A Devilishly Good Gift Guide 2023

Three Books, Three Films, Three Games, Times Two

and

Dec 11, 2023

Are you looking for the perfect gift for a family member, a friend or yourself? Treat yourself and those around you.

This is not a bestseller, the hot thing of the month kind of list. Some of these items have been around for ages. They have stood the test of time, worthy of our consideration. Rare gems make for nice presents, we thought, Nathan and I.

Here are three books, three films, three video/board games we think you’ll love and if you have them already, why not gift that special edition to someone else? They’ll love it, too.

Without further ado, here’s our TFTD Gift Guide 2023.

Books

My book choices are mainly centred around the fantastic, fairy tales and fantasy, suitable for readers of all ages, except for those Grimm Tales for Adults. Yes, that’s right, there’s some gnarly stuff in there, but see for yourself!

The Annotated Brothers Grimm

by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm, Maria Tatar (Editor, Translator), A. S. Byatt (Introduction)

A beautiful book, filled with stunning illustrations and detailed annotations that are every curious reader’s dream—the perfect edition.

I own this book, have read it many times and keep coming back to it and I cannot stress enough how good it is. You want to hand this down from generation to generation.

The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien, Illustrated by Jemima Catlin

A timeless classic, to be enjoyed and read out loud to young and old for generations to come. Here, you can do so in style, with exquisite illustrations and magnificent print, a simply gorgeous book no Tolkien or fantasy fan should be without. Again, I own this book and have read it (in various editions) countless times (to my son) over the years.

The Neverending Story

by Michael Ende, Illustrated by Marie-Alice Harel, Translated by Ralph Manheim

I read “Die Unendliche Geschichte” as a child in the 80s. My Original German print is from 1979, which you can’t buy anymore. It’s a beautiful book, printed in two colours: red writing to represent the storyline which takes place in the human world, and green writing to represent the events taking place in Fantastica (Phantásien).

Fret not, though, because The Folio Society issued a special edition for their 75th Anniversary, brimming with beautiful illustrations that might tickle your fancy. A magical story that will sweep you away to Fantastica, as it did with Bastian. A book for the ages.

If that one is sold out or too pricey, a 45th Anniversary Edition is coming out on March 7th 2024, which is more affordable but won’t arrive in time for Christmas. Maybe you can pass the time with Limahl until then.

But wait, there’s more! Nathan has some exquisite words for you to peruse, to gorge yourself in its immeasurable beauty. Three more books!

Nathan Slake
Thank you, Alexander. I can only pick three? I’ve scoured my reading lists from the last few years and tried to pick a few things to suit various tastes. Here goes …

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet

by David Mitchell

Historical fiction set in 1799 at the Dutch trading post of Dejima in the harbour of Nagasaki, Japan. The novel follows a Dutch clerk who finds himself falling in love with a Japanese midwife who disappears to a … [spoiler]. OK, so it gets a bit weird, but I love Mitchell’s ability to write with a specific voice, and the historical details are fascinating. Prepare yourself, for there are some mighty vivid descriptions of surgical procedures.

The Three-Body Problem

by Liu Cixin, English translation by Ken Liu

I’m putting this here not only because it’s a mind-bending piece of fiction dealing with contact with an alien civilization on the brink of destruction, but also because it’s soon to be a Netflix series and I do think this is one of those cases where reading it first will add to the joy of seeing how it (hopefully) translates to the screen.

Vita Nostra

by Maryna and Serhiy Dyachenko, English translation by Julia Meitov Hersey

An Ukrainian novel of dark fantasy written by a husband and wife. (I only just realised that, sadly, Serhiy passed away last year.) This is a complex piece of fiction that deals with the nature of existence. I don’t recall it being an easy read, but for any purveyors of speculative fiction, I think it’s well worth your time.

Films

Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick, Starring Peter Sellers

Did you know that Almost Everything in “Dr. Strangelove” Was True? Fascinating.

It is one of my all-time favourite movies and in today’s landscape as relevant as ever, and if you haven’t seen it, treat yourself to this sharp, witty satire that makes you laugh and think… it’s true, it’s all true.

For the curious, I did an exercise, mapping the film to John Yorke’s 3-D Roadmap of Change.

Seven Samurai (1954)

Directed by Akira Kurosawa, Starring Toshiro Mifune

You have not seen this one? You might have without knowing. The Magnificent Seven (1960 or 2016) is in essence a remake. Seven Samurai is one of the most thrilling movie epics of all time and belongs in every movie fan’s collection.

