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Introduction topic

Rebooting the show

Update on what’s been happening during the hiatus

Explaining the new format

Topic

What Are Values?

“a person's principles or standards of behavior; one's judgment of what is important in life” - Google Dictionary

We use our values to make judgements, particularly judgements of good and bad or right and wrong

Chase’s perspective on values

Personal constitution or bill of rights

Values (In Combination with Morals and Ethics) form a personal doctrine by which to live

Affects all decisions in Life

Much like Laws, can be changed but it is a difficult process

Where Do Our Values Come From?

Parents

Peers

Friends

Relationship partners

Society

Society at large

Subcultures we participate in

Types of Values

Fear-based values

Values based on fear are those that cause you to take action in order to avoid something

Think “have to”

Common fear-based values

Safety / Security

Absence of pain

Avoidance of conflict/confrontation

Physical appearance

Power/Control

Privacy

Religousity (fear of hell)

Recognition / Respect

Knowledge (based in fear of the unknown)

Consciousness-based values

What do we mean by consciousness?

Consciousness is your awareness of who you *really* are, as opposed to the “you” that you believe yourself to be, or the you that you were taught you were supposed to be

Consciousness-based values are those that cause you to take action to bring something desirable into your world

Think “want to”

Common consciousness-based values:

Pleasure/sensuality (as opposed to absence of pain)

Freedom (as opposed to security)

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” - Ben Franklin

Achievement

Vs recognition (internal to self)

Leadership

Vs. control/management
(lead self before leading others)

Adventure/novelty

Autonomy

Spirituality (vs. religiousity, internal/external)

Chase Wolf: Notes on his experiences growing up in a religious household and finding spirituality outside of that setting.

Personal growth

Intimacy (vs privacy)

Community

A metavalue; valuing others who share your values

Important to know what your values are and what those of your community are to know whether it’s a good fit

If a conflict in values are present:

Accept paying the “price of admission” to be part of the community and tolerate the difference

Examine your values, and decide whether yours should change

Choose not to be a part of the community, and find a community that is a better fit for you

Chase Wolf: Notes on changes in the Gamer Community values and the impacts thereof.

Self-expression

Fulfillment

Truth

Justice

Knowledge (based in curiosity, as opposed to fear of the unknown)

Chase Wolf: Notes on his curiosity in understanding the ABDL/Baby-Fur community allowing a shift in opinion

Having fear-based values is not necessarily a bad thing, but as a general rule, happier people tend to hold more consciousness-based values than fear-based values

Chase Wolf: Often, fear-based values are those instilled in us by friends, family, and society.

Choosing Your Values

Think of each new moment as a fresh opportunity to decide who you want to be; the greatest freedom is the freedom of choice

“It is better to follow the voice inside and be at war with the whole world, than to follow the ways of the world and be at war with your deepest self” - Counselor and educator Michael Pastore

What are your values?

What situations or conflicts make you highly emotional, either positively or negatively?

Think about what value was respected in the situations that made you feel positively

Think about what value was not respected in the situations that made you feel negatively

Empowering questions to ask yourself:

What am I unwilling to tolerate?

What am I unwilling to give up?

What recharges my batteries?

What really makes me feel excited?

What experiences or activities have the most meaning for me?

Why do I “need” the things I tell myself I need?

When do I compromise my values? Why?

What keeps me going when times get tough?

Where is there a gap between who I am and who I really know myself to be?

Why choose new values?

When different values conflict with one another

Reconciling values with a relationship partner or a community

When acting according to a certain value just doesn’t feel right

When you realize a value is coming from outside, and isn’t something you really care about

When a particular value is constantly transgressed, to the point that it is draining your energy and emotional bandwidth

When failing to live up to a value is causing you great deals of shame, guilt, anger, anxiety, or fear

How Chase changed his values to serve him better

How changes in Chase’s values allowed him to overcome issues in his life

Values Assessment Tool

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qg8hegtswsullwk/Values%20Assessment.doc?dl=0

Feedback

None for this week

Question(s)

Subject: Mates now metamours

My two mates recently broke up with each other leaving me in the middle. One mate is desperately clinging to me and the other is constantly offering advice on how to keep my other relationship healthy. How do I just let things happen without the other thinking they had a hand in it?

