PAX BRITANNIA

How do you put the punk into Steampunk?

2012-02-01T16:00:00.000Z

That is the very question that I shall be trying to answer on Friday at the SFX Weekender, ably assisted by a number of other luminaries of the UK Steampunk scene. Joining me on the panel will be:

Ms Raven Dane - author of the Cyrus Darian books, Ms Dane is a more recent convert to the cult of Steampunk. As well as writing Steampunk stories she has also published vampire books and comedy fantasy novels.

Ms Karen Grover - also (well-)known as Lady Elise within Steampunk circles, Ms Grover is a Steampunk enabler and a leading light of the Victorian Steampunk Society. She possesses an expert knowledge of historical costumes, a knowledge that she has lent to countless TV shows including Channel 4's 1066: The Battle For Middle Earth.

Mr Stephen Hunt - is a fantasy, science fiction and thriller/crime author, probably best known as the creator of the Jackelian series of books. 2012 sees the publication of Mr Hunt's sixth book in the series, From the Deep of the Dark.

Mr Robert Rankin - The nearest thing we have in this country to Steampunk royalty. Mr Rankin was writing Steampunk before it gained the mass market mainstream appeal it is teetering on the verge of today. Mr Rankin also does a splendid turn as your compere for Saturday night's SFX Awards.

Ms Sam Stone - Author of the Vampire Gene series, Ms Stone will no doubt be wowing the audience with one of her very fine corsets as well. She is also on a host of other panels and signing for a plethora of publishers over the weekend, so we're very lucky to have her join our Steampunk shenanigans.

Mr Lavie Tidhar - Mr Tidhar is a prolific writer, keeping up a steady stream of highly-regarded novels, novellas and short stories, and has even been described as an “emerging master” by Locus Magazine. He is the author of the Bookman Histories - the third title The Great Game is launching at the Weekender - while his novel Osama is up for not only the coveted Red Tentacle award at the 2011 Kitschies, but has also been shortlisted for the BSFA Award.

Remember, 5.00pm Friday in the Screening Zone.

My signing slot has been moved to 10.00am on the Saturday (crikey!) and I'll also be taking part in the Abaddon/Solaris Fun Hour in the Victoria Bar at 2.00pm on the Friday.

Remember, if you see me, do stop and say hello. Maybe I'll see you there...

See London as Dickens did

2012-01-31T21:22:00.001Z

Dickens's Victorian London is a collection of 19th-century photographs which has been published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the author's birth.

You can read more about this story here.

The SFX Weekender - The Schedule!

2012-01-28T17:12:00.001Z

It's been some time coming but yes, the schedule for the SFX Weekender 3 is finally here!

I'm getting quite excited/nervous about this now, partly because of how much work I still need to finish between now and then but mainly because I'm going to be hosting the 'How do you put the punk into steampunk?' panel on the Friday.

It's the first time the SFX Weekender has had a dedicated steampunk panel (last year the steampunk element was amalgamated into the 'Duel Britannia' panel) and I feel a certain responsibility now rests upon my shoulders not to let the side down, an onus to... basically, to not cock it up!

So although you'll see that the bar opens at midday on Friday, I'm going to be taking it easy before 5.00pm and letting my hair down (which may or may not be coloured green for the occasion) at the Kitschies Awards ceremony later the same evening.

I won't be going too mad there either though, because come 10.00am the next morning I'll be signing in Bartertown alongside Guy Haley (he of SFX/White Dwarf/Angry Robot/Solaris fame). I promised I'd catch up with Guy at some point over the weekend, but at the time didn't realise I would be sharing a table with him, so job done!

I should also give a shout out to the Abaddon/Solaris Fun Hour which is taking place at 2.00pm on the Friday... in the bar! Last year it was the Abaddon Pub Hour, which probably tells you all you really need to know. But to truly experience its wonders you have to be there, so do come along. It'll be a lot of fun and, failing that, it's in the bar.

There's loads going on all weekend, with panels, Q&As, signings, competitions and screening from dawn (well 10.00am) until dusk (actually, well past midnight), so if you are coming along, check out the schedule and maybe I'll see you there.

Anno Frankenstein - another review

2012-01-27T16:06:00.005Z

This time from SFRevu. It's short and sweet, and to the point...

Anno Frankenstein by Jonathan Green... is the new title in Abaddon's likable and popular dark steampunk series Pax Britannia, created and admirably maintained by Jonathan Green.

Green's latest addition to the series is Anno Frankenstein and is similar to Newman's [Anno Dracula] in that it's an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink type book - there's time travel, evil Nazis, characters 'borrowed' from various other works all bound together with lashings of swash-buckle and high-jinx. Much dark fun.

You can pick up your copy of Anno Frankenstein (if you don't own it already) here.

Jonathan Green at the SFX Weekender 3

2012-01-22T00:01:00.000Z

In less than two weeks time 4,000 science-fiction and fantasy fans will descend on Pontin's Prestatyn Sands to meet the likes of Sylvester McCoy, Alex Kingston, Brian Blessed and Eve Myles. And I'll be one of them.

But I'm not only going as a fan, I'm also going as a guest. And if all goes according to plan, I'm going to be hosting the 'How do you put the punk into steampunk?' panel on Friday 3 February at 5.00pm, featuring the likes of Robert Rankin, Stephen Hunt and Lavie Tidhar.

Later the same evening, from 7.00 - 8.00pm to be precise, the Kitschies awards ceremony will be taking place, when the year's most intelligent, progressive and entertaining genre literature - a.k.a. the 2011 Red, Inky, Golden and Black Tentacles - will all be revealed.

Then, on the Saturday morning, at the semi-respectable time of 11.00am, I shall be signing at the Rebellion stand, so if you're coming along, drop by and say "Hi" and thrust copies of your favourite Pax Britannia novels or Fighting Fantasy gamebooks in front of me - or even my newest Doctor Who adventure* - and I'll happily deface them for you with a permanent marker. Now I can't say fairer than that, can I?

Now if I can just shift this cold and sore throat before then...

* Which is just out in time for the Weekender!

Leviathan Rising - a new review

2012-01-19T00:01:00.000Z

Not read my Pax Britannia mash-up of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express and James Cameron's The Abyss, Leviathan Rising yet?

Still need persuading?

Then check out this new review by David Kenyon:

I've always loved those old Jules Verne stories and this story in it's underwater setting provided plenty of references to those undersea escapades, this time accompanied by the dashing Quicksilver and his faithful manservant Nimrod as they piece together a murder mystery at the bottom of the sea. There were enough red herrings not to mention some rather gory murders as one by one they are killed off. Coupled with the threat of being eaten by giant sharks and bio-mechanical giant squids and you have yet more exciting set pieces that Green excelled at in Unnatural History...

The writing is imaginative and witty without being dogged down by too much exposition and detail, but the world is very vivid in my mind and I had no trouble immersing myself in the inky brine of the Kraken's embrace... take the dive into the world of Pax Britannia. You will be 'suckered' into it's embrace.

You can buy Pax Britannia: Leviathan Rising here.

Friday the 13th... Unlucky for some

2012-01-16T00:01:00.001Z

Yes, I know it's not Friday the 13th today, but last Friday (which was the 13th) the shortlists for The Kitschies 2011 were announced*.

Pax Britannia: Anno Frankenstein was put forward for consideration by my publishers but it wasn't to be this time, although fellow steampunk author** Lavie Tidhar did make the shortlist for Best Novel - the coveted Red Tentacle - for Osama: A Novel.

The winners of the Red Tentacle, the Golden Tentacle (for best newcomer) and Inky Tentacle (for best cover artist) will be announced on Friday 3 February at the SFX Weekender***.

However, all is not lost as far as Anno Frankenstein is concerned! Oh no!

You see the Tor.com 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards are now taking votes, until until 11:59 PM Friday, 20 January.

Notice the word 'Readers' in the title? That's right, it means that you the book buying (and presumably reading) public get to choose. Basically it's a popularity contest but one that Anno Frankenstein, with the right backing, might just have a shot at.

So whaddya say? Simply click this link and in the comments section after the blog post about the awards, type the title of the novel (Anno Frankenstein), the author's name (Jonathan Green), and if you want to the name of the publisher (Abaddon Books) as well.

And it's not just Anno Frankenstein that's eligible. In the Best Short Fiction category, I have a couple of stories published by Black Library that were both published last year, the 40K story But Dust in the Wind and the Warhammer tale Sir Dagobert's Last Battle.

So, what are you waiting for? If you vote for me I'll be eternally grateful. ;-)

* Provoking no end of Internet interest such as here, here and on the Guardian website here.

** He'll hate me for saying that.

*** Good luck, Lavie!

Inspiration - Fruiting Bodies

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000Z

Back in April 2007 I wrote my first Ulysses Quicksilver novella, entitled Fruiting Bodies. As anyone who has already read it will be able to tell you, the climax of the story takes place at Kew Gardens in London.

The inspiration for the story came from several stories, not least of all eco-disaster TV dramas from the 70s and 80s - namely the BBC's adaptation of The Day of the Triffids and the classic Doctor Who adventure The Seeds of Doom.

I recently discovered that the writer of The Seeds of Doom, Robert Banks Stewart, as well as being inspired in part by John Wyndham's tale of vegetable vengeance, lived with his family close to Kew Gardens which directly inspired billionaire Harrison Chase's estate. Banks Stewart is even supposed to be descended from Joseph Banks, the botanist who took part in Captain Cook's first great voyage and was almost single-handedly responsible for stocking Kew Gardens in the first place.

I think, subconsciously at least, another of the inspirations for my story Fruiting Bodies was this illustration by Martin McKenna of a plant golem, that appears in the Fighting Fantasy gamebook Legend of Zagor.

As any fan of the Fourth Doctor's adventures will be able to tell you, McKenna himself was inspired by the humanoid form of the Krynoid, the alien intra-galactic weed that threatens Earth in - you guessed it - The Seeds of Doom.

(You can pick up Fruiting Bodies now as part of The Ulysses Quicksilver Short Story Collection for the Kindle, or your preferred eReader of chocie, here.)

Calling all Hugos!

2012-01-10T21:23:00.000Z

Exciting news!

