Category Archives: Immortality

Champions dont complain, they are too busy getting better.

That was the motivational message, written in large letters, that greeted Jurgen Klopps squad when they assembled in the western Austrian state of Tyrol after a two-hour drive from Salzburg.

It was late last July and the Liverpool squad were at the midway point of an unprecedented four-week European training camp. Limbs were weary but spirits were high.

With the ongoing effects of the pandemic again ruling out the possibility of a lucrative pre-season tour to either America or Asia, Klopp and assistant Pep Lijnders had free reign to create what they regarded as the perfect base for the challenges ahead.

No long-haul travel, no commercial appearances, no unwanted distractions. They kept things fresh by dividing that precious month away between Salzburg, Tyrol and the French spa town of Evian. Both on and off the field, every box was ticked.

The contrast to the previous summer, when a spate of positive COVID-19 tests led to players isolating in their Austrian hotel rooms and training was hampered by monsoon conditions, could hardly have been more stark.

Liverpool had been running on empty by the end of the 2020-21 season. Their defence of the Premier League title had been derailed by a series of devastating injuries. The players hated the soulless environment of behind closed doors football and the strict protocols which meant they couldnt even eat meals together.

After a gutsy resurgence on the run-in salvaged Champions League qualification, Klopps men had nothing left to give. But when they were reunited in Salzburg two months later the mood was very different.

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane had enjoyed the rare luxury of an extended summer break and the benefits were there for all to see. Trent Alexander-Arnold was similarly revitalised after a thigh injury in a pre-tournament warm-up game forced him to sit out the European Championship. Englands loss proved to be Liverpools gain.

The feel-good factor was fuelled by the return to the fold of centre-backs Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez after lengthy injury rehabilitation programmes. The spine and structure of the team were being restored.

Groundstaff team manager Warren Scott was there too, at Klopps request, to ensure the training pitches were prepared exactly how the manager wanted them.

Klopp knew that being away from home for so long was a big ask for the players but he passionately explained to them how they would all benefit over the course of the season.

There were punishing double sessions.

Were not going to kill you on the first day I thought wed do that on the second day, roared Klopp.

Players had to complete six 1km runs, with just a minutes rest in between. James Milner once again proved himself to be the king of endurance as he showed others a clean pair of heels.

There was a big emphasis on training drills designed to increase the intensity of Liverpools counter-pressing as well as the fluency and potency of their counter-attacks. Lijnders, who puts together the training programme, spoke about the need to fine-tune the ability to hit opponents with organised chaos. There was a competitive element to every exercise with forfeits such as 30 push-ups for the losers.

The better you play, the more you play. The better you finish, the less you run. The worse you play, the more you run. Natural pressure, explained Lijnders.

Three months later, he would liken Liverpools ravenous front line to the raptors from Jurassic Park after Manchester United had been humiliated 5-0 at Old Trafford.

Away from the turf, the spirit and camaraderie in the squad were enhanced by quizzes, table-tennis competitions, bike rides and karaoke nights.

Towards the end of the Austrian leg of the trip, Klopp organised a party for the 40 or so staff members who had supported the players across the previous weeks. The manager wanted to say thank you for everyones commitment throughout a gruelling period during which many of them had spent a considerable amount of time away from their families. The pandemic meant the creation of two bubbles throughout July, with one set of employees being replaced by another halfway through the camp.

The venue was a mountain cabin set away from the team hotel in a secluded wooded area, high above the alpine town of Seefeld. There was a buffet of smoked meats and cheeses. Attendees could order whatever they wanted from a free bar.

Klopp did not give a speech but ensured he made his way around the room, starting conversations with each person.

It became clear during the course of the evening how highly he valued Harvey Elliott. In one of the UKs national newspapers, there was a story linking Liverpool to Saul Niguez, the Atletico Madrid midfielder who eventually signed for Chelsea. Klopp suggested the story was not true why would it be when Elliott, a teenager recently returned from a successful loan at Championship Blackburn, had trained so fantastically in Austria?

When Liverpool moved on to Evian, Klopp invited TV presenter, author and adventurer Ben Fogle to talk to the players about pushing yourself to the limit both physically and mentally. Fogle drew upon his experiences of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, running 160 miles through the Sahara Desert and climbing Mount Everest. It went down well with his audience.

I helped them with their mind control and mental agility under pressure through the context of my own expeditions, Fogle said. Already great footballers, the challenge was how to keep on top of their game when it is not one single mountain, but a whole mountain range that you have to climb each season consistency in the face of expectation and pressure.

Attitude comes from the top. A positive mindset is key to success. Jurgen glows with optimism. His smile is infectious.

When the transfer window closed at the end of August, there was a debate raging over whether Liverpool had been active enough in the market to be regarded as serious contenders for the biggest prizes, and a section of the fanbase was restless.

Georginio Wijnaldum hadnt been replaced following his Bosman move to Paris Saint-Germain. The sole recruit was young centre-back Ibrahima Konate, a 35 million signing who had not been a first-choice pick at RB Leipzig, a team a struggling Liverpool had beaten convincingly, 2-0 home and away, in the 2020-21 Champions League last-16. Konate was an unused substitute in both games. It was hardly a booming statement of intent.

When the Kop started singing the Reds have got no money but well still win the league, it was belted out more in hope than expectation.

In contrast, Manchester City had spent 100 million on Jack Grealish and Chelsea 97.5 million on Romelu Lukaku. Manchester United had brought in Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo.

We cant spend money we dont have, insisted Klopp. You cannot compare to the other clubs. They obviously dont have any limits, but we have limits.

I am more than happy with the squad I have. We have so many things that you cannot sign. You cannot sign counter-pressing, you cannot sign the atmosphere that we create in the stadium, you cannot sign togetherness, you cannot sign Anfield, you cannot sign our anthem. Thats what we have to use.

Klopp was equally bullish behind the scenes as he repeatedly talked up the talent in front of him during team meetings. Being written off suited the manager perfectly in his mission to create an us versus the world mentality.

It had been a summer when Liverpool had prioritised retention. Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Alisson, Van Dijk, Andrew Robertson and Jordan Henderson all signed new long-term contracts. As well as key senior players returning from injuries, youthful exuberance had been added to the mix in the forms of teenagers Elliott and Kaide Gordon.

Liverpool would have to evolve with Wijnaldum gone but Klopp felt it would also enable them to be more unpredictable.