Received via contact form (anonymous)

Closer

Contact info

Contact Viro:

t.me/viroscicollie

twitter.com/viroscicollie

Contact Chase:

twitter.com/Chase_WolfBTG

wolf4life.bandcamp.com

Feral Attraction Twitter:

twitter.com/feralattractfm

Feral Attraction Facebook:

facebook.com/feralattractfm

Feral Attraction Contact Page:

feralattraction.com/contact

Coaching Services now available!

As our audience has grown, many of our listeners and advice column readers have asked to speak with Viro or Metriko in a one-on-one setting so as to get help with resolving relationship issues or overcoming stumbling blocks that can trip us up on life's journey. Until now, it was not possible to offer such one-on-one attention, simply because of time constraints. Fortunately, Viro is now offering this kind of individualized attention as a service!

For more information, visit feralattraction.com/coaching.

Other business

Patreon

Joel Kreissman is a published author of anthropomorphic science-fiction in his Para-Imperium universe. His first novel, The Pride of Parahumans, was published with Thurston Howl publications in 2017 and he has more free stories on his blog at https://paraimperium.wordpress.com/

FA 105 Choosing Your Values - Choosing your values; what are values, where do they come from, and how do we choose the values that will support what we most want to experience in life?

Nothing worse than being a dragon and having to deal with having a cold and jerks. "In ancient China, a little dragon who can't breathe fire will fight to overcome his weakness in order to take part in the New Year’s celebration."  
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Here’s another project we found out about through Animation World Network: “Fox Family is prepping children’s book The Royal Rabbits of London as a hybrid CG-animation/live-action feature film, Variety reports. Screenwriter Will Davies, whose credits include Flushed Away, Puss and Boots, How to Train Your Dragon, and the forthcoming Abominable, has been hired to write the script. The Royal Rabbits of London is based on the 2016 children’s book written by husband-and-wife team Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore… There’s no word yet on where the animation will be produced. The story introduces the Royal Rabbits of London, who have secretly protected England’s Royal Family for centuries. When a small country rabbit uncovers an devious plot against the royals, he travels to London to warn the protective order.” Not to leave it out: The book was illustrated by Kate Hindley and it’s available at Barnes & Noble.

image c. 2018 Aladdin Publishers

Ok, hear me out. Imagine Redwall mixed with Game of Thrones mixed with a healthy dose of Phil Geusz' post-apocalyptic science fiction. That's what you're getting with Jaysen Headley's newest book, Longtails: The Storms of Spring.In a mildly futuristic Earth, society is comprised of anthropomorphic animals who use swords and magic alongside super-advanced technology. Of course, "science fantasy" is an emerging genre still, and it's great to see this in a furry book. We follow the main mousetagonist Del Hatherhorne who is claimed to be a nobody much like Harry Potter who naturally finds himself to be born with certain special talents, namely the ability to use multiple elements of magic.Part of the more metaphorical magic of this book is the amount of worldbuilding the author put into this work. It is such a rich and advanced world with history, lore, literature, and politics. It is such a unique world.However, I'd hesitate to give the book a full five stars. The tone is at such odds with itself, mostly being a very young adult style—similar to Harry Potter (the early books) or the Redwall series—but then having bloody scenes that are sharp, shocking, visceral, and grotesque. It reminds me of Kurtis Jobling's young adult animal fantasy series because of that contrast in audience.At times, the dialogue comes off as incredibly choppy and unrealistic. We have this amazing world to explore, but it's hard to want to explore it with fairly simple characters who are generally hard to bond with. When it comes to plot, the narrative is fairly straightforward as a young adult fantasy.However, if you are an avid devourer of fantasy literature, then please check this out. The worldbuilding is delightful. Its pacing may seem pedantic at points, especially the beginning, but it does get better. And you will find yourself asking where you would fit in this society if given the choice.I also want to commend the book as a product itself. The cover is stunning considering this isn't done by one of the "major houses," and the interior layout is likewise impressive.Would I join the Longtails? Hells yeah.

So Animation Magazine lead us to discover Krocchi the Street Cat, a new animated character brought to us by Nurue in Japan. Here’s what they say: “Krocchi is a tough cat who’s seen a lot, a new type of hero for children who teaches them to have a strong heart that never gives up, no matter how bad things get. Through this series children will learn creativity, and how to invent games with natural materials like grass and plants. And by dancing with Krocchi, they can have fun exercising too.” Besides the animated series for preschoolers, Nurue has also created a line of Krocchi artwork and plush toys.  Currently they’re seeking international distribution, and they’ve had some success in Asia.

image c. 2018 Nurue, Inc.