It's that time of year again when the World Science Fiction Society decides on the nominations for the Hugo Awards. You are eligible to nominate if you attended WorldCon last year, or are to attend WorldCon this year, or have signed up for 2013's WorldCon. Instructions for nomination can be found here and the deadline is 31 January.

The reason I mention this here (and why the news is exciting) is because two of my works are eligible for nomination. They are Pax Britannia: Anno Frankenstein (novel) and The Doll's House (short story) from House of Fear.

Also eligible for nomination is Al Ewing's Pax Britannia: Pax Omega, the third in his El Sombra trilogy, as are cover artists/designers Mark Harrison (Pax Britannia: Anno Frankenstein), Simon Parr (Pax Britannia: The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus) and Luke Preece (House of Fear).

So, if you'll eligible to nominate, please feel free (and drop me a line to let me know here).

And while we're on the subject of nominations, if anyone would like to nominate Pax Britannia: Anno Frankenstein for the Steampunk Awards, feel free!

Special thanks to Drew Northcott (whose DeviantArt page you can find here) for the 'Pax Britannia Needs YOU' poster and to Major Willoughby Chase of the 1st Tea Company.

Anno Frankenstein - It's alive! (Again.)

2012-01-10T19:51:00.001Z

As my Steampunk/Weird War 2 novel Pax Britannia: Anno Frankenstein is potentially up for about three awards (at the last count, at least), I thought it wouldn't hurt to draw your attention to another glowing review of the book that was posted online today by Ginger Nuts of Horror:

Ulysses Quicksilver Agent of Magna Britannia, has jumped into a time vortex in pursuit of madman Daniel Dashwood, who is hell bent on sharing modern technology with Hitler and his Nazi army.

Welcome to Pax Britannia's version of World War Two, where steampunk armies battle the reanimated soldiers of The Frankenstein Corps, Dr Jekyll is a hero and The Ladies of The Monstrous Regiment strike fear into the hearts of the enemy.

This is a fun read, littered characters with names like Dashwood, Ulysses, Hercules, the swash and the buckling have ramped up to the extreme. There is a danger with novels of this type that the nods to, and insertions of popular characters can lead to a novel that is too sly for its own good. Not the case here, this is my type of novel, the sort of story that has me grinning from ear to ear from the sheer enjoyment and thrill of the ride.

4/5

Time's Arrow - Black Swan

2012-01-06T09:54:00.000Z

Ace artist and daring designer Pye Parr has revealed a work-in-progress image of the cover of Time's Arrow Part 2, a.k.a. Black Swan (coming soon-ish from Abaddon Books).

Visitors to the steampunk stand at the MCM Expo in October got an early sneak preview of this picture but now I can share it with the rest of the world. And very nice it is too...

A new year, a new review of Unnatural History

2012-01-04T16:27:00.001Z

My thanks go to David Kenyon for this one:

Just finished reading Unnatural History and it was a rip-roaring read with gushings of hot steampunk action. I had been meaning to read this series for years ever since I first saw it on the shelf at the local Waterstones where I worked. Finally I bit the bullet and gave it a go... I must say it delivered exactly what I expected... which isn't a bad thing. When I was reading it I recalled certain movies over the last few years like The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Van Helsing coupled with a slice of Weng Chiang and a bit of Sherlock Holmes...

The names of the characters he uses are witty and obvious but I appreciate it the more of Jonathan's unabashed love of this stuff and I got it... anyway it worked for me because I had all this stuff and visuals in my mind that made Unnatural History lush and visually dramatic. The set pieces were amazing and the equal of any movie blockbuster especially the dinosaur escape and the finale...

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars because I enjoyed it immensely and will devour his other books with gentlemen's relish and a nice warm cup of earl grey... I enjoyed it and recommend it to those who like a quick fun read, with a fun plot and lovely witty language...

You can read David's full review here. Alternatively, if you've been inspired by his review and you've not read Unnatural History yourself yet, you can purchase the book here, or here as part of The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus.

Pandemonium: Stories of the Smoke

2011-12-16T21:13:00.000Z

Coming in spring of 2012, Pandemonium: Stories of the Smoke brings you London as you've never seen it before - science fiction and fantasy in the great tradition of Charles Dickens.

Submissions are currently open for Stories of the Smoke and will close on 31 December 2011. Click here for our guidelines.

Pax Britannia - 'Best Ongoing Series'

2011-12-15T23:47:00.001Z

Over at The Eloquent Page, Pablo Cheesecake has posted his review of 2011, in which he lists his favourite novel for each month and a couple of other categories.

And whaddya know? Pax Britannia has taken the 'Best Ongoing Series' title! As I posted earlier on Facebook...

Happy. With. That.

'Best Ongoing Series'

Steampunk by the coal scuttle-ful

2011-12-14T11:10:00.001Z

Abaddon Books and its sister imprint Solaris Books are no strangers to steampunk. As you can see for yourself here.

Red-Handed - the result!

2011-12-13T13:00:00.001Z

Red-Handed, the first part of Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow, has been downloaded and read by... God knows how many people, who have, I'm pleased to say, loved it!

They've loved it so much that they've gone online in their droves and voted for how they want my latest Ulysses Quicksilver novel to continue.

Voting closed on Sunday. The votes have now been counted and verified and the result is... Well you'll just have to follow this link to find out!

The Pax Britannia eBook 'Box' set

2011-12-12T11:10:00.001Z

What do you get the eReader owner in your life, who doesn't already own the Pax Britannia novels in eBook form already? Why, the Pax Britannia eBook 'Box' set of course.

From now until the end of the December you can get 30% off the first three eBooks - Unnatural History, Leviathan Rising and Human Nature - when who purchase them together from the Sony Reader store.

Time's Arrow - Who Lives? Who Dies? YOU Decide!

2011-12-11T11:09:00.001Z

Voting closes today to decide the fate of Ulysses Quicksilver in the latest Pax Britannia novel Time's Arrow.

Part 1 Red-Handed has been out for a couple of months now and fans have been reading of the British Agent of the Crown's latest exploits, then going online and voting for how they would like the story to continue in Part 2 Black Swan.

So if you've not yet voted, don't delay! Ulysses Quicksilver's fate lies in your hands!

A Steampunk Evening and the Phobophobia launch

2011-12-08T00:30:00.000Z

Just a quick reminder to let you know that I shall be attending A Steampunk Evening, at Blackwell's Charring Cross alongside such luminaries as Kim Lakin-Smith, China Miéville, Philip Reeve, Adam Roberts, Lavie Tidhar and Plarchie the Squid this evening (Thursday 8 December).

And then tomorrow (Friday 9 December) you'll find me at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, and later at the British Fantasy Society open night at the Mug House, for the launch of Dean M Drinkel's Phobophobia horror anthology (published by Dark Continents).

Maybe I'll see you at one, or t'other... or both!

The A to Z of Christmas

2011-12-04T21:30:00.001Z

The A to Z of Christmas is now well underway over at TheChrismologist.com. Don't forget to check it out every day (of the working week) for the next update.

In the meantime, if you've not checked it out already, here's what you've missed so far.

A is for Angels

B is for Baubles

C is for Cards, Cake and Candy Canes

D is for Dom and Danny Do Christmas and Doctor Who

E is for Elf

F is for Figgy Pudding

Time's Arrow - one week to go!

2011-12-04T20:48:00.000Z

That's right - voting closes next Sunday, 11 December, so you've only got a week in which to download Time's Arrow: Red-Handed and then vote for how you would like the story to continue in Time's Arrow: Black Swan.

And in case you're still wavering as to whether you should buy it for your Kindle (or other eReader of your choice), then here's another tasty snippet from early on in the adventure...

The thunderous hammering came again, the impatience and ire in the voice rising from below growing in intensity.
“This is your last chance! This is the police! Open the door or I’ll have it broken down!” There was a tremendous crash from somewhere at street level. The owner of the voice was making good on his promise.
Staggering to his feet Ulysses scoured the room for anything that might enable him to escape.
There were only two ways out of the garret room – through the door or through the window.
For the briefest moment Ulysses wondered whether he should simply open the door and wait for the gendarmes to find him, and then worry about trying to explain to them how he came to be there, alongside a dead body.
But then what was he thinking? Who was going to believe that he had travelled through space and time to end up here? And what would they make of the scorch-marks on the floorboards, let alone the corpse lying in a pool of its own congealing blood.
He took a step backwards and caught his reflection in the cracked glass above the wash bowl.
He was in a worse state than the room. He was still wearing the scruffy suit he had purloined from Castle Frankenstein. His right hand was wet with blood, as were the knees of his trousers. The eye-patch and a few days growth of stubble didn’t help either.
He no longer looked like the bachelor once voted ‘Best Dressed Man of the Decade’ by The Strand magazine. If he had been a French policeman and had walked into the attic and found a stranger looking like that – with a dead man’s blood on his hands and the victim lying next to him – he would have pronounced him guilty as soon as the next man.
Worst case? The gendarmes would shoot first and ask questions later.
He looked at the door, noticing the key in the lock for the first time. Stumbling over, he tried the handle.
The door was locked.

Just Glue Some Gears On It (And Call It Steampunk)

2011-12-01T12:39:00.001Z

Presenting, for your delectation and amusement, the most marvellous Sir Reginald Pikedevant, Esq.

Time's Arrow in SFX magazine - The full interview

2011-12-01T09:49:00.000Z

I was interviewed for SFX magazine back in October and the piece appeared last month in the latest issue, which I blogged about here.

However, what finally saw print was only a fraction of the entire interview, which has now been posted on SFX.co.uk.

If you point your mouse here and click this link, you can read it in its entirety. As well as Pax Britannia, I talk about every from my newest gamebook Temple of the Spider God, to Fighting Fantasy and Warhammer 40K.

Time's Arrow - 10 days to go

2011-11-30T23:43:00.003Z

There's only ten days to go now (or possibly less by the time you read this) before the polls close and I start writing Part 2 of Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow - a.k.a. Black Swan - based on how the public voted they would like the story to continue.

So, if you're yet to download Part 1, Red-Handed, he's a little taster to help you take that final step to making a purchase.

