"Imagine Red" The Halter (OST) In my spare time, I've been composing music to accompany my novel, The Halter. Here's a rough mix of the first of, say, nine tracks. Enjoy! "The Halter" is available now, where all books made of paper and/or electrons are sold. on.soundcloud.com/L7cvYXcZi5GV...

hear the thunder

It’s damned surreal to hear words I wrote 13 years ago coming back at me with such thunder and lightening today. Welcome back Edward Kenway! www.reddit.com/r/assassinsc...

Posting this because it's fantastic and people need reminding sometimes. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q7t...

Björk, July '95, Live in Bremerton, WA. 19 year old me was at this show because her album Post had just come out and altered my sense of reality for the better. Terrible quality, but what a rush to find it online. youtu.be/wndXDIROF0E?...

This was a lovely Monday surprise. Matt Ryan's original audition tapes for Black Flag, using casting scripts I'd written. These lines were part of an earlier concept for the game's opening, where Edward would rescue Duncan at sea, then row him back to shore. youtu.be/JmvjIiPOTn0?...

@accesstheanimus.com soundcloud.com/darbym/star-...

Talk Talk had the most perfect evolution in the history of music:

I was there! Second best press event of my career. (First was Istanbul).

I should clarify one piece of misinformation already out there: I did NOT write any modern day content for Black Flag Resynced, including Rifts. (Which look very cool). It’s important that the proper creators get credited for their work, should they so desire.

Matt Ryan is now confirmed to reprise his role as Edward Kenway in 🏴‍☠️ Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced 🏴‍☠️! ... and has a message for all fans and especially the users at the Assassin's Creed Discord Server!

It’s rare that I give much thought to how people name their bands, but damn … Orange Juice, your music was special, but you did yourself no favors… youtu.be/vA9N6KJLBw4?...

We know you know, but how about we tell you some more now? Tune in for Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced's Worldwide Reveal Showcase on April 23rd at 4PM UTC - 6PM CEST - 9AM PDT. youtu.be/7hkFaTypP1Q

If you work in games and want food for thought, there's no food tastier or more nutritious than the Kaleidoscope podcast right now. Every episode has been an absolute banger so far, brilliant thoughtful discussions with great guests. Kudos @jon.inkle.co and @sagarberoshi.bsky.social !

Anyone have good advice for this kind soul?

Your weekly Oblique Strategy.

Good morning.

Your weekly Oblique Strategy.

I wrote a Big Idea post on John Scalzi's blog to celebrate the release of my novel. It's about perverse incentives, blowback, and desire paths. And it's short, so it won't take you long to read. whatever.scalzi.com/2026/02/17/t...

The best thing about Crusader Kings 3 is that having no idea how to play it is a perfect simulation of being an incompetent ruler.

A lovely little review of The Halter that popped up last night. openlettersreview.com/posts/vkra23...

PSA: a lot of people asked for an ebook edition — and we’ve been able to put one together! And with hyperlinks, of course.

If I had known this video was going to be public, I would have dragged my bookshelf behind me for more writer cred. I have dozens of them, I promise.

This looks familiar.

Explore the world’s darkest surrogate-reality feeds in search of the lost.🔍 For fans of READY PLAYER ONE and RABBITS, THE HALTER by @darbymcdevitt.bsky.social introduces a charismatic detective and a cast of endearing misfits lost in brittle fantasies. Buy your copy at any retailer near you!

I had the great pleasure of talking to Jon and Sagar about game narratives and the challenges of crafting them. If you enjoy this discussion, tune into more, and check out the accompanying book "The Game Narrative Kaleidoscope".

Your Oblique Strategy for the week!

A lovely write-up of The Halter by the good folks at LTAC. ❤️

To the 50-ish people who showed up at my book launch last night, thank you! I had a great time, good conversations, and excellent drinks. A special shout-out to Joie De Livres for hosting it. A bookstore with class, verve, and swagger. 😘

Your weekly Oblique Strategy!

Read an excerpt of THE HALTER by @darbymcdevitt.bsky.social! thenerddaily.com/the-halter-b...

Today’s the day! The Halter is out, available in physical, digital, or audio book! If you read it and you like it, consider leaving a review on the platform where you purchased it. It really helps! www.simonandschuster.ca/books/The-Ha...

Do people use the term Hypertext anymore? It was on the lips of every academic I studied with in the late 90s, but I don't think I've heard it uttered sincerely in over 20 years.

A lovely write up of The Halter over at bookstr. bookstr.com/article/welc...

Download the free Buzz Books Spring Summer edition and read an excerpt of THE HALTER by @darbymcdevitt.bsky.social! www.buzz.publishersmarketplace.com/download-edi...

Your oblique strategy for the week:

Love may be a worldwide phenomenon but the word for it sure isn’t. A video in which I take a shot at saying “I love you” in every Scandinavian language (and even Greenlandic and Sámi), past and present, and review the strange history of how we say this. More detailed version: youtu.be/Pc6jEV0wxaI

❄️ Update: The GAME NARRATIVE KALEIDOSCOPE ❄️ will be published soon - we just sent a proof to the authors. 400 pages - 100k+ words - 118 authors - including the writers from several well-beloved games and major franchises. If you want to be notified when it releases, you can add your name below!

Feb 18, a special cocktail to go with my novel. This one they’re calling Friend-On-The-Rocks.

Montreal friends, I'll be hosting a book-launch for my novel, The Halter, at an incredible bookstore-cafe on St-Laurent, Joie de Livres ... Feb 18. lnkd.in/eRDjUwSX The first 30 people to pre-order the book through Joie de Livres will get a free glass of wine and some nibbles! Stop by and say hi!

Happy #BuzzBooksOfficial Day! @buzzbooksofficial.bsky.social So honored that our upcoming release, THE HALTER by Darby McDevitt (02/17) is included in this year's Official Spring/Summer Selections! Pre-order your copy of THE HALTER by (@darbymcdevitt.bsky.social) from any retailer now!

“I wish my Ph.D. in Scandinavian Studies felt more relevant.”

I talked to @emolinsky.bsky.social about the process and challenge of building imaginary worlds in video games and novels. Have a listen! www.imaginaryworldspodcast.org Imaginary Worlds is a lovely podcast that covers Science Fiction and Fantasy and everything in between.

"Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues" Skip James The haunting sound of Delta blues in a minor open-tuning. youtu.be/UNftrsCMiQs?...

Portrait of Six Guys as a Young Band. Sneaky Thieves, Seattle, 2006 sneakythieves.bandcamp.com

🚨⚠️ Release Date Disclosure! ⚠️🚨 TRAILER: VIDEO EVIDENCE, see below. Please watch, assimilate and share. DESIGNATION: TR-49 GENRE: NARRATIVE DEDUCTION / AUDIO_DRAMA DATE: 21st JANUARY PLATFORMS: iOS / PC / Mac / Deck This is what we know, so far.

Their messaging is so fucking incoherent. Maduro was an illegitimate leader who lost in 2024, which is why we're replacing him with his VP instead of the person who won in 2024. We did this to stop fentanyl, which is why he's indicted for cocaine. We're also occupying Venezuela via Zoom call.

“Sometimes it Snows in April” Prince youtu.be/ikZgBhSMSUM?...

Happy Holidays to all! Get ready for a banger 2026! Lots of good things happening.

“Please Do Not Go” Violent Femmes youtu.be/4J5kjxdsxBA?...