After fighting in only three battles, don't forget that part.

Ooooh, good point.

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat past mistakes.

Might have to find a Vanguard Paul Newman for him to snog with. Or eat faces with. Or whatever the appropriate equivalent is.

You whipper snappers and your modern youth pop culture references!

Get off my damned lawn!

This reminds me of some comic illustrations of darker stories, like the Dark Tower series by Steven King. A vanguard would fit right in!

Hmm, I've not read the DT series - is it one you would recommend? Although he can be a bit of a hack, I quite like some of Mr. King's writing.

The colouring style of this looks rather good for the character, actually.

I agree with the coloring being agreeable. As for the DT series, it is 7 books long, and you know how King loves to keep his books short...
Take a shot at the first book and see if you like it.

Next time I'm book shopping I'll do just that. Itching for some good reading material of late since my muse has been somewhat uncooperative.

Heh, yeah, Mr. King does like his epic tales. At least he provides good value for money in terms of amount of content.

Very true. Any books you recommend, sir?

Actually a modern sci-fi writer I've been enjoying is a guy called Ken Macleod. Most of the stuff I've read of his has actually been rather good.

Another one (considered a contemporary classic writer by some) is Vernor Vinge. Well worth checking out if you stumble across any of his works.

Then there's my all-time favorite author, David Brin. Absolutely love his work.

Excellent! i just started a book by Mary Doria Russell. Love the detail and characters in it :)

Not familiar with her at all - what type of sci-fi does she write?

Just two sci-fi books I know of, one I am reading. It is about a Jesuit mission to another planet; dealing with first contact. I am fascinated with first contact scenarios. It does tough upon religion, but any new contact would breed a horde of religious events. it does not put religion in a good or bad light, so don't you worry.

I do enjoy first-contact type stories if they're well written. Will check it out - pity that religion is still involved from the human side of things though - I would hope should that ever become any sort of reality, that we have culturally evolved past religion by then.

I doubt we will. if there is something we are good at, it is clinging to old ways long past their due date. You should see the holes in my socks!

Somehow I don't think people will be worshipping your socks anytime soon, my friend.

Although, that depends - do you have sexy feet? But you're right, given human nature and all that

Sexy? Maybe. But they are big! My toes uncurl and become pews so it makes good sense, this whole sock-religion metaphor.

Do you bestow blessings upon your flock? And are there any positions open for an alterboy?

Hmm, you know what they say about guys with big feet...

They wear big shoes.

The holy water flick is all in the ankle.

Alter boys need experience with pedicures.

(insert deities of preference here)-damn it, V-Taar! You busted my joke!!

Pedicures I could probably do

Alas, I hath killed the poor fellow. Shall I put the proverbial foot in my mouth?

Not at all you wonderful man.

I guess obvious bad joke was too obvious. And if you're going to put your foot anywhere, at least let me give you a complimentary pedicure

Touche, good sir. or shall I say toeche to keep with the foot theme?

*facepalm*

Ken Macleod is brilliant! :D
Seconding that!

Have you read 'Learning The World', yet? My editor/agent actually recommended it to me and it was the first of his works that I read. Brilliant, funny, twist-in-the-tail story. And he put together a remarkably well designed alien society as well - recognisable enough that you could emotionly relate to the characters, but with enough little differences to make you realise that they were anything but 'human'.

Nope, but i just adored Engines of Light trilogy.
Have to catch up on the newer stuff... :/

Damn, haven't read that trilogy.

Kevin J Anderson?

Peter F Hamilton? (I Nights Dawn trilogy).

Please do, you'll love it :)

Kevin J Anderson - haven't read much, if at all

Peter F Hamilton - Oh yes! :)
The new stuff (Commonwealth Saga and Void Trilogy) is much much MUCH better than Night's Dawn. In fact, it's just plain awesome!

Yep, up to date on Commonwealth Saga, and have read the first of the Void Trilogy - is there more out yet?

You might like Mr. Anderson's work.

Man I love talking geek with you

Yup, The Temporal Void was out last year.
The last one should be coming near the end of the year...

And likewise :)

Holy crap that man is a machine. I struggle to write 300 & something pages in one year, and he pounds out something close to a thousand?

My god... (it's full of stars?)

The artist gave him hairy bits... but then I often give artists quite a lot of lee-way with the picture to give it their own personal touch. And heck, it works quite well. Hybrid, that has possibilities...

I've seen the line work for this one in your gallery, the coloration is really nice, very unique. For some reason is kind of reminds me of a wood engraving that was done using a burning technique.

Yeah, the semi-monochromatic look really suits it I reckon. Will have to go back to this artist again sometime and see if she's willing to do more commissions.

Well, the good die young, so what the hell, eh? He'll be iconically remembered by all, which will be more prefereable to the option of growing old and then aging in disgrace as you lose your mind. I mean, if Dean had lived, how long would it have been before he did something stupid and fucked his reputation up? Or, alternatively, what if Michael Jackson had been killed at the height of his popularity, before the whole thing with the accusations about child molesting came to light??

...

... what were were talking about again? Oh, yeah... sexy shorts, there, buddy.

Better to burn bright and fast than fade out and disappear? You're absolutely right though, I think there have been a lot of famous people who have had the sense to disappear before they became boring and irrelevant. Either that or they've karked it.

Rather than turning into something little more than the punch-line in some rather ignominious joke.