Today is a very special day — it is Mayday, the day which fans of the seminal Science Fiction Role-Playing Game in the Far Future, Traveller, have decided as the one to celebrate their beloved hobby.
To me however, this particular Mayday is doubly special, as it marks the release of Mongoose Publishing's newest book: the Starship Operator's Manual.
SOM is a reimagining of one of Traveller's most-beloved books, published way back when in the MegaTraveller days by Digest Group Publications†: the Starship Operator's Manual, Vol.I, which dived deep into the functioning of starships in the Charted Space setting; 'Charted Space' being the name of the Official Traveller Universe (OTU); sort of like what the Forgotten Realms are to D&D.
"Alright, that sounds cool, but what's the big deal about it, Gab?"
Why, the big deal is that I helped write it!
I was one of the four authors: lead author Adrian Tymes, co-author Sabrina Tymes, co-author Rob Eaglestone (who also helped pen Traveller5), and... I! This book has been a long time in the making; I got in touch with Adrian way back in August of 2022, after he'd asked in the Traveller fan server on Discord for people familiar with the original SOM who would be interested in helping write a new version of the book for Mongoose.
In many ways, my involvement with this project was a ridiculous confluence of luck leading me to be at the right place, at the right time, and in touch with the right people. And boy, am I thankful for that luck!
There's a lot I could say about the book itself, its writing process, our ideas for it; there's certainly no shortage of topics. But for now, I'll just say how proud I am of the work our writing team put into this, and how happy I am seeing the reactions of folks who've already bought the book.
A happy Mayday to all, and safe Travelling!
† Sadly, legal circumstances about ownership rights since Digest Group Publications folded mean that none of their products — which include not only some of the best, but most beloved products ever put out for Traveller — are unavailable for purchase in either physical or digital formats. The only way to get your hands on a copy of those DGP books is through the second-hand market.
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