Warlock Wednesday: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain released today!

Today is the day that fans of Fighting Fantasy have been waiting for, for a long time! Today is the day that The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is released on Steam.



This is particularly exciting for me, as I was one of the team who helped redesign Firetop Mountain. :-)

Thought for the Day

Shakespeare Sunday: Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu reviewed in Horrorville Magazine #1

Horrorville is a brand new quarterly magazine, edited by Will Salmon, that introduces itself at the 'Home of Modern Horror', and I'm pleased to report that Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu is reviewed in the very first issue.

It's not the most marvellous review, giving the book 3.5 stars out of 5, but it just goes to show how reviewers' tastes can vary so greatly. While the Starburst review was a grand 9 out of 10, that reviewer didn't rate Graham McNeill's Something Wicked This Way Comes, the Horrorville reviewer calls it the stand-out story in the anthology.

Horrorville is available now from major newsagent outlets.

Shakespeare Saturday: Adrian Tchaikovsky - Arthur C Clarke Award Winner and Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu contributor

A quick update this week to report on the outcome of the Arthur C Clarke Award this week.

"The Arthur C Clarke Award?" I hear you say. "But what's that got to do with Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu?"

Well, in case you haven't already heard, the Arthur C Clarke Award this year has been won by Adrian Tchaikovsky, who just so happens to have a story in Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu entitled 'Something Rotten'. How cool is that?

In other news, for those of you waiting on your signed hardbacks, the contributors' signatures have now been received and so layout can continue, meaning that the books will be going to print before long. Thank you for your patience, and rest assured that these signed copies will still be exclusive to backers of this Kickstarter.

And one last thing, I'm gearing up to launch The Wicked Wizard of Oz Kickstarter a week today, at 1.00pm (GMT) on Saturday 3rd September.

Gamebook Friday: The Wicked Wizard of Oz

The Wicked Wizard of Oz Kickstarter lanches a week tomorrow...



The Wicked Wizard of Oz is a nightmarish solo-RPG gamebook inspired by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, but with a dark Dieselpunk twist.

Play as Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Lion, or even the Wicked Witch of the West, on a brand new adventure set in the marvellous Land of Oz.

To make sure you hear about any developments, and Early Bird Backer rewards first, make sure you join the Facebook group here, now.

Steampunk Thursday: Asylum Steampunk Festival 2016

Despite having given attendees a sneak preview of Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland at the Asylum last year, I'm afraid that I'm not actually attending the event this year. (It seems that every event this year clashes with some other commitment.) However, if you are there, there are a number of literary-themed events that you should check out.

HOW NOT TO WRITE A STEAMPUNK NOVEL
WHEN: 27th August 2016 @ 11:00 am – 11:45 am
WHERE: Cathedral Centre
Join Steampunk author, Rob Harkess, as he shares his experiences to educate and inform those who wish to undertake this perilous enterprise.

TELOS PUBLISHING – MEET AND MERCH
WHEN: 27th August 2016 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
WHERE: Castle
Thanks to the lovely team at Telos Publishing, Asylum goers will be able to purchase some of their titles at very special Festival rates. Joining them are Sam Stone, bestselling and award-winning author of the Vampire Gene series, the Kat Lightfoot Steampunk adventure series and the Jinx Chronicles alien invasion Series. Also attending will be Raven Dane, another award-winning author and popular Asylum speaker. Top DOCTOR WHO historian and author David J Howe will also be on hand with copies of several factual tomes associated with the series. So come along and browse some great titles, chat to the people to publish, edit, write and create the books, and pick up some bargains!

STEAM IS MY MIDDLE NAME
WHEN: 27th August 2016 @ 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
WHERE: Assembly Rooms
Join the quizmaster for some frantic buzzer action, as our Steampunk authors and members of the audience take on the ultimate fun quiz on Steampunk writings. One to watch, or possibly take part in if you can drag yourself away from the latest Steampunk tome. (I wonder if Pax Britannia will feature in any of the questions?)

A HISTORY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE FROM GRAVITY NULLIFICATION TO THE OUTBREAK OF THE MODERN WAR (1843-1911)
WHEN: 27th August 2016 @ 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm
WHERE: Cathedral Centre
Steampunk author, Steve Turnbull, takes you on a journey through the alternate history of his Steampunk worlds. Discover something new and let your imagination take a holiday on someone else’s planet.

I’M SORRY, I HAVEN’T A STEAMPUNK
WHEN: 28th August 2016 @ 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm
WHERE: Assembly Rooms
Time for a round of Mornington Crescent, but we’ll be using the 1905 Rules! Join our panel of Steampunk authors, as they try to work out if they can be as funny as a bunch of comedians.

STEAMPUNK INSPIRATION
WHEN: 28th August 2016 @ 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm
WHERE: Cathedral Centre
Take it where you can get it and make it your own. This thoughtful and informative session will look at where the inspiration comes from and where it can take you. Literature, comics, TV, Literature, comics, TV, games and film, all have crossover and “mash-up” opportunities, so how do you take your Steampunk?

