Photography: harbinger of the apocalypse, calcified caped dove by Nick Brandt.

Nick Brandt  is probably best known for his wonderfully developed photographs of the wild animals of Africa caught in a state of existence (rather than action shots of them splashing through water or diving dramatically through the sky). However this image struck me as iconic of something beyond wildlife photography.  It could be an icon [...]

Yellow Dawn 2.5 ¦ Bolt-On rules: Nanomech & Synthology

Bolt-On Module Yellow Dawn – The Age of Hastur, first published in 2007, is an RPG written by sci-fi & dark fantasy author David J Rodger – it blends the Cthulhu Mythos and cyberpunk genres in a post-apocalyptic setting. Learn more… . This bolt-on is available as a free download in PDF format. . The [...]

Role-playing: GMs don’t always follow the rules

. Yellow Dawn – The Age of Hastur, first published in 2007, is an RPG written by sci-fi & dark fantasy author David J Rodger – it blends the Cthulhu Mythos and cyberpunk genres in a post-apocalyptic setting. Learn more… . Dead City Runs, Scavenging and the Infected I’ve got a small, secondary group I’m [...]

WiP: a slower pace – nanomech simmering

Work in progress I’ve been taking a more social stance past couple of weeks. Orient Express. A long weekend in London. Slower progress on creative projects but that is no bad thing. Means I’ve been seeing a lot of my friends. Meanwhile, the Nanomech system simmers on in a positive way; nearly finished, I just [...]

RPG News: special release (black book) of Yellow Dawn – The Age of Hastur – now in hardback

A quick video of British Sci-Fi and Dark Fantasy author David J Rodger, giving an introduction to the brand new hardback version of “Yellow Dawn – The Age of Hastur”. Originally published in 2007, a new updated version was released in February 2012 (version 2.5). This is a hardback edition of version 2.5. . . [...]

RPG Virgin Loses Cherry in the World of Yellow Dawn

. Yellow Dawn – The Age of Hastur, first published in 2007,  is an RPG written by sci-fi & dark fantasy author David J Rodger – it blends the Cthulhu Mythos and cyberpunk genres in a post-apocalyptic setting. Learn more… . Bringing old-skool RPG to a new audience Up until a few days ago Simon [...]

Yellow Dawn 2.5 ¦ Bolt-On Rules to Resolve Street Chases and Mob Attacks

Bolt-On Module Yellow Dawn – The Age of Hastur, first published in 2007,  is an RPG written by sci-fi & dark fantasy author David J Rodger – it blends the Cthulhu Mythos and cyberpunk genres in a post-apocalyptic setting. Learn more… . This bolt-on is available below formated to this blog theme, or you can [...]

Photo: Yellow Dawn – The Age of Hastur playtesters and British Sci-Fi Dark Fantasy author David J Rodger

Hayling Island This is a shot taken by the Norwegian photographer Hågen Landsem.  It was snapped at Hayling Island during a recent trip there, where we all got together at a house on the edge of the sea to indulge in a weekend of playing the Call of Cthulhu campaign Horror on the Orient Express, [...]

Video Animation ¦ Ruin – a post apocalyptic short

A little under 10 minutes this is a wonderfully atmospheric cyberpunk post-apocalyptic short that plugs straight into your adrenal gland.  Definitely make sure you’ve got big sound, full screen and a do-not-disturb holo hovering above your skull. There’s a fantastic absence of dialogue, adding to the enigma of the story’s background: what is the character [...]

In the wind-blasted landscape of Arizona, people are taking shelter in the Cthulhu Mythos

British Sci-Fi & Dark Fantasy Author David J Rodger is evolving H.P.Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos through his novels and roleplaying game. I received a google alert about my RPG Yellow Dawn- The Age of Hastur and associated novel Dog Eat Dog getting a mention.  I checked out the link and was super-pleased by what I found. [...]

Post-apocalyptic #wallpaper – UTOC Public Safety Notice from early days of Yellow Dawn – Infection Warning

Wallpaper – Download – Poster This is a public safety notice from the early days of the catastrophic, apocalyptic event known as Yellow Dawn, when the Infection was even less understood than it is today.  It’s an example of UTOC attempting to exert control of survivors in the wake of the disaster. Artwork: Ben Chapman [...]

Cyberpunk and Post-Apocalyptic Concepts ¦ The World of Yellow Dawn – UTOC

UTOC United Table of Commerce Former ‘global government’ run by the top people of large corporations. Pre-dates Yellow Dawn. A global organisation that grabbed the reigns from a failing United Nations and absorbed institutions such as the International Monetary Fund.   It is a patchwork quilt of corporate alliances with its own central Administration, with the [...]

Cyberpunk art ¦ future fashion or post-apocalyptic decadence – photography by Danil Golovkin

Part of a series of images from the liquid metal, carbo-plastic, hydrogel and permacrete core of visual creators on the Internet.  Images that stir my senses and evoke plots and concepts for what I’d like to see (or fear) in the future. Danil Golovkin is a Russian fashion photographer who has a spectacular eye for [...]

You have found David J Rodger – British Sci-Fi & Dark Fantasy Author

Welcome This site is my sandbox for brainstorming new ideas, documenting the weird and wonderful gems I find on the web – things that inspire me – and promoting my books and RPG.  It’s also where I post updates on work-in-progress.  You can subscribe using the link at the top left of this page. Bringing [...]

Fighting demons and the drudgery of a creative grind

Dialling in from Sky Bunker 16:32 GMT.  Saturday 14th January 2012.  Finally feeling some positive state of mind after a hellish few days; the overhaul of  Yellow Dawn  – The Age of Hastur (2.1) to create a new fandangled version 2.5 has been going 10 months now and it’s really dragging down my spirits.  It’s [...]

WiP: still crunching through the occult & cthulhu mythos chapter of Yellow Dawn

I’ve been working through the occult & mythos magick chapter for nearly a month now.  It’s a beast of a chapter but despite the complexity and mental conundrums, I am enjoying the process. I’ve got hand-written notes scattered through two notebooks dating back to April when I was in New York and the Catskill mountains, [...]

Sharing positive words from a fan of Cyberpunk and Cthulhu Mythos

I saw this on Facebook and wanted to share. Always great to get mentioned in the same vein as other authors, in this case Stephen Erikson, Raymond Feist and Dean Koontz… The sale he mentioned is the monster 30% discount on all sci-fi and dark fantasy paperbacks that’s in place until New Year’s Day. If [...]

WiP: reworking the Occult & Cthulhu Mythos magick chapter plus 15% discount off all paperbacks today

Deep into the overhaul of Yellow Dawn  – The Age of Hastur version 2.1.  Back at the start of December I set four days aside to tackle the massive chapter on Occult and Mythos magick, those four days passed and I’m still crunching through it. Not so much problem solving as attention to detail.  Last [...]

Science fiction (cyberpunk) and science fact: William Gibson, Urban Theory and the future of the City Concept

Here’s a great quote from a punchy little interview with William Gibson that appeared in Scientific American website back in September. It seems to me that they must, inevitably. Paris, as much as I love Paris, feels to me as though it’s long since been “cooked.” Its brand consists of what it is, and that [...]

WiP: inserting the great “missing piece” from current YD rulebook – the Influence of Hastur on this post-apocalyptic world

WiP: inserting the great “missing piece” from current YD rulebook – the Influence of Hastur on this post-apocalyptic world. The overhaul of Yellow Dawn (2.1) continues.  It’s been going on since March, 7 months later and I’m only just starting to see a glimmer of an end in sight.  Definitely one of the toughest creative [...]