GiantLands Fifth Age Launches with Indigenous Futurism Titles Honoring Native American Heritage Month
Two Decades of Transmedia Worldbuilding Realized in Science Fantasy RPG Adventure and Novel
Madison, WI, December 01, 2025 --(PR.com)-- Wonderfilled, Inc. announces the release of two titles in the GiantLands transmedia universe: The Broken Road, a 160-page science fantasy roleplaying adventure, and Tuskaloosa's Reckoning, a 200-page novel. Both works are now available on Amazon worldwide.
GiantLands Fifth Age presents a post-apocalyptic world where ancient Mississippian civilizations encounter alien technology, where traditional Indigenous knowledge becomes essential for survival, and where the boundary between spirit and machine dissolves. The setting features crashed starships beside ceremonial pyramids, thunderbirds navigating contaminated skies, and mysterious "blue ooze" that transforms reality itself.
"This is post-apocalyptic old school roleplaying made with masters," said Stephen E. Dinehart, creator and Assistant Professor of Film, Animation & New Media at the University of Tampa. "I've been developing GiantLands as a transmedia property for over two decades. These books honor my ancestors, my later collaborators, and represent the culmination of years of creative practice-as-research."
The Broken Road was co-authored by Dinehart, the late James M. Ward (co-creator of Metamorphosis Alpha and Gamma World), and Penny Williams, with creative supervision by the late Ernest Gary Gygax Jr. Both titles feature artwork by legendary fantasy artists Larry Elmore (Dragonlance) and Jeff Dee (Dungeons & Dragons), alongside contemporary artist Josh Diffey.
Both books incorporate Tsalagi (Cherokee language) throughout. This linguistic integration represents a deliberate effort to preserve and celebrate Indigenous language within commercial game design.
About the Titles:
The Broken Road is a complete science fantasy adventure module compatible with old school roleplaying systems, featuring detailed environments, original creatures, and modular encounters designed for extended campaign play.
Tuskaloosa's Reckoning reimagines the historical Mississippian war chief Tuskaloosa in a far-future setting where humanity faces extinction from alien Harvesters. The novel explores themes of resistance, cultural survival, and the power of ancestral memory.
Two additional GiantLands titles are scheduled for release in 2026: the Fifth Age Codex (core rulebook) and an updated Creature Guide.
About Wonderfilled, Inc.:
Wonderfilled, Inc. develops transmedia properties that bridge interactive entertainment, narrative design, and cultural preservation. Founded by Stephen E. Dinehart, who pioneered the "Narrative Designer" role in the games industry in 2006, the company has contributed to projects ranging from AAA video games to theme park attractions, including Universal's Super Nintendo World.
About Stephen E. Dinehart:
Stephen E. Dinehart is an Assistant Professor of Film, Animation & New Media at the University of Tampa, where his research focuses on transmedia storytelling and immersive experience design. His academic trajectory spans from his 2001 undergraduate thesis "Forming Perception" through his 2006 USC thesis "Transmedial Play" (where he coined the term "Narrative Designer") to current research on Fantasy-Reality Tension Maps for analyzing mixed-reality attractions. He will present this research at TEAAS @ IAAPA 2025.
Availability:
Both titles are available now on Amazon in print and digital formats worldwide.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G1YLLJ5V
GiantLands Fifth Age presents a post-apocalyptic world where ancient Mississippian civilizations encounter alien technology, where traditional Indigenous knowledge becomes essential for survival, and where the boundary between spirit and machine dissolves. The setting features crashed starships beside ceremonial pyramids, thunderbirds navigating contaminated skies, and mysterious "blue ooze" that transforms reality itself.
"This is post-apocalyptic old school roleplaying made with masters," said Stephen E. Dinehart, creator and Assistant Professor of Film, Animation & New Media at the University of Tampa. "I've been developing GiantLands as a transmedia property for over two decades. These books honor my ancestors, my later collaborators, and represent the culmination of years of creative practice-as-research."
The Broken Road was co-authored by Dinehart, the late James M. Ward (co-creator of Metamorphosis Alpha and Gamma World), and Penny Williams, with creative supervision by the late Ernest Gary Gygax Jr. Both titles feature artwork by legendary fantasy artists Larry Elmore (Dragonlance) and Jeff Dee (Dungeons & Dragons), alongside contemporary artist Josh Diffey.
Both books incorporate Tsalagi (Cherokee language) throughout. This linguistic integration represents a deliberate effort to preserve and celebrate Indigenous language within commercial game design.
About the Titles:
The Broken Road is a complete science fantasy adventure module compatible with old school roleplaying systems, featuring detailed environments, original creatures, and modular encounters designed for extended campaign play.
Tuskaloosa's Reckoning reimagines the historical Mississippian war chief Tuskaloosa in a far-future setting where humanity faces extinction from alien Harvesters. The novel explores themes of resistance, cultural survival, and the power of ancestral memory.
Two additional GiantLands titles are scheduled for release in 2026: the Fifth Age Codex (core rulebook) and an updated Creature Guide.
About Wonderfilled, Inc.:
Wonderfilled, Inc. develops transmedia properties that bridge interactive entertainment, narrative design, and cultural preservation. Founded by Stephen E. Dinehart, who pioneered the "Narrative Designer" role in the games industry in 2006, the company has contributed to projects ranging from AAA video games to theme park attractions, including Universal's Super Nintendo World.
About Stephen E. Dinehart:
Stephen E. Dinehart is an Assistant Professor of Film, Animation & New Media at the University of Tampa, where his research focuses on transmedia storytelling and immersive experience design. His academic trajectory spans from his 2001 undergraduate thesis "Forming Perception" through his 2006 USC thesis "Transmedial Play" (where he coined the term "Narrative Designer") to current research on Fantasy-Reality Tension Maps for analyzing mixed-reality attractions. He will present this research at TEAAS @ IAAPA 2025.
Availability:
Both titles are available now on Amazon in print and digital formats worldwide.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G1YLLJ5V
Contact
Wonderfilled, Inc.
Prof. S. E. Dinehart
1 608-361-8557
wonderfilled.games
Facebook.com/giantlands
Instagram.com/giantlands
Prof. S. E. Dinehart
1 608-361-8557
wonderfilled.games
Facebook.com/giantlands
Instagram.com/giantlands
Contact
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