Steampunk Thursday: Reckless Engineering

I regularly get asked by fans of the Pax Britannia steampunk series when I will write a new Ulysses Quicksilver story. Well, if that applies to you, you will be pleased to know that I have a new one coming out this summer from Newcon Press, as part of the Steampunk International anthology, which combines steampunk stories from three different countries released by three different publishers in three different languages.

My contribution is entitled Reckless Engineering, and is the first story to move the Pax Britannia timeline forward properly since 2012's Time's Arrow.

Following a break-in at the top secret Whitehall facility known as 'Think Tank', agent of the crown Ulysses Quicksilver and his trusty manservant Nimrod set off in pursuit of the perpetrator. It is a chase that will take them from the railway sheds of London to the dockyards of Bristol, and an encounter with a long-dead engineering genius.

Whether you've been following the adventures of Ulysses Quicksilver since the publication of Unnatural History in 2007 or not, I thought it might be helpful if I published the correct reading order for the series to date. So remember, this the chronological order in which the stories take place, not the order in which they were written.

1) Conqueror Worm - November 1797 - published in Evolution Expects
2) Unnatural History - April-June 1997 - first published in 2007
3) Leviathan Rising - July-August 1997 - first published in 2008
4) Fruiting Bodies* - September 1997 - published in El Sombra (2007)
5) Vanishing Point* - October 1997 - published in Leviathan Rising
6) Human Nature - November 1997 - first published in 2008
7) Christmas Past - December 1997 - published in Human Nature
8) Evolution Expects - January-February 1998 - first published in 2009
9) Blood Royal - March-April 1998 - first published in 2010
10) White Rabbit* - May 1998 - first published in 2007
11) Proteus Unbound - May 1998 - published in Dark Side
12) Worthless Remains - June 1998 - published in Clockwork Cairo (2017)
13) Dark Side - June 1998 - first published in 2010
14) Anno Frankenstein - September 1943 - first published in 2011
15) Time's Arrow - May 1998 (again) - first published in 2012
16) Tempus Fugit - June 1998 (again) - published in Abaddon X (2015)
17) Reckless Engineering - July 1998 - published in Steampunk International (July 2018)

Stories marked with an asterisk * are also available as part of The Ulysses Quicksilver Short Story Collection eBook. The first three Ulysses Quicksilver novels, and associated short stories and novellas, have been collected together as The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus Vol.1, while the fourth, fifth and sixth (and associated short stories and novellas) are now available as The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus Vol.2.

You can even pick up the eBook of Ulysses Quicksilver's first adventure Unnatural History for free here! Just remember, "Evolution Expects!"

Steampunk International

Available to pre-order now is Steampunk International, an anthology of brand-new steampunk stories with a difference.

Steampunk International is published in the UK by Newcon Press and showcases the very best steampunk stories from three different countries released by three different publishers in three different languages.

The UK contributors are George Mann, who has penned a new Newbury and Hobbes tale, Derry O’Dowd, and Yours Truly, with a new Pax Britannia story.

The three contributors from Finland are Magdalena Hai, winner of the Atorox Award and the Finnish Literary Export Prize, multiple award-winning Anne Leinonen, and J.S. Meresmaa, whose work has been shortlisted for the Anni Polva, Kuvastaja, and Atorox Awards.

There are also three contributors from Portugal - Anton Stark, Diana Pinguicha, and Pedro Cipriano, winner of Fórum Fantástico's Choice of the Year Award.

I was delighted when publisher and editor Ian Whates approached me last July about writing a tale to the anthology and saw an opportunity to move the Pax Britannia timeline on again, for the first time since the publication of the eighth Ulysses Quicksilver novel Time's Arrow in 2012.

The anthology actually launches at this year's Eurocon, but you can pre-order your copy of Steampunk International by following this link. And check back here on Thursday for the lowdown on my story Reckless Engineering.

Steampunk Thursday: New Pax Britannia Reviews!

Even though the first Pax Britannia novel was published almost ten years ago, some people are still coming to the series for the first time. And when it's someone who enjoys the stories they devour the lot pretty quickly, thanks to the wonder of eBooks.