There were brainstorming sessions with his staff in Austria. They came up with a plan designed to get more out of Alexander-Arnold by having him operate in pockets of space more centrally, where his range of passing could do more damage. Salahs presence throughout pre-season meant the tactical tweaks on Liverpools right side could be worked on day after day.

Circumstances meant Klopp had rarely been able to field a midfield three of Fabinho, Thiago and Henderson previously. Much more was expected from Thiago in his second season with Liverpool, Henderson had fully recovered from groin surgery in the February and the ease with which Elliott adjusted to a new midfield role also gave them another option in that department.

It would prove to be Wijnaldum, who was in and out of the PSG side all season and started only 18 of their 38 league games and three of eight in the Champions League, rather than Liverpool who had regrets over their parting of ways.

The priority was always to bolster the squad defensively and they landed their top target in Konate. Villarreals Pau Torres, Benoit Badiashile of Monaco and Sevillas Jules Kounde had also been on the shortlist.

Konate was the preferred option because they felt his pace and physicality were ideally suited to playing in Klopps high line. The character references as well as the scouting reports had been glowing. Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid were also interested, but the players heart was set on Anfield after a video call with Klopp.

I saw sincerity on his face, Konate said. Which players dont want to come here? I know if I have a problem in my life, Klopp will help.

Konate grew in stature over the course of his debut season, from being a back-up to starting both the FA Cup and Champions League finals. His aerial prowess proved to be a huge asset at both ends of the field.

Whereas Konate needed a period of adaptation before really coming to the fore, a surprise addition to the squad at the end of the January window got off to a flyer and never looked back.

Liverpool had intended to pursue a deal for Porto attacker Luis Diaz this summer but those plans were urgently brought forward when it emerged that Tottenham were close to securing his signature. By then, Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards, whose decision to stand down at the end of the season had been revealed by The Athletic in November, was in the process of gradually handing over responsibilities to his successor Julian Ward.

It was Ward who led the negotiations with Porto and managed to out-flank Spurs. An initial fee of 35 million, potentially rising to 50 million, was agreed. A key element for the cash-strapped Portuguese club was Liverpools willingness to transfer 7 million instantly so they could pay debts and stave off the threat of being banned from European competition by UEFA.

Klopp said the signing of Diaz was made with one eye on tomorrow but the Colombia international was a man in a hurry. He lit up Anfield on his debut off the bench against Cardiff City in the FA Cup and quickly established himself on the left side of Liverpools front line.

His impact was such that Klopp opted to utilise Mane as his No 9, and that switch worked a treat.

With Diaz on board, Liverpool had a new dimension. Bringing in someone of such calibre gave everyone in the dressing room a lift.

After Liverpool scraped into the Champions League by winning their final game of the season against Crystal Palace at Anfield, Klopp went on holiday for nearly eight weeks.

It was his longest summer break since becoming Liverpool manager in October 2015. For the first seven days, he left his phone in his suitcase and did not even look at it. The separation afforded him a period of reflection.

He had hated pandemic football. It seemed like a different sport.

Klopp is an emotional coach. Liverpool are an emotional club. Performing in empty stadiums felt like his wings had been cut in half. You try to fly but it is pretty difficult, he later concluded.

Matches were usually the reward for hard weeks work. The atmosphere in the stadium would energise the players. Now, playing felt like an extension of everyones toil.

Training also suffered. Klopp was not allowed to drive to work with a colleague on the coaching staff, as he sometimes does. He was not allowed to eat his breakfast at the same table as someone else. The players got changed separately and, during COVID-19 outbreaks, were encouraged to keep their distance from one another even while outside in the fresh air.

The pandemic world did not afford the closeness that he craves and needs to have an impact. Liverpools 2020-21 season nearly collapsed for all sorts of reasons. The conditions did not favour them and the injuries stacked up. Klopp felt he was able to deal with the death of his mother in Germany despite not being allowed to fly home for the funeral. Yet the circumstances of his job meant he was under immense pressure all of the time.

He felt support from Liverpools owners, particularly Mike Gordon. His relationship with Fenway Sports Groups president, it is said, will outlast his tenure at the club. There is a brotherly instinct between the two men a rare respect, the sort that is difficult to find in football. FSGs involvement in the European Super League project did not rock that, even though Klopp privately and publicly was firmly against the idea.

Klopp felt as though Gordon had been compassionate throughout Liverpools struggles. He also felt guilty about not reciprocating such kindness because he had been so down about his performance as a coach.

He was obsessed with solving Liverpools problems that between January and May last year, Klopp barely took a day off. He had never thought more about football. How could he make it work? Was he missing something obvious?

He hated hearing it when Liverpool were described as the Premier Leagues worst-ever defending champions but he came to realise he possessed the ability to be calmer than he thought when the going got really tough.

During this period, Liverpool lost six consecutive home matches a club record.

Explaining defeats was a lot more difficult than detailing victories. Sometimes, it was impossible for Klopp to say what he really believed because there was always another match just around the corner in a compressed season that began later than usual after 2019-20s three-month hiatus and had to finish in time for the postponed-by-a-year Euros. It added to the feeling that he was living in a cage.

He would go home to Formby, considering what had gone wrong again: individual and collective performances, injuries, the weather and decisions from the match officials had all gone against Liverpool. He felt guilty about earning so much money but not being able to come up with any solutions.

Liverpool went into the final day only joint-fourth, ahead of Leicester on goal difference, but secured a third-placed finish. Klopp considers it one of his greatest achievements.

Yet by the end of May, after that last win over Palace, the pursuit had drained him more than hed ever been. He did not care about what came next. The pursuit of trying to sign this player and sell that one could wait. For a while, he was done. It had been the hardest time of our football lives.

By the middle of the July, however, Klopp was ready to go again.

Liverpools long pre-season camp made him feel confident about the teams prospects. There were big early wins, over Atletico Madrid away in the Champions League and then battering Manchester United on their own pitch five days later. That Sunday at Old Trafford, his wife Ulla was in the away end. She was in with the travelling fans again six months later when Liverpool returned to Manchester to face their title rivals at the Etihad. Though Liverpool could not beat City that day, Ulla returned home telling her husband about how much Liverpools fans loved him.

Whereas Liverpool had stumbled from game to game in the previous season, the rhythm was now back. Klopp, who leaves most of the coaching to Ljinders during any week, could see his players were responding to his words when he stepped into the routine the day before a match.

The quadruple was not a realistic target for him, but the possibility of it made him think again about his future at Liverpool.

