SHARKPUNK at MCM ComicCon

Just to report that I had a great weekend at the MCM ComicCon, introducing SHARKPUNK to the world at large. What was even better was how many people came by my stand specifically to pick up a copy.

SHARKPUNK at the MCM ComicCon.

Richard has some amazingly cool plans for his copy of SHARKPUNK . Watch this space...

 Real marine biologists getting very excited about SHARKPUNK.

Although at times it felt like we were in the Author Exclusion Zone rather than at the end of the Comic Village, Miss Emily Ladybird, Kit Cox, Robert Rankin and Rachel Rankin-Hayward are always good company.

Highlights of the weekend included meeting Sean Kelly from Storage Hunters, a very persistent Japanese gentleman who wanted to buy Archimedes the Steampunk Parrot (who's not for sale, by the way), meeting the screenwriter Hayley Nolan, somebody mishearing and thinking I was going to write a medieval gamebook version of Airwolf(?), playing the LEGO Jurassic Park demo on the PS4, seeing both the Batmobile from Arkham Knight and Mad Max's car, as well as catching up with the usual suspects (i.e. Herr Doktor, the Spindles Clan, et al).

Exchange of the Weekend
JG (on introducing my First Born in his cosplay get up): "He's ready for the Zombie Apocalypse."
Kit Cox: "I'm not sure the Zombie Apocalypse is ready for him."

It was also interesting how many people asked when my next Pax Britannia novel/the next Fighting Fantasy Fest would be happening. (Delete as applicable.)*

YOU ARE THE HERO also attracted a fair bit of attention, and my best-seller was my most recent FF gamebook Night of the Necromancer. If you're still to pick up a copy, remember that next weekend I'll be at the UK Games Expo at the NEC Hilton Metropole just outside Birmingham.

Maybe I'll see you there...


*It was also cool to be able to start to let people know about Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland.

Steampunk Thursday: Redemption '15

Tomorrow (Friday 20 February) sees Redemption '15, the Multimedia Science Fiction Convention kick off at the Britannia Hotel in Coventry. The event runs until Sunday 22 February, and I shall be there this year as Guest of Honour.

The event programme has been released and I will be taking part in the following panels during the course of the weekend:

Friday 20 February
5.00pm - Meet the Guests (panel)
8.00pm - Opening Ceremony
10.00pm - It's sh!t but we like it (panel)

Saturday 21 February
12.00pm - How to Write an Adventure Gamebook (workshop)
4.00pm - Has Steampunk Had Its Day? (panel)
I may also be taking part in...
8.00pm - Mark Gatiss Appreciation Society (panel)

Sunday 22 February
11.00am - Guest Talk
12.30pm - Signing Autographs
4.00pm - Closing Ceremony

I will be selling my books - Pax Britannia and YOU ARE THE HERO mainly - over the course of the weekend, and will also have Archimedes the Steampunk Parrot in tow.

So maybe I'll see you there...

Redemption 15

One week today, I shall be attending Redemption '15, the Multimedia Science Fiction Convention that's taking place on 20-22 February at the Britannia Hotel in Coventry, as Guest of Honour.

The event programme has been released and I will be taking part in the following panels during the course of the weekend:

Friday 20 February
5.00pm - Meet the Guests (panel)
8.00pm - Opening Ceremony
10.00pm - It's sh!t but we like it (panel)

Saturday 21 February
12.00pm - How to Write an Adventure Gamebook (workshop)
4.00pm - Has Steampunk Had Its Day? (panel)

Sunday 22 February
11.00am - Guest Talk
12.30pm - Signing Autographs
4.00pm - Closing Ceremony

I will be selling my books - Pax Britannia and YOU ARE THE HERO mainly - over the course of the weekend, and will also have Archimedes the Steampunk Parrot in tow.

So maybe I'll see you there...

Frome Steampunk Extravaganza II

Just a quick reminder that I shall be attending the
Frome Steampunk Extravaganza this weekend, along with Archimedes the Steampunk Robot Parrot* and my various Pax Britannia books - not to mention my now legendary Steampunk Tombola and Book Lucky Dip!

You'll find me in the Cheese & Grain on both Saturday and Sunday, and I'll be giving a talk about my work, along with a reading from one of my books, on Sunday at 12.00pm.

If you're coming along for the weekend, do stop by and say "Hello!" I shall look forward to seeing you there.

* The original and still the best!

