Sandy has a problem—aside from the cancer. No one on campus believes he saw the ghost building. And why would they? It's a stupid legend—no one really believes the Old Admin building vanished in the 70s—and what Sandy saw was right after he restarted chemo. Clearly he was hallucinating. That would explain it.
What it doesn't explain is the postcard Sandy found in his dorm room the night the building appeared—or why the girl on the postcard appears to be the barista down at the Hub. You know, the girl he's in love with.
Turns out she's a hopjockey—a cross-world troublemaker—and she's been looking for him. Or rather, she's been looking for who she thinks he is. She's mistaken him for Garrett—Sandy's genius roommate, likely this generation's Einstein—and needs his help reading a map beyond all comprehension. Weighing his heart against the truth, and not wanting to miss what may be his only real chance for adventure, Sandy does what anyone might have done in that situation: he lies. And as a result, triggers a series of events that will destroy the campus (and the rest of the universe).
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Helping a Friend in Need
over 5 years ago
– Fri, Jul 27, 2018 at 09:26:23 PM
Hi, folks.
This is not something I normally do, but a friend of many of us is in need, and I wanted to pass on the specifics.
You may know of Lee Garvin. He’s a game designer with some 30 years of experience and the creator of a slew of staples in the tabletop industry. Tales from the Floating Vagabond, possibly his seminal work, remains one of (if not the) best comedy RPGs out there. It was a huge influence on Hopjockey, right up there with The Hitchhiker’s Guide and Leather Goddesses of Phobos. Lee himself is as warm and fuzzy as he looks. We hit it off immediately and have been friends as long as I’ve been on the convention circuit.
The year has not been kind to Lee. He’s going through a quintessentially American kind of horror: as a homeless veteran crippled by medical expenses. He managed to get out of a bad situation and limp his way to Colorado, but he and his dog are barely getting by.
One thing the year hasn’t taken from Lee is his sense of humor. And that’s how he’s allowing his friends to ask for help on his behalf. Fellow game designer Greg Porter has a project up on Kickstarter right now—Killing Lee Garvin: Help a Real-World Game Designer in Need—designed to the exact opposite of its name. Proceeds from the game go towards paying Lee’s medical bills and helping him get back on his feet.
If you’re in a position to help, please consider chipping in a few bucks. If not, you can at least spread the word. Lee’s brought a lot of joy to a lot of people over the years, and the very least we can do is help boost the signal.
Matt
Into Layout
almost 6 years ago
– Wed, Jul 25, 2018 at 12:35:28 AM
Just a quick update today, but quite the logjam breaker. The editing and copyediting phases are complete! The manuscript and all its supporting materials—cover art, front matter, back cover text and so on—are off to layout. From there, it's a hop, skip, and a jump to duplication and shipping. (Get it? Hop? 'Cause of the whole…? With the…? Forget it.)
The next time you hear from me, I’ll have a proof to show you. In the meantime, here’s a picture of something that may or may not be the manuscript. We’re almost there, gang.
Totally the novel, not just a ream of paper with scribbled-on topsheet.
—Matt
Quickstarter Update
almost 6 years ago
– Thu, May 31, 2018 at 11:40:52 PM
A brief bit of good news for you today. The editing process is finally, mercifully, nearly complete! We are in the final phases of the copyediting process, after which the draft will be off to layout, and then to proofs and printing. I expect to have the book out to you this summer.
Thank you all for your patience. It's been a slog, but we're almost there. Happy hopping! That will make more sense once you have the book.
—Matt
Editing Update: Bad News and Good
about 6 years ago
– Tue, Mar 13, 2018 at 02:34:52 PM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
Mid-Autumn Update
over 6 years ago
– Sun, Nov 26, 2017 at 12:09:28 AM
Hello!
When last I posted, the trees still had their leaves and the Seahawks’ season still looked promising. Oh, how things have changed.
The update: I have received the first eight chapters back from the editor, with the final twelve (I’m assured) just around the corner. After that, it’s a quick rewrite, a thorough copyediting pass to uproot the typos, and then we’re off to layout.
At this point, it’s looking less and less likely that we’re going to make our initial projected release date of two months ago. And now that we’re well into the holidays, a release this year is looking unlikely as well. I apologize. That’s on me. I should have budgeted more time.
That said, I do believe the wait will be worth it. Our editor is top notch and much in demand—they’re an absolute wizard at smoothing the edges and pulling the most out of the text. And there’s 50% more text than I was expecting, because somewhere between note cards and submission, the narrative put on half again as much story. I blame the adverbs.
That also said, I have missed the projected release, so if anyone would like a refund, PM me and I’ll square things up. For the rest of you, thank you for your patience—you should have your book by early next year. If I had a clever sign-off, this is where I'd put it.
