Jonathan Green's Blog, page 15

The UK Games Exp 2023

A week ago, I was in the thick of things at Day 2 of the UK Games Expo. It's an event that I look forward to all year and now that it's over for another year, I can't believe it's already been a week since I was at the NEC with my ACE Gamebooks.

ACE Gamebooks at the UK Games Expo.

Talking of which, the books were very well received. RONIN 47 proved popular, although some of my regular readers chose not to pick up a copy because it's science fiction rather than fantasy, and Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland did well, as it always does. On top of that, I sold out of NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!, Beowulf Beastslayer, and Dracula: Curse of the Vampire (again).

A shield-maiden showing off her 'Hwaet' tattoo.

One of the things I love about the UK Games Expo is the number of friends I catch up with from all over the country, and all areas of my life. A couple of my university friends still live nearby and stopped by my stand to say hello, as did Twitch streamers Ken Boyter and Julian Sparrow. 

Richard, one of my best friends from university and a huge fan of board games.
Ken Boyter (EdraTales) and Julian Sparrow (Babel_17).

And then there are the usual suspects, such as Rene Batsford, Ed Fortune, Kev Abbotts, PJ Montgomery, Neil Roberts, Jamie Fry, George Mann, James Wallis, Justin-Lee Morrison, Jonathan Hicks, and all the Kickstarter backers who stop by and say hello. I also talked business with Holmgard Press and Aconyte Books, which was nice.

Olly Mc, a.k.a. the Storymaster, of The Storymaster's Tales.
Hanging out with a Terminator Space Marine, as you do.
The Aconyte Books stand, promoting the Marvel Multiverse Missions gamebooks.
A very impressive piece of Necron cosplay.
PJ Montgomery with an original copy of Spellbreaker, my first book, published 30 years ago this month.
The Lone Wolf Miniatures Game at the Holmgard Press stand.
Dr Peter Wright and the gang from Edge Hill University, where my ACE Gamebooks are on the game design course reading list.

On the Saturday night I went to the live readthrough of Sir Ian Livingstone's City of Thieves, during which Olly Mc guided John Robertson through Port Blacksand until he met a grisly end at the hands of Zanbar Bone. Wearing bunny ears. Zanbar Bone, not John Robertson.

Olly Mc and John Roberson at the City of Thieves live readthrough.
The victorious Zanbar Bone, plus fluffy, rainbow bunny ears. 

Another highlight was the Heorot RPG photoshoot with the reenactors of The Vikings UK, as was the 'Write Like a Pro' workshop I did with Darren Pearce on the Sunday morning.

Vikings reading a Viking RPG. How very meta...
Darren Pearce and Jonathan Green, your hosts for the 'Write Like a Pro' workshop.

However, a huge thank you must go to Scott Lewis and Claire Byard, who helped out on my stand again this year and kept me entertained on Saturday night, drinking cocktails and playtesting card games.

Scott and Claire.
Playtesting a certain Christmas-themed card game at around midnight.

If you've never been, you should check out the UK Games Expo because there is something there for everyone, no matter their age. And I hope to be there again next year, but I'm going to need to pull my finger out if I want to have another ACE Gamebook for sale at the event.

ACE Gamebooks at the UK Games Expo 2023.

Gamebook Friday: UK Games Expo

The UK Games Expo 2023 starts today at the NEC in Birmingham and I am attending with my ACE Gamebooks, specifically RONIN 47.

You will also be able to check out the new Heorot RPG. Not only that, but because June 2023 marks 30 years since my first Fighting Fantasy gamebook Spellbreaker was published, you will be able to use a special discount to get money off at ACE Gamebooks Roleplay on DriveThruRPG.

You will find me in Hall 2, at Stand 2-T21, alongside Sir Ian Livingstone, and sandwiched between Parable Games and Atlantis Miniatures.

Click to enlarge.

The expo opens on Friday 2nd June at 9:00am and closes at 4:00pm on Sunday 4th June.

This year I am helping Darren W. Pearce run the Write Like a Pro workshop on Sunday 4th June from 12:30-1:30pm.

Here's what the UKGE website has to say about it:

Join two professional writers Darren W. Pearce and Jonathan Green - both industry veterans of many years experience - to talk about modern adventure design and how to approach the art of adventure writing, as well as working with established IP holders.

The workshop is being held in The Boardroom, NEC Piazza 3. To find out more, click this link.

Gamebook Friday: World Dracula Day

Today is World Dracula Day, which commemorates the publication of Bram Stoker's Dracula on this day in 1897.

In honour of the day, I am running a Flash Sale of the yellow hardback 125th anniversary edition of Dracula: Curse of the Vampire. There are only 10 copies of the book up for sale at just £60 each, plus post and packing.

If you do want to buy one, please make sure you select the correct post and packing charges for your location.

