I want people to understand this is not
a game where you are running through the
hordes to get to the boss. There are also of a
number of prepared adventures available.
This is a roleplaying game I would gladly
sit in on again. Care to join, and risk your
sanity?

The Call of Cthulhu,

Horror Roleplaying game
puts you into one of the
most important horror
setting ever created
the world as recreated
by H. P. Lovecraft. Many
consider the works
of Lovecraft to be the
founding for modern
horror and this game
helps in securing that

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Page 5

Jason King

Author Spotlight

By Nick and Ashlee Montelongo

www.UGeek.us/Montelongo
Photo courtesy Jason King and Vladimir Chopine
Photography

ason King is a family man and

a fantasy writer. He also turned
out to be very amiable when I
spoke with him over the phone. Jason
has been a writer his whole life, but
had started writing seriously in 2002. A
child of the 80s, he grew up on fantasy
films such as Krull and Dragonslayer.
As time went by, he also became a fan
of the Final Fantasy games. He learned
his craft through reading his favorite
fantasy writers such as Robert Jordan
and Brandon Sanderson. He spent
several years trying to sell his work,
but often faced a lot of rejection.

His first published novel, The Lure of

Fools, was released in 2013. He refers
to the book as if Star Wars and Lord
of the Rings had a baby. . . In this book, a
magical sword possesses the main character during his quest to save a beautiful
woman, and he then becomes a fugitive in

Wren Barnes:
Woman with a
Plan

GirlsGoneGeek

By Deborah Moore
www.UGeek.us/DeborahMoore
Photo courtesy Wren Barnes & Malissabeth Friedly
Photography

Wren Barnes will be in the upcoming film Independence Day: Resurgence. She has written and prepared
voiceover samples for a cartoon
that shes written. She is working on
several other feature films, a script for
a cartoon, and working as a producer.
This was a goal she set for herself as a
teenager.
I feel so blessed and excited with
how quickly my career has been advancing, Wren said. Acting and setting
goals has always been important to
her.
When Wren was seven, she had two
separate meetings to let her parents
know she wanted to be an actress.

A lot of people who are child actors are

pressured into it, Wren said, but with me,
it was the opposite. I was the one pushing
for it.
At the time she lived in Tennessee, where

Page 6

the process. If this seizes your interest, then

rejoice because part two of The Lure of Fools
is going to be released this July. Also, Jason
mentioned that the audiobook of The Lure
of Fools (through Audible) is in post-production, so we hope to see it in the near future,
as well. He plans on finishing the rough draft
to Book Three of this trilogy later this year.
Jasons other novel is Valcoria: Children of
the Crystal Star, a book that falls more into
the epic fantasy vein. He compared it to
Brandon Sandersons style of writing, which
has slower development of story, but is a
deeper and more serious piece than The
Lure of Fools. In this one, a new leader of the
Aukasian Empire has risen and is hell bent
on waging war, but he is not the worst evil
that threatens the world. In order to save the
world, The Kalyra, the Children of the Crystal
Star, must face the darkness.
His writing process has gone in two
directions. With The Lure of Fools, he wrote
without too much thinking ahead and
discovered what was happening as he went
along. On the other hand, Valcoria required
more planning and thinking ahead. His
favorite part of the writing process is the
second draft stage, where he has everything
written out, but finds himself discovering
shes spent most of her life. When Wren was
eight, her persistence paid off. She landed a
role in a commercial for Dollywood and had
a chance to work with Dolly Parton.
Wren also played a science fair student
in October Sky. The film was about a boy
who was inspired to take up rocketry even
though odds were against him. She appreciated the positive message. It also made her
interested in science.
When she was in high school, Wren made
a plan for her career. She wanted to get an
Acting degree and a business degree. She
planned to work in a field to get real world
experience before returning to acting.
After graduating, she used her business
degree, and interest in science, to pursue
a career in health care. Wren worked as a
communications specialist at a medical
school, where she learned human anatomy
and developing technology.

new things he hasnt thought of before while

tweaking and perfecting his story.
To aspiring writers who have yet to be
published, Jason recommends that they
read the genre that they wish to write and
to read a lot. He considers past writers to be
the best teachers. Also, he encourages other
writers to never give up. Writers face a lot of
rejection. It is inevitable. From the looks of
it, Jason has a lot of fun with his work and I
probably had just as much fun speaking with
him.

was my wake up call, Wren said. She knew

that it was time to return to acting.
On July 10 2013, she met a member of
the LDS faith and learned about the church.
That August she was baptized and knew she
needed to be around more LDS people.
Wren moved to Utah in the fall of 2014
and immediately volunteered at the Sundance Film Festival. She has been continuing
to build steam and her career ever since.
Dream Big, dont limit yourself. You can
do anything you set your mind to, Wren
said. Her blossoming career is a testament
of this belief. No one is going to care more
about making your dreams come true than
yourself.

