Pax Britannia - the movie!

Enjoy!



To find out more about the exciting steampunk world of Pax Britannia, click here.

A little light reading for Halloween

Not busy tonight? Then lock yourself away from the ghost and ghouls that will undoubtedly be prowling the streets, snuggled down in your favourite leather armchair beside the fire and indulge in a little light Halloween reading.

But what to read? Well, you do a lot worse than the Pax Britannia ghost story Vanishing Point which appears in the back of Leviathan Rising, available now from Abaddon Books.

Follow Abaddon Books on Twitter

You can now follow Abaddon Books via the ether-relayed magic of Twitter. To find out more, click here.

Forthcoming Events

There are a couple of events in November at which I shall be making a personal appearance.

The first is the Ealing Arts and Crafts Fair, where I shall be selling (and signing) copies of What is Myrrh Anyway? The fair is being held at St James' Church on Saturday 7 November, and I'll be there between 10.00am and 4.00pm, apparently in a marquee outside - so pray for good weather for me!

And then on Tuesday 10 November I shall be appearing at the Beyond Words Festival, at University College School from 2.30-3.30pm. I shall be talking briefly about the how I came to write What is Myrrh Anyway? and will then be hosting a fun - but challenging - Christmas quiz, as well as signing copies of my books. To reserve your ticket for this event, ring the UCS Box Office on 020 7433 2219.


Maybe I'll see you at one or the other? If you do pop along, say "Hi!" and tell me the blog sent you!

Fighting Fantasy at GamesFest 4 - update

More news regarding the GamesFest 4 event that I attended on Saturday as part of the Fighting Fantasy team, here at www.fightingfantasycollector.co.uk, and here on the official FF website.

Fighting Fantasy at GamesFest 4

Just to report that I had a brilliant time on Saturday at GamesFest 4, a one-day convention encompassing RPG’s, Board Games, CCG’s, War Games, Comics, Books, Film & Video gaming.The organisers' aim was to create an informal event that enabled the enthusiast and casual gamer to sample the best the hobby has to offer, and they certainly achieved that. I got to speak to all sorts of people for a decent amount of time that is much harder these days at an event such as Games Day.

JG defacing another copy of Stormslayer

One of those people was Jervis Johnson, Games Workshop games designing legend. I also got to catch up with the guys from the Black Library, including Nick Kyme, Alex Davis, Graham McNeill and James Swallow. (Apologies to Richard Williams and Gav Thorpe for not managing to chat to them.)

One legend meets another - Graham McNeill gets his copy of Warlock signed by Steve Jackson himself

But the real reason I was there was as part of the team from Fighting Fantasy, which included Nick Sidwell from Wizard Books and another legend - Steve Jackson himself! It was great to see all these other luminaries of the business queuing to have their original copies of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain signed by Steve and tell him that that one book was the reason why they are doing what they do today. (And the same goes for me.)

Jonathan Green, Steve Jackson and Jamie Fry

I was also a great pleasure to meet so many fans myself and sign multiple copies of Stormslayer, Bloodbones and Howl of the Werewolf. But the biggest shout has to go out to Jamie Fry of www.fightingfantasycollector.co.uk. He turned up with a bag full of books for me to sign, including an original Puffin edition of Curse of the Mummy, which he tells me now it quite a desirable item these days! The man is a legend himself!

So, all in all, a great day was had by all and all that remains is to thank Nick for inviting me along and the GamesFest organisers for a very well organised con. Here's the GamesFest 5!

Great review of Evolution Expects

There's a great review of Evolution Expects over at Only The Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Follow this link to read it for yourself. To buy the book, click here.

GamesFest 4

Just a quick reminder to say that I shall be at GamesFest 4, at the Watford Colesseum on Saturday 24th October, with the guys from Wizard Books, promoting the Fighting Fantasy series of adventure gamebooks.

And even better than that, Steve Jackson himself will be there in the morning to sign books and talk to fans.

To find out more, you can either check out the official Fighting Fantasy website or the dedicated website for GamesFest 4.

JG in the OE Link

A while ago I was asked if I would write a piece for the magazine that is sent out annually to ex-members of my old school King Edward's in Bath. This I duly did and it's now out in print.