Post and Packing UK P&P £65.00 GBP Europe P&P £70.00 GBP Canada/South Africa £77.00 GBP USA/Australia/New Zealand/Rest of World £80.00 GBP

Dracula: Curse of the Vampire is an interactive gothic horror novel, in which YOU decide which route to take, which perils to risk, and which of the terrifying creatures you will meet along the way to fight. Play as Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray, and Dr John Seward… or even Count Dracula himself. But be warned – whether you succeed in your quest or succumb to the curse of the vampire will be down to the choices YOU make.

 

But do not tarry, for the dead travel fast.

UK Games Expo 2023

One week today I will be at the NEC in Birmingham, setting up for UK Games Expo 2023.

This year I am sharing a stand with Sir Ian Livingstone. We are in Hall 2, at Stand 2-T21, sandwiched between Parable Games and Atlantis Miniatures.

Click to enlarge.

The expo opens on Friday 2nd June at 9:00am and closes at 4:00pm on Sunday 4th June.

This year I am helping Darren W. Pearce run the Write Like a Pro workshop on Sunday 4th June from 12:30-1:30pm.

Here's what the UKGE website has to say about it:

Join two professional writers Darren W. Pearce and Jonathan Green - both industry veterans of many years experience - to talk about modern adventure design and how to approach the art of adventure writing, as well as working with established IP holders.

The workshop is being held in The Boardroom, NEC Piazza 3. To find out more, click this link.

Gamebook Friday: Russ Nicholson

I was very sorry to hear this week that Russ Nicholson passed away last Wednesday after a short illness. 
As some of you will already know, Russ wasn't well enough to draw any new illustrations for the Heorot RPG, although the book is chock full of his artwork anyway.
It was a dream come true, and a real pinch me moment, to have him collaborate with me on Beowulf Beastslayer , as it was his illustration of a Ghoul that drew me into The Warlock of Firetop Mountain when I picked up the first Fighting Fantasy gamebook in 1982.
I also had a wonderful time with Russ and his wife Jacqui at MantiCon in Germany in 2019. He was a great raconteur and a lovely man to boot. He will be greatly missed and my thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
RIP Russ.

Cover Reveal! Moon Knight: Age of Anubis

I am delighted to be able to share with you the cover for my forthcoming Marvel: Marvellous Missions gamebook, Moon Knight: Age of Anubis, after it was posted on the official Moon Knight Twitter account (@moonknight) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/moonknight) today.

The illustration of our hero is by Xteve Abanto.

When N’Kantu, the Living Mummy, escapes his sarcophagus and steals an artifact that turns swaths of mankind into zombies, Moon Knight steps in to save the day… Assisted by an eager Egyptologist, Moon Knight chases N’Kantu from the streets of New York to an ancient temple in Egypt, where the two uncover an evil ritual that will begin a battle between gods over the power of life and death.

Moon Knight: Age of Anubis, will be published in the US on 5 September 2023, and in the UK on 23 November 2023, but you can pre-order it now.

Happy Wizard of Oz Day!

L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published on this day in 1900, meaning that today is the 123rd anniversary of the book's publication.

This gives me the perfect excuse to remind you that the second ACE Gamebook was The Wicked Wizard of Oz, which is still available in PDF format here, and will be available in print again soon. 

The book is also available in Czech, French, German, and Italian.

Gamebook Friday: Live Readthroughs Catch-up

As you may already be aware, there are currently two Twitch channels* broadcasting live readthroughs of my gamebooks.

The first is Edra Tales, with host Ken Boyter, who is playing through Secrets of Salamonis, the 40th anniversary Fighting Fantasy gamebook I co-wrote with Steve Jackson. If you have missed it, you can catch up here.

The second is Babel 17, with host Julian Sparrow, who is playing through my latest ACE Gamebook, RONIN 47. If you want to watch that, click here.

In other news, three weeks today I will be attending the UK Games Expo, where you will be able to buy RONIN 47 as well as my other ACE Gamebooks.

* That I know of!

 

Coronation Weekend Sale on now!

No matter what your personal feelings about the Coronation or how you are choosing to spend your extra Bank Holiday Weekend, you may well be spending more time with friends and family, and so what better time to play some discounted RPGs or gamebooks? Click on the image below to find out more.

Gamebook Friday: La Nuit du Nécromancien

Out now from Gallimard Jeunesse is the new edition of La Nuit du Nécromancien - or Night of the Necromancer, if you don't read French.

The original French translation used the same cover as the English original - the painting of a Death Cultist by Martin McKenna. However, the new edition features a secondary antagonist on the cover, the Lich Queen and her corrupted court of undead, as imagined by Regis Torres.

So Night of the Necromancer joins Bloodbones in this new format , which leaves me wondering which book will be next...