The club, he concluded, had not even felt the positive impact of the new training ground in Kirkby yet because of COVID-19 restrictions. He was building a second great team at Liverpool something he had not really been able to do in any of his previous jobs. Could he just hand over everything hed built to someone else?

He and Ulla were in their kitchen when Klopp started the conversation about extending his contract, which was due to expire in two years time. It became clear Ulla was just as happy living in Formby as her husband. Klopp called his agent, Marc Kosicke, who then contacted FSGs principal owner John W Henry. Klopp was not seeking a pay rise, just an extension. FSG had been keen to open negotiations but did not want Klopp to feel pressurised.

The other key element for Klopp was the future of his staff. He only wanted to be with them. Had some decided to move on, maybe hed have thought differently about extending. Instead, an agreement was reached with a month of the season remaining. The news he was staying until 2026 came just at the right time, sharpening excitement among the fanbase.

Two days later, Liverpool won at Newcastle in the league to maintain their pursuit of the title; three days after that, they secured their third appearance in the Champions League final in five years.

These are the days, read a banner in the away end at the semi-final second leg away to Villarreal.

They certainly were.

Klopp gathered his players together in the meeting room at the AXA Training Centre and delivered a passionate speech about what needed to change. Those present in January described it as a crucial reset.

The first month of the calendar year has traditionally been a time when Liverpools fortunes have dipped during Klopps reign and there were fears that history was about to repeat itself.

Liverpool had kicked off 2022 by letting a two-goal lead slip in a 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Klopp had been forced to watch those events unfold at home after testing positive for COVID-19. Alisson, Joel Matip and Roberto Firmino were absent for the same reason.

Salah, Mane and Naby Keita flew straight from London to Cameroon to play in the Africa Cup of Nations.

By the time Liverpools next Premier League game, at home to Brentford, came around two weeks later, the gap to City had grown to 14 points. Although Klopps men had two games in hand, talk of trying to catch Pep Guardiolas defending champions appeared fanciful.

Liverpool had taken just two of the previous nine points available. There had been mitigating circumstances, not least away to Tottenham, where Klopp had been forced to hand a first top-flight start to 19-year-old midfielder Tyler Morton with Fabinho, Thiago and Henderson all out.

Klopp had raged at referee Paul Tierney after the 2-2 draw that followed for his failure to award a penalty when Diogo Jota was barged over by Emerson Royal and the decision not to send Harry Kane off for a wild lunge at Robertson, who was later dismissed himself.

I have no problems with any referees, only you, he told Tierney.

Liverpool then ended the calendar year with a dismal 1-0 defeat in Leicester three days after Christmas.

Klopp felt the balance of the team wasnt right. There were too many gaps to be exploited and game management was letting them down. The protection had to be better. They needed to tighten up collectively. He wanted them to be more aggressive out of possession.

Before those draws with Spurs and Chelsea, Liverpool had also relinquished winning positions away to promoted Brentford and at home to Brighton. Novembers defeat at West Ham had also exposed a lack of solidity.

Klopp struck a defiant tone in that meeting room in January about what could still be achieved if you commit with all you have. He told his players this was the deepest, most gifted squad hed ever worked with and that everyone would have a part to play. Lets go on an unbeaten run, give it our best and see where it takes us, he said.

We had to readjust, to be honest, Klopp later admitted. We had to agree on defence first, because otherwise youre like any team. Hard-fought, gritty 1-0 wins over Burnley and West Ham underlined that his message had got through. It helped that Van Dijk was back to his imperious best after the ruptured ACL that rocked his world early the previous season and his defensive partner Matip produced the best form of his career.

During AFCON, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones, Takumi Minamino and Jota all stepped up and made pivotal contributions. When Salah, Mane and Keita returned, the landscape looked considerably brighter. Thiago had also recovered from a hip problem and momentum was growing. The Spaniards influence on the team grew as his midfield double act with Fabinho gave Klopp the perfect combination of silk and steel.

The dressing room has evolved in recent years following the exits of Adam Lallana and Wijnaldum. New leaders have emerged. Alexander-Arnold, Robertson and Alisson were voted on to the expanded captains group last summer.

Klopp listens to his senior players and takes feedback on board like allowing recovery sessions to take place at home. One change that went down well with the squad in the second half of this season was the decision to train earlier in the day, with most sessions starting at noon.

Previously, training times had fluctuated significantly depending on the kick-off of the next match. Now, only the session the day before a game tends to be at 4pm, usually to fit in with travel and hotel arrangements. Players felt training earlier meant they had more energy in the sessions and had a positive impact on their personal lives.

The Carabao Cup final triumph over Chelsea in late February helped propel Liverpool forward. You have a taste of it and then you want more, says goalkeeping coach John Achterberg.

Klopps faith in second-choice keeper Caoimhin Kelleher was richly rewarded as the Irishman, who pulled off some smart saves during a goalless 120 minutes, then scored from the spot as a shootout went to sudden death, before opposite number Kepa Arrizabalaga blazed the final penalty over.

Henderson, who sets the tone for Klopp on a daily basis with his professionalism, thrust the trophy into Kellehers hands and ushered him towards the army of pitchside photographers before standing back to applaud him.

As Liverpool ate into Citys lead at the Premier League summit with a run of 10 straight wins from January to April, while also advancing in both the Champions League and the FA Cup, talk of pulling off an unprecedented quadruple intensified.

Publicly, Klopp dismissed the idea as crazy. no British team has ever done it because its so difficult.

Behind the scenes, he urged his players to just embrace the situation. This is opportunity, not pressure. Lets enjoy the journey, he told them.

Salah had provided the inspiration in the first half of the season. He scored 23 of his 31 goals before AFCON.

At times, it felt like he was having a goal of the season competition with himself. There were breathtaking individual efforts against City and Watford, a hat-trick in that Old Trafford drubbing of United and a double in the 4-1 rout of Everton at Goodison Park.

However, Salah was stung by the punishing setbacks of losing both Februarys final of AFCON and a World Cup play-off the following month to Manes Senegal.

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Inside Klopps Liverpool a season that flirted with immortality and ended in heartbreak - The Athletic

Scientists discovered that adopting five or more healthy lifestyle practices boosted life expectancy even in those over the age of 80 and notably, people with chronic health conditions.

Osaka University researchers discovered that adjusting lifestyle behaviors can have a significant impact on lifespan, even in those with chronic health issues.

Ever since the beginning of civilization, humans have wanted to live longer. Whether it be the Fountain of Youth, Gilgameshs secret plant of immortality, or the elixir of life, the idea of immortality is incredibly prevalent in humanitys oldest and most well-known stories.