The piece is called Making Fantasy a Reality and in it I talk about my experiences as a writer and how I came to be doing what I'm now doing.

If you're not an Old Edwardian yourself, you can find a PDF copy of the magazine here.

(The gentleman on the right of the picture above also happens to be my old Headmaster, Dr John Wroughton, who is a published author himself.)

Frankfurt Book Fair

This weekend, the legendary Frankfurt Book Fair is open to the general public, and if I didn't have commitments elsewhere, I'd love to pop along for the day.

This year the Book Fair is running from 14th to 18th October, with China as the Guest of Honour (what, all of it?). It is a meeting place for the industry’s experts. Be they publishers, booksellers, agents, film producers or authors - each year in October, they all come together and create something new (according to the website). It also means that publishers are incommunicado at this time.

I'm on tenterhooks this year because two meetings that don't involve me could have a big impact on future work and sales of my books. The first is a meeting between French publishers Bibliothèque Interdite and Abaddon Books and the second involves an American publisher looking for an English partner to publish a potential new book of mine.

So, fingers crossed then...

Dark Side

What's all this about? Well click here to find out.

Image copyright Rebellion developments (c) 2009, used here with permission, all rights reserved.

What is Myrrh Anyway? at Ealing's leading Art and Craft fair

I will be at St James' Art and Craft Fair on Saturday 7 November between 10.00am and 4.00pm, selling - and signing! - copies of What is Myrrh Anyway? Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas.


Admission is free, so if you're in the area, why not pop along and say "Hello"?

Steampunk goes mainstream!

This is big news for all you steampunk fans out there. From today (until 21 February next year) the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford is hosting the first museum exhibition of Steampunk art.


From redesigned practical items to fantastical contraptions, the exhibition, curated by Art Donovan, showcases the work of eighteen Steampunk artists from across the globe. So expect ’steam-powered’ computer mice, clockwork hearts, brass goggles and the latest state-of-the-Steampunk-art eye-pod.

A whole host of special steampunk-themed events have been planned (including one for Christmas) and they start today (and are listed below). And don't forget, to get you in the mood, Abaddon Books currently have five steampunk adventures in the Pax Britannia series already published, with Blood Royal coming soon and more to follow after that in 2010.

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Tuesday, 13 October 2009, 07:00 PM
Special Event: Steampunk Curator's Talk

Art Donovan, curator of the current special exhibition gives his insider's view of the Steampunk movement and the story of the exhibition.

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Saturday, 17 October 2009, 12:00 PM-04:00 PM
Family-Friendly Drop In: Lightning Strikes!

Discover the power of electricity, the story of lightning and make your own electric toy. This Family Friendly Drop In is suitable for children aged 7+.

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Tuesday, 27 October 2009, 07:00 PM
Lecture: Science and Technology in the History of Fashion

A public lecture by Sue Jenkyn Jones linked to the Steampunk exhibition. Sue Jenkyn Jones is course director for the MA in Digital Fashion Technology at the London College of Fashion. She is a consultant to the fashion industry and author of a number of books on fashion.

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Friday, 30 October 2009, 12:00 PM-04:00 PM
Family-Friendly Drop In: Steampunk Big Draw

Draw alongside our exhibition of Steampunk objects inspired by Victorian design, and create some Steampunk art of your own! Probably the funkiest Big Draw ever!

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Saturday, 07 November 2009, 02:00 PM-04:00 PM
Special Event: Steam Silhouettes

Have your visit to the Steampunk exhibition memorialised by an 'instant' silhouette portrait, the Victorian equivalent of the Polaroid. Steam Silhouettes will be created by Kathryne Beebe and Joshua Hatton. Free. No need to book.

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Saturday, 14 November 2009, 02:00 PM-04:00 PM
Family-Friendly Workshop: Tick-Tock Clockwork

Find out how a mechanical clock works and make a clockwork mechanism. This session is suitable for children aged 9+ and must be booked in advance - either by emailing museum@mhs.ox.ac.uk or calling 01865 277280. A voluntary materials donation of £5 is suggested.

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Sunday, 15 November 2009, 02:30 PM-03:00 PM
Table Talk: Cheap and Nasty?

Stephen Johnston presents a typical Augsburg sundial of the 18th-century. Free. No need to book.