Steampunk Thursday: Alice Aid

Last Saturday I attended Alice Aid, the fundraiser event held at The Pipeline in East London to raise money to turn Robert Rankin's novella Alice on Mars into a movie, directed by Martin Gooch.

Other guests included Kit Cox (who did a stand-up comedy set), Andrew O'Neill (who was MC for the evening), a couple of Elvis impersonators, Lady Raygun on the steel drums*, various other actors and musicians and even Mr Robert Rankin himself.

Archimedes the Steampunk Parrot was in attendance too and really got into the groove, as you can see here.



You can see some photos of the event here.

If you would like to help make Alice on Mars - The Movie a reality, you can pledge your support for the project here.


* I've never heard 'I Gotta Feeling' played on the steel drums before, or 'Birdhouse in your Soul', but they sounded great!

JG at the Sci-Fi Weekender 5

I can't quite believe that a week ago today, the Sci-Fi Weekender was already over for another year. I had been looking forward to the event for a long time and then it was all over for me in somewhere around 48 hours. But what an intense 48 hours it was!

This time the Sci-Fi Weekender was a family affair, with the rest of Family Green accompanying me to furthest ends of the Earth to geek out for a solid two days with like-minded individuals. It began with an epic six-hour drive to the Hafan y Môr Holiday Park just outside Pwllheli on the Llyn Peninsula.

The Ends of the Earth.

Having arrived late Thursday night I had to be up early Friday morning to get set up for the onslaught of fans who would stop by my stand during the course of the weekend. And from there on in it was a blur of meeting people, selling and signing books, moderating panels (one of which was crashed by an Alien Xenomorph), partaking in interviews, eating pizza, and ending each evening relaxing at the bar with friends both old and new.

Highlights of the weekend included meeting Royd Tolkien, having people accuse me of being a very bad man for making them stay up until 4 in the morning reading The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus, having other people tell me how much they loved my stories (Thanks, Amy!), seeing a life-sized Night Lords Chaos Space Marine win the Cosplay competition (Aaron Dembski-Bowden would have been proud), and taking part in the panel show Just A Minute with my fellow authors Gareth L Powell (a worthy winner), Steve Lockley and David Tallerman.

J R R Tolkien's grandson meets Albert Green's grandson at the Sci-Fi Weekender 5.

David Tallerman and I having to concentrate far too hard during Just A Minute.

It was during Robert Rankin's introduction to Just A Minute that the author of far-fetched fiction christened me his "Evil Steampunk Nemesis" which is a badge I shall wear with pride, and a role I played up to during the show, even being booed by the audience at one point (much to my children's distress), proving that Panto is alive and well and living in an off-season holiday camp in North Wales!

To sum up, here's a slideshow of just some of things that happened over the course of the Weekender, and here's to the Sci-Fi Weekender 6 in 2015!

Steampunk Thursday: Alice on Mars - The Movie!

At the Sci-Fi Weekender 5, last weekend, film-maker Martin Gooch and author of far-fetched fiction Robert Rankin launched the Alice on Mars movie!

For the launch, Martin had prepared a teaser trailer, which you can watch by following this link. He also launched an Indigogo project to help get the film funded. If you would like to contribute (or even be in the film!) then click this link and check it out.

Film-maker Martin Gooch and Steampunk Parrot Wrangler Jonathan Green

at the Sci-Fi Weekender 5.

Steampunk Thursday: Pax Britannia at the Sci-Fi Weekender 5

I will be driving up to North Wales today to take part in the Sci-Fi Weekender 5 and I have some new badges to sell...

As well as selling my books and badges, I shall be taking part in the following panels:

Friday 28 March 2014

12:00pm - 1:00pm - Far Fetched fiction... From Steampunk to Dystopia. Why are satirical fantasies so appealing? David J Howe, Raven Dane, Jonathan Green, Danie Ware.

3:00pm - 4:00pm - Writing into known universes. Jonathan Green, Gareth Powell, Raven Dane, Sam Stone, Debbie Bennett, Dez Skinn.

Saturday 29 March 2014

5:00pm - 6:00pm - What makes Science Fiction Sci-Fi? An exploration of Science Fiction writing from Space Opera to Dystopian futures. Gareth Powell, Sam Stone, Jonathan Green, Bryony Pearce, Sara Jane Townsend, Simon Clark.

I shall look forward to seeing some of you there, as will Archimedes, the original Steampunk Parrot.