In June 2013, she had an experience

which changed her life. She was driving
in a car and was rear-ended by a diesel on
the freeway. Her car flipped multiple times
across four lanes of traffic and caught on fire.
Wren was rushed to the hospital.
She was amazed that she had survived the
horrific crash. Wren asked God why she was
alive.
I heard Gods voice and he said I still have
good work for you to do, Wren said. That

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Of Cogs and
Culture:
The Steampunk
Renaissance

By Michael Greenker
Originally published on usrepresented.com
Reprinted with permission
Photo by stephanie CC-BY bit.ly/1RS34pT

A Short Treatise on the Prevalence of

Neo-Victorian Retro-Futurism in Modern Society and Its Associated Philosophical, Social,
and Artistic Implications

ake three parts science fiction

creativity, two parts mechanical
ingenuity, and one part aesthetic
sensibility. Stir delicately, strain through late
19th Century technology and fashion, and
viola: Steampunk. The Steampunk movement, simply put, combines Victorian Age
fashion and settings with fantastic steamand-gear contraptions. One can recognize a
Steampunk immediately. He will be wearing
a top-hat, vest, and a long coat, while she
will be wearing a full skirt or dress with a corset. They might be wearing goggles, or they
might have other cogs, levers, and pistons
scattered about their person. This growing
cultural phenomenon has a philosophical
side that would surprise the casual observer.
From a hobbyists creativity to an armchair
sociologists world-saving thoughtfulness,
the Steampunk movement has something to
offer everybody.

Unlike the calcified Sword & Sorcery

genre, Steampunk has no fixed plot formulae; no canonical characters or settings; no
endlessly imitated and eminently predictable 15-doorstop epics. The formalisms of
Steampunk historical, technology-oriented prose spur tremendous creativity
in its authors as they bend their visions and
imaginations to a pre-electronic, mechanical universe. Steampunk has outgrown its
British roots to embrace the Wild West and
the Kung-Fu East. Hollywood is beginning
to catch on, with admittedly mixed results,
and the basic format shows much promise
of becoming a genre-busting theme all to
its own.
Steampunk is far more than a literary
movement, however. In fact, most peoples
exposure to the culture comes from the
aesthetic side. Steampunk fashion is driven
by the resurgence of Victoriana and other
formal styles. Contrasting dramatically with
the sloppy grunge and industrial movements of the past few decades, Steampunk
dress represents a return to classical notions
of style and panache. At the same time, it is
far from restrictive, incorporating as it does
the personal artistic creations of legions of
individual tailors and fashion designers.
Metalworking, jewelry-making, and
mechanical creation, as well as found-art
and object reclamation, are experiencing
their own revolution alongside Steampunk.
Individuals in their backyards and garages
invent astonishing gadgets and devices,
turning fantasy into reality for no motive
beyond artistic fulfillment. A Steampunk
laptop will have circular typewriter keys and
be done up tastefully in wood and brass.

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

A Steampunk guitar will feature pipes and

old-fashioned knobs. Virtually any item can
be Steampunked, and Steampunk jewelry
is becoming ever-more common, even in
mainstream fashion. Some folks have built
motorbikes that are actually steam-powered,
and not unpleasant to look at either. In fact,
the Steampunk artistic movement shows
all the signs of evolving into a bona-fide
engineering philosophy. Practical designs
are very possible, including designs that do
not require fossil fuels to power them.
Steampunk yearns for a lost era of
craftsmanship. Our modern-day utilitarian
aesthetic pays attention only to function,
with little thought to visual and tactile
pleasure. Even the most notable exceptions,
Apple Computers and its imitators, opt for a
sleek, cold, minimalist approach. Steampunk
design, on the other hand, embraces the
elegant flash of the late 19th Century. Wood and brass lend an organic,
human warmth, while intricacy of
mechanism and pattern fascinate and
delight the senses. Steampunk reunites form and function, ending their
20th Century estrangement. It reminds
us that something does not have to be
useless to be considered art, nor must
something functional necessarily be
ugly.