Gasping for breath, Ulysses took a moment to wipe away the moisture that had collected in the hollow behind his eye-patch.
And that was when he saw it.
It was emerging from the fourth floor window of a building at the end of the shadowed cul-de-sac. Eight feet tall, with arms like great sides of beef covered in thick black hair, it swung from the open window with startling grace and agility, launching itself towards the rungs of a fire escape another floor up, and reaching it with ease. From there the beast swung itself up onto the roof.
The massive ape landed not ten feet from him, its sledgehammer fists sending clouds of dust rising.
Ulysses froze.
The beast snorted and then its beady black stare fell on the exhausted, injured man, the atmosphere thickening between them. Ulysses’ heart thumped against the cage of his ribs, the bullet wound pulsing in unkind sympathy.
So palpable was the tension, he could feel it crackling from the beast and setting his hairs on end, like static electricity.

Follow this link to purchase your own copy of Red-Handed. Then, once you've read it, go here to vote for how you think Time's Arrow should continue.

Happy Birthday, Mark Twain!

2011-11-30T14:21:00.002Z

As well as being Saint Andrew's Day, today is Mark Twain's 176th birthday.

Mark Twain would have been considered a Victorian, if he'd lived in Britain, but did you know that the creator of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn was a friend of inventor and electrical engineer Nikola Tesla?

No? Well here's the proof.

The Adventures of Ulysses Quicksilver - reading order

2011-11-29T23:08:00.005Z

A few people have asked me, now that there are so many Ulysses Quicksilver novels and novellas out there, what is the correct reading order?

First off, I would like to point out that every novel is a standalone story and so you can pick up the series anywhere, without fear of not knowing what's going on.

However, if you are keen to enjoy every snippet and nuance of the developing story arc, or you just like to start a new series at the beginning, then here is the order in which the stories should be read, which is chronological order in which the stories take place... kinda...

1) Unnatural History (novel) - May-June 1997

2) Leviathan Rising (novel) - July-August 1997

3) Fruiting Bodies (novella) - September 1997

4) Vanishing Point (novella) - October 1997

5) Human Nature (novel) - November 1997

6) Christmas Past (novella) - December 1997

7) Evolution Expects (novel) - February 1998

8) Blood Royal (novel) - March-April 1998

9) White Rabbit (novella) - May 1998

10) Proteus Unbound (novella) - May 1998

11) Dark Side (novel) - June 1998

12) Anno Frankenstein (novel) - September-October 1943

13) Red-Handed (The first part of Time's Arrow) - May 1998

(The novella Conqueror Worm is set in 1797 and stands apart as it is not about Ulysses Quicksilver at all.)

The countdown has begun...

2011-11-28T08:48:00.001Z

Two weeks today I shall be sitting down to start writing the second part of my latest Ulysses Quicksilver Pax Britannia novel Time's Arrow. Part 2 is entitled Black Swan, but as to what happens within it, well that's up to YOU!

If you've not already done so, download Part 1 - Red-Handed for the eReader of your choice, read the story so far and then go here to vote for how you would like the adventure to continue. But hurry! After all, time is ticking away!

Pax Britannia at Dragonmeet

2011-11-25T11:23:00.002Z

I shall be at Dragonmeet tomorrow (Saturday 26 November) and so will my Pax Britannia books.

The event runs from 10.00am until around 6.00pm (I think), at Kensington Town Hall, and I'll be there for the whole day.

I'm there officially as the guest of Tin Man Games, but Cubicle 7 will be selling my Pax Britannia books over on their stand. So, if you want me to sign a copy of the latest Ulysses Quicksilver penny dreadful, feel free to ask.

I shall also be on a panel entitled 'Fiction and the Games Industry' with my esteemed colleagues Sarah Newton and Iain Lowson, running from 1.30pm - 2.00pm.

And while we're on the subject of Dragonmeet, m'colleague and games industry legend, James Wallis, is going to be interviewing m'colleague and games industry demigod, Ian Livingstone OBE, from 11.00am - 12.00pm with a Q&A session afterwards. I can guarantee it will be a great listen; Ian is the best after dinner speaker I know!

A Steampunk Evening - update!

2011-11-25T11:21:00.001Z

The Steampunk Evening organised by the Pornokitsch guys, and taking place on Thursday 8 December, has had a timing update.

It will now be running from 6:00pm until 8:30pm, which basically means that if you attend you'll get to spend even more time at Blackwell's Charring Cross alongside such luminaries as Kim Lakin-Smith, China Miéville, Philip Reeve, Adam Roberts, Lavie Tidhar and Plarchie the Squid.

And remember, tickets are not necessary and the event is free to attend.

On the names of characters

2011-11-17T09:10:00.003Z

People sometimes comment on the outlandish nature of certain character names in my Pax Britannia books, such as Credence Jones, Halcyon Beaufort-Monsoon, Gabriel Wraith Bainbridge Mills, and Ulysses Quicksilver (come to think of it).

But at least they're not as bad as this lot:

Time's Arrow in SFX Magazine

2011-11-16T20:43:00.001Z

So, I'm in this month's SFX magazine.

That's right, me.

It's not one of my books that's being reviewed, it's part of an interview with Yours Truly about the startling steampunk experiment that is Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow.

That's it there, on page 23 of the Red Alert news section.

The piece includes a link to this.

And while we're on the subject of Time's Arrow, here's what one reader (who's entirely new to the series) had to say about Part 1 - Red-Handed:

I can say, as someone who has only read the first Ulysses Quicksilver Pax Britannia novel before I read this one, it's fairly accessible. There's quite a bit of mention of earlier stories, but while I understood that I was coming in on the middle of a series, I didn't feel particularly lost. While this story very much seems to follow on from a cliffhanger in the previous book, I felt I had enough information to still enjoy it. Plus, once that cliffhanger was wrapped up, the new story was completely fresh and accessible.

What I ended up with was a fast-paced, science fiction, steampunk action-adventure, with some cute nods to genuine Victorian science fiction. The interactive part of the story was fun, and it's really got me looking forward to the next installment (which is why I was willing to skip ahead in the series). And now I've got some time to get caught up!

The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus (Vol.1) - a new review

2011-11-14T20:58:00.000Z

From the Department of Awesomology:

A New Age Of Steam: The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus

Full disclosure time: I've never fully 'gotten' steampunk as a genre in fandom... These days it seems the genre is developing it's own voices in fiction and I recently cast my trepidation aside, donned my top hat and monocle, adjusted my sword cane and stepped out onto the foggy streets of a London that never was as I purchased and subsequently devoured Pax Britannia: The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus by Jonathan Green.

...someone has to keep the Empire from slipping off the edge and plunging headlong into chaos and that someone is our hero, Ulysses Quicksilver. Dandy, epicurean, swordsman, rake, and agent of the British Crown. The Omnibus chronicles the first three adventures of this unique hero...

Pure escapism at it's finest, The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus was a helluva good time... These are books that I would love to see adapted to the small screen, though I can't see anyone but David Tennant playing Ulysses and I fear he may already have played a similar role in the recent past. The setting of Pax Britannia is an engaging one, with it's desktop difference engines, robo-bobbies, and submarine cruise liners and overland rail lines. The urban sprawl is equal parts Conan Doyle and Ridley Scott, and the setting is so very much a mixture of the age of steam and the world of cyberpunk that it more than lives up to its genre. The characters are enjoyable, Ulysses himself being our cocky, improvisational, elegant hero who often finds himself way over his head but makes up for being out of his depth with a mixture of guile, pluck, and good old fashioned British ingenuity. His faithful batman Nimrod also deserves a mention, as does the long-suffering Inspector Allardyce, Quicksilver's Scotland Yard nemesis. Green's writing is engaging and fun, moving at a steady clip that makes each adventure great reading for a lazy Sunday or three. As a collected edition, the book is huge (clocking in at 734 pages)...

If you're looking for a fun read for the holidays that has an eclectic mix of the old and the new, I say give The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus a try. Recommended.

Happy. With. That.

You can purchase your copy of The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus (Vol.1) here.

Have you voted yet?

2011-11-12T01:19:00.000Z

Just a quickie to remind you that you now have just under one month in which to vote on how you would like my latest Pax Britannia novel Time's Arrow to continue.

So download Part 1: Red-Handed here, read, inwardly digest and then go here to have you say with regards to what you think should happen next.

This is your chance to be part of publishing history, so don't let such an amazing opportunity pass you by. If you haven't already done so, buy Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow Part 1 today!

Hannibal - the pachyderm-droid

2011-11-11T09:02:00.006Z

It was a sign of Raffles’ status and rank that he had been afforded the privilege of leading the Magna Britannian forces at Amiens into battle from atop his own personalised pachyderm-droid Hannibal. Before freedom-threatening war had come to the heartlands of Europe for a second time, he had served in India, where the vision of the monstrous robo-phant charging the gates of Bombay had sent many a revolutionary fleeing for his life.

The howdah shading Raffles and his batman from the weak rays of the milky sun – the commander-in-chief’s command post might have looked out of place, had it not been for the Magna Britannian iconography that had been worked into the ornate scrollwork of the giant droid’s flanks.

Raffles eased himself back into his chair. He could feel the comforting rumble of the boiler bubbling in the guts of the metal beast as its own engines were stoked with coke, ready for action. He was going to enjoy this. It was going to be a walk in the park, but he was looking forward to it anyway.

You can read more about Hannibal the pachyderm-droid and General Sir Henry Stamford Raffles's adventures in the Great Second European War within the pages of Anno Frankenstein. You can enjoy more pictures of steampunk animals here.

Ulysses Quicksilver, Hero of the Empire!

2011-11-05T16:50:00.000Z

Ulysses Quicksilver and his various adventures have inspired a number of artists to produce their take on the character. The latest of them is Kit Cox who recently produced a portrait of the Hero of the Empire and another of Ulysses' loyal sidekick Nimrod, the bare-knuckle boxing butler.

Simon Parr (a.k.a. Pye Parr) has produced several pictures of Ulysses and Nimrod as well. Here are just a few of them.

And then there's Pax Britannia cover artist Mark Harrison's take on the character, most easily seen on the cover of Anno Frankenstein.