HOW TO BUILD A STEAMPUNK NATION
WHEN: 28th August 2016 @ 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm
WHERE: Cathedral Centre
No, we are not planning a revolution, but whether you are creating a backstory or writing a novel, creating your own steampunk nation is a fun exercise, and a much better time-waster than the Internet!

SAM STONE AND GUESTS
WHEN: 28th August 2016 @ 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm
WHERE: Cathedral Centre
Join author Sam Stone, as she brings together a panel of Steampunk authors to talk about the creation process, how to get published and what projects they are currently working on that might be your next big summer read.

Interestingly, this year there is also a discussion about Dieselpunk, which is one of the influences on The Wicked Wizard of Oz...

MORE ANACHRONISTIC HISTORY – FORWARD UNTO DIESELPUNK
WHEN: 27th August 2016 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
WHERE: Assembly Rooms
Steampunks love to explore and discover new things and with proliferation of time travel and other temporal experimentation they will eventually either by design or accident find themselves viewing something that is not quite steampunk but oddly familiar and very intriguing. Come along and find out more as the Major lifts the veil and peers at the world of dieselpunk.

And don't forget to visit the Telos Publishing stand and Steampunk Authors' stand at the Steampunk Market.

The Battle of Bosworth: What really happened?

Today is the 531st anniversary of the Battle of Bosworth, but really happened on that late summer's day in a field just outside Leicester?

Was it Henry Tudor who won the day? Or was it, as The Black Adder would have us believe, actually a Plantagenet victory?



Or was it something else? To discover the 'truth' you must read Adrian Chamberlin's The Suns of York, available now as part of Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu.

Thought for the Day

Shakespeare Saturday: Something rich and strange...

You could be forgiven for thinking that Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu was all about Will.i.am Shakespeare - it has been published in the 400th anniversary year of his death, after all. But it would be only half the book it is if it wasn't for H P Lovecraft's creations, and today just happens to be Lovecraft's 126th birthday.

In other news, a new review of Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu has been posted online. It's a 4 out of 5 review, so that's good, but before reading it you should be aware of a few things. First of all it contains some quite significant spoilers. Secondly, if contains some quite egregious errors; for example, it attributes James Lovegrove's story to Edward Hamilton (whoever he is) and claims that Guy Haley's story is based on As You Like It (which is isn't)! 

Thirdly, it follows what I call the American School Book Report format. What I mean by this is that the reviewer precises each story in turn, giving away vital plot points willy-nilly, and spoiling any surprises for the reader. That is until she runs out of steam and then just mentions the rest of the stories in passing. Very strange, and does not make for a good review. So, I would suggest, if you're interested in reading the review at all, wait until you've read the book for yourself, and then post your review online too. (Amazon would be good.) ;-)

To review, or not to review, that is the question! (The answer is 'To review', by the way.)

Cthulhu Thursday: Dreaming in Darkness

What's that you've got there, Cthulhu? Come on, boy, what is it?

A hardback copy of Dreaming in Darkness, you say? Why, that's a rare find and no mistake.

And what's that you've found? A story by me in there?

Why yes, I did write a novella called The Serpent's Egg that saw print back in 2013 in Dreaming in Darkness, but I hadn't actually seen a physical copy of the book until last weekend, when Adrian Chamberlin kindly gave me one at the Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu book launch. I believe there are only about 50 in existence.

So there you go...

One Amazon reviewer on The Serpent's Egg:

"With particularly strong resemblances to the likes of 'The Wicker Man' (1973) or indeed 'The Shadow Over Innsmouth' (1936), Green's story gradually builds upon a worrying layer of mistrust with the community in which his narrator is staying. And it's from this small nugget of an idea that the tale snowballs into a tension rich occult story; unveiling a veritable avalanche of horror and Lovecraftian weirdness in the last few chapters to end the tale on a tremendous action-packed finale."

Warhammer Wednesday: Still available to buy

I've not had anything out with the Black Library for quite a while, but three of my novels are still available to buy in eBook format.

So if Space Marines are your thing, why not check out Iron Hands? Or if you prefer your action to be old school and Old World, you can download both Magestorm (awesome wizard on wizard action) and The Dead and the Damned (my first novel).

Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu - The First Review!

The first review of Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu is in and it's a doozy*! 9 out of 10 stars!

You can read the full review for yourself here, and you can pick up a copy of the anthology here.

* Although I don't agree with the comment about Graham McNeill's Macbeth-inspired story Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Thought for the Day

"My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine. Everybody drinks water." 

~ Mark Twain

Shakespeare Sunday: Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu official book launch

Yesterday, Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu was well and truly launched at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London.

There were books...

There were cakes...

The Bard himself was in attendance, as was a minion of Cthulhu...

And there were authors and artists and loyal supporters there too...