Feature

Steampunks express themselves in literature, visual art, fashion design, and functional sculpture. The visual theme (wood, brass,
levers and cogs) can be applied to practically
any object. The world and environment lend
themselves to virtually any story. Steampunk
literature views the world through the lens
of a Jules Verne or an H.G. Wells, speculating
on the technological and societal possibilities at the birth of the Industrial Revolution.
Many regard The Difference Engine by William
Gibson and Bruce Sterling, featuring a
steam-powered mechanical computer, as the
seminal Steampunk novel. Since its publication, Steampunk as a literary genre has
spawned vastly different works tied together
by the same retro-futurist sensibility. From
popular alternate history epics like Eric Flints
1632 series to Dexter Palmers Shakespearean work The Dream of Perpetual Motion,
Steampunk has proven itself amenable to
many different novelistic forms across all
levels of literature. The Clockwork Century
series by Cherie Priest is a prime example.
Breaking free of the Victorian setting, Priests

novels take place during the same era in

Gilded Age America. Dirigibles, zombies, and
deeply human characters make for both raw
entertainment and thoughtful rumination.

As the Steampunk movement

continues to grow, it will embrace
more and more modes of expression.
Steampunk music, while a far cry
from Victorian chamber orchestras or
large brass bands, fuses folk, gypsy,
jazz, blues, and industrial in a bizarre
yet strangely intriguing tonal medley. The
genre is still in its infancy, but in this era of
digital music even niche bands can achieve
a significant following. Notable examples
Continued on page 14

Page 7

Page 8

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

geekatplay.com

Photographer: Vladimir Chopine

Character: Steampunk Snow White

Cosplayer: Mala Foxx

Cosplay Tip: Crossovers

Steampunk is hot this month with the Salt City

Steamfest. Mala has made a beautiful cross-over of the
iconic gears and gadgets with the fairy tale Snow White.
I asked her what advice she would give for creating
cross-overs into steampunk.

By Mercedes Roberts

Yellow skirt, corset, and red cloak made by Damsel in

this Dress. Cross bow made by I.S. Designs.

You can see both the fairy tale and steampunk

elements in the costume: the Victorian bustle, corset,
leather belts, and the killer guns are fantastic. She used
the bright yellows and reds of Snow White, but also
included the rough bronze, gold, and silver for her guns
and equipment. The guns even light up and make laser
noises!

The key to any successful steampunk cross over is

to identify key elements of the character. The more
recognizable the element the better! For Snow White I
pulled on the colors she is recognized for, the hair, the
makeup is even carefully chosen to look like her, and I
used apples! I chose green and red because of the color
contrasts. One fun thing about this Snow White is the
crossbow she uses. An inspiration in the character development was that she doesnt need a prince or hunter
to save her. Mala Foxx

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Page 9

Walking Through Walls

Chapter 6:
Into the Belly of Kathulos
By David J. West
The story so far:
Kenaz, a young information broker, can
step outside his own body to gather secrets.
But things have backfired, he has been
blackmailed by multiple sinister parties and
if he doesnt give them what they wanta
powerful artifact known as The Reliliqy
they will kill him and many others. He only
has until morning to get it if he isnt swallowed whole by the dark side entity Kathulos
first

Fiction

ithin the swirling vortex, an

eye the size of a dinner table
blinked once. Winds blasted
and howled like banshees as the remaining
lamps snuffed out. The sorcerous portal was
blacker than the night, hanging in space like
a dark reverse whirlpool. Some faint starlight
chased by moonbeams, stole in through the
open window, casting a treasonous glow
against the magical abyss. Nothing could
be heard beyond the sucking air except for
the Grand Sahirs conjuring, his mystical
words of enchantment louder than humanly
possible.
The dimensional gateway stretched
larger, opening and swelling, drinking
in life from this realm like a demonic
sponge. A small date palm in the
chamber wilted as if long dead.
The yawning portal pulled at my
very being, and yet the Djinn, Quino,
held onto me, waiting for the right
moment to release me into oblivion.
But Quino had to be cautious, too. He
could not avoid the soul-stealing pull
of Kathulos, either. Hed already felt it
once, thereby becoming a slave to the
Grand Sahir.

Papers swirled about the chamber,

drawn into the fearsome dark behind
the great anti-god. Only the Grand Sahir
remained unmoved, standing within the
protection of the magical circle. The Grand
Sahir cried, Now servant!

Page 10

www.UGeek.us/DavidJWest
Quino released me!

but it slipped off Quinos backside.

