"The modern master of the gamebook format" (Rob Sanders)... "Can do dark very well" (Jonathan Oliver)... "Green gets mileage out of his monsters" (SFX Magazine)... "It takes a firm editorial hand and a keen understanding of the tone of each piece to make a collection this diverse work, and Green makes it look effortless" (Starburst Magazine)... "A charming blend of camp creatures, humour, and genuine horror" (Set the Tape)
It's arrived! Six and a half months after I completed the manuscript, I am now in possession of copies of my novelisation of Richard 'Kip' Carpenter's Robin of Sherwood: The Knights of the Apocalypse.
A number of people have already received theirs and have given glowing reports of the book, which is always pleasing, but the best thing I've seen online to date is this!
I'm a big fan of the Series 3 episode 'Cromm Cruac', so inevitably I love cuddly Cromm.
I loved Robin of Sherwood as a child, and it is one of those things that has influenced me as a writer, with my early books in particular often referencing elements of the show. When I was watching it on TV back in the 1980s I certainly never imagined that one day I would end up authoring a Robin of Sherwood book.
I grew up close to where much of the series was filmed and I must remember to take a copy to the Tithe Barn in Bardford-on-Avon* next time I'm down in Wiltshire, for another photo op.
One day, when I have more time, I must write a blog post about my experience of Robin of Sherwood fandom, and the path that lead me to adapt Kip Carpenter's last Robin of Sherwood script - including the part my university friend Mike played in it all - but for now all that there remains for me to say is thank you, to Barnaby Eaton-Jones for offering me this once in a lifetime opportunity, and to everyone who has been lucky enough to snag themselves a copy, enjoy! (I shall look forward to reading your reviews online.)
And remember, nothing's forgotten... Nothing is ever forgotten...
The typo that got away; 'crenulated' should of course read 'crenellated'.
* Which stood in for the interior of Nottingham Castle. (I also lived in Nottingham for two years, and visited Sherwood Forest many times.)
Word is that my long-awaited novelisation of Richard Carpenter's Robin of Sherwood: The Knights of the Apocalypse will be released by the end of he month, with spare copies left over from the printing to fulfil pledges for the crowdfunding campaign going on sale through the Spiteful Puppet website.
I will, of course, keep you informed of developments. After all, nothing's forgotten... Nothing is ever forgotten.
The last two weeks have been busy. As well as all the usual stuff that fills up what is commonly known as 'daily life', the last two weekends I have been indulging a passion of mine... for cult '80s TV drama Robin of Sherwood*.
The May Bank Holiday weekend saw the second The Hooded Man event, organised by the inestimable Barnaby Eaton-Jones, following on from the first such event back in 2014. I joined around 300 other fans in Chepstow for a weekend of geeking out, highly entertaining interviews, banqueting, lots of laughter, and such impromptu delights as the wedding of Little John and Meg of Wickham, and a reading of a 'cut scene' that explained what happened to Marion at the end of the last series. (Fans of the show will know what I'm talking about.)
The suitably atmospheric venue for the event.
Waiting for the fun to start at The Hooded Man II.
Chepstow Castle, which featured in the series back in the '80s.
However, the highlight of the weekend had to be the first play of the trailer for the brand new audio drama Robin of Sherwood: The Knights of the Apocalypse. I say 'brand new', but it's adapted from a script written by Richard Carpenter, the show's creator, back in the 1980s. And I'm writing the novelisation of the same script, and was even doing so over the weekend, while I was attending The Hooded Man II.
If you've not heard the trailer for yourself yet - and when I heard it, it was a real goosebumps moment for me - then you can do so here.
If you would like a copy of my novelisation, the only way you can get hold of it is by backing the KOTA Indiegogo campaign and selecting the appropriate perk. The campaign will only remain open until mid-May, so don't delay - back today!
Whilst I was at The Hooded Man II, I met Jenny Kane (who is organising TivLitFest) for the first time, and picked up the second volume of Andrew Orton's comprehensive history of the show, which now features a paragraph about yours truly. And, of course, I made new friends.
I also got to meet Judi Trott (Maid Marion) and Peter Llewellyn Williams (Much the Miller's Son) for the first time, as well as meeting Jason Connery (Robert of Huntingdon) and Mark Ryan (Nasir, and a real gent) for a second time.
But the fun didn't stop when The Hooded Man II came to an end. For just this weekend gone, I was in London to attend the premiere of the Knights of the Apocalypse audio, which included a champagne reception, a preview screening of the 'Making Of...' documentary, the first 30 minutes of the audio, and a Q&A session with those members of the cast in attendance. Andrew Orton and I formed our own writers' huddle at the back of the auditorium and ended the premiere having our photograph taken with the stars.
Robin of Sherwood's official historian Andrew Orton, fellow fans Lutine and Annette, and some bloke in a jacket and tie.
Then it was off to the pub, naturally (courtesy of fellow fan Annette's organisational skills), where yet more new acquaintances were made.
Jason Connery holding court at the Cock & Lion.
It is certainly a May that I won't forget in a hurry. After all, nothing's forgotten... Nothing is ever forgotten**.
* There are four things that really define me as a writer***, and they all come from my formative years in the 1980s - Doctor Who, Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, Robin of Sherwood, and Brother Cadfael mysteries. ** Especially not helping Much the Miller's Son find his way back to the nearest Tube station. *** If you ignore all the Steampunk stuff!
Now that the news has been released via the official Facebook page for the project, I am delighted to be able to announce that I will be writing the novelisation of Robin of Sherwood: The Knights of the Apocalypse, based on a script written by the creator of the iconic ITV show, Richard Carpenter.
