Ultraviolet Grasslands
Plus The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power Season 2 Soundtrack
Luka Rejec is crowdfunding a sequel to his acclaimed Ultraviolet Grasslands called Our Golden Age. The campaign includes two books:
“Our Golden Age is a setting book for adventure escapades at the end of time and space, in the deep undying future.
The other is the Vastlands Guidebook, a rulebook for the Ultraviolet Grasslands and Our Golden Age and other science fantasy adventures.”
If you are not familiar with the original Ultraviolet Grasslands, here is how Luka described it in an EN World interview:
“You know how in Moorcock’s Elric and Hawkmoon novels the protagonists are these larger than life, demigodlike characters traveling a world at the edge of space and time, meeting gods and fighting demons and listening to Hawkwind and Iron Maiden? Well, imagine you’re not them. You’re just some folks with a sentient RV out there trying to make a living and not worrying too much about the end of time. Sure, the overlords of creation might talk a pretty song about how they’re fighting for a better tomorrow, but you’ve got patrons to pay off, taxes to avoid, and profits to make.”
Now is also a good time to get caught up on Ultraviolet Grasslands, as the Bundle of Holding is currently offering the “complete UVG line plus SYNTHETIC DREAM and other trippy ebooks.” You can purchase the Ultraviolet Grasslands collection from the Bundle of Holding website for $17.95 USD
As further proof of the music influences on UVG, note that the Ultraviolet Grasslands and The Black City book starts off with a quote from Blue Öyster Cult’s “Burnin’ For You” (lyrics borrowed from Jack Kerouac, written by Richard Meltzer, and realized by Buck Dharma):
Time is the essence Time is the season Time ain’t no reason Got no time to slow
Time everlasting Time to play B–sides Time ain’t on my side Time I’ll never know
Burn out the day
Burn out the night
I’m not the one to tell you what’s wrong or what’s right
I’ve seen suns that were freezing and lives that were through.—Burnin’ For You, Fire of Unknown Origin, Blue Öyster Cult
Scattered throughout the rest of the book are additional music quotes to help reinforce the mood and themes of the setting, including the following:
“Outside in the cold distance a wild cat did growl.
Two riders were approaching and the wind began to howl.”—All Along The Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix (after BobDylan)
“I’m on a plain, I can’t complain.”
—On A Plain, Nirvana
“It’s insane, you know, to carry on like before wasted years that you stole.”
—Wasted Years, Gin Lady
“It’s the end of the world as we know it, and it’s only just begun”
—Armageddon, Gamma Ray
Luka even published an amazing, annotated playlist for Ultraviolet Grasslands, which features classic tunes from Critical Hit Parader favorites like BÖC, Church of the Cosmic Skull, Kyuss, The Sword, and Hawkwind.
If this sounds good to you, be sure to pledge for Our Golden Age (OGA): An Ultraviolet Grasslands RPG Sequel on Backerkit.
The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power Season 2 Soundtrack
The soundtrack for season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power will be released on the 23rd of August. The original score for the series is composed by Bear McCreary, and the press release for the soundtrack included the following details:
After collaborating with the iconic Fiona Apple for the first season’s “Where the Shadows Lie,” McCreary continues the tradition by inviting two featured vocalists to join him on new songs for the Season Two score. Grammy-nominated artist Rufus Wainwright brings thoughtful introspection to his rendition of “Old Tom Bombadil.” “The Last Ballad of Damrod,” a song about a vicious Hill-troll, is brought to terrifying, screaming life by Jens Kidman, the unforgettable lead singer of Grammy-nominated Swedish extreme-metal band Meshuggah. Even while balancing these many diverse and eclectic musical influences, McCreary always refers to Tolkien’s writings for inspiration. “I am honored to continue forward on this journey, bringing the events of Tolkien’s Second Age to life on the screen,” says McCreary.
Series stars Sophia Nomvete, Benjamin Walker, Rory Kinnear, and Daniel Weyman also lend their vocal talents to several songs on the soundtrack. Nomvete’s dwarven character of Princess Disa is a lead resonator who sings to the mountain, while Walker, who plays an Elven king, sings a sorrowful tune in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Elvish language. Kinnear, who joins the show this season as the first live-action version of fan-favorite character Tom Bombadil, and Weyman, who portrays the mysterious Stranger, also collaborate on a reprise of “Old Tom Bombadil.”
BraveWords has published additional information about the contributions of Jens Kidman on the song “The Last Ballad of Damrod,” which will be released tomorrow.