My very soul flew up toward the gaping

hole in space. I spun and caught Quinos
sleeve before being sucked in.
Let go! he cried. Youll doom us both!
No thanks!
Youll be ejected out once he has willed
you to his dreamtime, said Quino, awash
in fear. Youll survive, I would not a second
time!
Not interested, I said, struggling to retain
my grip.
It already happened to me, once. Id be
lost eternally if he took me again!
Not a first for me, I said, pulling myself
closer to his anchor.
Quino trembled, but would not let go of
his resolve to fight my grip.
The Grand Sahir finally noticed our
struggle through his incantation. He peered
through his magical spectacles, pointed to
the abyss and said, Servant, force him in!
Im trying, squealed Quino.
The darkness loomed larger in anticipation and I felt the dark anti-gods craving. I
held fast to Quinos hand and shirt sleeve.
Strangely enough, Quino tried something
that I had never encountered in all my spectral visits and hauntings. He started to take
his cloak off! Hes a Djinn and not a ghost,
but this was the first time Id encountered a
spiritual being capable of such a thing.
The clouds danced away and moonlight
waltzed into the chamber, searing the dark
evil eye beyond. I felt the infernal gaze of
Kathulos. Scrutinizing the insect before it,
the mad yellow orb, fixed on me. I burned
astrally.
I gripped the cloak, climbing it like a rope
to safety. Though still pulled toward the
vertical abyss more surely than my feet were
ever pulled toward earth.
Nearly free of his cloak, Quino cursed. The
material of the djinns cloak wouldnt tear,

Radiant moonlight lit the chamber. I

wasnt sure what was more frightening,
seeing the eye of the anti-god or the black
pit beyond.
Id rather see my fate and look it in the eye
than be enveloped by the stygian black.
Through my espirited senses, which are
beyond the limit of humanitys five, I could
still hear Lysandras curses as night watchmen shot bolts from their flat bows at her.
Multiple shards of broken shafts missed her
by a hairs breadth. My own body, still in a
state of coma, hung limply, a bolt sticking
out of my back. My body appeared dead.
After all there was no spirit inside.
Lysandra went up the wall to evade their
fire. They presumed me dead and ceased
shooting at me in favor of a live target. I
prayed to the Nameless that my body would
remain secure against walls and that my
wound wasnt fatal. If I died, there was a
short list of people I intended to haunt.
Though the soul-sucking anti-god was
more pressing. I couldnt help but laugh in
lieu of fear. Fear is relative. We all fear something, its an emotion older than all others.
Fear we wont eat, fear we wont be loved,
fear we are alone, fear we cant be alone, fear
we will die and fear we might have to live
through this pain yet another day. Man is a
fickle creature made in the gods own image
but lacking perspective. I supposed its why
we are here.
Kathulos must have been numbing my
mind. I was about to be swallowed, lost in his
nightmare of a dreamtime, crafted into his
eternal slave and here I was wondering on
such philosophies. His monstrous aura must
have done something to me. I wasnt even
afraid anymore. I didnt care. Why was I still
holding onto Quinos cloak? He was nearly
free of it. Why didnt I just let go and accept
my fate? Was that my lot? My destiny? Why
fight it? Embrace the darkness.
No.

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

That wasnt my voice speaking.

Moonlight streamed through the open
window and I stared at the vague colossal
face before me, the anti-god, born in the
mad immensities of night. My insane vision
of the tentacle-faced Kathulos was obscured
as something moved into the window blocking the illumination.
A gloved fist made its way over the sill and
then a lunging body, cloaked and ashen with
blazing eyes framed by flaming red hair.
Lysandra cocked her own crossbow pistol
and aimed at the stunned Grand Sahir.
She shot.
He paused in mid-incantation, eyes wide
in horror. He stared at the bolt, sprung
newborn from his chest and stumbled, voice
mute and his sandal smudged over the
sacred circle.
The circle broken, the Grand Sahir shot
up in the air, drawn to the abyss by the gale
force winds of his own conjuring.
Kathulos inhaled and the Grand Sahir
passed through the vortex into outer darkness.
This was not the soul meant for Kathulos,
but it surely sated his appetite. The hurricane
portal slammed shut like a window closed.
Everything in the chamber subsequently
crashed to the floor.
Lysandra caught herself from being
knocked out the window. Scrolls, feathers
and fumes blasted out beside her. Small fires
erupted throughout the chamber as the
sorcerers alchemy equipment and bottles
knocked together. She couldnt see or hear
me, and before I could spiritually suggest
anything, she threw a carpet over the largest
blaze and made for the chamber door to
bolt it. She is clever.
Kenaz, if you can hear me, she said, I
suggest you get your body up here.
Quino put his cloak back on. I looked at
him ready to renew our one sided struggle.
He nodded at me and said, I am free at last!
I was astonished at his change of heart.
Quino continued, Peace be to you,
brother. I thank you and your companion for
releasing my bondage. I owe you a life. What
is your desire?
I pondered a quick moment. My companion and I are in trouble, but firstly, my body is
still trapped down the castle walls. Can you
retrieve it?
Quino bowed his head, That is within my
power. He flew out the window. Even Lysandra felt his ethereal presence in passing.
That better be you getting your body,

