Shrapnel 19 live now - review thread

[Spirit Cat Refugee]

Shrapnel 19 is now available for purchase via PDF or DTF. My copy is coming in on Saturday. Very interested in the Damien Redburn story.

https://www.amazon.com/BattleTech-Shrapnel-Issue-Official-Magazine-ebook/dp/B0DLQSMCQ7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Hope everyone enjoys the Spirit Cat story. I wrote it.

[Caesar Steiner for Archon]

I wanted to give it up to "Eden Lost." The way things are coming apart reminded me of the first Mad Max movie, where there are still theoretically cops and laws and money, but it seems like it's mostly out of inertia, and the only real rule left is "I will kill you."

[Doc Swift]

I'm curious what people think of "The Empty Grave."

[Orwell84]

I've only read some non-fiction parts so far, but had a good laugh at "Voices of the Sphere: Back in My Day" 
Nice parody of the fanbase arguing over which BattleTech era was best. How much of it was cribbed from these hallowed forums? Perhaps some questions are best left unanswered.

Props to Brian Kattrick for the term "PropaClanda". Wonder if we'll start seeing it around more, in-universe or here.

[Mendrugo]

I've only read some non-fiction parts so far, but had a good laugh at "Voices of the Sphere: Back in My Day" 
Nice parody of the fanbase arguing over which BattleTech era was best. How much of it was cribbed from these hallowed forums? Perhaps some questions are best left unanswered.

Glad you liked it.  No direct lifts, but I’ve been following the universe since 1987 (not quite OG, myself, but close) and have seen my share of flame wars from Usenet to social media.

[Arkansas Warrior]

Eh, that one struck me as being a shot *at* the fanbase.  I mean, at first it seemed like a useful broad overview for newbies about the various eras, but once we hit “back in my day there was only one autocannon” I couldn’t help rolling my eyes as I heard the fourth wall crash to the ground.  There hasn’t been one type of autocannon in-universe since 2290.  “Everyone backs away from the old fart that remembers BattleDroids” seems more mean-spirited than funny to me.  I am glad that’s not what you intended, but when I read it and hadn’t checked this thread yet, that was my first impression.

[Mendrugo]

Note that he mentions a number of incidents that he was retained to investigate, due to his expertise.

Salford.  The Celeste.  The Manassas.

What do all those have in common? 

Is he a crazy old man, or does he know uncomfortable truths about the nature of reality?

Where do you suppose he's from, originally?  What 'expertise' was he referring to?

His inclusion wasn't a slap at old timer fans, but a shout out to core details of the setting having shifted abruptly early on, and people remembering them differently.  The odd behavior was a nod to, in BattleDroids, neurohelmets working differently and a trend of DroidWarriors becoming more robotic over time, losing their humanity. 

In-universe, he likewise remembers things being different, "back in his day."  There are implications there beyond just "he's crazy," if you know the context of those misjumps.