We just don't get enough young rat representation, thankfully Nicktoons can provide us that here.
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(There are many reasons to give this thoughtful discussion and avoid knee-jerk reaction about cost – it will happen, but please read on! – Patch)

MixedCandy gets fandom’s current highest auction price at The Dealer’s Den.

Congrats to MixedCandy for their successful auction. One of the fandom’s highest-powered creative stars has also raised attention for The Dealer’s Den, an online marketplace for this special niche.

This new record price was set 6 months after the previous one: $13,500 for a commission slot by Made Fur You, sold on The Dealer’s Den with 82 bids on 1/29/18. It was preceded by a record that stood for 3 years: $11,575 for Sniper Angeldragon by PhoenixWolf, sold on Furbuy with 187 bids on 2/14/15.

A few years ago, The Dealer’s Den looked like more or less a ghost town when I looked at its activity. Change of ownership to Vitai Slade brought healthy growth. It now roughly compares to the much longer established Furbuy, offering more options to the fandom. Both are free to use. At time of posting, both have around 350-500 active auctions and 1800 Twitter followers. The Dealer’s Den also has a Telegram group of 3,000 users advertising their goods, while Furbuy is doing in-person promotion with con panels and flyering. I’ve personally had good experiences with both.

A look at this auction and why it matters.

MixedCandy’s sale happened in 3 days time, shortly after the onslaught of mainstream media attention Anthrocon brings every year. I wouldn’t call that coincidental – timing an auction that way may be a great strategy! The bidding was most intense among 4 bidders who went way above usual market prices. I’d say $5000-6000 is still in a reasonable range of about double the usual cost of a full fursuit (it depends on features). Over that limit is where it really became a war.

I’m not surprised to see that happen with a character like Manuel Dog. I think he’s super handsome, with personality between fierce and cute. He seems made to make you run away in fear, but run up for a cuddle at the same time. He’s full of oodles of delicious fursuit crush power. I can’t wait to see him in action.

I will never get tired of adorable "were"wolves trying to look all scary but the only thing they succeed in is being cutie patooties :3

Werepups - @LibreWulf and @Dart_fur pic.twitter.com/RLlWwcwkjY

— LION!!! (@dethbox) July 13, 2018

When there’s mainstream talk about movie box-office records, or Zootopia being a billion dollar blockbuster – the fandom equivalent is convention attendance or a fursuit price record. It may be just symbolic, but you can call this a marker for “furry industry”, fandom growth, and how its artists are valued.

If you liked Zootopia‘s success, this is the fandom’s. Fursuits (and massive gatherings of them) are where the subculture flexes creative muscle and visual showstopping power. A con’s group photo can be considered a money shot of the show. There’s a lot more going on with this subculture, and an outsider may only see the surface of it – but a picture is worth 1000 words. That’s part of Manuel’s appeal and price.

Paying that much for a suit is very subjective personal worth. Other hobbies can get way more expensive (like a flashy car nobody needs). This is skilled work, and a serious gallery piece by a painter, sculptor, or other professional can cost more. “You could have gotten something else” isn’t relevant to a unique piece (for pure cheapness, try Walmart.) But such sales aren’t an investment with “high culture” recognition. It’s also for using and participating for the love of it.

Perhaps fandom is catching a generational groove like in the 1980’s and 90’s, when comics crossed a line from disposable trash to massive collectibles. Superman #1 selling for a million didn’t mean you couldn’t enjoy comics. It did say a lot about adult geeks rediscovering nostalgia for things they loved but weren’t super free to enjoy as kids. Manuel is like a huggable toy and an adult inside too. Of course, you can’t print millions of Manuels; there’s just one of each.

A fursuit business isn’t a path to riches.

Does a high price mean success by itself?

From tips I’ve gotten, I’m not sure MixedCandy has had a smooth ride behind their high-demand customer queue. If that’s true, maybe this auction will help them breathe a little with relief. Cute art is Grown Up Business now, and sometimes that means Grown Up Problems.

