Hello Jezetha, Thank you for your kind well wishes for 2011, I wish the same for you and yours. Congratulations on the publication of one of your short stories in an anthology! I assume since you didn't mention the book's title that it appeared in a non-english collection (you must be sure to let me know if you have anything published in english). It does me good to hear of your progress, thanks for keeping me up to date.

The first part of your novel is nearly finished? That is great news! Keep it up! I'm am looking forward to the day when I can tell my clients that I actually know a famous author. Of course many of them will laugh and say I am lying, but then the knowledge that what they believe to be deception is actually true will amuse me to no end. Ah, look a the clock, it is now 2011. A Happy New Year to you my friend!

Hi, hypnogeist! I have been away, because I have been very very busy! A book of short stories was published in early December, with a story of mine included. And I am busy finishing part 1 of my big novel, which I want to publish in 2011. Thanks for your info about that pinball simulation programme, which includes my beloved Fireball! I'll check it out. I wish you a happy and healthy 2011. --Johan

(cont. from below) century has been recreated in VP, including Fireball. The tables and the simulator prog are both available at www.vpforums.org. There are a few Fireball tables by different authors, the best is the one by Scapino.

Good to hear you are still going strong with the novel. Hopefully one day it will be translated into English and I will be able to read it. Cheers!

So you are a real Pinball Wizard from back in the day. Not surprising given your amazing Undead Billiards high score. True, not the same kettle of fish as pinball, notheless mastery of UB implies an uncommon intuitive adeptness at correctly perceiving and predicting angular physics, which certainly plays a central role in pinball.

Fireball! You can't get much more classic than that table for modern era pinball. Besides Future Pinball there is currently one other free pinball simulator of note, Visual Pinball. This program, while not as flash as FP (with its 3d dynamic chase cameras), is also a great simulator, and it has a much larger number of tables. Just about every table from the 20th

Hello, hypnogeist! Yes, you're right, I'm up to my mental eyes in my novel. I want to finish the first part before this year ends, so that it can be published in 2011. The second part then will come out in 2012. Length in toto: around 800 pages or more... Thanks for the pinball links! I was a pinball wizard in my early teens ('seventies), even won some prizes at our local chip shop. The machine I really 'tamed' was Bally's 'Fireball'... Hope all is well with you, too!

As I know you dabble a bit with computers, I had intended to mention one other FP table earlier before I forgot: Be sure to give Aperture Science a go (http://www.pinball-originals.com/dlo...e&file_id=1173). It's skill requisite is low but gameplay is involving and amusing (shades of Hal 2000 with a dash of Half-Life).

The download link to the Li table is here:
http://www.pinball-originals.com/dlo...le&file_id=927
You'll need to register at the site to be able to download it, but the site is cool - it's free with no hidden obligations, and they won't give your email to spammers. Purely a Future Pinball fan sit in the strictest sense. Here's another fun, though less aesthetic, table in accord with the holiday:

And its link:
http://www.pinball-originals.com/dlo...e&file_id=1007

Happy Halloween!

Greetings Jezetha, Don't know if you currently have the spare time (are you still embroiled with finishing your novel?) but here is a link to a very nice pinball simulator you may find interesting: www.futurepinall.com. It's free, as is the collection of probably over a hundred different tables created by fans. Several of the tables exhibit superb design, gameplay, and atmosphere and can be quite enthralling, if you enjoy pinball. Many other tables, while of lesser quality, are also fun and worth playing. Here a pic of the Li II table based on Giger's painting of the same name:

Dear Hypnogeist, sorry for being absent - clearing my parental home and furthering my literary career take all of my time. A big publishing firm in Amsterdam is looking at my novel. So - these are exciting times. I want to finish the damned thing next year, which will restrict my presence here again, I fear. But - first things first, eh? I wish you an excellent Christmas and a great 2010! Johan

Haven't noticed your prescence in the arcade lately. Bet you are investing all your energies in the novel. Hope that is going well. Been tying to best you daughter's March Zuma score for 3 days now, no luck as yet. Impressive score! She must be a prodigy. Now where does she get that from? :] Best Holiday Wishes to You and Yours, hypnogeist