Unfortunately, immortality is only a myth. The average lifespan in the United States is nearly 79 years and it is unlikely to increase dramatically in the next few years. Still, scientists have been researching how to increase our longevity and have found promising results.

Idioms and proverbs emphasizing the significance of good health have been passed down for centuries. Many emphasize how closely health is linked to happiness and the ability to live a full and joyful life. A study published in Age and Ageing on May 11, 2022, by The Japan Collaborate Cohort (JACC) Study group at Osaka University examined the impact of adjusting lifestyle habits on life expectancy from middle age onwards. The researchers discovered that adopting five or more healthy lifestyle behaviors boosted life expectancy even in those over the age of 80, and, importantly, including those with chronic conditions.

Estimation for lifetime gain and 95% interval confidence (95% CI) according to the number of modifiable healthy lifestyles. Credit: 2022 R.Sakaniwa et al. Impact of modifiable healthy lifestyle adoption on lifetime gain from middle to older age. Age and Ageing

Lifespan is influenced by social factors such as socioeconomic level, policy factors such as subsidized healthcare access, and lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise. The current study used a baseline survey from the JACC study, a large research effort involving 49,021 people performed in 45 locations in Japan from 1988 to 1990. The goal was to learn about what variables that lead to cancer and cardiovascular disease death, therefore the questionnaire included questions on diet, exercise, alcohol use, smoking status, sleep duration, and body mass index. Each healthy activity was given a point, and the impact of changing these lifestyle habits on the expected lifetime was evaluated.

Estimation of lifetime gains at the age of 50, 65, and 80 years according to the number of modifiable healthy lifestyles among patients with none, single, double, and triple or more comorbidities. Credit: 2022 R.Sakaniwa et al. Impact of modifiable healthy lifestyle adoption on lifetime gain from middle to older age. Age and Ageing

The study continued until December 2009, by which time 8,966 individuals had died. The studys primary author, Dr. Ryoto Sakaniwa said. The results were very clear. A higher number of modified healthy behaviors was directly associated with great longevity for both men and women. The lifetime gains were highest for reducing alcohol intake, not smoking, losing weight, and increasing sleep, adding up to 6 years of life for healthy 40-year-olds.

This benefit was prominent even among older individuals (80 years or more) and those with one or more major comorbidities including cancer, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease, and in each life stage from middle age onwards. This is a particularly important finding given that the prevalence of chronic diseases has increased globally and is a major cause of death in older populations, says Senior author, Prof. Hiroyasu Iso. This is one of the first studies to measure the impact of improvements to health behavior among older individuals in a country with a national life expectancy achieving almost 85 years.

Comparison of estimated life expectancies age at 60 years. Credit: R.Sakaniwa

The finding that lifestyle improvements have a positive impact on health despite chronic health conditions and older age is an empowering one, especially given the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and longer life. The findings of this study will contribute to the design of future healthcare settings, public health approaches, and policies that work in partnership with patients to promote healthy lifestyle choices.

Reference: Impact of modifiable healthy lifestyle adoption on lifetime gain from middle to older age by Ryoto Sakaniwa, Midori Noguchi, Hironori Imano, Kokoro Shirai, Akiko Tamakoshi, Hiroyasu Iso and The JACC Study Group, 11 May 2022, Age and Ageing.DOI: 10.1093/ageing/afac080

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Researchers Discover How Nearly Everybody Can Increase Their Lifespan - SciTechDaily

LIVING AND DYING WITH MARCEL PROUST by Christopher Prendergast

This year marks the 100th anniversary of Marcel Prousts death, and writers on both sides of the Atlantic are producing books on every aspect of his life, just as museum curators are organizing relevant exhibitions and musicians are recording the work that influenced the writer. (Proust even wrote texts meant to be recited to piano music by his boyfriend, Reynaldo Hahn.)

Proust has become the premier novelist of the 20th century. Every aspect of his uneventful but hugely productive life has been studied. Jean-Yves Tadi has devoted his adult life to researching his biography. In Search of Lost Time has been translated into nearly every language and several times into English. Library shelves groan under the thousands of volumes about the originals for his memorable characters, the theater he loved, the few cities he visited, his bizarre sex practices and so on. Christopher Prendergasts splendid new book, Living and Dying With Marcel Proust, revisits all the various threads woven into this intricate tapestry. Sometimes reading him feels like, say, seeing all of Venice in a gondola, seated beside a patient, smiling, all-knowing art historian though at moments we just want to be quiet and listen to the water.

Most of Prousts devoted readers concentrate on characters and on the roles of time, memory, art and love in his vast masterpiece. Prendergast, a fellow of Kings College, Cambridge, and the general editor of Penguins reissue of Prousts work, has drawn on his encyclopedic knowledge to cohere Prousts wide-ranging, scattered references: everything from the crucial device of metaphor to a wonderfully playful chapter on food, especially naturally pastry. A madeleine dunked in a tisane may catalyze the entire novel, but the narrator is equally beguiled by dishes prepared by his childhood cook, Franoise, the boeuf la mode served to a vacuous diplomat, the wonderful croissants accompanying his breakfast coffee, even the look and taste of asparagus, steeped in ultramarine and pink. Asparagus leads him into a discussion of Chardins still lifes as well as to the post-asparagus stench of the chamber pot.

But what of the titular living and dying? Prendergasts organization is more fruitful than logical. His chapters, typically, are named Days, My Name Is Might-Have-Been or The Quiver of Life. These headings allow Prendergast to quarry nuggets of gold from the vast complexity of Prousts book. He reminds us again and again of the delights of daily life, of sex, food, music, painting (though not of friendship, for which the narrator has little respect), but also of the equal and final majesty of death. Prendergast feels the entire long novel is death-haunted and cites Prousts verdict: Our love of life is no more than an old affair that we do not know how to discontinue. Its strength lies in its permanence. But death, which interrupts it, will cure us of our desire for immortality.

Prousts techniques of foreshadowing, of weaving anecdotes, of extended reveries, of philosophical summary are all developed here. Prendergast is not biographical or historical, though he is able to draw on his knowledge of Prousts tastes and foibles. He can relate asthma to the labyrinth of his sentences (Prendergast reminds us that Walter Benjamin traced the very syntax of Prousts sentences to his ailment) and to his devotion to music in his compositional practices.