Dead Man (1995)

Directed by Jim Jarmusch, Starring Johnny Depp

This was my second Jarmusch movie after Night on Earth. Jim Jarmusch shows us a nineteenth-century American West as an existential wasteland through the eyes of Accountant William Blake (Johnny Depp). We witness a surreal reckoning with the ravages of industrialisation, the country’s legacy of violence and prejudice, and the natural cycle of life and death. A profound viewing experience.

Nathan has three more gems for you!

Ah, movies. Not quite as much my wheelhouse as books and games, but here are three that immediately come to mind, for various reasons.

The Quiet Girl (2022)

Directed by Colm Bairéad, Starring Michael Patric, Catherine Clinch

I remember sitting in the cinema and watching this and thinking that I had my emotions in check, right up until one of the very last scenes whereupon I bawled my eyes out. A truly beautiful, beautiful film set in rural Ireland about a girl who is sent away for the summer to live with relatives.

Agora (2009)

Directed by Alejandro Amenabar, Starring Rachel Weisz

The amazing Rachel Weisz stars as Hypatia in this historical biopic set in Roman Egypt. It’s been so long that I can’t describe the plot without resorting to Googling, which is clearly a sign that I need to watch it again. I remember loving it when I watched it and when I asked my wife Jo “hey, what three films do I love?” then this was one she immediately reminded me of. Thanks, darling.

The Social Network (2010)

Directed by David Fincher, Starring Jesse Eisenberg

A masterclass in dialogue, direction and cinematography. It’s David Fincher at his finest. There’s a certain irony that one of my favourite films of all time is about the inception of one of humanity’s technological inventions that I most loathe.

Games

I am not going to list the latest and greatest AAA titles you can find in the top lists. This is about games that made us, which in my case means mostly games from the 80s and 90s. Or rather, one game in particular.

Planescape Torment (Enhanced Edition)

Arguably, the most philosophical video game in existence. Lucky for those who have never played it, the Enhanced Edition is available on all modern platforms, including PS5.

You are the Nameless One, immortal, bereft of your memories every time you die and get reborn, you seek to uncover your past, an inner as much as an outer journey. I don’t want to spoil anything but suffice it to say, there’s a lot of reading required in this text-heavy epic existential quest.

If you have played the game and are curious about the philosophical angles, YouTube has you covered. Be warned, spoilers ahead!

And if you are into D&D roleplaying and want to continue your journey through the Outlands after the Torment, then the next game may be of interest to you.

Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse

D&D Campaign Collection - Adventure, Setting Book, Bestiary + DM Screen

The Crew – Mission Deep Sea

Do you like cooperative trick-taking games? With severely limited communication? Want to play one of the best ones out there? You will love The Crew – Mission Deep Sea.

And here are three must-play titles from Nathan!

If you’re into games then 2023 has been an absolute bumper year, with release after release of some stellar titles, likely a result of the backlog of the COVID years flowing through. But, as with Alexander, I don’t want to focus on recent and AAA hits (though quick nod to Game Of The Year Baldur’s Gate 3, which is incredible), so here are some of my favourites from the last decade.

The Witness

Puzzle games are one of my favourite genres, but exceptionally good puzzle games don’t come around all that often. 2016’s The Witness remains the best puzzle game of all time (opinion, but also fact). Jonathan Blow’s masterpiece has you exploring a stunning island filled with panels where, erm, all you have to do is draw a line from one end of the panel to the other. It sounds simple, but the beauty is that each set of panels adheres to one or more rulesets, but none of the rules are explicitly explained to the player, so you have to deduce them. The manner in which they are taught is a testament to good game design, plus there are also an island’s full of secrets to be discovered as you play.

Disco Elysium – The Final Cut

Up until the release of Baldur’s Gate 3 this year, I would have said that 2019’s Disco Elysium was the best RPG ever made (OK, so maybe tied with Alexander’s Planescape pick), having the best writing in a computer game ever. The game casts you as a bumbling, alcoholic detective, sent to a city to solve a murder. That short description does the unfolding plot no justice, but story aside, the genius of the game comes from the internal and external thoughts and speech that result from the choices you make and the attribute points you have allocated across your dialogue. Never have I laughed out loud so much at things my character has done or said. Replaying the game with a wildly different distribution of points results in a completely different experience.

Baba Is You

Yes, another puzzle game, but I add this one in here because it not only vies for the best of all time, but it’s also available on mobile and makes for some portable puzzling. This is a somewhat abstract game about rules, and the joy is in the discovery of those rules and what they do. Another masterpiece!

There you have it. Three books, three films, three games, times two. Your lovingly curated Gift Guide brought to you by TFTD.

If you like this post, feel free to click the ❤️ button and share it so that more people can enrich their wish lists.