There are also a growing number of illustrations of masked vigilante Spring-Heeled Jack. The most recent is by that gentleman caricaturist Kit Cox again but Mark Harrison also produced a portrait of the character back when I was writing Evolution Expects.

Evolution Expects revisited

2011-11-03T23:05:00.004Z

Caricaturist, raconteur and vaudevillian extraordinaire Kit Cox (a.k.a. Major Jack Union) has put his artistic skills to good use and realised a scene from my fourth Ulysses Quicksilver Pax Britannia novel Evolution Expects. And here it is...

You can follow the latest exploits of Jack Union, Victorian Monster Hunter, here.

Kit is also currently taking commissions to produce cartoon caricature for discerning clients. If you would like him to do one for you, you can contact him here.

Pax Britannia at the MCM Expo - Let them eat cake!

2011-10-31T10:31:00.002Z

I spent this last weekend at the MCM Expo (held at London's Excel Centre) as a guest of the Victorian Steampunk Society. I had a fantastic time, chatted to all sorts of people about steampunk, Pax Britannia and ebooks, and saw everything from the DeLorean from Back to the Future to multiple Doctors of various regenerations, not to mention genders. There was tea, there were biscuits, there was cake.

I have to say that genre fans are a wonderful bunch of people, but steampunks are a particularly charming and welcoming lot - and they get to wear the best outfits! So a big shout to Herr Doktor, Miss Emily Ladybird, Jack Union, Ben, Peter, Michelle, Alan, Leanna, Willoughby, Esther, Frances and of course my good friend Vincent.

But enough of me gabbing on... Check out my vlog, ideally with a cup of tea in one hand and a cake in the other.

Pax Britannia at the MCM Expo - 18 hours to go

2011-10-28T15:00:00.000+01:00

I'm now counting down the hours until the MCM Expo where I shall be promoting my Pax Britannia books (as well as Temple of the Spider God if anyone's interested).

I've turned the flat into a veritable cottage industry, producing cakes as if I'm working in some kind of Victorian factory. Let me tell you, I'm glad I'm a writer and not a baker! Anyway, if you buy a book tomorrow or on Sunday, you can have a cake for free - until they run out that is!

Edible cupcake toppers produced (at very short notice and a very high standard) by Cake Topper Designs

As I mentioned the other day, I shall also have a small number of flash drives to sell which come pre-loaded with my last three Pax Britannia novels - Blood Royal, Dark Side and Anno Frankenstein - and the first part of Time's Arrow, Red-Handed.

If you'd like one, just come and find me in the Steampunk village at the sign of the French terrorist.

Pax Britannia at the MCM Expo - 1 day to go

2011-10-28T00:01:00.000+01:00

Seeing as how it's effectively Halloween weekend when the MCM Expo is on, I thought it might be nice to offer buyers of my books a free ghoulish cake. I have to say this idea was inspired by* Arfon Jones and his personalised cupcakes, so I ordered myself some edible Pax Britannia logos** and this evening set about creating my new culinary masterpieces.

Now it seemed like a good idea at the time... but removing very thin icing from a backing sheet proved trickier than I anticipated. However, ten minutes in the freezer later and things went swimmingly.

Here are my first couple of efforts. The one on the left is blackcurrant and apple flavour, the one on the right choc 'n' blood orange.

So, two down... only another one hundred and eighteen to go...

* Or completely ripped off from...

** As designed by ace cover artist and designer Simon Parr, whose cover art to Time's Arrow Part 2 - Black Swan, will be previewed over the weekend too.

Pax Britannia at the MCM Expo - 3 days to go

2011-10-26T12:36:00.000+01:00

As I posted the other day, I shall be at the London Comic Con MCM Expo (held at Excel London) this coming weekend - Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October. I will be attending as part of the steampunk contingent and promoting my Pax Britannia books. And today I have a rather exciting announcement to make...

I will have a limited number of memory sticks for sale, each one loaded with my three most recent Pax Britannia titles - Blood Royal, Dark Side, Anno Frankenstein - and Red-Handed, part one of my new novel Time's Arrow.

These all come in Kindle readable files and standard epub files. There are also two free short story ebooks, Eric Brown’s Blue Portal and Juliet McKenna’s The Wizard’s Coming. So there's plenty of content and on top of that you'll have a new memory stick with most of its 1 gig of memory still free!

So, if ebooks are your thing, why not drop by my table this weekend and pick up a memory stick loaded with more than a quarter of a million of Pax Britannia goodness and two bonus stories to boot?

Pax Britannia at the MCM Expo

2011-10-24T22:48:00.000+01:00

Just a quick update to let you know that I'll be at the London Comic Con MCM Expo (held at Excel London) on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October. I will be attending as part of the steampunk contingent and promoting my Pax Britannia books, naturally.

So if you're going along, why not stop by the steampunk area, pick up the latest PB title and help yourself to a little treat at the same time? Want to know more? Then keep an eye on this blog over the coming days or pop along to the MCM Expo this weekend?

Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow - Red-Handed

2011-10-21T10:40:00.001+01:00

The Ether is all a buzz at the moment with talk of Time's Arrow, Abaddon Books' bold publishing experiment.

Here's what some people have been saying about it, and Red-Handed, the first part of the book that's available for download now!

As a long time fan of the 'Pax Britannia' series I was looking forward to 'Time's Arrow' anyway; with Green at the helm as always the tone shouldn't be affected at all but it will be interesting to see where the readers take the story. ~ Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

Once again Jonathan Green has written something that is, most importantly, great fun to read. From character names that will raise a smile to knowingly reverential nods to classical literature it is always a delight to see just what is going to happen next. I always come away from a Pax Britannia novel feeling thoroughly entertained. ~ The Eloquent Page

It's tough to review this first installment of the new Pax Britannia book fairly, since it is only the first third of the story. On top of that, not only do I, as a reader, not know where the story is going next, neither does the author... While this story very much seems to follow on from a cliffhanger in the previous book, I felt I had enough information to still enjoy it. Plus, once that cliffhanger was wrapped up, the new story was completely fresh and accessible... What I ended up with was a fast-paced, science fiction, steampunk action-adventure, with some cute nods to genuine Victorian science fiction. The interactive part of the story was fun, and it's really got me looking forward to the next installment... ~ Amazon.com

Time's Arrow - Who Lives? Who Dies? YOU Decide!

2011-10-11T19:57:00.001+01:00

Big news on Abaddon Books re-vamped website today...

Red-Handed - part one of Ulysses Quicksilver's eighth adventure, Time's Arrow - is available for download here. And not only that, but the voting site has gone live too.

And the first review is already up on The Eloquent Page, as well. Here's a highlight:

And here's another:

As eReaders are only going to continue to grow in popularity (I’ll be getting my hands on a Kindle Fire as soon as is humanly possible) it is great to see that publishers, like Abaddon Books, are taking these developments in technology into account when producing content. Kudos to Mr Green for his writing and the team at Abaddon for their tech wizardry. You all continue to do Mr U. Quicksilver Esq proud.

So, what are you waiting for? Buy Red-Handed for the eReader of your choice now! Then, once you've read it vote for how you want the story to continue here.

Oh, and inspired by this MAJOR PUBLISHING EVENT and Abaddon's spring (or should that be 'autumn'?) clean, I've given my own blog a bit of a makeover.

Out with the old...

Time's Arrow, Anno Frankenstein and House of Fear

2011-10-10T10:28:00.000+01:00

Just a couple of things for you this autumnal Monday morning...

First up, the first part of my new Ulysses Quicksilver Pax Britannia novel Time's Arrow is available for download now. If you've not heard, this is officially A Big Deal. You can find out more here.

Secondly, another great review of Anno Frankenstein has gone up on Amazon. Here's a highlight:

Green keeps the action setpieces coming thick and fast, and the motley assortment of villains, being Nazis, are eminently hissable. Together with the refreshing new setting, which I suspect the author will be returning to, this is possibly the best Pax novel yet.

You can read the review in its entirety here.

And last of all, but by no means least, there's another great review of House of Fear, the horror anthology just out from Solaris Books that includes my short story The Doll's House.

More conventional (but no less effective) tales are provided by Jonathan Green and Paul Meloy, both Villanova and the Doll's House are disturbing, and each builds to a powerful conclusion.

You can read the rest of the review here.

Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow - Red-Handed is here!

2011-10-08T10:11:00.000+01:00

Ulysses Quicksilver: agent of the throne, dandy and hero. Heart-broken, battered, mutilated and shot, he’s been driven backwards and forwards in time... but appearing in the middle of a crime scene is never the best way to start your visit to Paris...

Time’s Arrow offers the reader a unique opportunity – to decide the course of this latest Pax Britannia adventure!

In the tradition of Charles Dickens himself, Abaddon Books will be publishing Time’s Arrow in three ebook instalments. At the end of parts one (‘Red-Handed’) and two (‘Black Swan’) readers will be able to vote on how the adventure progresses via the Abaddon Books website at www.abaddonbooks.com. The entire text will then be published in a paperback edition in 2012.

Don’t miss out on the chance to become a part of publishing history. Pre-order Pax Britannia: Time’s Arrow today!

Ada Lovelace Day

2011-10-07T22:59:00.003+01:00

Today is Ada Lovelace Day. Its intention, to raise the profile of women in science, technology, engineering and maths by encouraging people around the world to talk about the women whose work they admire.

Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) was an English writer and mathematician, widely held to have been the first computer programmer. And I have noted her influence within the world of Pax Britannia, having called computer programmes Lovelace algorithms.

She has inspired other steampunk authors as well, noticeably Ian Edginton in his Stickleback stories.

Click on the link to find out more about Ada Lovelace Day.

FantasyCon Cometh...

2011-09-29T09:46:00.000+01:00

First off an apology. I don't usually do these - I get tired of reading posts by writers apologising for not updating their blogs because they've been... er... writing - but today it's not without just cause.

I realise that I owe you a couple of posts - one about Games Day (which was awesome) and one about the House of Fear launch (which was equally awesome). And they will happen, but the thing is I've been rather immersed in my latest project (which is a good thing) and know that my time is limited because this weekend I'm off to Brighton for FantasyCon 2011.