As Prendergast knows, Proust rated abstract intelligence very low, compared to the ecstasy of art or the warmth of family love. In his words: Daily, I attach less value to the intellect, while arguing that only the intellect can see through its ephemeral blandishments.

Edmund White is the author of Marcel Proust: A Life and 30 other books, most recently the novel A Previous Life.

LIVING AND DYING WITH MARCEL PROUST

By Christopher Prendergast

256 pp. Europa Editions. Paper, $17.

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How to Navigate the Proust-Industrial Complex - The New York Times

Mead is the oldest drink known to man, the very nectar of the Gods, says Paul Peterson, Owner of Black Dragon Meadery in New Buffalo. The tasting room, located at 910 W. Buffalo Street, is cozy and inviting, accented with warm colors: deep burgundy and merlot, bright gold and, coincidently, honey yellow. A massive dragon head sits perched atop the fully stocked retail shelves, protecting the products like bejeweled treasure.

With bright smiles, Paul and Brenda greet everyone with enthusiasm and excitement, elated to have the opportunity to share libations with new customers. Mead is typically referred to as honey wine, and though it is sometimes made with hops, it is neither beer nor wine. The process of fermenting honey and water with additional ingredients like fruit, spices, and grains, delivers the most refreshing, sippable, gulpable, beverage.

While spending three years in Germany with Special Forces during the Cold War, Paul fell so in love with a certain black beer that upon his return to the states, it had him brewing and steeping in his attempt to recreate it. Through trial and error, Dragons Breath was born: a nearly-perfect replica that he introduced into the Renaissance Faire circuit, gaining many followers thirsty for his next creation. Naturally, this opened a door into the world of mead, where he began fashioning recipes based on the opinions of tasters from Ren Faires. His mead hit the shelves in 2015, and his logo and brand were created from Dragons Breath to draw in the patrons he acquired while pedaling brews across the region.

Since opening his first retail space in New Buffalo, Black Dragon Meadery has been diligently working to bring people into the new tasting room. Paul has a huge following in Indiana and the Chicago area already, and it will not be hard for him to win over the taste buds of we Michiganders. On June 18th, the Viking Warrior Festival in Marshall will debut his new mead Immortality, which he created specifically for author Treasa Kloths The Harrow Vikings book series. The mead created for her book titled Desolation is a cranberry orange mead, and is currently ranked #1 on untapped.com. Immortality will be a plum vanilla mead.

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(artwork by Nate Baranowski)

The Magnum Mead Ale is semi-dry, made with clover honey and magnum hops, and it is sweet, refreshing, and luscious. The Blackberry Cyser I sampled is well-aged, semi-sweet, and made with apple cider from Coloma. It is a little fruity, a little floral, and offers the perfect amount of sweetness. All fermentation is done on site, and Paul uses local ingredients whenever possible: blueberries from Sawyer, honey from Eau Claire, and he frequents Coloma Frozen Foods often.

Im open to the possibility of a franchisee for the future, Paul says. Then we could truly expand into the Michigan market. Michigan retailers that are interested in selling Black Dragon Meadery products can contact Eagle Eye Brands, a distributor based in Michigan that is quickly expanding internationally.

Black Dragon Meadery is open Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m, with the option of hosting groups and parties just call in advance. Themed parties are always on the table, too, says Paul, Well dress like pirates!For a detailed list of all of the meads and their ingredients, where to buy, and which local restaurants serve it, visit blackdragonmeadery.com. Congratulations and welcome!By Jocelyne Tuszynski, MOTM Contributor

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Black Dragon Meadery Opens in New Buffalo - Moody on the Market

Who Was Pythagoras?

Most of what we know about Pythagoras today actually comes from the writing of other philosophers, including Plato and Aristotle. Both of them credit Pythagoras with significant contributions to philosophical and religious thought. He was a firm believer in metempsychosis, the immortality and transmigration of souls.

That means, once you die, your immortal soul would migrate into a new body possibly a human but also other kinds of animals.

According to philosopher Porphyry on his biography of Pythagoras, Pythagoras believed that all things with souls should be regarded as akin.

It was this belief that lead to Pythagoras practice of vegetarianism and to the rise of Pythagoreanism. Although it has been called a cult, Pythagoreanism followers mostly adhered to his basic beliefs in metempsychosis and vegetarianism. Though, to be fair, even this is hard to prove, as Pythagoras wrote no books himself and demanded absolute secrecy of his followers. The result? There are no written records of their practices and teachings.

But while vegetarianism wasnt necessarily that rare in ancient times (biographer and philosopher Plutarch and Greek biologist and philosopher Theophrastus were both proponents of meat-free diets), Pythagoras absolute rejection of beans was certainly unique. More specifically, fava beans.

There are a few theories about Pythagoras avoidance of fava beans. A popular one is that he believed fava beans were potentially vessels for the souls of the dead (due to their flesh-like texture and their shape), so eating them would be a form of cannibalism. Additional theories say the aversion could have been due to something else from the fact the beans resemble fetuses, human heads, or male and female genitalia (depending on who you ask) to the hollow stem of the plant being the gates of Hades.

Whatever the reason, beans were a definite no-no for Pythagoreanism followers.

Credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Unfortunately, Pythagoras aversion to fava beans might have been the reason for his death.

When the son of a wealthy nobleman was denied the chance to join Pythagoreanism (apparently, being rich did not give you the right to bypass the rigorous training and deep contemplation required to be allowed to join), he turned the townspeople against Pythagoras, leading to a massacre from which only a few were able to escape.

Pythagoras was one of the lucky ones, but only for a brief moment. As he was running from a burning building, he came upon a fava bean field. His only chance to escape was to trample through the field, stepping and crushing beans on his way to safety. Legend goes he couldnt do it, and as he stood there frozen, his enemies caught up with him and stabbed him to death.

While the details on Pythagoras death might be a little sketchy, one thing is for sure: we wont be looking at beans the same way from now on!

By Diana Bocco, contributor for Ripleys.com

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On a recent visit to Los Angeles, I got to sit in on my first Geeked Week preview at the Netflix Theater. A bunch of directors and actors came out to talk about their movies and TV shows, but my ears perked up at an opportunity to see Netflixs games.

Netflix showed off those games during the last day of Geeked Week today in a show hosted by the marvelous Mari Takahashi and Geoff Keighley.

The games and TV shows they showed off were quite impressive and showed how much the company is investing in gaming. they included TV shows like Tekken: Bloodline, The Cuphead Show (Season 2 coming in August), DOTA: Dragons Blood (Season 3), Sonic Prime, and the previously announced Exploding Kittens show.