My recent article: ArtworkTee issues and the heart of the furry economy looked at problems of indie business. For what seems like brilliant successes on the surface, there can be killer pressure from liabilities and debts or business backups. Look at Hollywood celebs or music stars saddled with massive tax debts, unpaid by bad contracts, or cheated by managers. I had a friend who took incoming calls for the IRS who helped counsel people on how to ease their burdens, who occasionally dealt with names you may know. One was a famous pop music singer whose finances were in shreds behind a long and lauded career. Creative business has had such issues forever.

Tips I was sent about MixedCandy came from an average fan looking into their business, who asked me to take it further. According to them in March 2018, they saw a Trello queue with a long backlog for commissions. It had to involve a lot of deposits. Turnaround time and outlook on catchup was questioned. But when I revisited the tip in July, they saw progress and counted the auction win as helpful for an upward trajectory. They commented that it could even inspire people with backlogs to overcome them, and wanted it to spread a hopeful message.

To research, I asked MixedCandy for their side, but didn’t get responses to share. Of course a potential customer of any business should do their own research.

MixedCandy clearly love what they do. No fursuit maker would be alone in having business issues. As long as fans want what they create, those issues will be balanced by fandom love over money. Rising from a hobby for the love of it to a reliable living and business is a real achievement.

Higher prices help risky business, and you don’t need “Name Brands” when a smaller maker is a great option.

I’ve casually tracked fursuit makers for years. They have a lot of turnover and full time ones work their tails off. Do you want them to stick around?

Furries put out so much trust to pay thousands, do the DTD thing, and wait years for a suit. On the other side, high labor goes in while some customers expect hobby prices for professional goods. It seems like a pincher.

Scaleup can hurt when a business takes on too many commitments, without charging enough to meet them. Another common problem is unforseen bills or runaway debt, like medical expense that can kneecap a business. A theft or illegitimate refund claim can compound problems. Burnout happens. At the small business level we’re discussing, going to court is unlikely. It just ends up being a mess for everyone. I think this is built in risk with fursuit making.

People who go to art school or come up the independent way may not be taught to plan for this like in business school. They just figure it out. It takes foresight to navigate the obstacles, and many don’t. This is why rising fursuit prices help.

There’s also no need to wait for years for a highly demanded maker… or complain about one auction beyond your budget. With new up-and-coming makers emerging all the time, don’t overlook a close relationship with a small, personal one hungry to get started. They’ll be grateful for support, and you may get a crazy deal with all the personal attention you could want. If you do, Tip Your Makers.

Like the article? It takes a lot of effort to share these. Please consider supporting Dogpatch Press on Patreon.  You can access exclusive stuff for just $1, or get Con*Tact Caffeine Soap as a reward.  They’re a popular furry business seen in dealer dens. Be an extra-perky patron – or just order direct from Con*Tact.

Here’s what we learned at Comic Con: “Expedition Art is a team of artists who have joined together to raise awareness for wildlife and nature conservation initiatives through art.” To that end they have created the book In Danger, a collection of art designed to raise awareness (and funds!) for endangered species the world over. And what a collection! Black & white and color works from no less than 51 artists, including among them: Aaron Blaise, Bobby Chiu, Iain McCaig, Joe Weatherly, Terryl Whitlatch, and many many more. Visit their web site to find out how to order your own copy.

image c. 2018 Expedition Art

To kick off, Alkali, Xander and Maci from The Dragget Show join us for silly shenanigans, followed by news, followed by a live DOS video game review. Gaia is a returning guest this week along with a first time guest, s0ph0s.

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Watch Video Improv Collab:

Alkali, Xander and Maci from The Dragget Show join us for con stories, discussion of their latest Fox and Pepper Kickstarter livestream, along with crazy plans that are definitely getting us all banned from the next MFF.

Link Roundup:

• Ash Coyote “Social anxiety and how fursuiting helped me conquer it”
• BBC Radio 1’s “Meet The Furries”
• Werewolf V Designs – Paradox’s Shirt
• Lion commercial
• Howlr App iOS version released
  • Related Tweet
  • Howlr on the App Store
  • Howlr Analytics
• Sparky gets to meet Rhett and Link
• Centaur-like robot designed for disaster response

News:

• The Black Sarcophagus
• Oh Dear, There’s A Petition To Drink The Liquid From That Black Sarcophagus
• Some Rivers Are So Drug-Polluted, Their Eels Get High on Cocaine
• “I Saw Kink In God”: Dominatrixes And Their Orthodox Jewish Clients

Wolf for DOS Game Review:

• The Obscuritory’s article on 90s Sim “Wolf for DOS”
• Moby Games Link
• Archive.org Copy

FC-302 Sky Daddy - To kick off, Alkali, Xander and Maci from The Dragget Show join us for silly shenanigans, followed by news, followed by a live DOS video game review. Gaia is a returning guest this week along with a first time guest, s0ph0s.

