Jonathan Green's Blog, page 55
October 18, 2019
Fighting Fantasy Legends - now funding on Kickstarter!
Not that it needs any help from me, but just in case you weren't already aware, the Fighting Fantasy Legends Kickstarter by Atlantis Miniatures is rapidly approaching the £30,000 mark on, having achieved 243% of its original funding goal!
This means that a host of new miniatures have been unlocked, including a pair of Skeleton Warriors, Klash the Chaos Warrior (from The Port of Peril ), and new sculpt of the Quag-Shugguth (from the same book), Baron Sukumvit, Lord Carnuss and Lord Azzur, and two of the assassins from Assassins of Allanisa .
Also, on Sunday 20th October at 2:00pm BST, GeekGirlBookWorm will be hosting a paint-a-long of the new Lord Azzur miniature on Twitch. Not only will she be giving the miniature away, once it's painted, but she will also be giving away a signed copy of Ian Livingstone's newest Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Assassins of Allansia !
The Fighting Fantasy Legends Kickstarter campaign still has the best part of three weeks left to run, but don't delay - pledge today !
This means that a host of new miniatures have been unlocked, including a pair of Skeleton Warriors, Klash the Chaos Warrior (from The Port of Peril ), and new sculpt of the Quag-Shugguth (from the same book), Baron Sukumvit, Lord Carnuss and Lord Azzur, and two of the assassins from Assassins of Allanisa .
Also, on Sunday 20th October at 2:00pm BST, GeekGirlBookWorm will be hosting a paint-a-long of the new Lord Azzur miniature on Twitch. Not only will she be giving the miniature away, once it's painted, but she will also be giving away a signed copy of Ian Livingstone's newest Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Assassins of Allansia !
The Fighting Fantasy Legends Kickstarter campaign still has the best part of three weeks left to run, but don't delay - pledge today !
October 16, 2019
Warhammer Wednesday: Old Inferno! Reprints
The Black Library are offering reprints of some of the original
Inferno!
magazines, which some of my short stories first appeared in.
On offer this time around are issues 16-25 , but if you want to order one you'd better hurry - they're only available for the next two weeks.
The stories of mine, from the turn of the millennium, that you'll find in the issues are one Badenov's Band tale, called The Plague Pit , and a pair of Nathan Creed Necromunda stories - Mama's Boys and Boyz in the Hive.
And don't forget, as reported last week, Inferno! Volume 4 is published at the end of the month, and includes a brand new Warhammer 40,000 story by me called Journey of the Magi .
On offer this time around are issues 16-25 , but if you want to order one you'd better hurry - they're only available for the next two weeks.
The stories of mine, from the turn of the millennium, that you'll find in the issues are one Badenov's Band tale, called The Plague Pit , and a pair of Nathan Creed Necromunda stories - Mama's Boys and Boyz in the Hive.
And don't forget, as reported last week, Inferno! Volume 4 is published at the end of the month, and includes a brand new Warhammer 40,000 story by me called Journey of the Magi .
October 14, 2019
Thought for the Day
“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”~ Anton Chekhov
October 11, 2019
The Con+2 Convention
ConPlus
is an annual online 24-hour tabletop RPG convention which is raising funds for renowned charity
The Butterfly Project
. This year's convention,
Con+2
, will take place on 11th October - 13th October 2019 (UTC time).
340 Prizes from 57 sponsors across the world of gaming are all being given away for free to
Con+2
attendees. To win prizes all you have to do is tune in to their 24-hour
World's Biggest RPG Prize Giveaway
stream on YouTube and take part in the chat. You will be able to find the stream hosted
here
.
The livestream begins on Saturday, 12th October, at midday UTC (1:00pm in the UK, 2:00pm in Europe, 8:00am East Coast America, and 5:00am on the West Coast), although all times are approximate and subject to change.
I have donated a couple of ACE Gamebooks to the cause, and they are going to be up for grabs at 19:00 UTC on Saturday.