I'll be there from Friday to Sunday, attending various panels that m'colleagues are on, attending The Big Solaris Book Event and the Dark Continents launch, and generally hanging out 'networking' in the bar. I may also stop by the dealers' room... see if there are any good deals to be made, and so forth.

Maybe I'll see some of you there. I you see me first do come over and say hello. Although, having checked out the list of 'professionals' attending the Con, I wonder if they'll actually be anybody else there at all...

Time's Arrow - Red-Handed

2011-09-27T09:58:00.000+01:00

This is what's open on my laptop at the moment...

And I'm loving this too...

That's right, there's only two weeks to go until the first of three eBooks chronicling the latest of Ulysses Quicksilver's adventures hits Amazon's Kindle store.

To find out more, click here.

Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow - 2 weeks to go!

2011-09-27T08:00:00.000+01:00

That's right, two weeks today, the first part of my next Ulysses Quicksilver adventure Time's Arrow is released in eBook format.

Why is it coming out in digital form first? And why only the first third?

The answers to those questions lie here.

Pax Britannia on Rogue Blades Entertainment

2011-09-21T23:12:00.003+01:00

For anyone who follows this blog, you might like to know that I've a guest post on Rogue Blades Entertainment's website today. It was written as part of the Home of Heroics series of blogs and you can read it for yourself here.

Happy Birthday, Mr Wells!

2011-09-21T21:56:00.011+01:00

If Herbert George Wells was still alive he'd be 145 years young today. Born in Bromley, in Kent, in 1866, he was a prolific writer in many genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary. But he is now best known for his science fiction works, so much so that he is regularly referred to as "The Father of Science Fiction".

Of course it could be argued that he lives on today, through his work and the influence it has had. H G Wells' stories have certainly been an inspiration for my own work within the Pax Britannia universe - specifically The First Men in the Moon, in the case of Dark Side.

His seminal works must surely be The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds, the latter having inspired composer Jeff Wayne, comic creators Ian Edginton and D'Israeli, master storyteller Alan Moore and - judging by the cover to his forthcoming The Great Game - Lavie Tidhar.

So I'd like to take a moment to raise a glass to "The Father of Science Fiction", wish him a Happy Birthday and say thank you. Science fiction and steampunk in particular wouldn't be what it is today without you.

And Steven Spielberg's take on H G's classic is on BBC 3 now. Coincidence? I'd like to think not.

Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow

2011-09-21T00:33:00.002+01:00

The news has gone public at last. Today Abaddon Books announced its plans for Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow - the eighth Ulysses Quicksilver adventure - written by Yours Truly. And the buzz is already building.

Of course I've known about this for a while, but then it was my idea. And it seemed like such a good idea at the time...

But in all seriousness, I'm very excited about this project and can't wait to see how people react to the concept and what they make of Part 1 of Ulysses' French vacation. And as far as I'm aware, this is something of a first in the world of publishing, and one that makes the most of the e-reader revolution.

Just make sure you're along for the ride. It's going to be amazing!

House of Fear - one week to go

2011-09-20T19:49:00.001+01:00

So, if things go according to plan, about this time next week I should be amongst a line-up of authors (including the likes of Sarah Pinborough, Rebecca Levene, Stephen Volk, Adam L.G. Nevill, Christopher Fowler and Christopher Priest) waiting to sign copies of Jonathan Oliver's brand new anthology of horror stories...

The official Foyles launch will have just happened (kicking off at 6:30pm at the Charing Cross Road store) and I'll be looking forward to catching up with my writery friends at the Phoenix Club across the way afterwards. So if you're free next Tuesday (27th September) maybe I'll see you there too.

Tickets for the launch are free but have to be booked in advance via the Foyles website here.

24 hours in the Asylum

2011-09-16T08:42:00.013+01:00

So, a week ago I headed up to Lincoln for Weekend at the Asylum, the UK and Europe's premier steampunk event. This was the third year it had been running and although it was my first visit, Pax Britannia had been there from the start, with guests at the inaugural event receiving either a copy of Unnatural History or Leviathan Rising as a gift.

I arrived at my hotel in good time and so headed off into Lincoln itself. The Asylum is located within the historic part of the town at the top of the hill. Close by are Bailgate, the Cathedral and the Castle. During the course of my walk I discovered that Steep Hill is aptly named and was delighted to see that the city was gearing up for a weekend of steam-themed goodness, with many shops bearing a sign that read...

I also encountered various ladies and gentlemen in elegant dress, looking like they had just stepped out of a Doctor Who Christmas special. By comparison, my 'Powered by Steam!' T-shirt looked like a very poor effort indeed.

Before I knew it, it was time to check in at the Asylum itself, ready to join the merriment surrounding the launch of Robert Rankin's latest novel The Mechanical Messiah and Other Marvels of the Modern Age. It was here that I bumped into old steampunk friends Willoughby Chase and Herr Doktor*, and met a number of other first-timers, Esther, Vincent and James. My new friends had really entered into the spirit of the event, with Esther basing her look on the entirety of Alice in Wonderland, and it was several hours later that we parted company before we drank the bar at the Victoria Inn dry.

Fellow first-timers - James, Esther and Vincent.

Next morning I was up bright and early** ready to bring Pax Britannia to the masses when Weekend at the Asylum really got going in earnest. Major Tinker welcomed everybody in the Exhibition Hall and then proceeded to introduce all of us visiting authors to the indulgent throng. This was totally unexpected (at least on my part) but also totally brilliant because it really helped to break the ice. I was particularly pleased because Tinker referred to me as 'a Geek's Geek' which is probably the nicest thing anyone's said about me in a long while.

With introductions over, people started to visit my table - attracted no doubt by Pye Parr's fabulous banner - but before I knew it I was being author-wrangled upstairs to the Little Theatre to give a talk about my writing and the world of Pax Britannia, concluding with a reading from the forthcoming Time's Arrow and a Q&A session. The audience*** were most appreciative and included Wilf Lunn - yes, the Wilf Lunn from my TV childhood!

Wilf Lunn, the man himself - living TV legend and the original steampunk!

It was then back downstairs to flog my wares, with The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus selling particularly well. The rest of the day passed in a blur of fantastic costumes, appreciative fans, new converts, Penny Farthing races, chats other steampunk authors****, and River Song look-a-likes. My new friends stopped by to provide a bit of moral support and also looked after my stall for a while so that I might take a look at the art exhibition***** which featured pieces by Herr Doktor and Arfon Jones' stuffed Womble.

Mr Vincent Shaw-Morton and Miss R R Hood.

'Womblus Wimbledon Vulgaris', discovered by Professor Arfon Jones.

As the day's events drew to a close - which included a costume competition, won by a young lady in jodphurs wearing something akin to Spring-Heeled Jack's jet-pack - the steampunks departed to take part in a sanctioned Guinness World Record attempt****** and the hall was emptied in preparation for that evening's Empire Ball. I was released from the Asylum******* as, unfortunately, my twenty-four hours were up. It was time to head back down south, my mind a-whirl with fresh ideas and my heart lifted by a host of new friendships made.

This bottle of toffee vodka and absinthe lolly were both gifts - so my thanks go to Professor T Bottom and Miss Emilly Ladybird.

Oh, and having met Ulysses Quicksilver himself at the steampunk event at Kew Bridge Steam Museum, this time I think I met my Steampunk Muse!

I've enjoyed steampunk, in books and comics and on film, for the best part of twenty years or more, before I even realised what steampunk was. I've been writing steampunk for the last five, but I've never actually 'done' the whole steampunk scene.

But since returning from Lincoln I've noticed a change coming over me. I've started checking out Victorian frock coats online and have even bid on a pair of goggles on eBay. That's right - steampunk, like a Bengal tiger, has well and truly got my claws into me now. And I don't think it's going to be letting go any time soon...

PS - If you've not seen it already, my vlog about Weekend at the Asylum is available here for your viewing pleasure.

* 'Old' meaning I'd met them once before.

** One of these statements might not be entirely true.

*** Who made up for what they lacked in numbers with their attentiveness and the quality of their many questions.

**** Amongst those I met were Raven Dane, Sam Stone, David J Howe and Toby Frost of Space Captain Smith fame.

***** Which included Vincent's steampunk rendition of Miss R R Hood - which went on to win the Ruskin!

****** Greatest number of steampunks gathered in one place at the same time, I believe.

******* For good behaviour I believe, although I really rather wish I hadn't been.

Al Ewing on his un-love affair with Steampunk

2011-09-15T23:52:00.003+01:00

A few days ago I posted a link to my guest post on Abaddon Books' blog that appeared as part of their Summer of Steampunk.

Well now you can read what Al Ewing thinks of Steampunk and why he's still perfectly happy dipping his toes in the alternative world of Pax Britannia's sea of potential possibilities.

And while we're on the subject of Al, here's the cover to his third El Sombra novel, entitled Pax Omega.

I'm sure you'll agree it's utterly fantastic. It's by top designer and art-bot Pye Parr and you can read about his struggle to nail the perfect cover image here.

Mr Hyde - I mean the Hulk - gets first reveal

2011-09-14T22:58:00.004+01:00

If you've not read Pax Britannia: Anno Frankenstein yet I would suggest you look away now.

As River Song would say...

SPOILERS!

SPOILERS!

SPOILERS!

Still here? Okay, so either you've already read the book or you're not that fussed. You have been warned...

Right, so Marvel Studios have revealed the first full poster art for the Avengers movie and it features the third recent iteration of the Big Green Guy.

Now, as readers of the novel will already know, in Anno Frankenstein I re-invented the characters of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. And when Jekyll becomes Hyde he has a habit of growing bigger whilst taking on a slightly verdigrised skin tone.

So when I saw the Avengers cover art I thought, "Hang on, that would make a rather cool Anno Frankenstein movie-style poster image."

And here it is...

The Greatest Steampunk Exhibition

2011-09-14T11:53:00.005+01:00

I'm rather late getting round to posting these online, but here are the photos I took at the Steampunk Creators' Day at Kew Bridge Steam Museum, run as part of The Greatest Steampunk Exhibition, on the 25th June 2011.

The slideshow features the work of Major Thaddeus Tinker, Herr Doktor and others. Enjoy...

