The Atlas of the 'Verse

It is with great pride that I announce the release of Quantum Mechanix' Atlas of the 'Verse, Volume1. I say "pride" because, for the past two years, I was part of the Brain Trust that helped develop this beast.

Of course, I don't want to overstate my contribution here. Most of the work was done by Ben "Whitefall" Mund, he of the amazing graphical skills, and J. Chris Bourdier helped with providing crunchy planetary dynamics. My job, in addition to the typical proofreading and error-spotting duties we all had, was to be That Person.

We all know that person is. The person who cues up the DVD of the docking sequence at Beaumonde just to see if the starport pit is drawn correctly, because for some reason her Browncoat senses were tingling. (It wasn't.)

Or the person who analyzes a cut-away of Mal's pistol (which, to be fair, is a prop and doesn't at all work the way the movie wants you to think it does) and compares it to the actual workings of pistols, drawing upon her real-life knowledge of guns and bullets and ballistics, and then argues for a month with folks about how no, the bullets won't feed properly if you put them there, you have to do this other way, I don't care how much work it is for you because, well, she's a fan and it's important for her that this product be as "right" as possible.

Yes, I was the rabid, screaming fangirl of the Brain Trust, and there were more than a few times I felt really shitty about arguing minutiae with people. But I was told, again and again, that no, my contributions were important, and that if I hadn't caught it then another fan would have, and by then it would be too late to correct the problem.

So, um, yeah. That's what I contributed, such as it was, and in return, my name is in the credits right next to Tim Minear. Go me!

From the product page, in case you didn't click on the link above:

The Verse at Your Fingertips

With hundreds of terraformed planets and moons, the worlds of Firefly/Serenity are vast, varied and ever-changing. And a smart captain – a captain who expects to carve a living out of the black – needs to know a lot about those worlds. Which planets sell low? Which pay high? What are the local customs, cultures and laws? And what’s the best path to maximize profit, minimize risk and keep flying.

That's why the Trader's Guild Association has issued this comprehensive guide to the New Canaan run: The Atlas of The Verse, Volume One.

The New Canaan run is favored by captains flying light- and mid-bulk transports for its diverse markets and exports. And for those who must occasionally live on the raggedy edge, its varied levels of law enforcement are a plus, as well. The route described in the 26 full-color pages of the Atlas spans 11 planetary systems, crossing from The Core through The Border to The Rim and back.

More than just a collection of facts and maps, The Atlas of The Verse gives you the measure of a place, with a bonus page of content for each system.

Here's just some of the shiny info you get:

• Introduction by Tim Minear, Executive Producer of Firefly.
• Planetary maps, historical profiles, industries, satellites and exports for:
• Londinium
• Persephone
• Beaumonde
• Silverhold
• Harvest (and Higgins’ Moon)
• New Canaan (and Lilac)
• Hera
• Shadow
• Ariel
• Osiris
• Sihnon
• Currency and coinage used throughout The Verse.
• Satellite maps of the Eavesdown Docks and Atoll City, Beaumonde.
• Cutaway diagram of the FlashKill grenade favored by freelance security everywhere.
• Higgins Industrial brochure on the best ceramics available in The Verse.
• A copy of the Independents' tactical map used in the Battle of Serenity Valley.
• The complete history of the Firefly Ship Works and its development timeline.
• And much more!

The Atlas of The Verse comes in the same format as the Serenity Blueprints Reference Pack: printed on 100-pound 12"x16" stock and spiral-bound. It's loaded with beautiful art, incredible renderings and detailed diagrams that really help bring The Verse to life. It's also fully compatible with the best-selling Map of The Verse (and makes a great companion piece!)

The Altas of The Verse: 26 pages of awesome for just $39.95.

Order it, because it is awesome.

Also, if you visit their webpage, you get a free PDF of Independent Scrip (Browncoat money) which you can download and print out to your grubby little heart's desire.

What are you waiting for? BUY IT!