The Empire of Zen

Coming to a gaming table near you...

It started slowly. Nobody noticed. Tiny changes. But then, one morning, the world woke up and everything was different.

In addition to being a biologist and blogger, I am also a supervillain.

The streets had soldiers in black and red robes holding electric guns. The buildings curved up toward the sky at impossible angles. A sky that looked like a green lava lamp.

They call me, “the Nefarious Doctor Zen.”

Earth had been invaded overnight. Invaded by another world. But not a world from outer space… a world from beyond space. A world from another dimension.

My latest exploits as a supervillain can be found in a new role-playing game, Yesterday’s Tomorrow, created by game designer John Wick. The game is a love letter to pulp magazines and old Republic movie serials. John has shown up more than once on this blog, usually because the way he thinks about engaging players in a game makes me think about engaging students when teaching.

You can get the game for free – yes, that’s right, free! – at John Wick Presents. (Update: Now available here, Not free any more, but has more stuff!)

Can our brave heroes stop him? Can they prevent Doctor Zen from accomplishing his final goal?

“Never!”

Additional: John’s explanation of how I became a supervillain.