Rise of the Dinosaurs

2011-09-14T08:37:00.004+01:00

As fans of the Pax Britannia series will no doubt already be aware, in that particular alternate steampunk universe dinosaurs are still alive and well at the end of the 20th Century. So if, like me, you're a fan of Sir Richard Owen - or Jurassic Park for that matter - then you'll probably enjoy two items of televisual entertainment that will be gracing our screens this evening.

The first is Planet Dinosaur (BBC2 8.30pm) and the second is Dinosaurs, Myths and Monsters (BBC 4 9.00pm). Click the links to find out more.

Pax Britannia review round-up

2011-09-13T16:52:00.004+01:00

Yes, it's that time again... I've been perusing the Aethernet and have come across the following reviews of my Pax Britannia titles.

Unnatural History

For the Empire!

I'm a big fan of all things steampunk, so when I spotted this new series I had to give it a whirl. I'm glad I did; Jonathan Green has created an alternate universe that's great fun to explore.

Our hero, the dandy adventurer Ulysses Quicksilver, is both likable and engaging, and his indefatigable manservant Nimrod provides a pleasantly droll foil.

The real star is the world Green has created, though, and he throws literally everything at the story in his efforts to provide a ludicrously enjoyable reading experience. Amongst other things, we have robot policemen, escaped dinosaurs, rampaging monkeymen and ruthless terrorists.

It's a great start to what I hope will be a long running series, and anyone looking for a light, readable adventure story should check out Ulysses and his world.

(David Ford)

The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus

Good holiday read

Steampunk Victorian Britain in the late 1990s and all is not well. Despite advanced technology which has taken Britain to other worlds and the very bottom of the oceans and pretty much dominate all places in between, polluting them as they go, the country is just as socially stratified as it was a century earlier and there's been no Labour Party to introduce an NHS. However, we have our hero to protect the status quo as he fights against villains and monsters...

Still, this is all good fun even if I did want the upper crust hero to join the proletariat and start a socialist revolution. Heck, I'd settle for industrial reform and a national health service. Competently written with plenty going on and several young ladies aiming their low cut decolletage in the direction of our irresistible manly hero when the action briefly flags. Ideal for reading abroad when sitting in the shade of a beach umbrella with a chilled beer or an espresso (depending on taste) and pretending you're not watching attractive young women or men (depending on taste).

I'll stop this now before my fantasies carry me too far.

(Ian Williams)

Weekend at the Asylum 2011 - the Vlog

2011-09-12T19:21:00.001+01:00

While you're waiting for me to update my blog regarding my experience of Weekend at the Asylum* I thought you might like to watch my latest Vlog...

* I know you're just counting the minutes until it's up there. I'm right aren't I? You're on tenterhooks and everything!

Released from the Asylum

2011-09-11T23:57:00.005+01:00

So in the end I was let out again for good behaviour - or for giving a good talk, if you believe Wilf Lunn - and made it back down South.

I will post more about my experience of Weekend at the Asylum and my encounters with the steampunks there over the next few days. But, in the meantime, it has come to my attention that some of you who follow my blog may not be fully au fait with what a steampunk is.

Well here's as good an answer as any I can think of...

A young lady, appropriately attired for a day's derring do,

holding a copy of Pax Britannia: Blood Royal

Now that's what I call a steampunk!

JG at Weekend at the Asylum today!

2011-09-10T00:32:00.003+01:00

I'm in Lincoln today at Weekend at the Asylum. I'll be in the Exhibition Hall for most of the day, signing and selling my Pax Britannia books, but I'm also going to be appearing on stage in the Little Theatre at 11.00am, reading from my new novel Time's Arrow and answering everyone's questions about my writing and the world of Pax Britannia in general.

Maybe I'll see you there...

Countdown to Weekend at the Asylum - 1 day to go!

2011-09-09T00:31:00.000+01:00

I'm currently busy preparing for Weekend at the Asylum*, loading boxes of books into the car, checking the camera's charged, selecting a reading from Time's Arrow Part 1 and trying out my brand new Pax Britannia banner.

Impressive, isn't it?

So if you're round Lincoln way on Saturday, why not stop by the Asylum Exhibition Hall and say "Hi!" - you'll find me under the sign of the French terrorist - and pick up your exclusive Pax Britannia Asylum badge?

Pink and blue for the ladies, teak and brass for the gentlemen

Maybe see you there!

* Or, more accurately, writing a blog post about preparing for Weekend at the Asylum.

398 visitors this week!

2011-09-08T10:55:00.002+01:00

So, I've just discovered that this blog has had 398 visitors in the last week. That's up on the usual amount of traffic to the site and I was just wondering why...

Is it because I've been posting more regularly again? Is it because I've been posting about Weekend at the Asylum? Is it because of the forthcoming eBook release of Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow?

If you've visited in the last week, or ever if you're just visiting today, how about letting me know what it was that brought you here.

Countdown to Weekend at the Asylum - 2 days to go!

2011-09-08T01:00:00.002+01:00

It's now only two days until I'll be appearing at Weekend at the Asylum, promoting my Pax Britannia books, and the final timetable for the event has been published.

As previously advertised, I'll be kicking things off in the Little Theatre at 11.00am on Saturday morning with a reading from my new novel Time's Arrow and a talk about my writing and the world of Pax Britannia. There will also be plenty of time for a decent Q&A session.

So, if you're attending Weekend at the Asylum, don't forget to stop by the Little Theatre at 11.00am on Saturday, armed with all your questions about the longest-running steampunk series to date!

Maybe I'll see you there...

Countdown to Weekend at the Asylum continues

2011-09-07T07:43:00.000+01:00

If you're attending Weekend at the Asylum (9-11 September) you'll be treated to a couple of glimpses of my new Ulysses Quicksilver novel Time's Arrow, including a reading by yours truly.

But want to know more about what Time's Arrow is about? Well here's another sneaky peak...

The Countdown to Weekend at the Asylum has begun...

2011-09-06T14:35:00.004+01:00

I'll be in Lincoln for Europe's premier steampunk event this Saturday 10 September and to help get you in the mood too I'm going to be posting daily updates of the sort of things you can expect from the world of Pax Britannia at Weekend at the Asylum this year.

First up is the first look at my next Pax Britannia novel Time's Arrow. Here's a taster of the cover artwork by the inestimable Simon Parr, available as a free postcard on the day.

Abaddon's Summer of Steampunk continues

2011-09-06T10:50:00.000+01:00

It may be 6 September, with the remnants of Hurricane Irene lashing the country, but in the world of Pax Britannia it's still the Summer of Steampunk.

If you visit the Abaddon Books blog you can read my thoughts on the appeal of steampunk and the development of the Pax Britannia series. All you have to do is follow this link.

And if you've enjoyed what you've read so far, don't forget to 'Like' the official Steampunk World of Pax Britannia Facebook page.

Weekend at the Asylum - one week to go

2011-09-02T11:40:00.003+01:00

A week today I'll be heading up to Lincoln, with a car full of books, ready for Weekend at the Asylum on Saturday 10 September.

Weekend at the Asylum is the largest steampunk festival in Europe, attracting more than 1,000 steampunks from across the World, and is taking place this year from 9-11 September 2011.

Special Guests will be Wilf Lunn, Robert Rankin and Fraser Hines, while I'll be there as a visiting author, along with Sam Stone, Toby Frost and Raven Dane.

I'll be in the Exhibition Hall on Saturday from 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. so why not pop along to get your Pax Britannia collection signed and pick up the latest titles from Abaddon Books while you're at it. I've even had some special badges made to commemorate the occasion!

I'll also be giving a reading and talking about my work for an hour from 11.00 a.m.*

So hopefully I'll see some of you there. It should be most convivial.

* This is a provisional timing only and you should check again on the day, just in case.

Jack the Ripper Remembered

2011-08-31T23:03:00.004+01:00

Or should that be Mary Nichols? The reason I ask is because today is the 123rd anniversary of the day the never-captured Victorian serial killer Jack the Ripper claimed his first victim.

In the early hours of the 31 August 1888, Mary Ann Nichols was found murdered in the dismal East End thoroughfare of Bucks Row, making her the first of the Whitechapel murder victims. Between then and early November of the same year, the killer who would become identified as Saucy Jack murdered and mutilated another four women.

Jack's enduring appeal is thanks largely to the fact that he was never caught, allowing for a whole host of possible explanations to be conjured up regarding who he was and why he murdered his victims the way he did. It's for this reason that he's so popular with speculative fiction writers.

Jack has already made an appearance in the world of Pax Britannia - specifically the fifth Ulysses Quicksilver adventure Blood Royal - which allowed me to provide my only imagined solution to the mystery, and I am planning on having 'him' return in the future.

And the latest theory as to Jack's true identity? That he was none other than Inspector Frederick Abberline - the very man tasked with capturing the Ripper! It's certainly an intriguing idea, and one that would doubtless make a good subject for a novel...

JG on Pornokitsch's Friday Five

2011-08-27T00:04:00.001+01:00

Jared and Anne, over at that sanctuary of all the treasures of geekdom that is Pornokitsch, kindly invited me to contribute to their Friday Five this week. The result is three lists of our five favourite awesome Victorians.

You can find the link to this week's Friday Five here. Having read the three lists you may also like to comment and add your own.

Maybe see you over there...

The Summer of Steampunk!

2011-08-24T15:15:00.000+01:00

Abaddon Books - publishers of the Pax Britannia series of steampunk novels created by Yours Truly - has announced the Summer of Steampunk and launched an official Facebook page for fans of the series.

You can read more about Abaddon's plans for the next couple of weeks here, and check out the Facebook page here. And then there's news of an exciting new development in genre publishing to come...

JG at Weekend at the Asylum

2011-08-22T23:24:00.005+01:00

Well, some might say it's about time, but I'm off to the Asylum in Lincoln on Saturday 10 September for the United Kingdom Steampunk Convivial.

Weekend at the Asylum is the largest steampunk festival in Europe, attracting more than 1,000 steampunks from across the World, and is taking place this year from 9-11 September 2011.

I'll also be giving a reading and talking about my work for an hour from 11.00 a.m.*

So hopefully I'll see some of you there. It should be most convivial.

* This is a provisional timing only and you should check again on the day, just in case.