As for the games, the titles included Shadow And Bone, Too Hot To Handle, La Casa De Papel, The Queens Gambit Chess (yes, its a chess video game), Lucky Luna, Desta: The Memories Between, Poinpy, Reigns: Three Kingdoms, Terra Nil, Wild Things: Animal Adventures, Raji, Spiritfarer, and Immortality.

Devolver Digital is making Reigns: Three Kingdoms, Terra Nil, and Poinpy. The latter launches today. The Tekken unveil included a message from creator Katsuhiro Harada.

Reigns: Three Kingdoms is the fifth entry in developer Nerials award-winning franchise. Inspired by the beloved Chinese epic, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Reigns: Three Kingdoms thrusts players into the turbulent final years of the Han dynasty. There, they will encounter the many factions, wars, and heroes of the saga as they swipe their way through negotiations, marry to strengthen alliances, and convert to gain more power. Discover new ways to enjoy Reigns unique swiping mechanic as you uncover the many secrets of a vast storyline and a host of unexpected mini-games.

Terra Nil is a strategy city-building game with an emphasis on the climate crisis. It is a reverse city builder about ecosystem reconstruction. Turn a barren wasteland into an ecological paradise complete with different flora and fauna. Then clean up, leaving the environment pristine. Subverting the builder genre, Terra Nil is about the restoration of a ravaged environment.

Poinpy is a game where you bounce up, dodge adorable baddies and feed the blue beast thats hot on your heels. A vertical climber from the creator of the award-winning Downwell. You keep going higher and higher because new and more challenging areas await. Earn and unlock abilities that will help you jump into your next run with a better shot at reaching the end.

Shadow and Bone: Destinies is a single-player role-playing game based on the Netflix fantasy-drama series. You play as your favorite characters and journey across the world of the Grishaverse in a narrative adventure to fulfill their destinies. Along the way, youll need to make decisions that will determine the course of your journey.

Too Hot to Handle lets you meet and mingle with sexy singles all vying for your affection in this game based on Netflixs hit reality series Too Hot to Handle. Will you give in to temptation? Or hold out for deeper emotional connections? The choice is yours.

La Casa de Papel: When an old friend of the professors comes calling to cash-in a favor, the La Casa de Papel crew is pulled into a heist to rob a shady billionaires casino in Monaco.

Wild Things: Animal Adventures is an adorable game where you rescue cute animals, explore an immersive world and build your dream habitat in this colorful match-3 adventure game.

Raji: An Ancient Epic is an action-adventure game set in ancient India. A young girl named Raji has been chosen by the gods to stand against the demonic invasion of the human realm. Her destiny? To rescue her younger brother and face the demon lord Mahabalasura.

Spiritfarer is a cozy management game about dying. You play Stella, a Spiritfarer, ferrymaster to the deceased. Build a boat to explore the world, then befriend and care for spirits before finally releasing them into the afterlife. Farm, mine, fish, harvest, cook, and craft your way across mystical seas. Spend relaxing quality time with your spirit passengers, create lasting memories, and, ultimately, learn how to say goodbye to your cherished friends.

Netflix also listed the games that are expected to arrive this year. They include Poinpy, Wild Things: Animal Adventures, The Queens Gambit Chess, Lucky Luna, Raji, Spiritfarer, Desta: The Memories Between, and Reigns: Three Kingdoms.

The titles coming soon, meaning we wont see them this year probably, include Shadow and Bone: Destinies, Too Hot To Handle, La Casa De Papel (note, working title), and Terra Nil.

Netflix also showed off what it has already launched. They include Stranger Things 3: The Game, Stranger Things: 1984, Card Blast, Shooting Hoops, Teeter (Up), Asphalt Xtreme, Krispee Street, Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends, Moonlighter, Into The Dead 2: Unleashed, This is A True Story, Exploding Kittens The Game, Knittens, and Relic Hunters: Rebels.

I got to play with a few of the titles at the Geeked Week preview event. They include The Queens Gambit: Chess. This game is based on the show featuring the character Beth Harmon. You can take some lessons, play puzzles and matches or compete against friends in this love letter to the show. I took a stroll through the tutorial and it was easy enough to grasp. Then I played a round of chess against the AI and won. I like the old style board and how the chess pieces moved on their own, kind of like a Harry Potter chess game.

I also played with Lucky Luna, which comes from Snowman, who you may know from games like Altos Odyssey and Skate City. I didnt know what to expect with this title as you venture with Luna into the depths of mythical temples and cavernous dungeons.

Its a vertical scrolling platformer, where you fall deeper into the dungeon at various points and try to avoid spikes that will skewer you. You try to collect coins on the way and uncover the secrets of Lunas past.

Each level introduces new mechanics and environmental features that open up different ways to explore. The game has no jump button. Swipe to move Luna left and right to guide her as she plunges deeper into each enchanting and treacherous region. I completed a whole level and found it quite immersive.

The most interesting game I looked at was Sam Barlows Immortality, an interactive video title where you have to mix and match videos, put them in the right order, discover new ones, and ultimately solve a mystery. Its a lot like the gameplay of Barlows other titles, Her Story and Telling Lies. Im looking forward Barlows tale about a filmmaker and actress who disappeared.

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Uma Thurman and Crazy Rich Asians Henry Golding are on board to join the cast of Netflixs sequel to 2020s The Old Guard. The two will join the cast of the original movie that featured Charlize Theron, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Veronica Ngo, and Chiwetel Ejiofor.

Director Victoria Mahoneywill step back into the directors chair for the sequel, following in the footsteps of Gina Prince-Bythewood, who directed the original film adapting the graphic novel series created byGreg Rucka and Leandro Fernndez. The film follows a group of immortal warriors who had joined forces to form a mercenary company, led by Theron, a horsewoman from BCE Scythia. When the group is betrayed by a CIA operative in an attempt to learn the secret of immortality, they must fight to keep their existence a secret.

The film proved to be one of Netflixs most popular films ever, with over 186 million hours viewed by subscribers within a month of its premiere on the streaming service. The film currently holds an 80 percent rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Although no details regarding the plot of the movie have been released as yet, Rucka and Fernndez released a sequel to the original graphic novel title The Old Guard: Force Multiplied in 2019 which may serve as the sequels source material. Thurman and Goldings roles are currently unknown.

David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger will serve as producers for Skydance Media. Marc Evans will produce for Marc Evans Productions. Theron will also produce alongside Beth Kono, and AJ Dix for Denver and Delilah. Author Rucka will serve as the films executive producer.