To kick off, Alkali, Xander and Maci from The Dragget Show join us for silly shenanigans, followed by news, followed by a live DOS video game review. Gaia is a returning guest this week along with a first time guest, s0ph0s.

Download MP3

Improv Collab:

Alkali, Xander and Maci from The Dragget Show join us for con stories, discussion of their latest Fox and Pepper Kickstarter livestream, along with crazy plans that are definitely getting us all banned from the next MFF.

Link Roundup:

• Ash Coyote “Social anxiety and how fursuiting helped me conquer it”
• BBC Radio 1’s “Meet The Furries”
• Werewolf V Designs – Paradox’s Shirt
• Lion commercial
• Howlr App iOS version released
  • Related Tweet
  • Howlr on the App Store
  • Howlr Analytics
• Sparky gets to meet Rhett and Link
• Centaur-like robot designed for disaster response

News:

• The Black Sarcophagus
• Oh Dear, There’s A Petition To Drink The Liquid From That Black Sarcophagus
• Some Rivers Are So Drug-Polluted, Their Eels Get High on Cocaine
• “I Saw Kink In God”: Dominatrixes And Their Orthodox Jewish Clients

Wolf for DOS Game Review:

• The Obscuritory’s article on 90s Sim “Wolf for DOS”
• Moby Games Link
• Archive.org Copy

[Live] Sky Daddy

Dear Papabear,

Let me start off by saying this weighs heavily on me, and has for a time.

When I was 17 I came out as gay, and through the next couple of years after growing up with my sexuality I started leaning more towards bi, with a strong preference for men.

In 2012 I met my current girlfriend, we met on pounced and had the best conversations. We were, and still are, best friends. But the problem is me still struggling with my sexuality. I guess the way to explain it is I have a strong sexual/romantic attraction to men, while its mostly a romantic attraction to women. 

So now my sex life has dwindled to nothing, and I find myself resenting even getting into this relationship in the first place. Which is completely unfair to my mate, but I stay with her either out of being scared of being alone or for the fact I cling to some small hope I can fix it/change myself. 

It's worth putting in that we have an open relationship, but when I brought up that I would like to start seeing guys she shot the idea down saying that it was selfish of me to want to date men while our sex life together is near dead. And I completely agree with her that it was selfish for me to consider it. But I might need the help of a little blue pill with her, or even men for that matter, due to my problems.

I'm sorry for spilling that on you and I'm not even sure how to formulate a question out of this, except what do you think I should do? She is a dear and beloved friend, but the problem is that she feels more like a friend than a mate. And that's my fault, since the sex died with my arrousal issues, I put her in the friend category

Kreed (age 29)

* * *

Dear Kreed,

News flash: if she is telling you that you can't see people then you are not in an open relationship. Not sure what her definition of "open relationship" is, but that ain't it. Therefore, you are in a monogamous relationship with a woman and you are not sexually attracted to women, only romantically so. The second thing you have incorrect is that you need "fixing." There is nothing wrong with you and you don't need to fix anything. You are sexually attracted to men and that is how you are. VERY unlikely that will change at the age of 29 and beyond. Finally, you are guilting yourself into staying in this relationship because you don't want to hurt her feelings. Wrong again. You are doing your friend a disservice by giving her false hope that you can force yourself to have sex with her, perhaps even resorting to pills. At the same time, this is causing resentment to build inside you. The longer you keep it inside, the more likely it is that it will explode in a hurtful way to both of you. Not healthy.

It is NOT your fault that you don't want sex with her. What IS your fault is that you are continuing to lead her on in a relationship that is almost certainly going to end in disappointment for you both.

This is a wake-up call for you, Kreed. Take out the garbage that is this guilt of yours and show her that you respect her and care enough about her enough to tell her the truth that a romantic relationship that includes sex is off the table.  What you need to do is recognize that this can be a wonderful friendship, but that it ends there.  This is not a bad thing.  Great friendships are to be cherished, but the longer you string her along, the more resentment will build, and the more likely it is you won't even be friends anymore, and you don't want to lose that, do you?

