Gamebook Friday: Spooky Halloween Reads

It's Halloween on Tuesday, so now seems like the perfect time to remind you of my various horror-related reads that you can enjoy at this time of year.

First of all there is the ultimate horror ACE Gamebook, Dracula: Curse of the Vampire.

1897 ~ In the wolf-haunted Carpathian Mountains, a young solicitor, Jonathan Harker, travels to an isolated castle to assist a mysterious Count with purchasing a number of properties in England. But what he witnesses there drives him to the edge of madness…

Meanwhile, in Whitby, Harker’s fiancée, Mina Murray, visits her dear friend Lucy Westenra. But during her stay, Lucy is attacked and becomes seriously ill…

In London, Lucy’s suitor and physician, Dr John Seward, becomes preoccupied with the case of a certain Mr Renfield, an inmate at his lunatic asylum, who seeks to collect lives for his master, having not long returned from a trip to Transylvania…

And so, the pieces for the game are set. For they are all pawns in a plan devised centuries ago by the Voivode of Wallachia, Vlad Tepes, a cruel tyrant whom history remembers as ‘the Son of the Devil,’ his bloodthirsty deeds having earned him another name…

Dracula.

And then there is my Cthulhu Mythos novella, The Serpent's Egg, and my ghost story, The Doll's House, both of which are available as audiobooks.

Something Wicked This Way Comes...

Having had over 70 books published over the last 28 years, there are a fair few that make particularly suitable Halloween reading. Here are just a few of them...

1897

In the wolf-haunted Carpathian Mountains, a young solicitor, Jonathan Harker, travels to an isolated castle to assist a mysterious Count with purchasing a number of properties in England. But what he witnesses there drives him to the edge of madness…

Meanwhile, in Whitby, Harker’s fiancée, Mina Murray, visits her dear friend Lucy Westenra. But during her stay, Lucy is attacked and becomes seriously ill…

In London, Lucy’s suitor and physician, Dr John Seward, becomes preoccupied with the case of a certain Mr Renfield, an inmate at his lunatic asylum, who seeks to collect lives for his master, having not long returned from a trip to Transylvania…

And so, the pieces for the game are set. For they are all pawns in a plan devised centuries ago by the Voivode of Wallachia, Vlad Tepes, a cruel tyrant whom history remembers as ‘the Son of the Devil’, his bloodthirsty deeds having earned him another name…

Dracula.

*             *             *             *

In Dracula– Curse of the Vampire is an interactive gothic horror novel, in which YOU decide which route to take, which perils to risk, and which of the terrifying creatures you will meet along the way to fight. Play as Jonathan Harker, Mina Murray and Dr John Seward… or even Count Dracula himself. But be warned – whether you succeed in your quest or succumb to the curse of the vampire will be down to the choices YOU make.

But do not tarry, for the dead travel fast.

Dracula– Curse of the Vampire will be the subject of November's Interactive Fiction & Gamebooks Discussion Group (Book Club) . If you would be interesting in finding out more about sixth ACE Gamebook, make sure you join the group now.

An anthologie of fine stories inspir’d by the Bard of Stratford and the Lovecraftian Mythos

Imagine if it had been William Shakespeare, England’s greatest playwright, who had discovered the truth about the Great Old Ones and the cosmic entity we know as Cthulhu, rather than the American horror writer H P Lovecraft.

Imagine if Stratford’s favourite son had been the one to learn of the dangers of seeking after forbidden knowledge and of the war waged between the Elder Gods in the Outer Darkness, and had passed on that message, to those with eyes to see it, through his plays and poetry. Welcome to the world of Shakespearean Cthulhu!

To mark the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, Snowbooks proudly presents fifteen stories of eldritch horror that blend the Bard’s most famous plays with Lovecraft’s most terrifying creations. But before you dip into this curséd tome, be warned – that way madness lies...

“When oblivion comes, it is forever, as endless as the slumber of those beings that lie buried beneath the roots of the world, dreaming in darkness.”

A writer’s research into the legend of the Lambton Worm takes a horrifying twist when he uncovers the true origin of the story: A legend that stirs, knowing the time for its rebirth is near.

A chilling tale of the Cthulhu mythos, written by award-winning author Jonathan Green.

"What horror dwells behind its peeling paint façade and lifeless windows?"

A young mother, struggling after the birth of her second child, starts to question her sanity when the appearance of an unwanted childhood toy rekindles unwelcome nightmares.

