Alexander Freed
@alexandermfreed.bsky.social
Alias: Alexander Marsh Freed. NY Times bestselling author of video games, novels, and comics. CD Projekt, BioWare, FoxNext, Del Rey, Dark Horse, etc. Pleasantly eccentric.
Latest book: Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: the Mask of Fear
Latest book: Star Wars: Reign of the Empire: the Mask of Fear
Iain M. Banks's Against a Dark Background is discounted to $2.99 at the Kindle and Google Play stores.
Banks, of course, is widely beloved and needs little promotion. But AaDB is widely considered one of his lesser works.
I love it. It's one of my favorites.
play.google.com/store/books/...
Banks, of course, is widely beloved and needs little promotion. But AaDB is widely considered one of his lesser works.
I love it. It's one of my favorites.
play.google.com/store/books/...
Against a Dark Background by Iain M. Banks - Books on Google Play
Against a Dark Background - Ebook written by Iain M. Banks. Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes...
play.google.com
May 20, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Iain M. Banks's Against a Dark Background is discounted to $2.99 at the Kindle and Google Play stores.
Banks, of course, is widely beloved and needs little promotion. But AaDB is widely considered one of his lesser works.
I love it. It's one of my favorites.
play.google.com/store/books/...
Banks, of course, is widely beloved and needs little promotion. But AaDB is widely considered one of his lesser works.
I love it. It's one of my favorites.
play.google.com/store/books/...
The brilliant Locomalito has been making beautifully crafted, totally free, retro indie arcade games for years. He is video gaming's equivalent of the unknown guy in small-town Texas making some of the world's best barbecue.
I really enjoyed original Gaurodan. Definitely interested in the revamp.
I really enjoyed original Gaurodan. Definitely interested in the revamp.
#Gaurodan 2.0 final touches!
Potential release date: May 30th,
Día de Canarias / Day of the Canary Islands.
It is much more polished than the original version in every way, but especially in gameplay. I'm happy with the result, and that's rarely the case.
It will be available at locomalito.com
Potential release date: May 30th,
Día de Canarias / Day of the Canary Islands.
It is much more polished than the original version in every way, but especially in gameplay. I'm happy with the result, and that's rarely the case.
It will be available at locomalito.com
May 16, 2025 at 12:19 AM
The brilliant Locomalito has been making beautifully crafted, totally free, retro indie arcade games for years. He is video gaming's equivalent of the unknown guy in small-town Texas making some of the world's best barbecue.
I really enjoyed original Gaurodan. Definitely interested in the revamp.
I really enjoyed original Gaurodan. Definitely interested in the revamp.
Pitch for a young adult romance novel: "My BF Skinner". A young woman dates a student of behavioral psychology at Harvard, but his well-meaning yet manipulative approach to their relationship causes her to eventually split.
May 14, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Pitch for a young adult romance novel: "My BF Skinner". A young woman dates a student of behavioral psychology at Harvard, but his well-meaning yet manipulative approach to their relationship causes her to eventually split.
Saw the Columbo episode "An Exercise in Fatality" for the first time. Maybe not among my absolute favorites but very solid and the Internet consensus is right: Milo Janus is absolutely one of the most loathsome murderers in the series.
April 27, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Saw the Columbo episode "An Exercise in Fatality" for the first time. Maybe not among my absolute favorites but very solid and the Internet consensus is right: Milo Janus is absolutely one of the most loathsome murderers in the series.
Oh, and look what the Google Play bookstore algorithm just threw at me. On sale for $2.99! There are worse ways to spend your money.
April 26, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Oh, and look what the Google Play bookstore algorithm just threw at me. On sale for $2.99! There are worse ways to spend your money.
Robert Irwin's brilliant novel The Arabian Nightmare is on sale as a Kindle ebook, for those of you who use Amazon.
www.amazon.com/dp/B07RW6VNB4
The book has many merits, not the least of which is one of the greatest set of chapter titles I have ever encountered:
www.amazon.com/dp/B07RW6VNB4
The book has many merits, not the least of which is one of the greatest set of chapter titles I have ever encountered:
April 26, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Robert Irwin's brilliant novel The Arabian Nightmare is on sale as a Kindle ebook, for those of you who use Amazon.
www.amazon.com/dp/B07RW6VNB4
The book has many merits, not the least of which is one of the greatest set of chapter titles I have ever encountered:
www.amazon.com/dp/B07RW6VNB4
The book has many merits, not the least of which is one of the greatest set of chapter titles I have ever encountered:
Excerpt of a work in progress. I used Word's "Compare" tool to redline everything that changed between first and second drafts.