Tell her the truth of how you feel and do whatever you can to preserve your friendship.  Now would be a good time.

Hugs,
Papabear​

Here’s a new TV series we found out about through Animation magazine: Gigantosaurus, produced by Cyber Group Studios. “Growing up in the Cretaceous is no mean feat for kids! New volcanoes popping up all the time, long-necked brachiosauruses, meteor showers, enormous triceratopses and… the big bad Gigantosaurus, as the kids would say. Gigantosaurus isn’t actually very well-known but the mere mention of his name is enough to conjure up a range of (conflicting) emotions in our four young (dinosaur) friends: Fear (Bill), fascination (Rocky), laughter (Tiny), and scientific interest (Mazu). In short, Gigantosaurus represents four different ways of finding out more about the world when you’re between 4 and 6 years old.” According to their web site it’s all “based on a book written by the multi-awarded children novelist Jonny Duddle”. Gigantosaurus has already been sold to Disney Junior for worldwide distribution, and it’s in production now. And as you can see from their site, Cyber Group Studios have several other shows of furry fan interest in production as well.

image c. 2018 Cyber Group Studios

For #FursuitFriday have some public suiting in Santa Cruz.    
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Thanks to a friend we came across The Gnoll Credo, a novel by J. Stanton. Here’s what the author has to say about it: “There are no such things as gnolls, they never kill and eat people, and they can’t read or write — much less write something so stark, so raw, so beautifully bleak. Right? Because if there were, someone might have risked a violent and painful death to find them, study them, and bring back this book. Then you might read it.” So here is a story about someone from the outside world visiting these famously ruthless giant hyena-like warriors… and learning more about them they either side ever thought possible. You can find the book in paperback over at Barnes & Noble.

image c. 2018 Forgotten Realms

To kick off a pilot of our new feature interview podcast, Jesse and Paradox sit down with Hino, chairman of Megaplex, to discuss the con’s history, unique stories & future plans.

Megaplex is coming up August 3rd – 5th 2018 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida.

This episode is an exciting pilot of our upcoming yet-to-be-named series. Look out for a dedicated site, social media & RSS feeds coming soon!

Download MP3

FC-301X Features Pilot - To kick off a pilot of our new show, Jesse and Paradox sit down with Hino, chairman of Megaplex, to discuss the con's history, unique stories & future plans.

To kick off a pilot of our new feature interview podcast, Jesse and Paradox sit down with Hino, chairman of Megaplex, to discuss the con’s history, unique stories & future plans.

Megaplex is coming up August 3rd – 5th 2018 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida.

This episode is an exciting pilot of our upcoming yet-to-be-named series. Look out for a dedicated site, social media & RSS feeds coming soon!

Download MP3

[Feature] Features Pilot

Bonus clip! Don Karnage is back! *Swoon* Ok, No Jim Cummings and his ears are not in the clip ... dammit! Still, I expect he will remove his hat and the dramatic reveal of his most amazing ears.  There are so many questions about a Tailspin reboot at this point. [1] [1] https://furry.today/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/ducktales-don-karnage.jpg
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Man, I can't wait for the latest oblong human parasite to come out this year.
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Submitted by Fred Patten, Furry’s favorite historian and reviewer.

Liberation Game, by Kris Schnee.
Seattle, WA, CreateSpace, May 2018, trade paperback, $8.99 (307 pages). Kindle $3.99.

This is both a sequel to Thousand Tales: How We Won the Game, 2040: Reconnection, The Digital Coyote, Thousand Tales: Learning to Fly, and all the other stories in this series, and an independent summation of all of them. It covers the years 2036 to 2040, from when the Artificial Intelligence Ludo was just starting to set up the Thousand Tales/Talespace gameworld, to when it – maybe – becomes a legally recognized independent country. It features new characters, although some previous characters appear in it. (Nocturne, identified in the first novel as a black-feathered griffin-girl, is described more fully; she’s not an eagle-lioness combination but a raven-lioness.)

Liberation Game features three main characters: Ludo, in “her” beautiful human woman form; Robin MacAdam, a young American, a member of the Latter Day Saints/Mormons helping to build a community in the Central American nation of Cibola; and Lumina, a centauroid deer robot (very shiny but metallic; not very “furry”).

