NorsePlay.

NorsePlay recently reviewed the Vikingverse series , and I loved it so much, I've reached out to its author & creator  Ian Stuart Sharpe to bring you this Q&A interview filled with all the inquiries his brilliant what-if-the-Vikings-had-conquered-the-world masterwork compelled me to ask.  For background, Sharpe's  career as a published writer started with the first Vikingverse installment, The All Father Paradox (2018 CE), continued with sequel Loki's Wager (2020 CE), gained even more literal public support with his crowdfunded Vikingverse graphic novel,  The Jötunn War (2021 CE), and then an equally fan-supported  Vikingverse -adjacent phrasebook Old Norse For Modern Times (2021 CE).   Sharpe's from London, UK, did some growing up in East Anglia, and now lives in Oak Bay, British Columbia, Canada. His longer tech career includes working for the BBC, IMG, Atari, and Electronic Arts. [Note that this interview does contain spoilers. Now, ont...

The Vikingverse  series is a NorsePlay of stellar proportions, epic in scope & reframing, written in two books and one graphic novel by Ian Stuart Sharpe. [Marines at Iwo Jima? No,  Space Vikings  raising the Raven Banner!] The narrative involves alternative history , a few Stormpunk points-of-deviation, quantum physics, parallel timelines, entanglement, consciousness, intelligent design, imperial ambition, magic, and the endless Odinic search for knowledge. The only thing I can literarily compare this to is Kim Newman's Anno Dracula series, where a certain event changes the landscape of history to the present day, except instead vampires becoming societally dominant, it's Vikings instead. [Empress Trumba is based on a certain president ... !] The in-use of the Norse Lore is deep, and feels like it's been written for the Norse Lore hound by a Norse Lore hound , and at times I marveled at how much was drawn & woven into the Vikingverse by this, and conve...

  So we're not exactly sure why there's crazy mad Mjölnirs  getting whisked about a tower of ice chunks & bluish Northern Lights, but we just couldn't ignore what was going on. This book cover's from what seems to be an overly dramatic kids' chapter book series that includes collectible clue cards and an internet linked game, but we've no idea if it's actually any good. Rick Riordan of Magnus Chase fame also writes some installments of these, though not this one, but you'd think, right? And apparently the runes on the left foreground hammer read "butterfly"?!? So if you know, do leave a comment explaining how much NorsePlay is actually in this book. Thanks. #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studi...

In S.M. Stirling's Emberverse series, a point-of-deviation happens in 1998 when technology suddenly just doesn't work. After the change, two Asatru nations arise in the former U.S.: the Bearkillers in a small northwestern coastal spot, and Norrheim in what was Maine . In a world where gunpowder doesn't work, the axe, sword, & shield regain their relevance. [ Emberverse: A New Generation map by YNot1989 (Sean McKnight).] #    #    # Guillermo Maytorena IV knew there was something special in  the Norse Lore when he picked up a copy of the d'Aulaires'  Norse Gods and Giants  at age seven. Since t hen he's been fascinated by the truthful potency of Norse Mythology, passionately read & studied, embraced Ásatrú, launched the  Map of Midgard  project, and spearheaded the neologism/brand NorsePlay.   If you have e mployment/ opportunities in  investigative mythology,  field research, or product develo...