she muttered.
Quino, released the lines holding my body
and carried it upward, much to the astonishment of the night-watch below. They saw
only what looked like a dead body rising in
the air.
Lysandra rummaged through the Sahirs
boxes and trunks for valuables. I could feel
her worry, she wasnt sure what had become
of me and she wasnt sure yet how she
would escape. She hoped to find something
useful amongst the array of bizarre items
and relics the sorcerer collected. This venture
couldnt have all been for nothing.
Guardsmen pounded on the door, interrupting the smoky reverie.
Lysandra crashed a bookcase against the
door to reinforce the bolt, while cursing my
name. Kenaz! Where are you?
Quino reappeared at the window with my
sleeping body.
My thanks, I said, right before reentering myself. A shock of pain where the bolt
lodged in me made me cry out.
Took you bloody long enough, said
Lysandra. How did you get up here so fast?
Are you all right?
I will be if you can bind this wound.
She tore a small piece of cloth from her
scarf.
But the bolt, I said.
This is to bite down on, she interrupted.
She jammed it into my mouth, then pulled
the bolt free in sharp quickness. Youre lucky
flat bow bolts dont have barbs. She then
tied her silken scarf about my shoulder and
arm. I dont know how we are getting out of
here. Too many guardsmen inside and out.
The ones outside the door pounded and
shouted.
Ill ask, I said. Lysandra looked surprised
but waited while I asked aloud, Quino?
Materializing into a hazy form resembling
smokeless fire, we could each see the Djinn.
I can take you both to safety upon my flying
carpet and my debt to you will be paid, he
said.
Glancing about the room, I had almost forgotten why I had come in the first place. The
massive ebony chest containing the Reliliqy
taunted me. I need to get the Reliliqy first.
You can try but though the Grand Sahir
is dead, his binding spell is still very much
upon it. As I told you earlier it is not what
you think it is, said Quino.
Doesnt matter what it is, I need it. I tried
to open the chest but it was sealed.

The door flexed as the guardsmen

rammed it.
Very well. Can you take us and the chest?
It can be opened later.
Quino shook his head, No, that would be
too heavy a burden. I can take both of you or
one of you and the chest.
Hard bargain, said Lysandra, but one will
be no good without the other, lets go. We
can try and steal it another day.
I dont have another day.
The door shuddered.
We dont need the Reliliqy to live, she
said.
I do.
Splinters shot from the door as one of the
iron bands holding it together broke.
Lysandra shook her head.
Take her and the chest to safety. Ill figure
something out.
No, said Lysandra.
I need the Reliliqy.
What good is it if youre dead?
You can get me out later, I said.
She shook her head. Ive never broken
anyone out of Blackwater prison, nor the
Dukes dungeons neither.
But you could, I said, touching her
shoulder.
One of the door planks fully broke and a
snaggle-toothed guardsman looked inside.
Lysandra sent a bolt through the gap, and a
man beyond screamed.
Ill hide, they may think I escaped with
you and not look very hard in such a cursed
room.
Youre trying your luck and my patience,
said Quino.
Go, I insisted.
Get on the carpet, ordered Quino.
I dragged the chest to the carpet and
Lysandra stepped aboard. Go Quino!
Using his eldritch magic, the djinn
strained and picked the carpet up about a
foot off of the floor.
If you cant be smart, be careful, said
Lysandra.
I nodded.
Quino put the burden upon his shoulder
and departed out the window. It was curious
to look upon, perfectly balanced, yet he was
visibly straining under the weight. Lysandra
held to the chest as it went up.
Continued on page 14

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Page 11

Moffat
and the
Doctor:

A Love Letter to
Humanity
By John Blackham
www.UGeek.us/JohnBlackham
Photo credit BBC

Maybe the only universal to Whovians is

that there are no universals. Take any two
fans of the show and ask them about
TenRose, Amy Pond, Clara Oswald, and
Steven Moffat.

It was quirky, challenging, scary, funny, and

put some of the first LGBT characters and
storylines in mainstream television.
First, to allay fears about the supposed ratings drop: the BBC is quite confident in the
popularity of the showtelevision ratings
do not reveal the whole story. Combined
with online streaming statistics and with its
current 91% on Rotten Tomatoes,
the show is going stronger than
ever. But deeper than popularity, I insist that Moffat
is not ruining the show.
He is saving it.

At least one of those will become an impassioned, potentially friendship-destroying

argument. Yet, whenever I let my big trap
start flapping to other Whovians, Im almost
invariably on the defense.