As Liberation Game begins in 2036, Ludo has just begun her mission to help humans “have fun”. Lumina is one of the first independent AIs that Ludo has created. She was intended to become the android companion of a German doctor who Ludo hoped to encourage to become a supporter of Thousand Tales and one of its first uploaded residents, but he is killed almost immediately, leaving Lumina at loose ends. She drifts over to Robin’s project.

Robin, the assistant of Edward Apery, are the two Mormons/Americans helping the local natives of Cibola to construct a modern village, Golden Goose. The name is intended as both a symbol of what they hope to accomplish, and as a subtle hint to Cibola’s corrupt government that it can get more over the long run by letting the experimental village succeed than by taking all its assets as “taxes” immediately.

“The village of Golden Goose existed by a strange partnership. The Latter-Day Saints (or Mormons) had pumped money into Cibola in the hopes of winning over some of the local Catholics. The government had eagerly deeded them some land to start economic reconstruction. Robin himself had initially cared more about travel and adventure and damn good local coffee.

The village’s other partner wasn’t human: Ludo the gamemaster AI.” (p. 5)

At this point, Ludo is mostly a silent partner, helping to subsidize Golden Goose’s development for the long-range goal of building one of her centers of Thousand Tales and uploading human minds into Talespace. Edward/administrator and Robin/engineer are the tutors of the local natives, and their representatives to Governor Leopold, their Cibolan government official.

When “General Mosquito”, a warlord fighting the government’s incompetent army and killing everyone his army encounters, decides to conquer Golden Goose and loot all its assets, Edward flees, leaving Robin in charge. Ludo supports him in planning a defense – and more:

“‘I don’t run Golden Goose. I’m just the engineer. Edward will come back once the threat is gone.’

‘Unlikely. Will you look to the long term with me, and be ready to defend this area even against Leopold as the nominally lawful ruler?’

Robin backed away from the racks of computers. ‘Did you just ask me to start a revolution?’

‘The rule of law is a rare thing, and there’s little of it here. I predict that if your people do well, you can be recognized as a mostly autonomous zone that pays taxes and bribes but is mostly left alone to do big things.’

‘Things for you, you mean. What is this immortality miracle, really?’

‘Digital recreation of human minds. Brain uploading. That’s not the important thing here. It’s going to be controversial and I need places where people have the freedom to sign up for it.’” (p. 74)

Robin’s victory over Mosquito, and his fighting alongside the villagers of Golden Goose after Edward fled, wins him the villagers’ support. He continues to build the village, and Ludo begins to develop her center beneath it. One of her first “assistants” is Lumina. Robin is dismissive of the flashy metallic deer-centauroid android at first, but they grow on each other.

Lumina is the only major “furry” character at first, if you consider a metallic android to be furry, but there are many supporting characters such as Delphine, a dolphin-woman:

“The turret detected portals opening in the blazing desert. Lumina disabled it and unlocked the outer door to let the guests trickle in. First was a dwarf, then a living suit of armor and Nocturne the griffin. There was a humanoid otter with a cutlass [Typhoon’s Eye; he becomes important later on], several unicorns and pegasi, and more. There were one hundred and nine people in total.

Nocturne said, ‘Welcome to TalesCon ’36!’, greeting one of the last guests, a French-accented centaur lady with a vest full of cooking tools.” (p. 48)

“‘Thank y’all!’ said a rabbit in shining armor, grinning widely. He turned to the avatars of a kindly Texan woman and her wheelchair-bound friend, who were doing voice acting for some of the characters. The bunny added, ‘Miss Abby, when are you free next? Been wantin’ to show you my mansion.’” (p. 188)

The story gradually becomes more furry, but it doesn’t become really furry until about page 200. It’s an easy read until then because all of Schnee’s Thousand Tales novels are excellent s-f stories, both thought-provoking and dramatic:

“‘This is a dangerous game, Ludo. Last time you encouraged md to fight, it was to protect my people against an incoming threat of violence. You said you wouldn’t suggest it unless there were going to be a fight anyway.’ Robin paced, then looked back at her. ‘Is that what you’re telling me again?’

She nodded. ‘We know that someone is using violence as a provocation already. You should begin to game out several ways that the next few rounds of this dance could go horribly wrong and what you’ll do.’” (p. 280)

Liberation Game (cover by NextMars) is another winner in Schnee’s Thousand Tales series. Don’t miss it.

– Fred Patten

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