Jonathan Green's Blog, page 160
November 3, 2014
Thought for the Day
“Growing up, like rewriting, is simply admitting how clueless you were not so long ago.”~ Scott Westerfeld
November 2, 2014
A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks - TODAY!
This afternoon I shall be taking part in the inaugural Kilburn Literary Festival, giving a talk about the history of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks and how YOU ARE THE HERO came to be.
We will be gathering from 2.00pm at the North London Tavern, and there's still time for you to grab a ticket here.
November 1, 2014
13 Halloween Horrors
Inspired by the warmest Halloween in recorded history? Fancy a little more horror-inspired reading? Then why not try one of these?
1. The Serpent's Egg
13 short horror stories, including the Cthulhu mythos novella The Serpent's Egg, available now!
2. Human Nature
The Whitby Mermaid has been stolen from Cruickshank's Cabinet of Curiosities and consulting detective Gabriel Wraith is on the case. But what does the theft of the mermaid have to do with the mysterious House of Monkeys? And what of the enigmatic criminal known as the Magpie? But there are worse things lurking under the moors outside Whitby than mermaids... David Cronenberg-style body horror in the world of Pax Britannia , including a highly warped version of the Hound of the Baskervilles.
3. Evolution Expects
More than ever before, the realm of Magna Britannia needs a saviour - a man like new Prime Minister, Devlin Valentine. But while London prepares for the launch of the Jupiter Station there are those who want this longed-for change to come about more quickly - people who are willing to give evolution a helping hand.
4. Blood Royal
St. Paul's Cathedral entertains a new congregation, one driven by its own unholy creed, while a coldly clinical killer is carving a name for himself across the city - a name that has been whispered upon the streets of Whitechapel for over a hundred years.
5. Anno Frankenstein
1943 ~ The Nazis are battling the empire of Magna Britannia, cooking up necrotic super-soldiers in the gothic towers of Castle Frankenstein. In the forests outside the castle, other forces are gathering, including Dr. Jekyll and the ladies of the Monstrous Regiment. But there may be other gothic monsters waiting in the hills around Darmstadt...
6. Spellbreaker
Rassin Abbey has guarded its arcane treasures for centuries. But when their Black Grimoire spellbook is stolen, the land of Ruddlestone is plunged into a crisis of epic proportions. Should the legendary Casket of Shadows be opened, the Infernal Beast will be unleashed to wreak its terrible carnage across the Old World. On the night of Shekka's Moon, scant days away, this will surely come to pass, unless YOU can retrieve the Black Grimoire in the nick of time... Witches, demons and devilry abound in my first ever published book.
7. Curse of the Mummy
Beware the Curse of Akharis! When an ancient tomb in the Desert of Skulls turns out to belong to Akharis, a legendary ruler from a previous age, YOU discover some of his followers are trying to return the evil pharaoh to life. Soon you will have to learn the true meaning of The Curse of the Mummy!
8. Bloodbones
Bloodbones lives! The dread pirate-lord Cinnabar, scourge of the twelve seas, terrorised the seafarers of the Old World in a bloody reign of terror until a brave adventurer put an end to his evil. But now Cinnabar is back from the dead, seeking revenge and with the dark powers of voodoo at his command. Only YOU can stop the pirate captain and his crew of bloodthirsty cut-throats.
9. Howl of the Werewolf
Lupravia is a cursed land. Only the foolhardy or insane would willingly pass beyond its borders and enter that benighted realm of predators, but enter you must after a vicious wolf attack sets you on the path to murder and madness. Steadily succumbing to the call of the wild and the beast within, YOU must seek out a cure to your condition before the next full moon. But how long can you survive in a land where the powers of darkness hold sway and all live in fear of the Howl of the Werewolf?
10. Night of the Necromancer
Death is not the end...Returning to your ancestral castle having been away fighting a crusade against the forces of darkness in the Mauristatian principality of Bathoria, you are struck down by a band of murderers within sight of home. Driven by the need to know why you have been killed, and on whose orders, YOU rise again as a ghost and set out to solve the mystery of your own murder.
11. Shadows Over Sylvania
YOU are the Vampire! A blood war has been declared between the life-leeching bloodlines of the cursed county of Sylvania. As a thrall of one of the bloodthirsty rulers of this benighted land, you will be forced to battle numerous enemies who would stand against you, both mortal and Undead.
12. Warlock's Bounty: Revenge of the Sorcerer
You are a mighty wizard, once apprenticed to the sorcerer Corax Whiteraven, guardian of the lands of Lloegyr. When Whiteraven’s familiar appears out of the blue carrying an urgent message from its master, you embark upon a mission that will test your mettle and magical abilities to the full. For Lloegyr’s guardian – the greatest sorcerer of them all – is in danger, and needs your help!
13. Temple of the Spider God
Temple of the Spider God sees YOU uncovering the schemes of an horrifying spider-worshipping cult. Arachnophobes, beware!
1. The Serpent's Egg
13 short horror stories, including the Cthulhu mythos novella The Serpent's Egg, available now!