340 Prizes from 57 sponsors across the world of gaming are all being given away for free to
Con+2
attendees. To win prizes all you have to do is tune in to their 24-hour
World's Biggest RPG Prize Giveaway
stream on YouTube and take part in the chat. You will be able to find the stream hosted
here
.The livestream begins on Saturday, 12th October, at midday UTC (1:00pm in the UK, 2:00pm in Europe, 8:00am East Coast America, and 5:00am on the West Coast), although all times are approximate and subject to change.
I have donated a couple of ACE Gamebooks to the cause, and they are going to be up for grabs at 19:00 UTC on Saturday.
Gamebook Friday: Beowulf Beastslayer first reviews
I'm delighted to report that since going on general release on Monday,
Beowulf Beastslayer
has already garnered some great reviews on Amazon.
"Monsters are monstrous, the very forces of nature are glorious and powerful, and every kenning and coinage ring with the weight of authenticity. If more fantasy writing were this committed, I genuinely believe fantasy itself would be a more respected genre."
"For me the most unique part is the use of language. I tried to read Beowulf as a student far too many years ago, and haven’t a great knowledge of it... However, Jonathan writes in a style that perfectly seems to echo the original."
"Green's writing is on form as ever."
If you've read Beowulf Beastslayer , please consider posting a brief review on Amazon.
It's also great to see people being inspired by the models Otherworld Miniatures produced for the Kickstarter, which has led to articles appearing on Because of Dragons and Beasts of War . Which is nice.
Because of Dragons has some ideas for using the figures with your favourite RPG system. Which reminds me, I really must get around to writing this one day...
"Monsters are monstrous, the very forces of nature are glorious and powerful, and every kenning and coinage ring with the weight of authenticity. If more fantasy writing were this committed, I genuinely believe fantasy itself would be a more respected genre.""For me the most unique part is the use of language. I tried to read Beowulf as a student far too many years ago, and haven’t a great knowledge of it... However, Jonathan writes in a style that perfectly seems to echo the original."
"Green's writing is on form as ever."
If you've read Beowulf Beastslayer , please consider posting a brief review on Amazon.
It's also great to see people being inspired by the models Otherworld Miniatures produced for the Kickstarter, which has led to articles appearing on Because of Dragons and Beasts of War . Which is nice.
Because of Dragons has some ideas for using the figures with your favourite RPG system. Which reminds me, I really must get around to writing this one day...
October 10, 2019
Steampunk Thursday: Dark Side
This week is
World Space Week
and the theme for 2019 is 'The Moon: Gateway to the Stars'. Much of my sixth
Pax Britannia
novel
Dark Side
, published back in 2011, takes place on the Moon.
Start A New Life on The Moon
Ulysses Quicksilver visits the British lunar colonies, searching for his missing brother, Barty, believed to be on the run from gambling debts on Earth. The clues lead our detective and his faithful butler into the path of unsolved murders, battling robots, shady millionaires and stolen uncanny inventions. Used to working inside the law, Ulysses is stalled when his pursuit puts him on the wrong side of the Luna Prime Police Force.
But why is Ulysses' ex-fiancée Emilia also in the colonies? Who is the strange eye-patched man following Ulysses? And what is really happening in a secret base on the dark side of the moon? Used to meeting every adventure with a devil-may-care attitude and a snappy one-liner, Ulysses will be forever changed by the revelations he discovers on this most deadly of trips.
The Kindle edition of Pax Britannia: Dark Side is available to buy here . The book is also available as part of The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus: Volume 2 .
Start A New Life on The Moon
Ulysses Quicksilver visits the British lunar colonies, searching for his missing brother, Barty, believed to be on the run from gambling debts on Earth. The clues lead our detective and his faithful butler into the path of unsolved murders, battling robots, shady millionaires and stolen uncanny inventions. Used to working inside the law, Ulysses is stalled when his pursuit puts him on the wrong side of the Luna Prime Police Force.
But why is Ulysses' ex-fiancée Emilia also in the colonies? Who is the strange eye-patched man following Ulysses? And what is really happening in a secret base on the dark side of the moon? Used to meeting every adventure with a devil-may-care attitude and a snappy one-liner, Ulysses will be forever changed by the revelations he discovers on this most deadly of trips.
The Kindle edition of Pax Britannia: Dark Side is available to buy here . The book is also available as part of The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus: Volume 2 .