Steampunk Cable

2011-08-22T23:05:00.003+01:00

I've posted steampunk versions of Batman and Iron Man on this blog before, but here's one of Cable from the X-Men universe.

The image is by artist Rahsan Ekedal and is taken from the Project: Rooftop - Superheroes, Redesigned blog, which you can find here.

BB Black Dog and Kew Bridge Steam Museum

2011-08-20T23:15:00.003+01:00

Kew Bridge Steam Museum and BB Black Dog are proud to present

An evening with: BB Black Dog

To celebrate the launch of their new album, BB Black Dog will be touring the UK later this year and Kew have managed to secure an intimate gig with them on Friday 18th November 2011.

Come along to Kew Bridge Steam Museum to experience this fabulous band in an unique venue. Doors open at 7.15 p.m. and there will be a bar and snacks available.

Tickets are available here.

Parsifal the Steampig

2011-08-15T22:22:00.003+01:00

Parsifal the Steampig is looking for a new home - all God knows how many tonnes of her!

If you have a garden/field/shopping mall big enough to accommodate her, then maybe she could be yours.

To find out more, follow this link...

House of Fear - Foyles launch

2011-08-15T15:01:00.001+01:00

You know how I mentioned I've contributed a story to Solaris Books' House of Fear (edited by Jonathan Oliver and out this October)? Well the official Foyles launch has been announced.

It's taking place on 27th September 2011, 6:30pm - 7:30pm, at the Charing Cross Road store. You'll get a taste of the book's collection of new and original fiction and be able to join in the discussion of the ideas behind the writing of said stories with Sarah Pinborough, Christopher Priest, Paul Meloy and others.

Tickets are free but have to be booked via the Foyles website here.

Maybe I'll see you there...

The Pax Britannia Forum

2011-08-13T16:56:00.005+01:00

Greetings, fellow Steampunks.

You may be interested to know that there is a forum associated with this blog and the world of Pax Britannia that you can access by following this link.

From there you will also be able to access forums where you can discuss my other works - everything from Doctor Who to Sonic the Hedgehog.

I also run the occasional forum-exclusive competition, so its worth joining up and dropping by every once in a while, just so you don't miss out on some exclusive prizes!

Hope to see you there some time...

Everything's Better With Monkeys

2011-08-11T10:51:00.002+01:00

I only discovered the other day that there is an actual recognised writing trope 'Everything's Better With Monkeys'. I didn't realise this when I wrote Evolution Expects (which is definitely enhanced by the appearance of the primates in the House of Monkeys) nor when I started plotting Time's Arrow (of which Part 1 is soooo nearly finished). But Time's Arrow is also improved by the addition of a primate - in this case a 800lb cybernetically-adapted silverback gorilla that goes by the name of Ishmael.

And you can meet Ishmael and his friends come October when Time's Arrow Part 1 is released in eBook form by Abaddon Books. Just don't call him a monkey, otherwise something like this is liable to happen...

And because everything's better with monkeys, I no longer wish to be known as a freelance writer. From now on I'm going to introduce myself to people at parties as a certified penmonkey!

Lego Steampunk Clock

2011-08-11T10:45:00.000+01:00

As anyone who has read this blog for more that about five minutes will know, I have a bit of a thing for Lego. My passion for the little plastic brick has only been enhanced by the fact that my son is now old enough to enjoy proper Lego for himself.

I also have a bit of a thing for steampunk. (No! Really?) Carry out a quick search on this blog and you're find links to all manner of steampunk devices, vehicles and characters rendered in Lego.

And here's another one for the collection.

This time it's a Lego Steampunk Clock, created by Matt “monsterbrick” Armstrong. You can find out more about this incredible invention here.

The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus (Vol.1) - another good review

2011-08-06T07:57:00.000+01:00

This one's from the Portland Book Review.

There is a lot of high-flying adventure backed by some solid plot and characters. The world itself is fully-developed, with a number of really nice touches, and technology is embraced here, unlike a lot of steampunk where the technology is the enemy at best. Fans of Doc Savage and Indiana Jones will love this book, and it’s a great read for everyone else.

To read the whole thing, follow this link.

If you've not picked up The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus for yourself yet, you can do so here.

The World's Most Useless Machine!

2011-08-03T21:45:00.002+01:00

I really should put something like this into one of my forthcoming Pax Britannia adventures.

To enjoy other equally barking-mad inventions, follow this link.

The Abaddon & Solaris Podcast #12

2011-07-14T08:51:00.000+01:00

So, I've been dropping hints about my eighth Ulysses Quicksilver adventure Time's Arrow for a while, suggesting that there's something a little bit different about this one.

"But what is so different about it?" I hear you cry.

Well, download the twelfth Abaddon & Solaris podcast and all will be revealed. You can find it on iTunes now.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

2011-07-13T14:23:00.002+01:00

One to watch, I feel...

Pitt Rivers and the Christmas Killer - a.k.a. just another day podcasting in Oxford

2011-07-13T13:59:00.001+01:00

So yesterday I was up in Oxford, visiting Abaddon HQ to record a new podcast. David Moore (Abaddon/Solaris Desk Editor) took the role of interviewer and Colm Bannon (Marketing Intern) was there as well to contribute his thoughts on Nazis as villains, among other things.

Anyway, it all seemed to go very well (even though I did get a little tongue-tied on a couple of occasions) and I even got to give a reading from Time's Arrow Part 1.

A hard morning's podcasting was then followed by a very pleasant lunch with the guys from Abaddon/Solaris, some of the guys from 2000AD and the guy - Angus Abranson - from Cubicle 7 Entertainment.

Lieutenant-General Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt Rivers -
not Angus Abranson

With lunch and business done for the day, I wandered into Oxford itself and found myself at the (not so) newly re-furbished Pitt Rivers Museum. My Pax Britannia short story Christmas Past takes place in Oxford, and it's at the PRM that Ulysses Quicksilver discovers a vital clue to solving the mystery of the Christmas Killer. Being there reminded me of the story and that Abaddon are currently running a Pax Britannia-themed competition through the Steampunk Forum at BrassGoggles.co.uk.

So, if you'd like to win some signed PB books, get over there now, by following this link.

(When the podcast's up on iTunes, I'll let you know.)

Pax Britannia review round-up

2011-07-02T23:17:00.001+01:00

Over the last couple of months there have been three Ulysses Quicksilver releases - The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus, Anno Frankenstein and The Ulysses Short Story Collection. And earlier titles such as Dark Side and Blood Royal have been getting a fair bit of interest too.

Anyway, I'm very pleased to say that Anno Frankenstein has been reviewed in the latest issue of SFX magazine (#211, the one with Captain America on the cover). The reviewer only gave the book three stars, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed (I was hoping for a four at least). But to my mind three stars does tell you something - that you can write; that you can craft a story.

The reviewer's not too keen on all the pop culture references in the book (which have become a bit of a feature of my Pax Britannia titles) but he does say that "It's a gleeful, agreeably paced mash-up" which also highlights another of the features of my books - and that's that they are, at the root of everything, primarily fun.

I actually met up with Dave Bradley, editor-in-chief of SFX Magazine, this week, along with editorial assistant Rob Power... as well as the guys and gals of Abaddon Books... and we discussed all sorts of potentially exciting things. Now that I've finished re-writes on another project I'll be able to get the ball rolling on these. But more on that another time.

Picture by Dave Bradley. Inane grin by Old Speckled Hen.

While we're on the subject of reviews, here are a few more for you.

The Ulysses Short Story Collection has earned a couple of five star reviews on Amazon and has also received one of the weirdest reviews I've ever read of my work. It manages to be incredibly positive whilst also being unnecessarily nasty at almost every opportunity. Anyway, you can read it here at Tor.com.

Meanwhile, The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus has earned a five star review on Amazon.co.uk and another on Amazon.com.

Remember, if you've recently read one of my Pax Britannia books (and more importantly you enjoyed it) you can also post a view via this blog. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

JG at The Greatest Steampunk Exhibition

2011-06-26T23:12:00.001+01:00

I spent a very enjoyable few hours at The Greatest Steampunk Exhibition yesterday, meeting some proper steampunks and chatting with fans of my Pax Britannia books. I'd barely even set up my table of wares when I sold my first book, and left without any at all.

It's always very pleasing when somebody walks up to you and the first thing they say is, "Love your work." Among those steampunks I met were Willoughby Chase (who was wearing a fine fez), Ken (who's read all my PB books already), Jason (who bought all of my PB books there and then), and Herr Doktor (a.k.a. Ian, whom I believe is the equivalent of steampunk royalty although I think he might actually be Ulysses Quicksilver). I was also asked which of my books I would like to be taught as part of an American university science-fiction course!

I also had a chance to quickly look around the exhibition myself which looks fantastic within the setting of the museum steam hall and elsewhere.

Towards the end of my time there I gave a brief talk about the Pax Britannia series and read a chapter of Dark Side which was very well received. So it just remains for me to say thank you to all those who listened to my reading, thank you to Stuart at the museum and thank you to Tinker for having me along.

And maybe I'll see you at Asylum in September...

Steampunk Creators Day at Kew Bridge Steam Museum

2011-06-24T09:23:00.001+01:00

Just a reminder that I will be at the Steampunk Creators Day at Kew Bridge Steam Museum in Brentford tomorrow from 11.00am until around 3.30pm. I will be there selling and signing my Pax Britannia books. I will also be reading from one of my books at 1.00pm with a Q&A session to follow afterwards.

If you're in the area, why not drop by? A number of the steam engines in the Steam Hall will be running during the day and there is the The Greatest Steampunk Exhibition to visit of course.

Maybe I'll see you there...

JG and Pax Britannia on SFX.co.uk

2011-06-19T21:49:00.001+01:00

If you check out the front page of SFX.co.uk right now (as in Sunday night) you'll see that top of the latest articles list (above one about detestable Doctor Who companion Melanie Bush) is an interview with me about The Ulysses Short Story Collection.

Dave Bradley (editor of SFX magazine) conducted the interview with me earlier this week via email and you can read the results here. I don't only talk about writing short stories during the course of the interview; there's also stuff about steampunk, novel writing and eBooks.