One such reader is Bob Marlowe who has recently posted reviews of all the Pax Britannia books - Al Ewing's as well as mine - and here's what he has to say about them.

Unnatural History
"A readable style which flows along nicely with enjoyable characters... Very enjoyable evocation of a pulp style and there are plenty more to come. A recommended read."

Leviathan Rising
"Here we have a cocktail of Agatha Christie, Titanic, The Poseidon Adventure, the X-Files and dear old Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and with Green's enjoyable pulpy style, it's a good read."

Human Nature
"The story itself is quite simple but well structured (things in the prologue that seem irrelevant are revisited later) and the good pulpy style of Green makes for a well paced roller coaster."

Evolution Expects
"As ever, a cocktail of monsters, steam punk and nods to well know characters & stories etc. including this time a Bond like board meeting scene, a character named Brundle after the 1987 version of The Fly and a bit of Talons of Weng Chiang amongst others... This series shows no signs of letting up, both novel and novella are a well-paced read, guaranteed to liven up any journey to work."

Blood Royal
"The writing is of the usual high standard with a monster infested St Paul's Cathedral especially well described... I love this series -and am sad I've less than halfway to go to the end."

Dark Side
"I had the feeling Jonathan Green had as much fun writing this as I had reading it. There's the usual tributes to films, book et al that he's enjoyed , the First men in the Moon and Voyage dans la Lune and every chapter takes its name from a film e.g. The First Men in the Moon, Sphere... These stories will never be on the Booker Prize shortlist but the Booker winners I've read were never this much fun!"

Anno Frankenstein
"Naturally this is a blockbuster mix that we have come to expect of monsters and set pieces and does not disappoint, Green handling all the ingredients with his usual skill."

Time's Arrow
"The influences here are Edgar Allen Poe's Murder in the Rue Morgue, The Island of Dr Moreau and The Phantom of the Opera, characters names including Moreau and Leroux. The new characters work well and the story races along at Green's usual pace."

If you're yet to sample the delights of the Pax Britannia steampunk universe, you can buy the books and eBooks here.

World Animal Day

Today, 4th October, is World Animal Day, so it seems appropriate that I am writing a story about the Beast of Bodmin Moor whilst also plotting the Lion's next encounter in The Wicked Wizard of Oz.

Animals have featured to a greater or lesser extent in many of my books and stories but among the most notable must be...

Sonic the Hedgehog Adventure Gamebooks

Howl of the Werewolf

Pax Britannia: Unnatural History

Pax Britannia: Leviathan Rising

Temple of the Spider God

Terrible Lizards

Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow

SHARKPUNK

Night of the Kraken

And there are still more animal-themed stories to come...

Wellsian Wednesday: Happy Birthday, H G Wells!

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of the British Father of Science Fiction, Herbert George Wells. Wells is, of course, most well known, in the modern era, for his novels The Time Machine (1895) and The War of the Worlds (1898).

Wells' original stories have been adapted time and time again, and have inspired countless other tales, including my own. I have an idea for a spin-off from The War of the Worlds that I would like to start work on in the next year or two, but The Time Machine has already massively influenced an already published work of mine - or should I say works?

What started off as a fun idea for a one-off short story expanding the world of Pax Britannia, back in 2008, ended up becoming the core element of trio of Ulysses Quicksilver novels - Dark Side (2010), Anno Frankenstein (2011) and Time's Arrow (2012). I hadn't realised just how much The Time Machine had influenced Anno Frakenstein in particular until I re-watched the 2002 movie version recently, as I introduced it to my children for the first time.

My Wellsian celebrations will continue today with Jeff Wayne's musical version of The War of the Worlds on today's playlist, and possibly a viewing of the 2005 movie adaptation later this evening.

If you happen to be the Woking area today, watch the skies!

Steampunk Thursday: Time's Arrow

Happy Bastille Day, to all my French readers - and there are a few, thanks to my Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, and some of my Warhammer novels, having been translated into French.

As it's Bastille Day, and as it's Steampunk Thursday, it seems only right to plug the eighth Ulysses Quicksilver adventure to date, Time's Arrow. The whole story takes place in France - Paris to be precise - and even features a steampunk King Kong.