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Friday, 27 November 2009, 07:00 PM-11:00 PM
Special Event: Gaslight - late night opening

The Museum's contribution to Oxford's annual 'Christmas Light Night' will include a late opening of the Steampunk exhibition, a family trail, performances of Victorian and Edwardian parlour songs, and a screening of Thorold Dickinson's film 'Gaslight' (the original version of 1940).

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Wednesday, 09 December 2009, 07:00 PM
Special Event: Steampunk Film Evening

Certain films have been inspirational for the Steampunk movement, while in turn it has inspired some contemporary film-making. This film evening shows a programme of cult and new Steampunk films. More details available here shortly.

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Saturday, 16 January 2010
Special Event: Makers' Day

Steampunk is for all the imaginative makers out there! This day offers ideas, materials, advice and inspiration. It includes Steampunk Jewellery Workshops with Amy Surman (booking required: museum@mhs.ox.ac.uk/01865 277280), a Meccano workshop with the Henley Society of Meccano engineers, Stalls for buying makers' requisites, and one of MHS's signature events: an exhibition 'for sale'.

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Saturday, 30 January 2010, 02:00 PM-05:00 PM
Special Event: Steampunk Live Manikins

An afternoon celebrating Steampunk fashion, ornament and jewellery, displayed by live manikins in the museum gallery. Come in your own steamwear - a chance to flaunt your favourite goggles.

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Saturday, 06 February 2010, 02:00 PM-04:00 PM
Family-Friendly Drop In: Magical Movies

What did the Victorians know about the moving image? Find out by making your own magical movie toy. This Family Friendly drop-in is suitable for children aged 7-13.

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Saturday, 13 February 2010
Special Event: 10/10 STEAM

The latest in the Museum's signature '10/10' days - open from 10 am till 10pm with a programme of talks, music, film and activities on the theme of STEAM.

Doctor Who - Decide Your Destinys

The 12 Doctor Who Decide Your Destiny titles published to date are now available as a bargain bundle.


If you're yet to discover the delights of the Decide Your Destiny gamebooks or my tie-in title The Horror of Howling Hill, why not pick one up here?

The Return of the Interactive Fantasy Book!

Whilst trawling the Internet for reviews of Stormslayer, I came across this rather pleasing piece from the Birmingham Post entitled, 'Welcome return of the interactive fantasy book'.

To read the article - and its accompanying review of Stormslayer - click here.

Stormslayer - available at Harrods!

It's my birthday tomorrow - just in case you'd missed that little titbit of information - and as a birthday treat the family and I went to Harrods today. And I was very pleased to see the newly re-formatted Fighting Fantasy adventure gamebooks in Waterstone's inside the store.

I was so pleased, in fact, that I took a photograph.


If you've yet to discover the delights of Stormslayer, you can buy it here. And if you need any persuading, here's what other people are saying about it...

'I was pretty much blown away. Stormslayer snatches many of the rich ingredients from the original Fighting Fantasy titles, but bravely pushes the classic series into the next generation... 9/10' - Sci-Fi-Online.com

'Stormslayer is... another triumph of storytelling and design.' - Amazon.co.uk

'In the first of the new titles, Stormslayer, the hero... needs to harness the four Elements before going on a terrifying adventure into the kingdom of Femphrey... The first decision is made on page one... From then on in, it is your story. Mine featured Earth demons, skeletons, impenetrable landscapes and firewyrms. I battled enemies and thought hard about where I should go next. It was fun. The instructions in the book/game are easy to follow and there is something special about guiding the story yourself. Was I successful in my task? That would be telling – and, of course, your story will be completely different.' - BirminghamPost.net

Angry Robot Books UK Launch

Yesterday I spent a very pleasant hour or so at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London at the official UK launch of Angry Robot Books. Head honcho (and my old partner-in-crime) Marc Gascoigne was there, as was Triumff author (and me old Black Library mucker) Dan Abnett and his wife, ace editor, Nik Vincent. Had a great time catching up, briefly saw James Swallow and said 'Hi!' to Steven Savile.

It all seemed to go very well and I even bagged myself a Triumff poster.

Evidence that Dan Abnett really is a writer, with pen in hand...