I'm very proud of the three stories in the collection - Fruiting Bodies, Vanishing Point and White Rabbit - which were all especially selected by myself, and it would appear that other people are discovering they like them as much as I do. And for 69p you can't really go wrong, can you?

Hannibal - the pachyderm-droid

2011-06-17T21:30:00.002+01:00

I forgot to mention in my last post (about this review of Anno Frankenstein) that David Drage posted a picture of his own fantastic Iron Mammoth as part of his review of the book in response to Hannibal, the pachyderm-droid, that appears briefly towards the end of Anno Frankenstein.

I post a cropped version of it here, but to see more you should really check out the Iron Mammoth website itself.

Hannibal, the pachyderm-droid?

Anno Frankenstein - yet another great review!

2011-06-17T18:45:00.000+01:00

They just keep on coming! This one's by David Drage of Pulp Zen! You can read the whole review by following this link, but I've posted just a few of the highlights here.

I really thought that Jonathan Green couldn’t possibly top his last two Pax Britannia novels, Blood Royal which took the steampunk down a gothic horror path and then Dark Side which combined a Noir detective story with H.G. Wells' First Men on the Moon. However, Anno Frankenstein takes us to a whole new level...

The tension that builds over the length of the novel leads wonderfully through to the big finale, even with Green’s small injections of humour, references to Star Trek, The Incredible Hulk, The Six Million Dollar Man and Quantum Leap all stick in my mind, without ruining the pace at all.

Anyway, back to Anno Frankenstein. If you’re picky about your steampunk, you may find it moves to far out of the genre for you, but if you want a rollicking good adventure and you like the Weird War genre, you are going to love this book!

I hope Green returns to the Weird War setting for some of his future Quicksilver stories, he is clearly right at home writing in this genre. If he doesn’t want to tie Ulysses down to the Weird War setting, a spin off series with Hercules Quicksilver or the Monstrous Regiment (i.e. the burlesque dancing infiltration squad) would suit me down to the ground...

A spin off series... Now there's an idea!

One of the most exciting things for me about this post, in terms of its potential, stems from this comment:

I think I can safely say this book has finally inspired me to seriously get back into figure sculpting. It has given me so many ideas for steampunk style figures and no-one else makes them yet, so I guess I am going to have to do it myself, after all, there are many excellent characters in the Pax Britannia stories, they really need to be realised as miniatures…

Believe me, if David makes good on his promise I'll let you know more as soon as I can!

During the course of the review David also says:

Jonathan, if you read this post, please hurry up with the next book, you’ve left so many teaser threads left open from recent books that I really can’t wait too long...

Well, the eighth Ulysses Quicksilver adventure, Time's Arrow, will start to be released from October this year. Yes, you read that right - start to be released. But more on that another time.

Until then...

Happy Steampunk Day!

2011-06-14T13:37:00.000+01:00

Yes, it's June 14th which means it's International Steampunk Day!

And to celebrate all things steampunk, why not check out the most recent Pax Britannia releases from Abaddon Books?

Follow Abaddon Books on Facebook

2011-06-14T11:43:00.001+01:00

Abaddon Books has moved from a Facebook group to a Facebook page!

Here's Michael Molcher, Abaddon's PR guy:

"We want to spread the word about our fantastic titles and authors, so please do head along to our new FB page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Abaddon-Books/169994589729715 , 'like' us and stand by for more genre fiction fun!"

So, what are you waiting for?

Pax Britannia at the Greatest Steampunk Exhibition

2011-06-11T22:38:00.004+01:00

The Greatest Steampunk Exhibition is the largest exhibition of Steampunk art, craft and engineering in the UK. It opened last weekend, on Saturday 4th June, at the Kew Bridge Steam Museum in West London. The includes Steampunk exhibits from all over the world, ranging from paintings and artworks through costumes and fabrics to machines and engines, together with sound installations and short films. Many of the exhibits have been specially created for the exhibition and have never been seen before.

The exhibition is running until Monday 29th August, and visitors to the exhibition will be able to enjoy all the other attractions of the Kew Bridge Steam Museum, including the giant Victorian pumping engines which will be operating most weekends. These will all be complemented by a range of Steampunk books and other products which will be available in the Museum shop during the exhibition.

And I'll be there, as part of a Steampunk creators' day, in a fortnight's time, on Saturday 25th June, selling, signing and reading from my Pax Britannia books, which will be available to buy from the museum bookshop.

So if you live anywhere near Brentford, why not pop along and check it out? More details about the exhibition can be found here.

Your own steam-powered desktop

2011-06-11T22:09:00.002+01:00

Like steampunk? Fancy having your own steam-themed desktop? Then follow this link to download these steampunk icons.

Anno Frankenstein reviewed at Graeme's Fantasy Book Review

2011-06-09T20:41:00.001+01:00

Graeme Flory of Graeme's Fantasy Book Review is a loyal follower, and reviewer, of the Pax Britannia series and has given some very generous marks out of ten to several of my books in the past. And now he's got round to reading my most recent endeavour, Anno Frankenstein.

Here are just a few of Graeme's eminently quotable lines from his review.

I’ve been having a lot of fun with these books ever since the blog began and I don’t see that fun stopping any time soon; I can’t get enough of this series and if you’re a fan of steampunk adventure then I reckon you’ll be the same...

As much as I love to take a chance on new reads, I also love the knowledge that I can pick up certain authors and be guaranteed a good time. That’s just what I got with ‘Anno Frankenstein’, a book that I should have got round to sooner but was polished off in record time anyway...

If you haven’t read any of the preceding ‘Pax Britannia’ novels then this really is the wrong place to get started. Not only is there a lot of back story that you’re missing out on but you’re also missing out on six books worth of devious villains, dashing heroes, well drawn steam punk weirdness and stuff getting blown up. You can’t fail to enjoy this stuff so go find yourself a copy of ‘Unnatural History’ and get going...

Green sets the stakes incredibly high and then has his hero go about his job in the best possible way, all wise cracks and flirting but with a propensity for violence when it’s needed. These are the moments where you look at what’s happening on the page and think to yourself that it wouldn’t be out of place on the big screen, I’d love to see it...

Set pieces flow into cliff hangers which result in more set pieces. It all happens so quickly that this approach doesn’t feel repetitive in the slightest, there’s no time for anything else but being swamped by everything that’s happening on the page...

And the final score? 9 out of 10!

You can read Graeme's review in its entirety here.

The only trouble with reading great reviews like this is that I then worry whether I'll be able to live up to readers' expectations with the next novel in the series which, in this case, is the forthcoming Time's Arrow.

But for now I'm just going to enjoy basking in the warm glow of another radiant review just a little longer...

The Ulysses Quicksilver Short Story Collection

2011-06-09T20:11:00.002+01:00

Abaddon Books has put out a press release about The Ulysses Quicksilver Short Story Collection that's now available to download for the e-reader of your choice. Here's the blurb from the back:

Dandy, detective and adventurer Ulysses Quicksilver tackles the enemies of the crown in this thrilling collection of three complete short stories drawn from the steampunk Pax Britannia Ulysses Quicksilver novels.

In 'Fruiting Bodies' a gruesome death leads Ulysses and his manservant Nimrod to the glasshouses of Kew, bringing them face to face with the horrors lurking within. A Hallowe'en séance leads our intrepid duo into a close encounter with the world beyond in 'Vanishing Point', whilst in 'White Rabbit' Ulysses journeys into a world of madness and murder, meeting some sinisterly familiar characters along the way.

This collection is the perfect starting point for readers new to the exciting world of Pax Britannia! 'Fruiting Bodies' was first published in the novel 'El Sombra', 'Vanishing Point' was first published in the novel 'Leviathan Rising' and 'White Rabbit' was first published in the novel 'Blood Royal'.

You can read the press release for yourself here.

Just in case you need persuading that you really should get hold of The Ulysses Quicksilver Short Story Collection for yourself, watch the following video:

RMS Titanic gets its own Haynes Manual

2011-06-08T19:57:00.003+01:00

Having seen this (and the various versions for the Apollo moon lander, USS Enterprise and Dalek) I'd love to see a mock-up cover for one for The Neptune from Leviathan Rising, or the Apollo XIII from Dark Side - or Oddfellow's Sphere, the Jotun-class steam-powered tank Siegfried, the Iron Eagle or the bipedal Stalkers from Anno Frankenstein.

Anyone fancy having a go?

Unnatural History - dividing opinion

2011-06-07T10:53:00.008+01:00

I came across these reviews of Pax Britannia: Unnatural History the other day, and they make for interesting reading (from my point of view at least). You know how people say, "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" Well let's go with the bad. (I'll just give you the choice highlights - you can read the whole thing for yourself here.)

What makes reviewing this book complicated is the difficulty in discerning whether the campy, cliché-ridden, pulp-ishness of the book is intentional as an homage to earlier adventure novels, or simply an example of the standard of writing that is normally applied to multi-author paperback fantasy series, such as the Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, or Halo series...

Green's writing style evokes clichés practically non-stop...

While there is style, and a lot of flash, Jonathan Green's contribution to the Pax Britanniaseries possesses very little substance...

I like that last bit. My contribution to the series "possesses very little substance." Really? After almost eight books, several novellas and with more story arcs planned, I'd beg to differ. But anyway, on to the good news.

Ulysses Quicksilver, is a dashing young man of not inconsiderable daring do. He's equal part Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, d'Artagnan, Allan Quatermain and Batman (sans the gimp suit)...

The writing is solid - I've read a few of Green's Warhammer books and they were usually pretty readable (I thoroughly enjoyed the two Armageddon ones) - with some nice flourishes...

As a series it has promise and the world is an interesting setting with echoes of many pulp sci-fi tropes showing up with the promise of a fun ride ahead.

You can read the rest of this review at The Steampunk Review.

Don't forget, you can now buy Unnatural History as part of The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus (Vol.1).

Alice - Madness Returns

2011-06-06T13:50:00.003+01:00

Alice: Madness Returns is the long-awaited sequel to American McGee's Alice. Watching the following trailer, I couldn't help but be reminded of my own Pax Britannia novella White Rabbit, which just happens to be available now for the Kindle and other e-readers
as part of The Ulysses Quicksilver Short Story Collection.