If you enjoy the economic micro-managing, zoning and construction of a SimCities-like game and the macro level empire building from something like Civilization then chances are you’ll really enjoy CitiesXL. Right up front the game looks amazing. You can click on the thumbnails above for just a taste of the world level and city level views. The city building and management interfaces are pretty intuitive and there are excellent tutorials to get you started. The game can be played solo if you just want to develop your city in isolation and there is an online component available as well. The online game, in which you can develop travel and trade routes between your cities and those of other players, seemed like it had a great deal of potential just from the brief exposure I had to it. CitiesXL standard edition is $40 and there is a $10 monthly subscription for online play.

Goth Madness

DJ Eternal Darkness

• EternalDarkness.org
• Club Vogue
• Bands mentioned in our talk with DJ Eternal Darkness
  • Bauhaus
  • Switchblade Symphony
  • Carfax Abbey
  • Ego Lightness
  • Sisters of Mercy
  • Peter Murphy
  • Front 242
  • Machine in the Garden
  • Psyche
  • Aural Vampire

Jillian Venters

• Gothic Charm School home
• Gothic Charm School resources
• Gothic Charm School YouTube Channel
• Resources and sites mentioned in our talk with Jillian Venters
  • The Garden of Arcane Delights
  • Libby Bulloff’s Exoskeleton Cabaret
  • Drop Dead NYC
  • Christian Death
  • Specimen
  • Mourning Market
  • Gargoyles
  • Velvet Garden
  • Retroscope Fashions

October Horror Movies

This week Shannon reviews
Carnival of Souls (1962) recommended by Wayne M

Contests!

Silver Ship Series Giveaway!
We have SIGNED hardcover copies of The Silver Shop and the Sea and Reading the Wind plus a SIGNED advance uncorrected review copy of Wings of Creation to give away. Wings of Creation doesn’t hit shelves until November 11 but you can get your hands on a copy a week early with this contest along with the first two books of the series. This contest will run from October 22 to November 1 and the winner will be picked on November 2. Enter the contest and stay tuned for our Author Spotlight on Brenda Cooper coming this Tuesday, October 27.

“How do I enter?”
Please register / log in to our website, and leave a comment on THIS POST. You can just say “hi” or whatever you like. Please only comment once and keep it PG. We’ll delete any multiple or offensive posts.

“How will you randomly pick someone?”
We have D&D dice of all shapes and sizes, even a 100 sider! We’ll roll and see who wins!

We’ll be sending out the books to you via USPS

Events

• Conventions
  • October 23 – 25, 2009 – SteamCon – Sea-Tac, WA
  • October 24, 2009 – Bellingham ComiCon – Bellingham, WA
• Events
  • October 22, 2009 El Corazon 109 Eastlake Ave E Seattle – MC Chris, Whole Wheat Bread and I Fight Dragons show. Aggressively non-nerdcore rapper MC Chris, punk rockers Whole Wheat Bread and 8-bit video game rockers I Fight Dragons play live
  • October 23 – 25, 2009 Woodland Park Zoo 5500 Phinney Ave N, Seattle – Pumpkin Prowl! On the three nights of Pumpkin Prowl, Zoomazium transforms into “Boomazium!” Features of this haunted house include an interactive talking tree that distributes treats, flying ghosts, and tons of spooky decorations. The Family Farm meadows and ponds will be transformed into huge pumpkin patches and floating displays, filled with decorations and places to trick-or-treat! Each night will feature amazing live entertainment.
  • October 24, 2009 4pm Redmond Town Center 76th St & 166th Ave, Redmond WA – Zombie Block Party. A fun Zombie Block Party / Zombie-Walk at the Redmond Town Center for Zombies of all ages. The party starts at 4 pm with activities and entertainment, and culminates in the worldwide simultaneous “Thriller” dance at 5:30 pm.
  • October 24 – 25, 2009 Columbia City Event Center 3528 S. Ferdinand St, Seattle – Seattle Bookfest. Bookfest will feature more than 70 local authors, including poets and writers of fiction, nonfiction, mystery, romance, fantasy, and children’s books. In addition, the fair will showcase over 50 area bookstores, nonprofits, and small but influential publishers as exhibitors. There is also a long list of panels, workshops and special events including a spelling bee, SCRABBLE contests, bookbinding demo, and a How-to-Write-a-Novel-in-a-Month workshop.
  • October 26, 2009 7pm University Book Store 4326 University Way NE, Seattle – Appearance by authors Kate Elliott (Traitors’ Gate) and Ken Scholes (Canticle)
• Movies
  • October 23 – 24, 2009 Egyptian Theater 805 East Pine St, Seattle – Midnight Movies at the Egyptian: The Hunger
  • October 23 – 24, 2009 11pm Grand Illusion Cinema 1403 NE 50th St Seattle – the Seattle premier of SLIME CITY
  • October 23 – 29, 2009 Grand Illusion Cinema 1403 NE 50th St Seattle – Screening daily at 7pm: THE CAT AND THE CANARY and at 9pm: THE GHOST BREAKERS

Music

Music this week was 69 Balloons and Border of the Dead by Aural Vampire and, of course, Bela Lugosi’s Dead by Bauhaus.

Next Week’s show: HALLOWEEN! We’re going to The Return of Slashacre next Tuesday and are going to get interviews from the guests who may or may not include:
Andras Jones, Blood Squad, Night Zero, David Katims and the local filmmakers of Junkbucket! Tickets for Slashacre are still available!