A chilling tale written by award-winning author Jonathan Green.

Review of the Year - 2020

Well, I think we all know what 2020 will be known as in the future. But for me as an author, 2020 will also be remembered as the Year of ACE Gamebooks Roleplay, which gives me a good catch-all term for both my gamebooks and RPG line.

Despite only having one major publication this year - 'TWAS - The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas* - new foreign editions of my ACE Gamebooks continued to be released, even though trips to Italy and Germany** were both cancelled.

The ACE Gamebooks website received an upgrade, there were numerous online live playthrough of my books, and I released a 5th anniversary edition of Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland, more in line with the hardbacks of the rest of the series.

I have also continued to work on Dracula - Curse of the Vampire, although the tragically premature death of Martin McKenna inevitably delayed the book and forced a search for a new illustrator. Fortunately Hauke Kock has agreed to take on the task of illustrating my longest gamebook yet. If you've not seen it yet elsewhere, here's one of his finished images for the adventure.

2020 saw the release of a number of audiobooks bearing my name, including The Doll's House, The Serpent's Egg, and Wonderland.

Behind the scenes I have also worked on some other interactive fiction-style projects, which I expect will see the light of day next year. I had hoped to submit various short stories to various anthologies, but unfortunately just didn't have the time.***

Currently I am trying to work out which Kickstarters to run when, in order to fund production of the next ACE Gamebook and ACE Gamebooks Roleplay RPG. And between them they are going to take you to different parts of the globe... Expect to see more news before the end of January.

And on that note I would like to wish you a Happy New Year, and here's hoping for a better 2021!

* Print versions of which are available now!

** Along with their associated book launches.

*** Writing a short story takes far longer than the limited word count might have you believe.

Short Story Saturday: The Big Audiobook Giveaway!

Long time readers of this blog will know that I have self-published an eNovella called The Serpent's Egg - A Dark Tale of the Cthulhu Mythos. Well the audiobook, narrated by Mark Rice-Oxley, is now available from Audible. But better than that, I have some promo codes for the audiobook to giveaway. That's over two hours of listening pleasure for absolutely no money whatsoever!

With Halloween season upon us, you might want to download another audiobook of mine - The Doll's House, narrated by Lesley Dessalles. I have some free promo codes for this one as well.

If you would like a promo code for either audiobook, please email me at info@jonathangreenauthor.com, but please bear in mind that The Serpent's Egg in particular is most definitely 18-rated!

Short Story Saturday: The Serpent's Egg - the audiobook!

I have been wanting to share this particular piece of news with you since April! And thereby hangs a tale...

When the world went into lockdown I had an idea; I would use ACX to produce audiobooks of some of my stories, which people would then download by the score and listen to while they were off work and trapped at home, providing myself with another income stream. The trouble is, every other writer on the planet had the same idea and, unbeknownst to me, ACX reduced their workforce quite dramatically.

Meanwhile, I put The Serpent's Egg out to tender, listened to audition samples, and finally chose Mark Rice-Oxley to be the voice actor who would record the Lovecraftian novella for me. This he promptly did, and a fantastic job he did of it too. However, the approval process, which I was expecting to take a month at most, ended up taking much longer than expected...

After three months, ACX rejected the audiobook, claiming that there were all sorts of things wrong with it - which there weren't - and so Mark re-submitted it to me and I re-submitted it to ACX for approval.

Fast forward another three months and ACX finally approved The Serpent's Egg audiobook for sale this morning. It only took six months(!), and in that time Lesley Dessalles' recording of The Doll's House was approved straightaway (after only another three months), but I am delighted that you can now download it and listen to it yourself.

To find out more, click on the audiobook cover below.

Cthulhu Thursday: Happy Birthday, Mr Lovecraft!

Today is - or rather, would have been - H P Lovecraft's 130th birthday. The impact his work made on the horror and science fiction genres cannot be underestimated, and his Cthulhu mythos has inspired writers and artists all over the world.

I have written a number of stories that reference the Cthulhu mythos, and I have move ideas I would like to develop in the pipeline. I also edited an anthology of Cthulhu short stories that merged Lovecraft's creations with the Bard of Stratford's plays. There are even elements of the mythos in my ACE Gamebook NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!

So why not check one of them out today?