The changes are slightly more pervasive than usual for me (there are some recurring minor changes that show up a lot, making it look more red than it "should" be)...
The changes are slightly more pervasive than usual for me (there are some recurring minor changes that show up a lot, making it look more red than it "should" be)...
April 25, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Excerpt of a work in progress. I used Word's "Compare" tool to redline everything that changed between first and second drafts.
The changes are slightly more pervasive than usual for me (there are some recurring minor changes that show up a lot, making it look more red than it "should" be)...
The changes are slightly more pervasive than usual for me (there are some recurring minor changes that show up a lot, making it look more red than it "should" be)...
Genuinely tempted to (but probably won't) start a book-by-book critique, analysis, and ranking of the non-Beginner Book works of Dr. Seuss.
Reread "I Had Trouble Getting to Solla Sollew" the other day... still great!
Reread "I Had Trouble Getting to Solla Sollew" the other day... still great!
April 22, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Genuinely tempted to (but probably won't) start a book-by-book critique, analysis, and ranking of the non-Beginner Book works of Dr. Seuss.
Reread "I Had Trouble Getting to Solla Sollew" the other day... still great!
Reread "I Had Trouble Getting to Solla Sollew" the other day... still great!
Pleased that Star Wars: Zero Company has been announced at last! I had the privilege of working a bit with Bit Reactor early in the project and am excited to see where it's all going.
Wonderful team, full of talented and caring people... wishing them the best.
youtu.be/rcxnRaZ6slU?...
Wonderful team, full of talented and caring people... wishing them the best.
youtu.be/rcxnRaZ6slU?...
Star Wars Zero Company | Official Announce Trailer
YouTube video by EA Star Wars
youtu.be
April 19, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Pleased that Star Wars: Zero Company has been announced at last! I had the privilege of working a bit with Bit Reactor early in the project and am excited to see where it's all going.
Wonderful team, full of talented and caring people... wishing them the best.
youtu.be/rcxnRaZ6slU?...
Wonderful team, full of talented and caring people... wishing them the best.
youtu.be/rcxnRaZ6slU?...
Been off social media awhile thanks to some travel and health issues. (Not like I'm normally a social media fiend, but usually my disappearances are gradual instead of sudden!) All is well, though.
April 8, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Been off social media awhile thanks to some travel and health issues. (Not like I'm normally a social media fiend, but usually my disappearances are gradual instead of sudden!) All is well, though.
The Nothoiin are great and I am pleased to have contributed to their revival in Star Wars: Uprising some years back. (Sir Corto Belrake especially was such a fun character to write!)
After a few posts on the more serious elements of The Mask of Fear, I wanted to make just a quick post to praise the presence of the Nothoiin in the book. I love that golden-hued species and their aristocracy, so many thanks to @alexandermfreed.bsky.social for including them! #StarWars
March 19, 2025 at 9:11 PM
The Nothoiin are great and I am pleased to have contributed to their revival in Star Wars: Uprising some years back. (Sir Corto Belrake especially was such a fun character to write!)
Based on the fact the signature is ALMOST legible and the pen still had ink, it also could've been "942 more to go..."
(Confession: It's always a pendulum swinging between, "Oh, mercy, how many do I have to sign?" and "This is a huge honor, try your best to make it look good for the readers.")
(Confession: It's always a pendulum swinging between, "Oh, mercy, how many do I have to sign?" and "This is a huge honor, try your best to make it look good for the readers.")
Proud owner of copy no. 943 for the Goldsboro special edition signed by @alexandermfreed.bsky.social . I’m assuming by 943 it was a mix of “I only have 57 left!” and, I have *sigh* “I have 57 left”.
March 11, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Based on the fact the signature is ALMOST legible and the pen still had ink, it also could've been "942 more to go..."
(Confession: It's always a pendulum swinging between, "Oh, mercy, how many do I have to sign?" and "This is a huge honor, try your best to make it look good for the readers.")
(Confession: It's always a pendulum swinging between, "Oh, mercy, how many do I have to sign?" and "This is a huge honor, try your best to make it look good for the readers.")
Google Books, Amazon, Kobo, etc. have Patricia McKillip's Riddle-Master trilogy on sale for $1.99. An absolute steal.