October 9, 2019
Warhammer Wednesday: Inferno! Volume 4
So this arrived in the post today...
I have a long history with Inferno! - I had a short story published in Issue Zero as well as pieces in Issues #1, #2 and #3, all of which came out 22 years ago, in 1997 - but this is the first time I've had a story published in its modern, paperback anthology format. And it's nice that the editors have included an introduction to both myself and my story*.
Journey of the Magi is another of my sort-of-Christmas-themed stories, but what I am most proud about is that it is my first Thousand Sons story, and yet the word 'Chaos' doesn't appear in it once. It also features one of the races I have returned to again and again over the years - the Necrons.
Inferno! Volume 4 is a hefty beast - the biggest yet - and contains 12 stories in total, which include George Mann's Inferno! debut, and a tale by Guy Haley, who contributed to the Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu anthology that I put together.
Inferno! Volume 4 goes on general release on 31st October 2019.
Inferno! Volume 4 alongside the other anthologies I've been published in this year.
* Even if they have got the year wrong. ;-)
I have a long history with Inferno! - I had a short story published in Issue Zero as well as pieces in Issues #1, #2 and #3, all of which came out 22 years ago, in 1997 - but this is the first time I've had a story published in its modern, paperback anthology format. And it's nice that the editors have included an introduction to both myself and my story*.
Journey of the Magi is another of my sort-of-Christmas-themed stories, but what I am most proud about is that it is my first Thousand Sons story, and yet the word 'Chaos' doesn't appear in it once. It also features one of the races I have returned to again and again over the years - the Necrons.
Inferno! Volume 4 is a hefty beast - the biggest yet - and contains 12 stories in total, which include George Mann's Inferno! debut, and a tale by Guy Haley, who contributed to the Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu anthology that I put together.
Inferno! Volume 4 goes on general release on 31st October 2019.
Inferno! Volume 4 alongside the other anthologies I've been published in this year.
* Even if they have got the year wrong. ;-)
October 7, 2019
Beowulf Beastslayer - Publication Day!
Hwaet!
Beowulf Beastslayer
is published today by Snowbooks.
A brand new adventure gamebook by Jonathan Green, based on the ancient epic. A tale of heroes... A tale of monsters... A legend reborn.
King Hrothgar's great golden mead-hall, Heorot, lies under a curse; after sunset, the mirth-hating night-stalker Grendel comes to the hall to maim and murder! None are capable of killing the monster, though many have tried, until one day Beowulf and his company of Geatish warriors cross the sail-road and land on Danish shores...
The Old English poem Beowulf is a story that has fascinated people throughout the ages inspiring the likes of J. R. R. Tolkien, Seamus Heaney and Neil Gaiman. Beowulf Beastslayer is a brand new take on the Anglo-Saxon epic, re-imagining the events described in the poem as an adventure gamebook.
Will you follow the course of events as laid down by the scops and skalds of old, or will you choose a different path and forge your own legend?
Beowulf Beastslayer
is illustrated by none other than Russ Nicholson, who provided the internal artwork for the Fighting Fantasy gamebook The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (among others), which set me on the path to becoming an author, and features a cover quote by none other than BBC Four's
Dr Janina Ramirez
.
As backers of the original Kickstarter will already know, Paul Muller sculpted Grendel and Beowulf in three dimensions, using Russ Nicholson's interpretations of the characters as his guide, and the miniatures were produced by Otherworld Miniatures . Well, here they are, painted by the very talented Andy Taylor.
Grendel and Beowulf, sculpted by Paul Muller, produced by Otherworld Miniatures, and painted by Andy Taylor.
If you would like to buy a pair of miniatures, simply click the button below, having selected whereabouts in the world you would like them sent.
Beowulf and Grendel miniatures UK signed for £29.00 GBP Europe signed for £34.00 GBP Rest of World signed for £35.00 GBP
And if you have read the book, please post a review on Amazon.
A brand new adventure gamebook by Jonathan Green, based on the ancient epic. A tale of heroes... A tale of monsters... A legend reborn. King Hrothgar's great golden mead-hall, Heorot, lies under a curse; after sunset, the mirth-hating night-stalker Grendel comes to the hall to maim and murder! None are capable of killing the monster, though many have tried, until one day Beowulf and his company of Geatish warriors cross the sail-road and land on Danish shores...