The British Fantasy Society's review of Evolution Expects

Just stumbled across this... a very pleasing review of my latest Pax Britannia novel Evolution Expects. (Should help spur me on with writing the next chapter of Blood Royal.)


PAX BRITANNIA: EVOLUTION EXPECTS
By Jonathan Green
Published by Abaddon Books, £6.99
Reviewed by Paul W. Smith

The latest in the alternative Earth Pax Britannia series, Evolution Expects takes us into a London where the population is under threat of a startling metamorphosis, a giant robot and masked vigilante, giving Jonathan Green further opportunity to expand on the futuristic vision of Britain the series has built up to date. We’re entering a world where the British Empire is still going strong with Queen Victoria on the throne for 150 years, retaining the rusting remnants of the industrial age alongside technical advancements. This is an Empire that’s increasingly stagnating and Londinium Maximum remains under an almost permanent toxic smog. Heroes and villains lurk amongst its vermin-infested streets.

Evolution Expects reintroduces Ulysses Quicksilver the dandified detective who’s is learning to cope with his newly transplanted ape’s arm, and Thomas Sanctuary, who’s now taken on the role of a masked jet-propelled vigilante dubbed Spring-Heel Jack. Their paths cross as they investigate the mysterious sighting of the Golem from Jewish myth and the shocking transformations that have befallen inmates in the Bedlam asylum, ordinary people that are now more insect than human. However, it becomes a race against time to solve the mystery before Prime Minister Devlin Valentine launches the Jupiter Station as an attempt to increase his popularity by cleaning up the city’s atmosphere. But already they have their hands full with gang warfare in the East End, and the alleged sighting of an old enemy, masterminding his latest scheme for domination.

This is a thoughtfully inventive tale where Jonathan Green relishes mixing Victorian Gothic with Sci-Fi adventure. His Londinium is a city which bears some semblance to our own reality but where scientific progress runs parallel with the over-extended trappings of the Victorian age. Giant robots and flying heroes co-exist alongside the opium gangs of Limehouse and the lunatics of Bedlam. There are nods to H.G. Wells and Conan Doyle, as well as to Alan Moore’s League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Bryan Talbot’s Luther Arkwright. Liberally sprinkled with dramatic set pieces and colourfully eccentric characters, Evolution Expects proves to be an entertaining read, with its own in-built rewards for readers of the whole Pax Britannia series to date, producing what amounts to an ongoing TV series in book form.

This volume also includes the satisfying short novella "Conqueror Worm". Set in 1797, it features the female secret agent, Cassandra Tyrrell, who rescues Sir George Sackville from highwaymen only to become embroiled in his family’s legend of the deadly Lambton Worm.

Nathan Long on writing

Below you will find a link to a very informative video which explains how Gotrek and Felix writer Nathan Long goes about writing a novel.

Fighting Fantasy at GamesFest 4

Just to let you know that I shall be at GamesFest 4, at the Watford Colesseum on Saturday 24th October, with the guys from Wizard Books, promoting the Fighting Fantasy series of adventure gamebooks.

To find out more, you can either check out the official Fighting Fantasy website or the dedicated website for GamesFest 4.

An early Christmas present

A parcel arrived this morning from the good old U S of A, containing a couple of copies of Christmas Miscellany, the American hardback edition of What is Myrrh Anyway? published by Skyhorse Publishing.

Christmas Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Christmas will be available to buy from November 1 and you can pre-order your copy here.

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It's a very smart publication too, in full colour throughout and fully illustrated throughout.

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Even if you've already got What is Myrrh Anyway? yourself, Christmas Miscellany would make the perfect stocking filler or under-the-tree-present for a loved one, so pre-order a copy today!

Reviewers needed

Stormslayer's been out for nearly a month now and Evolution Expects even longer, but they've yet to garner any reviews on Amazon, that bookseller to the world. Both have received critical acclaim elsewhere, but it never hurts to have a few (no less than 3, please) stars up on Amazon.

Now, I am fully aware that this blog post might be a bit of a 'be careful what you wish for moment' but if any of you good folk feel like submitting a couple of lines explaining what you have enjoyed about recent publications of mine then please, go ahead. You never know, I might find some way of thanking you in the future.

Fingers crossed...