2. Human Nature
The Whitby Mermaid has been stolen from Cruickshank's Cabinet of Curiosities and consulting detective Gabriel Wraith is on the case. But what does the theft of the mermaid have to do with the mysterious House of Monkeys? And what of the enigmatic criminal known as the Magpie? But there are worse things lurking under the moors outside Whitby than mermaids... David Cronenberg-style body horror in the world of Pax Britannia , including a highly warped version of the Hound of the Baskervilles.
3. Evolution Expects
More than ever before, the realm of Magna Britannia needs a saviour - a man like new Prime Minister, Devlin Valentine. But while London prepares for the launch of the Jupiter Station there are those who want this longed-for change to come about more quickly - people who are willing to give evolution a helping hand.
4. Blood Royal
St. Paul's Cathedral entertains a new congregation, one driven by its own unholy creed, while a coldly clinical killer is carving a name for himself across the city - a name that has been whispered upon the streets of Whitechapel for over a hundred years.
5. Anno Frankenstein
1943 ~ The Nazis are battling the empire of Magna Britannia, cooking up necrotic super-soldiers in the gothic towers of Castle Frankenstein. In the forests outside the castle, other forces are gathering, including Dr. Jekyll and the ladies of the Monstrous Regiment. But there may be other gothic monsters waiting in the hills around Darmstadt...
6. Spellbreaker
Rassin Abbey has guarded its arcane treasures for centuries. But when their Black Grimoire spellbook is stolen, the land of Ruddlestone is plunged into a crisis of epic proportions. Should the legendary Casket of Shadows be opened, the Infernal Beast will be unleashed to wreak its terrible carnage across the Old World. On the night of Shekka's Moon, scant days away, this will surely come to pass, unless YOU can retrieve the Black Grimoire in the nick of time... Witches, demons and devilry abound in my first ever published book.
7. Curse of the Mummy
Beware the Curse of Akharis! When an ancient tomb in the Desert of Skulls turns out to belong to Akharis, a legendary ruler from a previous age, YOU discover some of his followers are trying to return the evil pharaoh to life. Soon you will have to learn the true meaning of The Curse of the Mummy!
8. Bloodbones
Bloodbones lives! The dread pirate-lord Cinnabar, scourge of the twelve seas, terrorised the seafarers of the Old World in a bloody reign of terror until a brave adventurer put an end to his evil. But now Cinnabar is back from the dead, seeking revenge and with the dark powers of voodoo at his command. Only YOU can stop the pirate captain and his crew of bloodthirsty cut-throats.
9. Howl of the Werewolf
Lupravia is a cursed land. Only the foolhardy or insane would willingly pass beyond its borders and enter that benighted realm of predators, but enter you must after a vicious wolf attack sets you on the path to murder and madness. Steadily succumbing to the call of the wild and the beast within, YOU must seek out a cure to your condition before the next full moon. But how long can you survive in a land where the powers of darkness hold sway and all live in fear of the Howl of the Werewolf?
10. Night of the Necromancer
Death is not the end...Returning to your ancestral castle having been away fighting a crusade against the forces of darkness in the Mauristatian principality of Bathoria, you are struck down by a band of murderers within sight of home. Driven by the need to know why you have been killed, and on whose orders, YOU rise again as a ghost and set out to solve the mystery of your own murder.
11. Shadows Over Sylvania
YOU are the Vampire! A blood war has been declared between the life-leeching bloodlines of the cursed county of Sylvania. As a thrall of one of the bloodthirsty rulers of this benighted land, you will be forced to battle numerous enemies who would stand against you, both mortal and Undead.
12. Warlock's Bounty: Revenge of the Sorcerer
You are a mighty wizard, once apprenticed to the sorcerer Corax Whiteraven, guardian of the lands of Lloegyr. When Whiteraven’s familiar appears out of the blue carrying an urgent message from its master, you embark upon a mission that will test your mettle and magical abilities to the full. For Lloegyr’s guardian – the greatest sorcerer of them all – is in danger, and needs your help!
13. Temple of the Spider God
Temple of the Spider God sees YOU uncovering the schemes of an horrifying spider-worshipping cult. Arachnophobes, beware!
A Man Lies Dreaming book launch
Last Wednesday I was fortunate enough to be among those invited to attend the launch of Lavie Tidhar's astonishing new novel
A Man Lies Dreaming
, held at Hatchards of Piccadilly, London's (and by extension the UK's) oldest bookshop.
Lavie was in discussion with Jake Kerridge of the Telegraph and it was a truly fascinating, not to say entertaining, interview. Afterwards Lavie proved that he really is a proper writing by picking up a pen and writing things in people's books. Here's what he wrote in mine:
I'm going to cherish these words when Lavie's a Booker prizewinner(which is surely only a matter of time).
I was great to catch up with Anne Perry of Hodderscape and Jared Shurin of Jurassic London, not to mention Jonathan Oliver of Solaris/Abaddon/Ravenstone Books. It's at occasions like this that I really appreciate only being a 30 minute Tube ride away from central London.