And then, with the stars were no longer in alignment, it was time to retire to a local hostelry and quaff flagons of foaming ale...

Thank you to all the authors and artists who made the effort to be there (despite train breakdowns and clashes with Nine Worlds Geekfest) and thank you to everyone who came along in support, as well as to buy books.

And lastly, a big thank you to Mark and everyone at the store who helped out (and an even bigger thank you for the biscuits and the water) and also to Danie who arranged it all in the first place.

If you're dropping by Forbidden Planet anytime soon, they have some signed copies of Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu in stock at the moment, but they're not going to hang around for long!

You can see more photos from the event here.

Short Story Saturday: Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu launches today at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London!

It's seems to have taken aeons to arrive, but the stars are now in alignment and the day you've been waiting for is here at last!

That's right, Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu launches today, at 1.00pm (GMT), at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London. Contributors who will be in attendance include Jonathan Oliver, Andrew Lane, Ian Edginton, Adrian Chamberlin,Ed Fortune, Malcolm Barter, Tony Hough, Neil Roberts, and yours truly. 

As well as having the chance to meet all these luminaries of the genre world, you will also be able to have your photograph taken with the Bard - disguised as Cthulhu, if you so desire - and there will be cake!

Hopefully I'll see some of you there.

Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu on Pornokitsch

I thought you might like to know that Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu features on Pornokitsch* today.

 

I wrote a Friday Five piece last year to promote the publication of SHARKPUNK, in which I waxed lyrical about famous sharks on the silver screen, but this time I've imagined my own Shakespeare/Cthulhu mash-ups. It's just a bit of fun, but hopefully it will get more people talking about the book.

 

And just in case you'd forgotten, Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu launches tomorrow, Saturday 13th August, at 1.00pm (GMT),  at the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London.

* If you don't already know, Pornokitsch is a website that champions geek culture. Indeed, their mission statement is "to treat geek culture seriously and examine it thoroughly, for better or for worse." It is completely SFW. 

Thought for the Day

Shakespeare Sunday: Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu launches in six days!

All of the backer paperbacks of Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu went out this week to those people who supported the original Kickstarter, and some have already been spotted out in the wild. 

Shakespeare Vs Cat-thulhu, courtesy of Matt Zitron

Photograph courtesy of James Rose

Photograph courtesy of Will Templeton

Photograph courtesy of Andrew Alvis

Don't forget, six days from today, on Saturday 13th August at 1.00pm(GMT), Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu launches at Forbidden Planet in London. You can register your interest in attending now on Facebook and then share that information with your friends.

Register your interest in attending now on Facebook.

Contributors who will be in attendance include Jonathan Oliver, Andrew Lane, Ian Edginton, Adrian Chamberlin, James Lovegrove, Ed Fortune, Malcolm Barter, Tony Hough, Neil Roberts, and yours truly. 

As well as having the chance to meet all these luminaries of the genre world, you will also be able to have your photograph taken with the Bard - a Shakespeare selfie, if you like - and there will be cake. What more do you need to know?

If you're in the general London area next Saturday, maybe I'll see you there.

Just one week to go!

Short Story Saturday: SHARKPUNK and The Best Horror of the Year Volume 8

Ellen Datlow has published her long list of Honourable Mentions for The Best Horror of the Year Volume 8 and I'm delighted to report that no fewer than seven SHARKPUNK stories have made the list.

Although they did not make the final cut for this benchmark anthology, to receive such an Honourable Mention is no small matter. 

So congratulations to Den Patrick, Richard Salter, Steve Savile, Andy and Amy Taylor, Ian Whates, Jenni Hill and Gary McMahon*.

* One of Gary's other stories, however, did make the collection. :-)

Steampunk Thursday: The Wicked Wizard of Oz

This autumn I am going to be running a Kickstarter to fund production of a new gamebook, similar in style to Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland, but this time inspired by the work of L. Frank Baum.

Play as Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, or the Lion, as you undertaken a new adventure set within the mysterious land of Oz.

To make sure that you don't miss out on the Early Bird Backer rewards, please join the new The Wicked Wizard of Oz Facebook group, and start spreading the word.

The Wicked Wizard of Oz Kickstarter will launch on Saturday 1st October 2016.

Happy Anniversary Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland!

Kickstarter kindly emailed me today to let me know that a year ago Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland funded, thanks to you! And what a year it's been!

Working with Kev Crossley for the first time, creating the first in what I hope will become a new series of gamebooks, printer delays, books shipped from Eastern Europe the day before the launch, a unique deck of playing cards created by Saskia Powys, a colouring book that's been phenomenally successful in the United States, and an awards nomination. And then today I was sent these bookmark mock-ups, created by a gamebooks fan!

Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland has received 31 5-star reviews on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com, but there's always room for more. ;-)

And what was I working on today, a year on from Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland funding? Why, only the second in the series!

The Kickstarter for The Wicked Wizard of Oz will launch on Saturday 1st October 2016 - or should that be Oztober?

Thought for the Day