According to one reviewer, "the wonderful spark of Jonathan Green's writing still shines through and you have to love his wonderful use of tried and tested tropes in a way that just sings like a melody when in his hands."

You can pick up a copy for yourself here.

Tie-in Tuesday: Public Lending Right loans - 2013/2014

I'm now in my eighth year of doing this, so here's the list of my top ten most library-loaned books for July 2013 - June 2014 (with last year's placings in brackets):

1. (3) The Night Before Twistmas (Sep 12)
2. (1) Monstrous Missions (Feb 12)
3. (7) Zack Binspin (Mar 13)
4. (2) The Horror of Howling Hill (Mar 08)
5. (-) The Great Moshling Egg (Dec 13)
6. (5) Moshi Music Stars (Jan 13)
7. (4) Crisis on Coruscant (Jan 10)
8. (6) Stormslayer (Sep 09)
9. (-) Moshi Monsters: Moshipedia (Nov 13)
10. (9) Night of the Necromancer (Apr 10)

This last year has been my most successful year Public Lending Rights-wise. Thank the Lord for tie-in titles, that's what I say. (Only one of my tie-in books didn't appear in my top ten this year, and that was the 2010 Official Doctor Who Annual which I ended up writing most of.)

My Fighting Fantasy titles continue to prove popular, even though some of them were written years ago. Once again, Stormslayer is my most borrowed FF gamebook. (There are nine titles on the following list, because several of the books appear in more than one edition.)

1. (1) Stormslayer (Sep 09)
2. (2) Night of the Necromancer (Apr 10)
3. (6) Bloodbones (Sep 06)
4. (4) Curse of the Mummy (Oct 95)
5. (3) Howl of the Werewolf (Sep 07)
6. (5) Spellbreaker (Jun 93)
7. (6) Bloodbones (Sep 06)
8. (4) Curse of the Mummy (Oct 95)
9. (3) Howl of the Werewolf (Sep 07)

My Pax Britannia books are also good loaners, with the newest title Time's Arrow moving into pole position this year.

1. (2) Time's Arrow (Nov 12)
2. (1) Human Nature (Dec 08)
3. (7) Blood Royal (Jun 10)
4. (4) Leviathan Rising (Mar 08)
5. (8) Unnatural History (Feb 07)
6. (5) Anno Frankenstein (May 11)
7. (3) Evolution Expects (May 09)
8. (9) The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus (Nov 10)
9. (6) Dark Side (Oct 10)

Steampunk Thursday: Time's Arrow Review

It's been a while since there's been a Steampunk Thursday on the blog - three weeks, as it happens - so to fill that Pax Britannia hole in your life, here's a link to a new review of Time's Arrow, by the Crinoline Robot. Here's the opening paragraph, just to give you a taster:


"You could be forgiven for thinking Jonathan Green is one of my favourite writers as I've reviewed more books by him than by any other author on this blog. I've reviewed three of Green's other 'Pax Britannia' novels with their dashing dandy hero Ulysses Quicksilver: Blood Royal,Dark Side and Anno Frankenstein. I said in my review of the latter that it showed a lightness of touch not evident in the earlier novels. Time's Arrow shows a similar playfulness, while returning to the more Victorian setting of the ones beforeAnno Frankenstein. I really do think it's the strongest book in the series so far. I don't think Green is one of my favourite writers yet, but if he carries on writing like this he'll definitely be on my must-read list."

The Crinoline Robot's reviews of my other books aren't quite so flattering (other than the one about Anno Frankenstein) but at least it would appear that I'm improving with every book, which can only be a good thing.

To pick up your own copy of Time's Arrow, click this link.

Steampunk Thursday: A new review of Time's Arrow (of sorts)

Mr Kit Cox (a.k.a. Major Jack Union) sent me the most original review of one of my books I've ever received. And I'm rather pleased with it too. Enjoy...

You can order your copy of Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow here.

Steampunk Thursday: The VSS Awards 2013

It must be almost a month since I plugged this last, so here we go again...

The Victorian Steampunk Society Awards 2013 are now open for nominations, so please consider the following...

