Atomic Bark!

A year and a half ago (on the 12th day, of the 12th month, of the 12th year of the 21st century) I appeared on the Atomic Bark radio show along with legendary graphic novel creator Bryan Talbot. Well the show has finally been uploaded to YouTube and you can listen to it here. (I appear at about the 12:40 mark.)

Five reasons why you need to be at Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014

If you've not already purchased your ticket for FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014 - the world's first convention dedicated to Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks - here's why you should.

1) You will not only get to listen to the Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, the co-creators of Fighting Fantasy, give a talk about the history of their gaming and publishing phenomenon, you'll also be able to get your FF treasures signed by them, and even hang out in the Black Lobster Tavern with them!

2) The Adventurer's Backpack goodie bag that is included in the price of every ticket is chock full of awesome merchandise, with many of the items being exclusive to the event, such as the limited edition Zagor miniature and the collectible convention programme - not to mention the bag itself!

3) There are a host of special guests coming to FIGHTING FANTASY FEST, including legendary fantasy artists Chris Achilleos, Russ Nicholson, Malcolm Barter and Tony Hough. Tin Man Games and Inkle Studios will also be there to talk about their latest FF and Sorcery! app releases, and Tin Man are even generously giving away a download code to all attendees. And on top of that Arion Games will be running demo games of Advanced Fighting Fantasy!

4) One of the highlights of the day will be an auction of rare - and highly collectible - items of FF memorabilia from the Warlocks' own hoard, including a pair of swords made to promote the Deathtrap Dungeon video game and now hard-to-find classic Fighting Fantasy computer games.

5) Quite simply, Fighting Fantasy Fest is going to be a unique experience. There has never been an FF event like it before, and YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks is going to launch on the day. Just think, when FF is celebrating it's 50th anniversary in 2032, you'll be able to look back and say, "I was there!"

So click this convenient link and buy your ticket today. And don't delay! The first 100 ticket buyers will receive a copy of the extremely hard to get hold of 25th hardback edition of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

And if you have bought your ticket, tell all your friends about FFF 2014, via email, your blog, Twitter (#FFF2014), Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram, or whatever your social media networking tool of choice is.

And hopefully we'll see you on Sunday 7 September...

Fighting Fantasy 2014 - Official Press Release

For immediate release!

Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014

The first dedicated Fighting Fantasy convention, with Special Guests of Honour Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, featuring the official launch of YOU ARE THE HERO – A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks by Jonathan Green.

Sunday 7 September 2014 will see the first dedicated Fighting Fantasy convention take place at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel in Ealing, West London. Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, co-creators of the publishing and gaming phenomenon that is Fighting Fantasy, will be Special Guests of Honour at the event, where they will be joined by legendary fantasy artists Russ Nicholson, Chris Achilleos and Tony Hough. A highlight of the day will be Steve and Ian’s own talk on the History of Fighting Fantasy.

Fighting Fantasy Fest will see the official launch of Jonathan Green’s YOU ARE THE HERO – A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, along with an exhibition of rare FF memorabilia – including original artwork and other more obscure artefacts connected to the series – as well as trade stands, and an auction of Fighting Fantasy treasures. Arion Games will be running Advanced Fighting Fantasy role-playing game sessions during the day, while Tin Man Games and Inkle Studios will also be in attendance, talking about their digital versions of such classic gamebooks as Ian Livingstone’s The Forest of Doom and Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! epic.

Tickets for the event cost £50 each, and every attendee will receive an event-exclusive Adventurer’s Backpack containing various Fighting Fantasy Fest and YOU ARE THE HERO goodies.

“The success of the YOU ARE THE HERO Kickstarter project demonstrated that there is still an active community of Fighting Fantasy fans out in the world who would relish the chance to not only meet their heroes, but to get together and share their stories of battling the horrors of Deathtrap Dungeon or braving the perils of Kharé – Cityport of Traps,” says Jonathan Green, author of the History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, “ideally whilst quaffing a flagon of ale in Port Blacksand’s infamous Black Lobster Tavern.” (The event will even feature a themed bar!)