The Old English poem Beowulf is a story that has fascinated people throughout the ages inspiring the likes of J. R. R. Tolkien, Seamus Heaney and Neil Gaiman. Beowulf Beastslayer is a brand new take on the Anglo-Saxon epic, re-imagining the events described in the poem as an adventure gamebook.
Will you follow the course of events as laid down by the scops and skalds of old, or will you choose a different path and forge your own legend?
Beowulf Beastslayer
is illustrated by none other than Russ Nicholson, who provided the internal artwork for the Fighting Fantasy gamebook The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (among others), which set me on the path to becoming an author, and features a cover quote by none other than BBC Four's
Dr Janina Ramirez
.As backers of the original Kickstarter will already know, Paul Muller sculpted Grendel and Beowulf in three dimensions, using Russ Nicholson's interpretations of the characters as his guide, and the miniatures were produced by Otherworld Miniatures . Well, here they are, painted by the very talented Andy Taylor.
Grendel and Beowulf, sculpted by Paul Muller, produced by Otherworld Miniatures, and painted by Andy Taylor.If you would like to buy a pair of miniatures, simply click the button below, having selected whereabouts in the world you would like them sent.
Beowulf and Grendel miniatures UK signed for £29.00 GBP Europe signed for £34.00 GBP Rest of World signed for £35.00 GBP
And if you have read the book, please post a review on Amazon.
Thought for the Day
"How to write a novel:Select several letters from the alphabet. Arrange into a word. Repeat the process 100,000 times."
~ David Barnett, author
October 4, 2019
Gamebook Friday: Alice Updates
I have some (hopefully) exciting news for French fans of my work -
Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland
is going to be published in French next year, by
Alkonost Editions
, as Alice au Pays des Cauchemars, and featuring Kev Crossley's awesome artwork on the cover once again.
In other Alice -related news, long time readers of this blog will know that this summer I visited Oxford for Alice's Day and gave a lecture on Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland , at the invitation of the Lewis Carroll Society.
As a result of this, there is a write up of my talk in the latest issue of Bandersnatch - The Newsletter of The Lewis Carroll Society , and a review of the book in the Lewis Carroll Review .
I have to say, the review is one of the most curious I have read, and only gets curiouser as it goes on. For one thing, it needed a good copy-edit and proofread before going to print, but for another it goes into great deal about what's in the book - revealing spoiler after spoiler - but doesn't actually give an opinion on whether a prospective reader should purchase the book or not.
However, I did like these parts of it:
"Alice is reborn as a Victorian Lara Croft."
"As a self-confessed fan of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, The Citadel of Chaos, City of Thieves et al back in the day... it's clear Alice's Nightmare is a good deal grittier than these. Even when you were fighting Orcs or killer vampires in Firetop Mountain, there was nothing cute to destroy."
"There are overtones of Carroll's gallows sense of humour and frequent death jokes... The goriness is definitely inventive..."
You can pick up a copy of Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland here.
In other Alice -related news, long time readers of this blog will know that this summer I visited Oxford for Alice's Day and gave a lecture on Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland , at the invitation of the Lewis Carroll Society.
As a result of this, there is a write up of my talk in the latest issue of Bandersnatch - The Newsletter of The Lewis Carroll Society , and a review of the book in the Lewis Carroll Review .
I have to say, the review is one of the most curious I have read, and only gets curiouser as it goes on. For one thing, it needed a good copy-edit and proofread before going to print, but for another it goes into great deal about what's in the book - revealing spoiler after spoiler - but doesn't actually give an opinion on whether a prospective reader should purchase the book or not.
However, I did like these parts of it:
"Alice is reborn as a Victorian Lara Croft."
"As a self-confessed fan of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, The Citadel of Chaos, City of Thieves et al back in the day... it's clear Alice's Nightmare is a good deal grittier than these. Even when you were fighting Orcs or killer vampires in Firetop Mountain, there was nothing cute to destroy."
"There are overtones of Carroll's gallows sense of humour and frequent death jokes... The goriness is definitely inventive..."
You can pick up a copy of Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland here.