Time's Arrow for Best Novel

9 out of 10 for Time's Arrow from Starburst Magazine: "This is a pun-fuelled, fun-filled romp for people who like wearing the colour brown and decorating everything they own with cogs."

The Eloquent Page: "Who knows where steampunk-ninja Jonathan Green will take Ulysses Quicksilver next, I can’t wait to find out."

Thank you. :-)

Steampunk Thursday: The VSS Awards 2013

Just in case you didn't clock the post I made over the weekend, the Victorian Steampunk Society Awards 2013 are now open for nominations, so please consider the following...

Time's Arrow for Best Novel

9 out of 10 for Time's Arrow from Starburst Magazine: "This is a pun-fuelled, fun-filled romp for people who like wearing the colour brown and decorating everything they own with cogs."

The Eloquent Page: "Who knows where steampunk-ninja Jonathan Green will take Ulysses Quicksilver next, I can’t wait to find out."

Thank you. :-)

Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow for Best Novel

The Victorian Steampunk Society Awards 2013 are now open for nominations, so please consider the following...

Time's Arrow for Best Novel

9 out of 10 for Time's Arrow from Starburst Magazine: "This is a pun-fueled, fun-filled romp for people who like wearing the colour brown and decorating everything they own with cogs."

The Eloquent Page: "Who knows where steampunk-ninja Jonathan Green will take Ulysses Quicksilver next, I can’t wait to find out."

Steampunk Thursday: Steampunk Doncaster

So, last weekend I was in Doncaster for the town's inaugural Steampunk festival, cunning called Steampunk Doncaster.

As you might expect, there was all manner of steampunkery fun to be had over the course of the weekend and all manner of traders in attendance. As well as author readings and writing workshops, there were steampunk model photo sessions, leather crafts, a temperance bar, rayguns, and (of course) tea!

I was great to catch up with old acquaintances - including Meg Kingston, as well as Tom and Nimue Brown - and to make new ones, each if he had already met on Facebook. One of these was Rod Gillies, who puts my attempts at creating Lego versions of my stories to shame!

Rod Gillies reads from his new novel Neptune Rising.

 Richard - landlord of the Temperance Bar.

 It was good to see some familiar faces. Here Emma introduces her son to the delights of Pax Britannia.

 

Mr Green and Mr Brown, creators of Clemency Slaughter and the Legacy of D'Eath.

On the Saturday I read an extract from Time's Arrow (the most recent Ulysses Quicksilver adventure) and took part in a Q'n'A session as well. On the Saturday night a whole group of us** made our way into town for a bite to eat and something to drink after a very busy day, before heading to the BB Black Dog gig at Cask Corner.

I was also kept company over the course of the event by Archimedes the parrot, who received far more attention than I did and had many more photographs taken. (You can see more photographs of the event here.)

It just remains for me to say thank you to Craig, Candice and Tony for all their hard work in setting up the event and making sure it ran so smoothly and to Laura for looking after me so well (especially on the Saturday night). Special mention should also go to Rod Gillies (for the stove pipe hat) and Tom Brown (for the original painting of Yours Truly in Victorian attire).

Here's to next year's event, which will be even bigger and better than this year's!


* What is the collective noun for a group of Steampunks? An Anachronism?

The Second Annual Victorian Society Steampunk Awards

The Victorian Steampunk Society has, from its formation, recognised excellence in the world of Steampunk. At this year's Weekend at the Asylum (a.k.a. Asylum V) the VSS will make their awards for works released in 2012.

Nominations come from the general public with the shortlist being drawn from these nominations. Awards will be made following a popular vote of all AVSS members attending The Asylum. (Even if you're not attending the Asylum yourself this year, you can still suggest a nomination.)

Last year, two of my books were eligible for nomination. This year it's just the one - Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow, in the Best Novel category. Just so you know...

"Some wonderful twists, cracking prose and of course a storyline that just keeps you gripped."

~ Falcata Times

Steampunk Doncaster - Day 2

I shall be appearing at Steampunk Doncaster again today, so why not stop by my stand and pick up a copy of my latest Pax Britannia novel Time's Arrow? Or you could always have a go at Mr Green's Marvellous Steampunk Tombola instead.

What was the best novel of 2013?