I came to McKillip late in life but if you're fond of thoughtful, ethereal fantasy--Le Guin's Earthsea comes to mind--I highly recommend her work.
play.google.com/store/books/...
I came to McKillip late in life but if you're fond of thoughtful, ethereal fantasy--Le Guin's Earthsea comes to mind--I highly recommend her work.
play.google.com/store/books/...
Riddle-Master by Patricia A. McKillip - Books on Google Play
Riddle-Master - Ebook written by Patricia A. McKillip. Read this book using Google Play Books app on your PC, android, iOS devices. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes whil...
play.google.com
March 9, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Google Books, Amazon, Kobo, etc. have Patricia McKillip's Riddle-Master trilogy on sale for $1.99. An absolute steal.
I came to McKillip late in life but if you're fond of thoughtful, ethereal fantasy--Le Guin's Earthsea comes to mind--I highly recommend her work.
play.google.com/store/books/...
I came to McKillip late in life but if you're fond of thoughtful, ethereal fantasy--Le Guin's Earthsea comes to mind--I highly recommend her work.
play.google.com/store/books/...
Did you know that ginger is packed full of "gingerol" molecules, giving ginger its distinctive flavor?
Did you know that nutrition science has determined that "gingerol" is the fakest-sounding molecule in nature?
(One of the above statements is true!)
Did you know that nutrition science has determined that "gingerol" is the fakest-sounding molecule in nature?
(One of the above statements is true!)
March 7, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Did you know that ginger is packed full of "gingerol" molecules, giving ginger its distinctive flavor?
Did you know that nutrition science has determined that "gingerol" is the fakest-sounding molecule in nature?
(One of the above statements is true!)
Did you know that nutrition science has determined that "gingerol" is the fakest-sounding molecule in nature?
(One of the above statements is true!)
And another!
(See, tagging me alone doesn't necessarily nudge me to share, but I can take a hint.)
(See, tagging me alone doesn't necessarily nudge me to share, but I can take a hint.)
Will share this again incase people missed it! (And also so the author sees) but my review of the astounding The Mask of Fear!
thecosmiccircus.com/book-review-...
thecosmiccircus.com/book-review-...
March 6, 2025 at 10:47 PM
And another!
(See, tagging me alone doesn't necessarily nudge me to share, but I can take a hint.)
(See, tagging me alone doesn't necessarily nudge me to share, but I can take a hint.)
A thoughtful and lengthy analysis of Mask of Fear. It's an honor to see the rigor people have been bringing to the book.
(I can't promise I'll repost every time someone asks but, I mean, I'm not a monster!)
(I can't promise I'll repost every time someone asks but, I mean, I'm not a monster!)
I know it's been like 10 days since this but I really do wanted to self-promo this, I worked so hard😭
posty.pe/ju3khi
posty.pe/ju3khi
March 6, 2025 at 10:35 PM
A thoughtful and lengthy analysis of Mask of Fear. It's an honor to see the rigor people have been bringing to the book.
(I can't promise I'll repost every time someone asks but, I mean, I'm not a monster!)
(I can't promise I'll repost every time someone asks but, I mean, I'm not a monster!)
And on a non-book note... I may be around for GDC this year after all. Been a while but it'd be nice to reconnect with industry colleagues.
(I'm a terrible networker but it is genuinely pleasant to hear how people have been doing and talk shop.)
(I'm a terrible networker but it is genuinely pleasant to hear how people have been doing and talk shop.)
March 3, 2025 at 5:28 PM
And on a non-book note... I may be around for GDC this year after all. Been a while but it'd be nice to reconnect with industry colleagues.
(I'm a terrible networker but it is genuinely pleasant to hear how people have been doing and talk shop.)
(I'm a terrible networker but it is genuinely pleasant to hear how people have been doing and talk shop.)
I'm a day late, but... wow, it does not feel like four years!
happy fourth birthday to this absolute banger of a book: Victory’s Price by @alexandermfreed.bsky.social
March 3, 2025 at 5:22 PM
I'm a day late, but... wow, it does not feel like four years!
Huh. I wasn't EXPECTING The Mask of Fear to show up on Entertainment Weekly's "Must List", but I'll certainly take it.
ew.com/the-oscars-r...
ew.com/the-oscars-r...
March 1, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Huh. I wasn't EXPECTING The Mask of Fear to show up on Entertainment Weekly's "Must List", but I'll certainly take it.
ew.com/the-oscars-r...
ew.com/the-oscars-r...
