New Universe Calling: Hearing Their Voices
I’ve been hearing a lot of diverse voices in the last couple of months. And late last week, they were published.
My first science fiction anthology as editor was released on June 5: VOICES OF VARUNA. It’s ten great stories from Budgie Smuggler Games that introduce the diversity of the Renegade Legion Universe to the public.
Life in the 75th Century isn’t an easy ride, but it sure can be a fun one!
From capers and cartels to alien explorations and grav tank exploits, in the Renegade Legion Universe, adventure awaits! Explore the exciting worlds of the Varuna Galaxy and discover what the future has in store in “Voices of Varuna: a Renegade Legion Universe Anthology.”
No matter what side of the conflict you’re on – TOG, Union, Renegade, or independent – you’ll find conflict, crimes, and war alongside exploration, wonder, and love. In this debut anthology from Budgie Smuggler Games, discover the depths and complexities of the Renegade Legion Universe. Featuring ten different, dynamic tales by both well-known and up-and-coming science fiction writers, there’s a story within for everyone.
Some of you long-time gamers from the tabletop days of the late 80s may remember the Renegade Legion name: it was a future-war tabletop game that was steeped in “space Romans” with grav tanks as the weapon du jour. Originally conceived as FASA’s pitch for a Star Wars RPG setting, it was converted to Renegade Legion after West End Games ultimately received that particularly worthwhile property.
Anyway, long story short (that is chock-full of boring intellectual property machinations and wrangling), Budgie Smuggler Games acquired key parts of the old RLU IP and began creating a new tabletop miniatures game. This, and several on-the-drawing-table game concepts (RPG, strategy game, space combat miniatures, etc), were wrapped into a “re-awakened” Renegade Legion Universe that didn’t feel as lopsided (or as…problematic…) as the original setting.
Everything has an origin story
I joined the BSG team late last year to help with worldbuilding, and somewhere along the way, we realized we really needed to introduce everybody to this very cool universe we were creating. And then I realized…the setting was nice and big (because space is big), which meant a LOT of room for stories of all kinds. So why not go for other story genres like mystery, romance, thriller, horror, and the like?
And that prompted the anthology idea. Plus, showcasing the possibilities of the universe through varied talented writers of these genres would also help generate interest in the grav tank miniatures game (called CENTURION) we would launch later in the summer through Gamefound.
After a whirlwind two months – from our public Call for Stories to the final galley pass – I’m excited to see the fruit of our labor now sitting on Amazon. Ten stories featuring wildly different characters, settings, and genres that gives just a taste of this cool new universe. As I’ve told friends around me, no matter what kinds of stories you love, I’m positive they’ll find at least one within the 10 that they’ll enjoy. (Hopefully more!)
Credit where it’s due
None of this could’ve happened without the support of Matt and Josh, of course, since they levered up the whole shebang. (And to Jordan and Dale for their concept art to provide amazing visuals, which you can get a taste of in the book trailer at the top of this post.)
But a lot of credit is also due to the nine authors I got to work alongside as well: Bev Vincent, Jean Rabe, Carrie Harris, K.T. Seto, Wunji Lau, Will McDermott, John Peel, Sarah Stegall, and Marsheila Rockwell. I’ve never worked directly with any of them on a project (though I have interviewed some about a prior project), so this was a double bonus. Everyone was kind, enthusiastic, and more than put up with us ironing out universe wrinkles as we plowed forward.
I’m happy to say several of these creative minds are continuing to help us define, refine, and elevate this gigantic stellar galaxy. And the Renegade Legion Universe is better because of their contributions.
The Voices are speaking to you. Indulge yourself; download it now.