Voting for the SFX Awards 2013 is now open. One of the categories you can vote for is Best Novel.

50 titles are suggested, including a couple of Steampunk novels (Lavie Tidhar's The Great Game and Cherie Priest's Boneshaker), but any title published in 2013 is eligible.

Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow was published in 2013. Just saying.

Steampunk Thursday: Pax Britannia Reviews

A couple more reviews for you today, found on the Internet...

Time's Arrow

Originally published as part of the three-part literary experiment where readers themselves were asked to decide where the plot will go next, Time's Arrow collects all the instalments in one handy package. Now, reading it all together, I can't help but wonder how amazing is the fact that the story works at all, let alone so well. It serves as the best testament you will ever need to the skill of Jonathan Green as a writer. [Read the whole review here.]



The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus

Green writes action like no one else I have ever read. He sustains the longest action sequences without losing momentum, without ceasing to make sense, or it in any way becoming dull. This impressed me. There are moments of total poetry in his writing, and some grim humour. Here is an author who knows how to relish the moment when an unspeakable thing tears a victim into little pieces. Oh yes, did I mention the monsters? There are monsters. People die. [Read the whole review here.]

Steampunk Thursday: Time's Arrow

A new review of my eighth Pax Britannia novel Time's Arrow appeared recently on Amazon.co.uk.

It doesn't start off in the most flattering manner (you can read the whole review here) but then the reviewer goes on to say:

I have to say the lad is back on form again, and I look forward to more of the same. The plot? Well there's another super-villain or two, a super-heroine, more marvellous machines, monsters, death and destruction, and temporal confusion. In short, the mixture as before. Buy some!

Which is nice.

You can buy your copy of Time's Arrow (if you haven't already done so) here.

Meet Archimedes the Steampunk Robot Parrot

I popped along to the Second Surrey Steampunk Convivial, held at The Royal Oak in New Malden, today. As well as catching up with the likes of Mr Kit Cox and Herr Doktor, I got to meet Archimedes the Robot Parrot for the first time.

In case you're wondering (and you've read Pax Britannia: Time's Arrow already), yes, Archimedes is based upon Gustav Lumière's invention as he appears in the book.


He bent down and retrieved something that had rolled under the desk.

It was the golden parrot. It was still attached to its perch but it was badly dented, having been partially crushed.

Ulysses peered into the automaton bird’s glittering crystal eyes.

“Could this be repaired, do you think?” he asked. “I mean, I don’t know how much you know about electronics and audiology–”

“Enough,” she said, taking the broken object from him.

“What was it?” Ulysses asked. “His pet or something?”

Cadence shot him a scolding glance. “Archimedes is a state-of-the-art automaton.”

“Called Archimedes.”

“Yes, what of it? Uncle Gustav liked the company.”

“Well, when you start naming the state-of-the-art automaton that you keep around your apartment for company, it’s what we call a pet.”


Archimedes has been fabricated by the talented Herr Doktor himself, and caused quite a stir at the Convivial.

If you're going to the Sci-Fi Weekender (1-3 March) then you too will be able to meet Archimedes, and pick up a copy of Time's Arrow while you're about it. :-)

Steampunk Thursday: Steampunk is the genre to watch

At least according to an IBM number-crunching supercomputer it is.

"Retailers attending the National Retail Federation Convention in New York yesterday (Jan. 14) got an ear-load, and eye-load, from researchers about the next big trend steaming toward the retail industry. Based on an analysis of more than half a billion public posts on message boards, blogs, social media sites and news sources, IBM predicted that ''steampunk" will be the next major trend to bubble up and take hold of the retail industry."

You may have heard that I've done my bit to promote steampunk culture, via the medium of action-packed page-turning novels.

You can find out more here (on the Abaddon Books blog) or here. And you can peruse all my Pax Britannia steampunk titles here.

A number of you have been asking what's next from me steampunk-wise. Well last week I received my author copies of Resurrection Engines (a steampunk anthology I feature in), I've got a new Spring-Heeled Jack steampunk story coming out this year, and at least three other steampunk-related projects in the offing - if not four actually, now I come to think about it.

So keep your articulating monocle focused on this spot or, to put it another way, watch this space...