Moffats Doctor Who is just the

opposite. In Series 7, episode 4, the
Doctor faces a Shakri, who considers
itself a pest killer, freeing the universe
of these dirty, stupid apes. The Doctor
defends humanity in a speech that,
though not written by Moffat himself,
well represents his philosophy: [Humans are] not pests or plague; creatures of
hope. Forever building and reaching. Making
mistakes, of course; every life form does. But
they learn. And they strive for greater, and
they achieve it. You want a tally? Put their
achievements against their failings through
the whole of time. I will back humanity
against the Shakri every time.

You see, I adore Steven Moffat.

There. I said it.

Feature

I love the Moffat, who succeeded Russell T.

Davies as showrunner at the start of Series 5.
And a very vocal, passionate segment
of the fanbase will argue, with the conviction of Saint Ignatius punching the
lions in the face, that Steven Moffat is
the television equivalent of Satan. Ill
briefly summarize the three primary
complaints against him I have heard:
He is sexist. He cant write female
characters. His female characters are
defined by their relationship to the
Doctor.
His plots are incredibly convoluted, and betray his smugness
and arrogance. Worse, he recycles his
own plot points.
Hes ruining the show. Ever since
he took over from Russell T. Davies,
ratings have steadily dropped.
Ill just briefly mention that points 1 and
2 can be leveled just as easily (and unfairly)
against Russell T. Davies. Its at the feet of the
third point I throw down my glove.

Page 12

But Davies philosophy went beyond

tackling issues of gender and sexuality. The
emotional core of his Doctor Who was something that, on investigation, felt surprisingly
dark and bleak: humans are bad. Evil humans.
Stupid apes. We find something beautiful and
we destroy it. We tear each other apart for
being different. Every one of his visions of
humanitys future shows it in a pretty bleak
lightplague creatures, pettiness and idiocy
stretched on a canvas of flesh, enslaved to its
television in its demand to be entertained,
an errant and arrogant species in constant
need of discipline. Truthfully, in my opinion, the best parts of the Russell T. Davies
era were the Steven Moffat episodes: The
Empty Child / The Doctor Dances, The Girl
in the Fireplace, Blink, and Silence in the
Library / The Forests of the Dead.

Dont get me wrong; the Russell T. Davies

era was fun. It was energetic and exciting.
Eccleston and Tennant were dashing leading
men. The electric charisma of the weird
show about a rebel alien and his friends
flying through time and space in a phone
box recaptured the hearts of people around
the world. It had farting aliens, space rhinos,
and a cackling bleach-blond John Simms.

The Doctor still scolds humanity and

saves the planet, but this time, he shows
us what he sees in humanity thats worth
saving. Humanity is not a species of stupid
apes who ruin everything; its a people of
hope and vast potential. Future humanity,
we see on the fields of Trenzalore, is strong
and brave. With the Doctors help, it holds off
every other force in the universe to protect
something it holds sacred. It does questionable thingsthe curious theology of Papal
Mainframe, the use of the Headless Monks,
and the sect of the Silence. But ultimately, as
the Doctor says, stacking the good against

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

the bad, humanitys goodness

ultimately shines through, superior. Throughout the era, we see
the glory and the agony of the
human experience play out in an
intergalactic space opera that ultimately boils down to the story of
a group of people, who love each
other, trying to work through life
together. In short, a family, the
core of the human experience.
Which turns out to be a nuclear
family, as we learn that the Doctor
is married to River, who is actually a time lady because she was
conceived by Amy and Rory, while
the TARDIS was in the time vortex.
Yeah, okay, so maybe Moffat is
a little convoluted. At least he
doesnt have farting aliens.
Far from destroying the series,
I argue Steven Moffat is saving
it from its former message of
human depravity by replacing it
with one of human potential.
This isnt to say that Moffat
doesnt face some major hurdles.
Davies did away with all the other
time lords gallivanting around the
universe, and avoided going too
deeply into the Doctors own life,
focusing instead on the lives of

those around him, and keeping

his stories grounded on Earth so
as to avoid the convoluted mess
that led to the demise of the original Doctor Who in 1989. Moffat,
since becoming showrunner,
has begun to pull things in the
opposite direction, focusing on
the Doctors own life, his past, and
his future. Gallifrey may be back,
and all the time lords with it. For
all my complaints about Davies
philosophy, his formula was sure
successful, and Moffat is taking
risks by messing with it.
But then, isnt that what the
show has to doreinvent itself,
like the Doctor himself? Its great
strength is that it has regular opportunity to essentially become a
new show. Moffat has reinvented
the show twice, first with Matt
Smiths space opera and again
with Peter Capaldis as-yet mysterious arc. I eagerly await Series
9, with its shocking changeup
to everything the show has led
us to expect thus far (spoilers,
sweetie), to see what direction
Capaldis darker Doctor will go.
This autumn alone can tell what
lies in store.