Ian Livingstone, co-creator of Fighting Fantasy said, “It’s crazy really that it’s taken 32 years for a dedicated Fighting Fantasy event to take place!  But that’s going to make it all the more special. It will be brilliant to see old friends, artists, authors and fans again after all this time. I’m going to bring along some special Fighting Fantasy items that have never been seen in public before. It certainly will be a Return to Firetop Mountain! I can’t wait.”

Steve Jackson, who is famed for his Sorcery! series, said, “Amazing to think it’s almost 40 years since the first Games Day was held, at Seymour Hall and Baths in Central London. There was a great buzz at that event. Visitors – and organisers – felt they were attending a special occasion. I’m sure it will be the same kind of buzz at Fighting Fantasy Fest. FF celebrities will be there, dealers and memorabilia, game demos and a special auction of items from the Jackson and Livingstone personal archives. This will be an event not to be missed by FF readers. I’m really looking forward to it.”

For more information, or to arrange interviews with the organisers of Fighting Fantasy Fest, please email Jonathan Green at info@jonathangreenauthor.com.

@fightingfantasy @stevejacksonuk @ian_livingstone @jonathangreen @You_Are_TheHero #FightingFantasyFest2014

Sunday 7 September 2014 • The DoubleTree Hilton, Ealing, London, UK

Artists • Panels • Book Signings • Games • Exhibition • Special Guests • Auction

www.FightingFantasy.com

Frome Steampunk Extravaganza II

Just a quick reminder that I shall be attending the Frome Steampunk Extravaganza this weekend, along with Archimedes the Steampunk Robot Parrot* and my various Pax Britannia books - not to mention my now legendary Steampunk Tombola and Book Lucky Dip!

You'll find me in the Cheese & Grain on both Saturday and Sunday, and I'll be giving a talk about my work, along with a reading from one of my books, on Sunday at 12.00pm.

If you're coming along for the weekend, do stop by and say "Hello!" I shall look forward to seeing you there.

* The original and still the best!

Lucy Saxon - Take Back the Skies

Lucy Saxon is one to watch in the world of Steampunk fiction. At only 19 she has had her first novel Take Back the Skies published by Bloomsbury and is the featured author in this month's SFX Magazine.

Lucy Saxon signing at the Bloomsbury stand at the MCM Comic Expo in London.

Lucy wrote the first draft of the novel at age 16 and Steampunk was a massive influence on the work. Take Back the Skies features grand skyships, mechanical servant 'mechas' and other wondrous inventions.

Catherine Hunter is the daughter of a senior government official on the island of Anglya. She’s one of the privileged – she has luxurious clothes, plenty to eat, and is protected from the Collections which have ravaged families throughout the land. But Catherine longs to escape the confines of her life, before her dad can marry her off to a government brat and trap her forever. 

So Catherine becomes Cat, pretends to be a kid escaping the Collections, and stows away on the skyship Stormdancer. As they leave Anglya behind and brave the storms that fill the skies around the islands of Tellus, Cat’s world becomes more turbulent than she could ever have imagined, and dangerous secrets unravel her old life once and for all...

You can pick up a copy of the limited edition hardback here.

Win Tickets to the Frome Steampunk Extravaganza!

Fancy coming along to the Frome Steampunk Extravaganza on from Friday 30th - Sunday 1st June but you haven't purchased your tickets yet?

Then you've still got until 11:59pm BST to enter this competition to win a pair.

And who knows, if you win maybe I'll see you there...

Alice Aid

Last Saturday I attended Alice Aid, the fundraiser event held at The Pipeline in East London to raise money to turn Robert Rankin's novella Alice on Mars into a movie, directed by Martin Gooch.

Other guests included Kit Cox (who did a stand-up comedy set), Andrew O'Neill (who was MC for the evening), a couple of Elvis impersonators, Lady Raygun on the steel drums*, various other actors and musicians and even Mr Robert Rankin himself.

Archimedes the Steampunk Parrot was in attendance too and really got into the groove, as you can see here.



You can see some photos of the event here.

If you would like to help make Alice on Mars - The Movie a reality, you can pledge your support for the project here.


* I've never heard 'I Gotta Feeling' played on the steel drums before, or 'Birdhouse in your Soul', but they sounded great!