Alpha Fandoms
Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, and “Space-Navy” subgenre Anime
20/20 Promise
Through a variety of connections, Robert has learned a distressing amount about the mechanics of bigotry, fascism, and assorted forms of hate. Watching so many of his brilliant kids excelling in numerous endeavors only to be marginalized, or outright murdered, has lit his pilot light. Unhindered through recent medical issues, which have made traditional breadwinning impossible, Robert exults in his newfound freedom. No longer detached, impartial, or even marginally polite while conversing with those responsible for the wretched state of our society, he wades in with both fists and a rocket-powered pen, swinging for the fences.
Bob has begun and will continue to use his knowledge of these ghoulish structures to fight the injustices perpetrated by hatemongers directly at their weak points; whether that demolition creates space for true repentance, induces disorder in ranks, or breaks morale. Dealer’s choice. So long as there are neofasc targets, Robert will be taking (proverbial) aim.
Robert C. Roman, Jr.
Staff Writer. Contributing Editor.
Senior Creative Staff.
“Humans need fantasy to be human. To be the place where the falling angel meets the rising ape.” – Terry Pratchett
A dedicated problem solver, Mr. Roman has over three decades of experience in applying his systems analysis skills, streamlining processes across multiple fields of endeavor. This spans information technology, medicine, education, and a number of other fields. He’s worked for such industry giants as CSC, DuPont, and GM. Since 2008, Bob has found his calling in science education, primarily focused on teaching high school science, as well as fostering new creative talent, sponsoring fandom clubs and mentoring individual students.
While education is Robert’s vocation, his passion has always been a smorgasbord of all things geeky. That started with watching anime and space operas in the 70s, often while reading fantasy and science fiction during the commercial breaks. In the 80s, while his classmates were watching Miami Vice, Bob spent every spare dime and free moment working his way through the collected catalogs of Cherryh, Asimov, Heinlein, McCaffrey, Tolkien, and Moorcock. Spending the ‘90s in college, he finally met enough kindred souls to enjoy tabletop RPGs and got his hands on his first PC, and thus video games. If you heard a chained portcullis or pneumatic cyberpunk valve to some flood-gates being opened, then you’re reading this correctly. In the 2000s, with the internet coalescing into modern form, Robert got up the nerve to attend fan gatherings, most frequently Otakon and Philcon. In his abundance of spare time, Robert fully immersed into Everquest’s world of Norath, with ‘playtime’ empirically measured in years. In keeping with his role as a mentor, Robert began nurturing the next generation, inundating students with collected knowledge of five decades of pop culture, video games, and tabletop RPGs, watching, playing, and reading alongside them. Given current events, this guidance includes digital gaming and through social media, where he weds his knowledge of real world physics with adaptive thinking of a given system’s loopholes. Oh my, yes. He is raising generations of mayhem farmers.
While medical issues have recently taken him out of the classroom, Robert continues to supplement his considerable offerings to Steam-Funk Studios’ Living Multiverse and The Unconventional. It bears stating Bob has edited Jeromy Foberg’s series and several others’ content, along with regular contributions to Senior Creative Staff and Operations. Bob also serves as one of two primary revising editors for our RPG’s evolving bestiary for the various sub-brands. The in-house staff has learned to look forward to his characteristic “Boom” with an artillery barrage of delightfully twisted creative fodder accompanying it. What’s more, he steadily is working his way through re-releases of his existing catalog, expanding it with sequels and new works.
“I find it amazing how so many people, when informed of Pratchett’s falling angel and rising ape description of the human condition, want to embody the Angel, when it’s clear that it’s the Ape who is headed in the right direction.” – RR