No release date is currently set.

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Thierry Henry is one of the greatest players to ever grace the Premier League.

The French wizard, who mercilessly tormented opposition defenders during his time at Arsenal, made an unerring habit of scoring ridiculous, once-in-a-lifetime goals.

To actually try and pick a greatest strike from his glut of wonder-goals would be a fraught undertaking, with just far too many to choose from.

Henry formed a crucial cog in one of the best teams to ever take on the English top flight as Arsene Wengers Gunners clinched immortality with an invincible season in 2003/04.

Henry complimented his 30-goal haul that season with nine assists as Arsenal cruised to domestic glory.

Overall, in two spells at his beloved Arsenal, Henry would score an unprecedented 228 goals and register 106 assists.

It is no surprise, then, that the man was immortalised with a statue outside the Emirates Stadium.

The French star was the definition of ruthless guile and touch, turning the mundane into the magnificent at the drop of a hat or with the simple turning of a boot.

It looked, at times, as though the ball was glued to his feet as he would glide through defensive lines leaving a trail of anarchy and devastation in his wake.

However, if you need any more convincing of his heroic status, perhaps hearing from some of the biggest legends in the game will do the trick.

From Michael Owen to John Terry, Steven Gerrard to Sir Alex Ferguson, Rio Ferdinand to Cesc Fabregas and many more, they all sing off the same hymn sheet when it comes to Henry.

The man really was something special wasnt he?

When some of your biggest rivals from your playing days are falling over their own feet to sing your praises, you know you must have had a dramatic impact.

Henry would eventually swap north London for Barcelona where he would go on to finally win that Champions League title he so coveted.

Still, while he mightve conquered Europe elsewhere, there can be no denying that his headiest days, and possibly fondest memories, came when he sported that famous cannon on his chest.

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A touch over eight years ago, the Utah Jazz hired a young, under-the-radar head coach from Mercer Island, Washington. At the time, this coach, with stops in Atlanta, Moscow, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Austin, Texas, had yet to experience an NBA-level head coaching gig. He entered a new role, in a new situation, with a Utah Jazz team hoping to blaze a new path towards title contention.

Today, that once under-the-radar coach, Quin Snyder, leaves the organization as one of the most highly respected and regarded head coaches in the NBA. In his eight years, he helped restructure and rebuild a crumbling team identity and culture in Utah, and led one of the most successful five year stretches of basketball in Jazz history. Although no banners were raised during his tenure, Snyder leaves this organization having led some of the best basketball teams Utah has seen since the late 90s.

And with his departure, the Jazz find themselves in a situation much less dissimilar to their last head coaching search than youd think. Like the 2013-14 season, the Jazz are now looking for a new sense of direction: they need a new voice to help guide a roster struggling to find its own culture and identity. They need a new voice to help blaze a new path towards championship contention once again.

But unlike the hiring process from eight years ago, todays path towards NBA immortality looks much more hazy. Theyre missing draft picks, young players with untapped potential, and possibly the most important of all, time. Since their round one loss to the Dallas Mavericks (and maybe as far back as their playoff loss to the LA Clippers), a timer has started ticking down on Donovan Mitchells tenure with the Utah Jazz. After CAA represented writer Adrian Wojnarowski from ESPN reported that that the CAA represented Mitchell currently feels unnerved and unsettled with the current situation in Utah, its clear that the young star and his agency have already begun posturing for more control within the organization. And given how the Jazz have played to Mitchells needs thus far, can you blame them?

Since breaking onto the scene, much of the organization has run according to Mitchells needs, both on and off the court. Mitchells ball dominant and iso-centric play style often dominates Utahs offence, especially late game. Utahs medical and training staff come from Mitchells camp. Utahs player development staff includes Mitchells personal team. Utahs training camps have been moved to different cities, per Mitchells request. Roster changes, such as trading for Eric Paschall, have been made with Mitchells requests in mind. So whats bending to Mitchells requests again and hiring the head coach he wants?

As described by Tony Jones of The Athletic on a recent podcast with Jake Fischer, this could have its benefits. CAA represented Johnnie Bryant, presumably the coach Mitchell wants, can tell Donovan Mitchell no. That right there is something that right now, that might be the number one thing this organization needs at this point, to tell you the truth. But it also may be a risky move. Should Mitchell bolt after next season, the Jazz are left having hired a coach who has little-to-no significant head coaching experience, college or NBA. While it goes without saying that Bryant is a fantastic coach and deserves the opportunity to lead a team at some point in his career, its also fair to question weather or not hes ready for the position right now.

But if Utahs goals arent solely focused on pleasing Mitchell, their options significantly expand. If they are looking for a proven win-now coach, options like Terry Stotts and Frank Vogel, two highly successful and respected coaches, could fit the bill. Stotts, known best for his time with the Portland Trailblazers, has created highly-potent offenses around small guards before. Vogel, on the other hand, has built a strong reputation for crafting some of the best defensive teams in the NBA, a large reason why he won a championship with the Lakers in the bubble.

If, instead, Utah is looking at hiring another under-the-radar candidate, akin to their hiring of Snyder, options like Chris Quinn from the Miami Heat, Sean Sweeney from the Dallas Mavericks, Charles Lee from the Milwaukee Bucks, and Joe Mazzulla from the Boston Celtics could work. All of these coaches, in their own rights, have built up reputations as incredible assistant coaches and offer the potential for continued development, something Stotts and Vogel might not have.

This may come off as obvious, but I personally believe that the Jazz should hire whoever they feel like is the strongest candidate. Getting lost in attempting to please one party or another in the organization could lead to further division and leave the Jazz with a coach that might not be right for their future. While its important to listen to the input from players like Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, allowing them to guide the decision making process could be dangerous. The significance of this offseason and hiring can not be overstated, and the Jazz have done a good job thus far in leading a thorough search. Thankfully, Danny Ainge has gone two-for-two on head coach hiring's in his career. Lets see if he can do it for a third time.

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In the world of Dungeons and Dragons, the lich is one of the deadliest challenges for any adventuring party. When it comes to plundering lost dungeons for treasure, disturbing a lich's lair is very likely. One of the deadliest adventures from the TTRPG's earliest days, the dreaded Tomb of Horrors, is infamously about braving a gauntlet of traps and deadly encounters set by a lich.