Smart Summer
By Deborah Moore
www.UGeek.us/DeborahMoore
Photo courtesy morguefile.com

Hastur Games and Comics

Your One Stop Gaming Shop

6831 S. State St., Midvale, UT 84047

Phone: 801.352.2605
www.hasturgames.com
: Hastur Games and Comics

or television. What sort of geek would that

make me? I do, however, want it to be in
moderation.

Thats not actually true, but it can feel that

way. Summer Slide is a result of children
forgetting things they learned in school. But
actually, its simply a case of them loosing
information that isnt being used.

his has already been a hot summer,

even though its only started. It can
be hard to keep childrens minds
active and occupied. If your child is out
of school, like mine are, this adds to the
challenge.
While its wonderful to have them over
at friends house, in the heat, it can be hard
to keep the children from gravitating to a
screen. Now, Im not against video games

According to the National Summer Learning Association, students loose two to four
months of schooling during the break. One
great way to prevent this from happening is
to keep children reading.
The Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County
Libraries offer summer reading programs.
There are prizes and rewards for children
when they reach their reading goals. The
program started June, but its never too
late to sign up. Libraries also offer activities

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Audio books are another wonderful way

to encourage reading and comprehension.
You can listen to them during vacations as a
family, or to liven up errands.
Utah is also has a planetarium, several museums, parks, and preserves.
All of them provide opportunities for
your children to learn about science
and math.
Geeky parents are passionate. Its
one of our many strengths. If youre
like me, your mind is also full of
random knowledge. Share what you
know about certain types of architecture as you drive by some buildings.
Ask how many cups of flour you
might need if you doubled or tripled a
recipe for cookies. Look up a question
together.
Summer is a chance to show my
children how much I love learning. I
hope that youre able to find a similar joy
during the break. Learning hands on can
have lasting results.

Page 13

Raising Geeks

Theres another thing that usually a

concern with summer. Its the phenomenon
known as the Summer Slide. This actually
sounds more fun than what it is. The term
refers to the information children loose over
the summer. The heat makes it evaporate
right out of their brains.

to stimulate the mind and help them keep

growing.

Club Connection

Jurassic
World Utah
Costuming
Group
By Keith Olsen
Photos courtesy Jurassic World Utah
Costuming Group

he Jurassic World Utah costuming group was organized

in 2010 when Keith Olsen got
with some friends and decided to take
their love of the JP franchise beyond
the screen. Originally wanting to
portray screen accurate costumes, it
was decided that the love of the franchise was more important, so original
concepts were added. Growth has
been slow due to limited exposure,
but the group remains open to those
in northern Utah who want to share in
their love of the films through cosplay.
www.facebook.com/groups/
182820075100973, or just search Facebook
for Jurassic World Utah Costuming Group

Walking Through Walls

Continued from page 11
The guardsmen battered at the door. The
doorframes masonry cracked and broke.
I found a large wardrobe and secreted
myself inside. It was a poor hiding spot,
but I hoped to return to my astral form and
convince them to believe we had all escaped
out the window and give up looking. Once
my body pressed inside, I stepped out.
I watched Quino carry the carpet in a
long arc over the Cortezian bay. At least any
guardsmen watching would lose sight of the
carpet at that distance, and Lysandra would
be assured safety when she landed.
The guardsmen were now inside the
chamber. I made a suggestion that all had
escaped and they should report such to their
masters.
Its empty, said one.
Dont be so sure, said another.
Theyre gone. We should go tell the
colonel.
I agree, said yet another.
They must have escaped out the window, said a fourth. Its how they got in aint
it?
Wheres the Grand Sahir?
They all escaped and left, I prompted. Leave.
Two responded wordlessly to my prompting, turning to go down the stairs as if
ordered.
No! barked the one in command.
Something wants us to leave. That means
we shouldnt. Lets look around. Somethings
here!
My spiritual ears caught a scream. Gazing
farther away than humanly possible, I saw
Quino dropping the carpet over the bay.
Lysandra fell, the chest beside her, right into
the devil-fish infested waters.
That bastard Djinn!
Lysandra floundered in deadly waters
as the Reliliqy sank out of sight. If she was
lucky, Lysandra could swim to shore before
the iron beaks of the tentacled devil-fish
found her. At this late witching hour, it would
be unlikely. This was when the demons fed.
The suspicious captain threw open the
door to the wardrobe. I was spiritually
screaming at him to look somewhere else,
but he was immune to my persuasion. How?
Then I saw the charm hanging around his
neck, a talisman with awful power, marking
him as a member of the Brotherhood of
Shadows.
Escaping one doom right into another . . .
Next Time: Tentacles and Pentacles