Reposted by Alexander Freed
"Meetings in person. Coordinates attached."
The Empire does NOT want you to find a copy of THE MASK OF FEAR. To resist, we hid free one hardcover copy at several Little Free Library locations across the country. Participating locations: t.co/vtj4gf4KXp
The Empire does NOT want you to find a copy of THE MASK OF FEAR. To resist, we hid free one hardcover copy at several Little Free Library locations across the country. Participating locations: t.co/vtj4gf4KXp
February 27, 2025 at 2:27 PM
"Meetings in person. Coordinates attached."
The Empire does NOT want you to find a copy of THE MASK OF FEAR. To resist, we hid free one hardcover copy at several Little Free Library locations across the country. Participating locations: t.co/vtj4gf4KXp
The Empire does NOT want you to find a copy of THE MASK OF FEAR. To resist, we hid free one hardcover copy at several Little Free Library locations across the country. Participating locations: t.co/vtj4gf4KXp
The Mask of Fear is out. May it go forth into the world and find its audience!
Thank you to everyone who reads and engages with the text. And deep thanks to the folks at Random House Worlds and Lucasfilm for giving me this opportunity (yet again). It is never taken for granted.
Thank you to everyone who reads and engages with the text. And deep thanks to the folks at Random House Worlds and Lucasfilm for giving me this opportunity (yet again). It is never taken for granted.
February 25, 2025 at 3:23 PM
The Mask of Fear is out. May it go forth into the world and find its audience!
Thank you to everyone who reads and engages with the text. And deep thanks to the folks at Random House Worlds and Lucasfilm for giving me this opportunity (yet again). It is never taken for granted.
Thank you to everyone who reads and engages with the text. And deep thanks to the folks at Random House Worlds and Lucasfilm for giving me this opportunity (yet again). It is never taken for granted.
Reposted by Alexander Freed
The STAR WARS: REIGN OF THE EMPIRE trilogy begins today with THE MASK OF FEAR from @alexandermfreed.bsky.social. If you like ANDOR—and who doesn’t—then this is the book for you. And like ANDOR, it is a very timely story that’s relevant to 2025.
February 25, 2025 at 12:36 PM
The STAR WARS: REIGN OF THE EMPIRE trilogy begins today with THE MASK OF FEAR from @alexandermfreed.bsky.social. If you like ANDOR—and who doesn’t—then this is the book for you. And like ANDOR, it is a very timely story that’s relevant to 2025.
I always feel weird about both sharing and NOT sharing reviews, commentary, etc. It seems awkward to selectively retweet positive or high-profile reviews and ignore others.
But also I'm incredibly grateful when people engage with my work.
Feel free to self-promote in replies?
But also I'm incredibly grateful when people engage with my work.
Feel free to self-promote in replies?
February 24, 2025 at 10:20 PM
I always feel weird about both sharing and NOT sharing reviews, commentary, etc. It seems awkward to selectively retweet positive or high-profile reviews and ignore others.
But also I'm incredibly grateful when people engage with my work.
Feel free to self-promote in replies?
But also I'm incredibly grateful when people engage with my work.
Feel free to self-promote in replies?
They have arrived.
On-sale date is Tuesday! Early reactions seem gratifyingly positive, but you don't have to like it to buy it--I'll take what I can get!
On-sale date is Tuesday! Early reactions seem gratifyingly positive, but you don't have to like it to buy it--I'll take what I can get!
February 24, 2025 at 2:20 AM
They have arrived.
On-sale date is Tuesday! Early reactions seem gratifyingly positive, but you don't have to like it to buy it--I'll take what I can get!
On-sale date is Tuesday! Early reactions seem gratifyingly positive, but you don't have to like it to buy it--I'll take what I can get!
Played the board game "Tales of the Arthurian Knights" for the first time yesterday. It is a fantastic branching storytelling experience, and great fun.
But it got me thinking about genre and interactive narrative, and why Arthuriana works so well within that context.
But it got me thinking about genre and interactive narrative, and why Arthuriana works so well within that context.
February 23, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Played the board game "Tales of the Arthurian Knights" for the first time yesterday. It is a fantastic branching storytelling experience, and great fun.
But it got me thinking about genre and interactive narrative, and why Arthuriana works so well within that context.
But it got me thinking about genre and interactive narrative, and why Arthuriana works so well within that context.