Shakespeare Vs. Cthulhu

An anthologie of fine stories inspir’d by the Bard of Stratford and the Lovecraftian Mythos

Imagine if it had been William Shakespeare, England’s greatest playwright, who had discovered the truth about the Great Old Ones and the cosmic entity we know as Cthulhu, rather than the American horror writer H P Lovecraft.

Imagine if Stratford’s favourite son had been the one to learn of the dangers of seeking after forbidden knowledge and of the war waged between the Elder Gods in the Outer Darkness, and had passed on that message, to those with eyes to see it, through his plays and poetry. Welcome to the world of Shakespearean Cthulhu!

To mark the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, Snowbooks proudly presents fifteen stories of eldritch horror that blend the Bard’s most famous plays with Lovecraft’s most terrifying creations. But before you dip into this curséd tome, be warned – that way madness lies...

The Serpent's Egg

A Dark Tale of the Cthulhu Mythos

“When oblivion comes, it is forever, as endless as the slumber of those beings that lie buried beneath the roots of the world, dreaming in darkness.”

A writer’s research into the legend of the Lambton Worm takes a horrifying twist when he uncovers the true origin of the story: a legend that stirs, knowing the time for its rebirth is near…

NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!

An ACE Gamebook

On the 15th April, 1912, during her maiden voyage, the RMS Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg. 1,503 people died, including passengers and crew. But 706 people survived, among them Wendy Darling and her dog Nana...Separated from the rest of her family, Wendy's lifeboat is washed up on the shore of a mysterious island a place lost in time home to creatures long thought extinct, a forgotten tribe, and a boy who can never grow up.

But the notorious pirate Captain James Hook and his crew have also found their way to Neverland, and the island is angry...

In NEVERLAND Here Be Monsters! YOU decide which route to take, which perils to risk, and which of the island's strange, prehistoric denizens to fight. Play as shipwreck survivor Wendy Darling, automaton avenger Peter Pan, heroic hunter Tiger Lily, or plundering pirate Captain James Hook. But be warned whether you succeed in your quest or meet a dire end will be down to the choices YOU make.

Will you manage to escape from Neverland?

The Scottish Patient

As featured in the World War Cthulhu anthology

As the shadows of war gather over Europe something is stirring within the darkness; something far older than humankind. Those with evil intent will seek to harness these terrible powers, while those fighting to turn the tide of war will find themselves up against far more than bullets and bombs. In forgotten R’lyeh, Cthulhu stirs as the mighty armies of the Third Reich march.

Short Story Saturday: The Serpent's Egg - A Dark Tale of the Cthulhu Mythos

First published seven years ago, as part of the Dreaming in Darkness collection, The Serpent's Egg was the first novella I self-published under the Green Man Books banner back in 2017.

But now I have given it a face-lift, with a new cover image of the Lambton Worm licensed from 2000AD and Magic: The Gathering artist Dave Kendall.

You can pick it up for just £1.99 on Amazon, or if you are signed up to Amazon's Kindle Unlimited plan, it won't cost you a penny.

So why not check it out today?

Short Story Saturday: FREE Reads

I suspect that a large number of people who read this blog will currently be self-isolating in their homes, or are practising social distancing and so will be looking for alternative forms of entertainment for the next month or so. As a result, I thought you might like to know about some of my stories that are available to read for FREE.

If zombies, steampunk alternative histories, Lovecraftian horrors, or occult detective stories are your thing, then this little lot should keep you going for a couple of days. Simply click on the cover of the story you would like to read...

The Nazis, desperate for victory at all costs, explored every avenue open to science, including some long forgotten... and some best left dead. But what if they had succeeded?

In the obscure village of Totenstadt, a team of the Reich's best minds, under the terrible Colonel von Teufel, are blending technology and the occult to create a new and terrible weapon, to test the boundary between life and death itself.

Elite British snipers Joe Randall, George "Ginger" Gibbs and Harry Atkins are sent deep into enemy lines to locate and destroy the facility. The mission will test their courage - and their sanity - to the limits...

When Courtney got together with Jimmy, she thought she was taking one small step towards getting out of this god forsaken mining town. Years went by and still she was barely making ends meet, peddling drinks and hoping for tips at the local strip joint. Little did she know, her new life was just about to begin as a new infection spreads throughout town. Forget the beer soaked dollar bills and chump change, a new hunger is taking over now... hunger for fresh human flesh.

Action and adventure in a new Age of Steam!