Lavie was in discussion with Jake Kerridge of the Telegraph and it was a truly fascinating, not to say entertaining, interview. Afterwards Lavie proved that he really is a proper writing by picking up a pen and writing things in people's books. Here's what he wrote in mine:
I'm going to cherish these words when Lavie's a Booker prizewinner(which is surely only a matter of time).I was great to catch up with Anne Perry of Hodderscape and Jared Shurin of Jurassic London, not to mention Jonathan Oliver of Solaris/Abaddon/Ravenstone Books. It's at occasions like this that I really appreciate only being a 30 minute Tube ride away from central London.
October 31, 2014
Happy Halloween! The Serpent's Egg, And Other Tales of Darkness
Just in time for Halloween, I would like to announce my new self-publishing venture...
The Serpent's Egg, And Other Tales of Darkness , contains 12 horror short stories and one Cthulhu mythos novella, the titular The Serpent's Egg. All of these stories have appeared elsewhere before, but this is the first time they have all been published in one easy to download/read edition.
To order your very exclusive premium paperback edition of the collection, click here. To download an eBook edition for your eReader of choice, follow this link.
And have a very Happy Halloween!
The Serpent's Egg, And Other Tales of Darkness , contains 12 horror short stories and one Cthulhu mythos novella, the titular The Serpent's Egg. All of these stories have appeared elsewhere before, but this is the first time they have all been published in one easy to download/read edition.
To order your very exclusive premium paperback edition of the collection, click here. To download an eBook edition for your eReader of choice, follow this link.And have a very Happy Halloween!
October 30, 2014
Steampunk Thursday: MCM London Comicon
I attended the MCM London Comicon at the weekend, with fellow Steampunk authors Kit Cox and Jema 'Miss Emilly Ladybird' Hewitt.
Raring to go!
It was the usual mix of giant Pac-Men, Manga and Anime characters (that are totally lost on me), zombie-hunting commandos, and PVC fetishism... Sorry! I mean dressing up as Harley Quinn from the Batman franchise.
That's a whole lot of villainy right there!
I was there selling my Pax Britannia novels, but there was also some interest in YOU ARE THE HERO from some of the older attendees, shall we say. It's also always nice to bump into old friends as well, such as Spindles and his crew, and film-maker Martin Gooch.
Spindles, Miss Spindles, film-maker Martin Gooch, and Mrs Spindles.
I also met a young man who's already had his first book published! Well done, Richie!
YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks
You can see a few of my photos from the weekend here, but you'll find more of them here.
Raring to go!It was the usual mix of giant Pac-Men, Manga and Anime characters (that are totally lost on me), zombie-hunting commandos, and PVC fetishism... Sorry! I mean dressing up as Harley Quinn from the Batman franchise.
That's a whole lot of villainy right there!I was there selling my Pax Britannia novels, but there was also some interest in YOU ARE THE HERO from some of the older attendees, shall we say. It's also always nice to bump into old friends as well, such as Spindles and his crew, and film-maker Martin Gooch.
Spindles, Miss Spindles, film-maker Martin Gooch, and Mrs Spindles.I also met a young man who's already had his first book published! Well done, Richie!
.JPG)
YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks
You can see a few of my photos from the weekend here, but you'll find more of them here.
October 29, 2014
A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks
As part of the inaugural Kilburn Literary Festival, I shall be giving a talk about the history of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks and how YOU ARE THE HERO came to be.
The talk will take place on Sunday 2 November, from 2.00-3.30pm, at the North London Tavern.
The event has been arranged by legendary FF commissioning editor Geraldine Cooke and tickets are available from here.
October 28, 2014
SFX #254
The latest issue of SFX is rather a special one for me, as it turns out.
I've known my Book Club piece on Ted Hughes' The Iron Man was going to be in there for a while.
I also had an inkling that a write-up of Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 might appear as part of Event Horizon.
However, I had no idea that friend of Fighting Fantasy, and this blog, Group Editor-in-Chief Dave Bradley, would have this on his bio bit this month...
I've known my Book Club piece on Ted Hughes' The Iron Man was going to be in there for a while.
I also had an inkling that a write-up of Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 might appear as part of Event Horizon.
However, I had no idea that friend of Fighting Fantasy, and this blog, Group Editor-in-Chief Dave Bradley, would have this on his bio bit this month...
October 27, 2014
October 24, 2014
#GamebookFriday
It's Gamebook Friday once again, or #GamebookFriday, as I like to call it on Twitter now. In my gamebook-related news this week,
YOU ARE THE HERO
has been reviewed in SciFiNow Magazine...
And I shall be giving a talk about how YOU ARE THE HERO came to be at the Kilburn Literary Festival on Sunday 2 November. For more details, and tickets, follow this link.
And I shall be giving a talk about how YOU ARE THE HERO came to be at the Kilburn Literary Festival on Sunday 2 November. For more details, and tickets, follow this link.