JG at the Sci-Fi Weekender

Five weeks today, I shall be appearing at the Sci-Fi Weekender 5 in North Wales. Archimedes the Steampunk Parrot will also be in attendance, as will other authors such as Gareth L. Powell, Sam Stone and Robert Rankin.

I shall be hosting various panels over the course of the weekend as well as selling my writerly wares, not to mention catching up with old friends (and probably making a few news ones, if previous years are anything to go by). I'll even have my young Pax Britannia companions in tow this time.

If you are thinking of attending, but haven't got tickets yet, might I direct you towards Nerd Vs World and the competition they are currently running?

Maybe I'll see you there...

Steampunk Thursday: The Sci-Fi Weekender

So the news is out... I shall be attending Sci-Fi Weekender 5 that is taking place in North Wales at the end of March. Archimedes the Steampunk Parrot will also be in attendance, as will other authors such as Gareth L. Powell, Sam Stone and Robert Rankin.

I shall be hosting various panels over the course of the weekend as well as selling my writerly wares, not to mention catching up with old friends (and probably making a few news ones, if previous years are anything to go by).

So, maybe I'll see you there...

Steampunk Thursday: Frome Steampunk Extravaganza

For those of you who are interested in such things, I shall be attending the Frome Steampunk Extravaganza next year, along with Archimedes the Steampunk Robot Parrot* and my various Pax Britannia books - not to mention my now legendary Steampunk Tombola and Book Lucky Dip!


If you fancy attending yourself, you need to grab your wristband pronto!

* The original and still the best!

Pax Britannia at the London MCM Expo 2013

Pax Britannia* will be attending the London MCM Expo this weekend as part of the regular Steampunk contingent.

I will be there, selling my wares, and with my ever popular Steampunk Tombala and Book Lucky Dip in tow too. So if you're around, do stop by the Steampunk stand and say hello**.

(Rumours have it that Archimedes the robot parrot might be attending too.)

 And people ask me why I'm into Steampunk...

* Or, in other words, Yours Truly.

** Or even better, buy a book!

Steampunk Saturday: Weekend at the Asylum 2013

So, this time last week I was in Lincoln once again for Weekend at the Asylum 2013*. This year I headed up at stupid o'clock Saturday morning but upon arrival was met by a host of familiar faces (many of whom appear in the slideshow below).

Lincoln By Night

Both Saturday and Sunday saw me hosting panels about Steampunk fiction, which were better attended than in previous years, with one of them taking over the main hall of the Lincoln Assembly Rooms. It was great to catch up with old friends, and make new ones, even if I did manage to avoid meeting The Men Who Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, even though that stopped by the stall I was sharing with Mr Kit 'Major Jack Union' Cox and Miss Emily Ladybird.

Archimedes Lumière watching over the Pax Britannia stand, which included Dr Feelgood's Tonic Stout Fudge

Other highlights included being interviewed by Geek Syndicate, having a fan practically order me to write another Pax Britannia novel, and having one of my short stories not only appear in the annual Asylum short story collection - Ghosts of the Asylum, published by The Last Line - but also headline the collection!

Ghosts of the Asylum featuring the short story Signs & Portents, by Yours Truly

Once again, it was a wonderful weekend of mirth and merriment, and you can get just the smallest taster of what it was like by viewing the following magic lantern presentation...



* Or Asylum V as it was also being referred to.

Nine Worlds Geekfest 2013

So, last weekend saw me attending the first ever Nine Worlds Geekfest in Heathrow, London. One of the organisers of this epic event was Jenni Hill, formerly one of my editors at Abaddon Books and now Commissioning Editor at Orbit Books, so it was strangely appropriate that the first familiar face I saw should happen to be hers. Jenni was running the books strand of the con, which was just round the corner (literally) from the Windsor Suite where the Steampunks were based and which was where I remained for most of the weekend.

It was great to catch up with old friends Kit Cox (a.k.a Major Jack Union), Jema Hewitt (Miss Emilly Ladybird), Claire Peacey of Empire Edibles, Ian Crichton (a.k.a. Herr Doktor), Jenny, Arkwright, Rob/Dave, Robert Rankin, Lady Raygun, Tinker, Lady Elsie, Jim Swallow, Gav Thorpe, Paco Jaen et al, as well as to make new ones. It was also a pleasant surprise to have Simon Singh and Kiruna Stamell drop by my stand during the course of the weekend.

