Evolution Expects reviewed

Came across this review of Evolution Expects the other day.

"Awesome." (4 out of 5 stars)

Nice and succinct, I think you'll agree.

One to watch...

The Fastest Steam Car in the World, tonight at 7pm on BBC 2.

An eccentric team of British engineers attempts to break the longest standing land speed record in the world in a steam-powered car built in a shed in Hampshire.

Driven by Hampshire-based tycoon Charles Burnett III and grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell, Don Wales, the attempt takes place at Edwards Air Force Base in California as the team goes in search of a runway big enough to break records on.

Abaddon Books gets a facelift

Exciting news! The Abaddon Books* website has had a make-over - and very cool it looks too. To check it out for yourself, along with news of Abaddon's first ever competition, click here.

* Publishers of the Pax Britannia series.

JG at Beyond Words 2009

Just a reminder that tomorrow, Tuesday 10 November, I shall be appearing at the Beyond Words Festival, at University College School from 2.30-3.45pm. I shall be talking briefly about the how I came to write What is Myrrh Anyway? and will then be hosting a fun - but challenging - Christmas quiz, as well as signing copies of my books. It's not too late to reserve your ticket for this event, just ring the UCS Box Office on 020 7433 2219, or you could try turning up on the day.


Might see you there.

What is Myrrh Anyway? at Ealing's leading Art and Craft fair

Just a reminder that I will be at St James' Art and Craft Fair tomorrow - Saturday 7 November - between 10.00am and 4.00pm, selling - and of course signing! - copies of What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.


I also have a limited number of copies of the brand new American edition of the book Christmas Miscellany available, as well as some of my latest Fighting Fantasy adventure gamebook Stormslayer.


Admission is free, so if you're in the area, why not pop along and say "Hello"?

We're going to need a bigger boat...

I was interested (and a little unnerved) to read of this savage attack on a 10 foot long Great White Shark.


The news report suggests that the monster that attacked it could have been a 20 foot long specimen, or perhaps it actually ran into something like this (seen below attacking a steamship), which reminds me of the plot of a certain popular steampunk penny dreadful Leviathan Rising.

Le Voyage Dans La Lune - Lego Steampunk style

The Dark Side cover look-i-like-e* posts continue with this...

For yet more Lego steampunk goodness, follow this link, or this one, or perhaps even this one.

* How should that be spelt?

Pax Britannia badges

A rather exciting package arrived in the post. Well at least I thought it was rather exciting because it contained these...


As part of my on-going efforts to self-publicise I've had some Pax Britannia badges made. One bears Simon Parr's new PB logo and the other is the central image from Mark Harrison's cover for Dark Side, which is coming next summer.

The first place where you will be able to get your hands on one (or two) of these beauties is at my talk at the University College School Beyond Words Festival next Tuesday afternoon, so book your ticket now!

New Moon

If you saw my post about Mark Harrison's fantastic cover for Dark Side the other week, you may have been wondering ever since where you had seen something like it before.

Well, it's highly possible that if you're a Mighty Boosh fan like me that you were thinking of this...





But the truth is that both the Mighty Boosh and Mr Harrison took their inspiration from French film-maker Georges Méliès black and white, silent, science fiction film A Trip to the Moon.


A Trip to the Moon was itself based on two popular novels of the time: From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne and The First Men in the Moon by H. G. Wells, which you can watch below, and which also inspired the Smashing Pumpkins' video for Tonight, Tonight.

Fantasy steampunk

Now, this isn't strictly about Pax Britannia, but it is about somebody's steampunk creations of elements that appear in my latest Fighting Fantasy adventure Stormslayer...

I came across this the other day, thanks to the magic of Google alerts...


I was absolutely blown away when I realised that someone had re-imagined a scene from Stormslayer and done such a fantastic job of rendering it in full colour. The level of detail is amazing, and it is totally faithful to a scene described in the book.

I did a little digging and discovered that the piece was by Emerson Tung (a.k.a. Zeo-X) who has also produced his own versions of the Steam Golem and the Tremor Worm from the book. (This guy should be concept sketches for movies!)


There's loads more to see through his online gallery which you can find here. And if you happening to be reading this, Zeo, drop me a line and say "Hi!"