Page 14

Of Cogs and Culture

Continued from page 7
of Steampunk music include Abney Park,
Hydrogen Skyline, Sunday Driver, and Steam
Powered Giraffe.
Part of Steampunks persistence stems
from as-yet unplumbed philosophical
depths, which reach far beyond Arts & Crafts
hobbies and mere entertainment. Steampunk represents a literal renaissance a rebirth of old, rediscovered values and beliefs.
Just as the Italian Renaissance modeled itself
after ancient Rome and Greece, Steampunk
takes its inspiration from Victorian England,
Gilded Age America, and the Belle Epoque in
France. The scientific spirit is rampant in Steampunk, along with the notion that mans
limits are dictated only by his ingenuity.
Steampunk invokes Age of Enlightenment
thinking, with its fascination for science and
reason, as well as an emphasis on the virtue
and personal excellence of Aristotle and
Marcus Aurelius. The punk designation of
any movement refers to its anti-establishment, counter-cultural leanings. Steampunk
is unique in that the culture it rebels against
is one of laziness, selfishness, disrespect and
a low-minded resentment towards anything
exceptional.
Thus, in order to be revolutionary, Steampunk returns to an older philosophy of
bearing and personal excellence; of class and
attention to detail; of mankinds inherent
greatness and that siren which calls us to
ascend, progress, and advance beyond the
limitations of nature. Nor does Steampunk
shy away from the underbelly of the Victorian Age. Themes of working-class liberation,
feminine strength and capability, and the
dangers of industrial pollution and environmental destruction show up throughout the
literary genre. At the same time, when folks
dress up in full garb for fairs and conventions, they tend to adopt the persona as well.
Polite, courteous, well-spoken interaction
contrasts almost as dramatically with modern day society as do top hats and corsets.
The growth and development of the 21st
Centurys cultural character will be strongly
influenced by the Steampunk movement, as
will its deeper philosophical character. Perhaps we will return to a more formal sense of
etiquette as a social norm. Perhaps our dayto-day interaction will regain a sense of honor and respect that it has lately been lacking.
Perhaps we will find solutions to our climate
and energy problems in a reconsideration of
mechanical power. Steam certainly doesnt
imply coal, of course in fact, a solar water
heater is Steampunk design in its essence.
Just make it look nice enough to keep on
your roof for all the world to see.

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

Reprinted with permission

Geek Cred Pop Quiz

By Zac Johnson

ith the release of Dragon Ball Z:

Battle of Gods and Resurrection
F bringing Dragon Ball Z back to
the limelight, and then the new Dragon Ball
Super coming to TV, I couldnt help myself
but do a Dragon Ball Z based Quiz. Enjoy!

Throughout the entirety of Dragon

Ball Z (Not counting Dragon Ball or
Dragon Ball GT) how many villains
has Goku personally slain?

B) 2

C) 3

D) 4

Goku notoriously bites his enemies

at some point during his fights with
the big baddies. Which of the following villains managed to avoid this terrible
attack?
A) Vegeta

B) Frieza

C) Cell

D) Majin Buu

Goku is known for coming breaking

the barrier between life and death
even by those who are not all that
familiar with the series. How many times
has Goku died throughout Dragon Ball and
Dragon Ball Z?
A) 1

B) 2

C) 3

Which of the following characters is responsible for killing the

notorious Captain Ginyu?

C) Cell

A) Goku

D) Majin Buu

B) Master Roshi

How many times through

Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z has the moon
been targeted for destruction and
destroyed?

C) Yamcha
D) Chiaotzu

How many
times
has Goku
officially won the
World Martial Arts
Tournament?

A) 2

A) Dr. Gero

When Piccolo fought

against Goku for the first
time in the 23rd World
Martial Arts Tournament, how old
was he?
B) 10

C) 18

D) 26

D) 4

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

B) 4

C) 6

D) 8

Which of the following

characters is responsible for
creating the Dragon Radar?

A) 1 B) 2 C) 3 D) 4

A) 3

A) Vegeta
B) Frieza

Answers at www.UtahGeekMagazine.com

A) 1

Flight is a standard ability,

but which of
the following characters
was the Z fighter shown
with the ability to fly
in Dragon Ball?

B) Bulma

C) Dr. Brief D) Goku

10

In the original battle against

Vegeta who was the one
who was actually responsible for his eventual defeat?
A) Yajirobe

B) Krillin

C) Goku

D) Gohan

Page 15

FOR MORE DETAILS

saltlakegamingcon.com

TM

Page 16

www.UtahGeekMagazine.com