In fact, one of the most popular liches in the game is Vecna The Whispered One. He is a lich so influential he has become (as far as anyone else is concerned) an undead god. Artifacts bearing his name have appeared in multiple D&D adventures. He has appeared as a major antagonist in the beloved Dungeon and Dragons liveplay series, Critical Role. And now, even the newest villain in the latest season of Stranger Things bears his name.

So what exactly is it about these boney spellslingers that have made them so enduring as staples of fantasy role-playing games? Why has the cache of certain names like Vecna or Acererak endured for over forty years?

Well, we here at TechRaptor decided to reach out to Wizards of the Coast about the place liches have in their vast fantasy universe and what makes them so compelling. This lead to us having a lovely correspondence with Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition's Lead Designer himself, Chris Perkins.

First, what sets a lich apart from other undead in Dungeons and Dragons? Unlike vampires, zombies, or ghosts, the creation of a lich happens when a spellcaster usually a wizard decides to undergo a transformation for immortality. They actively choose to perform a horrendous magic ritual, the steps are kept vague for Game Masters and storytellers to fill in the gruesome details for themselves, to rip out their soul, place it into a magical box called a phylactery, and preserve their mind from rot and decay, all at the cost of their body withering away to a shell. As long as the phylactery remains intact, the lich can simply reform its body while retaining all knowledge and experience it had in life.

It is because of this functional immortality combined with the lich's obsession with knowledge that makes them so terrifying. It plays into a very primal fear of most people with academic pursuits: that desire to learn more and to ensure that knowledge is retained forever. As Perkins himself stated, The quest for knowledge is something all great minds can appreciate, but the underlying irony is that some knowledge probably should remain hidden.

It is that last part, the idea of knowledge that should remain hidden, that seems to characterize Dungeons and Dragons' most notable liches. The demilich Acererak, the big bad of Tomb of Annihilation, attempts to birth a new evil god by draining the souls of the recently deceased with the aid of a device he devised. Those who seek the wisdom of Vecna must find his missing eye and hand, then replace their own limbs with these mummified relics. Even more benign liches like Exethanter, librarian of the Amber Temple within the mountains of Barovia, imparted the knowledge of communing with The Dark Powers; leading to the creation of the first vampire Strahd Von Zarovich. All of this thanks to these undead scholars' centuries of unfettered archival and study.

But there is a certain tragedy to liches as well. In order for their minds to remain sharp and active, a lich must actively consume the souls of the living. If this doesn't happen, they begin to fade, their vast knowledge withering away like their bodies. There's a good chance that even after all of that sacrifice and relentless thirst for knowledge and wisdom, a lich can be doomed to an eternity of nothing else to learn.

One of the earlier liches I remember was Larloch, who lived like a hermit in the depths of a dungeon in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. Larloch was interesting to me because, despite his immortality and great power, he couldnt figure out a way to exist in the world of the living, so he sequestered himself in a dark sepulcher until he was all but forgotten. Thats really sad, but it says something about the lichs paradox: power and longevity dont actually amount to much in the end.

But by that same token, liches are highly motivated individuals. Because of that, their goals and desires can be just as diverse as any adventuring party at any gaming table. For Game Masters out there that want to embody the power and menace of a lich, these crucial questions need to be answered. What knowledge is the lich seeking? What rivals, if any, stand in their way? Perhaps, they seek the knowledge found within the Book of Vile Darkness, allegedly penned by Vecna himself? For these characters, lichdom isn't the ultimate goal, it is just another means to an end. But other than those specific details, a lich can be just about anything, as Perkins was quick to share.

After Vecna, my favorite lich is Vlaakith the Lich Queen, the supreme undead ruler of the githyanki. I wrote an adventure about her titled The Lich Queens Beloved (Dungeonmagazine, issue 100). Vlaakith holds court in the city of Tunarath, which is built on the back of a dead god in the Astral Plane. In Vlaakith, we see a lich who is leveraging her power and immortality to hold sway over a plane-spanning kingdom. She essentially has the power and influence of a god.

Alternatively, perhaps the lich isn't evil to begin with? For all of the drubbing that the Dungeons and Dragons community gave Fourth Edition, it did include some unique ideas. One of them was a special Epic Destiny certain magic-users could attain: The Archlich. You figure out the secrets of lich immortality, but without any gruesome human sacrifice or bodily mutilation. This means that good, charitable, and even altruistic liches can exist in the D&D multiverse. Perkins himself even agreed. Its certainly possible. I think its fun to have powerful spellcasting characters pursue lichdom as an epic destiny, since it leads to interesting story possibilities.

It is with all of these traits in mind that it becomes obvious why liches are so iconic in Dungeons and Dragons. From a storytelling perspective, there is a lot of texture to come from arcane scholars that delve too deep into the mysteries of magic. As a vehicle for fantastic battles and setpieces, they are a playground for Game Masters to escalate the challenge for their players.

It's why for many players the name of Vecna, the very first lich introduced in the earliest days of Dungeons and Dragons, is associated with devlish schemes, ruthless ambition, and terrifying power. The Whispered One is as synonymous with this game as polyhedral dice, Beholders, and Gelatinous Cubes.

With that in mind, it is no surprise his name is invoked in Stranger Things. While the Netflix series created by The Duffer Brothers wears a lot of its influences on its sleeve, 1980s genre film and Stephen King to name a few, the largest one by far is Wizards of the Coast's iconic tabletop RPG. The main cast are avid players of the game, using various terms and shorthand to give an explanation to the fantastical monsters they confront. These invocations have included the terrifying Demogorgon in Season 1 as well as the possessing, personality-eroding Mind Flayer in Seasons 2 and 3. If the ultimate mind behind the terrible forces threatening the small town of Hawkins and the world were to have a name, one that feels ominous and inevitable,Vecna would fit perfectly.

In fact, the promotional material showing the show's version of Vecna bears a striking resemblance to an official redesign of the character released by Wizards of the Coast. When asked about creative collaboration with the Netflix series, Senior Creative Director of Wizards Franchise Development, Jeremy Jarvis stated the following:

The Netflix team reached out to the Wizards Franchise Development Team, which is part of Wizards of the Coast but separate from the D&D Studio that works on theDungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game. Stranger Things shared their unique angle on Vecna for their universe and Franchise was able to share our new design and then together look for opportunities to collaborate in exciting ways.

Considering that Wizards of the Coast have worked with Netflix on cross-promotion in the past, this means we might see more of The Upside Down's version of Vecna at our gaming tables in the future. It also means that new players at the table will have a better idea of what to expect when these skeletal mages appear in their sessions.

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