It was a very packed weekend but some of the highlights for me were the panels (and not just the ones I was on with fellow Steampunk authors Toby Frost and Raven Dane) such as 'Steampunk 101' and 'Steampunk in the Media'. On the Sunday I even had a signing slot at the Forbidden Planet table with Stephanie Saulter, which was nice, and thanks to David Tallerman, Jobeda Ali, Graeme Flory, Jon Oliver and Ian Whates for all dropping by to show their support.

One of the best comments of the whole weekend came from Ben Smith, Publishing Manager at Abaddon/Solaris/Rebellion, who, upon arriving, thought there was a group cosplaying as air hostesses until he remembered the hotel was behind Heathrow airport. He was more than a little suspicious when a coach load of people cosplaying as OAPs turned up next.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and said hello, or who bought a book, or had a go on the tombola, and thanks to the organisers for putting together such a successful first con.

5 things I now know that I didn't know before attending Nine Worlds Geekfest 2013

1) Steampunk is sometimes referred to as Goths in Brown, or Downton Abbey with Meccano.
2) Steampunk in Germany is called Daft Punk.
3) You can buy an ebook on Amazon called Pax Britannia: The Secret War. This has nothing to do with me, Pax Britannia or Abaddon Books, and moves are being made to have it removed.
4) There is a net 10% drop in crime when Weekend at the Asylum occurs in the city of Lincoln.
5) Archimedes the Steampunk Parrot now has a rival.

You can see more photos from the event here, here and even here.

Steampunk Doncaster - Day 1

I shall be appearing at Steampunk Doncaster today, giving a reading and taking part in a Q&A session from 1.00pm - 2.00pm. So if you're in the area, why not stop by and say "Hi!" to Archimedes and myself?

Steampunk Thursday: Steampunk Doncaster

I can now formally announce that I will be one of the authors taking part in the 'Litarium' at the Steampunk Doncaster event running over the weekend of 15-16 June this summer.

I shall of course be hawking my wares, including my 'Keep Calm' badges and Pax Britannia novels, Mr Green's Marvellous Steampunk Tombola will also be in attendance, as will a certain steampunk robot parrot.

I will also be taking part in a panel/workshop/reading* at some point and hopefully enjoying the other wonders that Steampunk Doncaster will no doubt have to offer the discerning visitor.

To find out more about the event, follow this link, and maybe I'll see you there.

* Delete as applicable.

The Sci-Fi Weekender 2013

So that was the Sci-Fi Weekender 2013 (a.k.a. #sfw4) and (bar the arctic temperatures in my caravan) a great time was had by all. I hosted two panels - the steampunk one (featuring Mr Robert Rankin) being particularly well-attended - and sold lots of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks as well as numerous Pax Britannia novels.

Too many bizarre and amazing occurrences to even attempt to list them all here but I do have a few shout-outs to make. First of all, thank you to my stalwart supporters, Claire, Matt and John, who I think all impersonated me at one time or another over the course of the weekend by helping out on my stall. Herr Döktor, for the safe delivery of Archimedes, the steampunk robot parrot. Marcus and Winston (among others) who bought up vast stocks of gamebooks (both Fighting Fantasy and Path to Victory). Spindles, Emma and Magic Megan (who asked an excellent question during our steampunk panel). Emma Binns, Nick, Lady Raygun, David Howe, Sam Stone, Raven Dane, Fraser, Chase, Gareth L Powell, Ash, Daisy the Moshi Monsters fan, the Knightmare Cosplayers, Celeste, Laurel and Greg, Dr Geof, the Geek Syndicate guys and gals, Craig Charles, Area 51, Sean and Constance, Neil Brittle and all the organisers, and the nice man who gave me an Access All Areas pass, even though I didn't have time to use it.

Herr Döktor (or should that be Ulysses Quicksilver?) and Archimedes the Steampunk Parrot (who ended up totally stealing the show).

Apologies to all those I haven't mentioned. Come and find me on Twitter or Facebook and say hello.

Only at the Sci-Fi Weekender would you see Batman and Bane sharing a pint, or be able to say the sentence "There's a girl over there adjusting her hooves" without sounding like you were completely mad.

Anyway, check out my slideshow below and, if you're feeling brave, this.

Same time, same place, next year then...

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: Who's a pretty boy then?

Can't wait to tell you more about this current work in progress - a work in progress by Herr Doktor, nonetheless!