In two scant months the nation and all her colonies will celebrate 160 years of Queen Victoria's glorious reign. But all is not well at the heart of the empire. It begins with a break-in at the Natural History Museum. A night watchman is murdered. An eminent Professor of Evolutionary Biology goes missing. Then a catastrophic Overground rail-crash unleashes the dinosaurs of London Zoo. But how are all these events connected? Is it really the work of crazed revolutionaries? Or are there yet more sinister forces at work?

Enter Ulysses Quicksilver - ­ dandy, rogue and agent of the throne. It is up to this dashing soldier of fortune to solve the mystery and uncover the truth before London degenerates into primitive madness and a villainous mastermind brings about the unthinkable - the downfall of the British Empire!

Pax Britannia is an exciting steampunk series, set on an alternate Earth where the British Empire still reigns and steam technology rules. This, the first Ulysses Quicksilver adventure, is a must-have for fans of steampunk and swashbuckling adventure alike!

Begleiten Sie Ulysses Quicksilver bei einem mysteriös-spannendem Abenteuer und lernen Sie die fantastische Welt von PAX BRITANNIA kennen.

VANISHING POINT ist eine Kurzgeschichte aus dem PAX-BRITANNIA-Zyklus von Jonathan Green, von welchem bisher die Titel UNNATURAL HISTORY und LEVIATHAN RISING auf deutsch erschienen sind.

“When oblivion comes, it is forever, as endless as the slumber of those beings that lie buried beneath the roots of the world, dreaming in darkness.”

A writer’s research into the legend of the Lambton Worm takes a horrifying twist when he uncovers the true origin of the story: a legend that stirs, knowing the time for its rebirth is near…

A chilling tale of the Cthulhu mythos, written by award-winning author Jonathan Green.

A year on from the events of Charles Dickens’ 'A Christmas Carol', Ebenezer Scrooge finds himself visited once again by the ghost of his late business partner, Jacob Marley, who brings with him a new proposition. Just as Marley helped Scrooge to avoid the cruel fate that the last of the Three Spirits foretold, Marley wants Scrooge to help him reduce his time in Purgatory.

And so begins an epic adventure that will see the former friends face off against all manner of phantasms, freaks and fiends, with only one thing at stake… Everything!

Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghost-hunting partner Jacob Marley (already a ghost himself) visit the cathedral city of Cloisterham in order to investigate the disappearance of a young man... A certain Mr Edwin Drood.

Happy Halloween!

Tonight, people up and down the country will be donning their Halloween costumes - turning themselves into witches, vampires, werewolves, mummies, demons, and zombies - for the duration of the dark celebrations.

If you're planning on staying in tonight, hopefully avoiding the trick or treaters, and you're looking for a creepy story to curl up with before the witching hour, you might want to try one of these...

Spellbreaker (1993)

Witches and demons abound in my first published Fighting Fantasy adventure.

Curse of the Mummy (1995)

My third FF adventure, heavily-inspired by Mummy movies from right across the cinematic era.

The Dead and the Damned (2002)

My first Warhammer novel, which features all manner of daemons, not to mention the shambling ranks of the undead.

Necromancer (2005)

The tale of one man's fall from grace and the corrupting power of necromancy.

Bloodbones (2006)

More zombie pirates and voodoo curses than you can shake a cutlass at.

Howl of the Werewolf (2007)

In my fifth FF adventure, you must stopped yourself turning into a werewolf before the next full moon by hunting down and killing the Arch-Lycanthrope.

Human Nature (2008) and Evolution Expects (2009)

A couple of body horror classics from my Pax Britannia steampunk series of novels.

Night of the Necromancer (2010)

Death is not the end... Murdered on your way home, you rise from the dead to avenge your own murder.

Blood Royal (2010) and Anno Frankenstein (2011)

Two more Pax Britannia novels, inspired by classic horror movies of yesteryear.

Shadows Over Sylvania (2013)

YOU are a vampire in my one and only Warhammer gamebook, which remains one of the best I have ever written, and probably the hardest to get hold of too.

Game Over (2015)

A collection of techno-chillers, ghost stories inspired by classic video games, edited by Yours Truly.

The Serpent's Egg (2017)

A dark tale of the Cthulhu Mythos, inspired by the legend of the Lambton Worm.

And coming in 2020...

Join the ACE Gamebooks Facebook group to be kept up to date with developments...