Review of the Year - 2017

It's that time of year again when I like to look back over the achievements of the last twelve months, before looking forward to what the next year has in store writing-wise.

I only had four books come out in 2016*, but I made up for that this year, with a grand total of fourteen titles that I was associated with in some way being released throughout 2017. (And that doesn't include the three German Edition Pax Britannia eBooks released in May**.)

They include one re-issue, three short story anthologies that I have short stories in, Hacking the Curriculum, to which I contributed a chapter about using interactive fiction in the classroom, two colouring books based on my ACE Gamebooks, one new gamebook, the second volume in my history of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, a Doctor Who tie-in title, a Minecraft tie-in title, a graphic novel that compiles the four-part comic mini-series I edited, and two titles I have self-published.

At the start of the year I launched the SHARKPUNK 2 Kickstarter, which unfortunately gained no traction at all. However, the next two Kickstarters - YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 and NEVERLAND - did fund, fortunately! YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 funded on 1st April and the finished book was delivered to me on 1st September, just in time for Fighting Fantasy Fest 2!

As well as organising Fighting Fantasy Fest 2, and the world's first Fighting Fantasy pub quiz, I attended far more events than last year, including the Steampunk Author Showcase at the Essex Book Festival, the Freeway Fighter signing at Forbidden Planet, the UK Games Expo 2017, the Steampunk Essextraordianaire III, Dragondaze, GamesFest, ArmadaCon, and Dragonmeet. (I also received a very warm welcome when I visited the Barnes and Noble store in New York back in April, but that's another story!)

There are a number of projects I've worked on this year that won't see print until 2018. One of those jobs was working on a brand-new Fighting Fantasy gamebook with Charlie Higson, of all people, which was nice.

Another highlight of the year was meeting Iain McCaig at FFF2, who greeted me like an old friend, even thought it was the first time we had even spoken!

As one year comes to an end, I already have plenty of work lined up for 2018, including a couple of short stories, NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!, and hopefully some more Scrooge and Marley (Deceased).

But of all the amazing memories I have from this year, what will I remember most from 2017? 2013 was the Year of Moshi Monsters, 2014 was the Year of YOU ARE THE HERO, 2015 was the Year of Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland, and 2016 was the Year of  Robin of Sherwood. However, I think I will always remember 2017 as the Year of The Wicked Wizard of Oz.

Thank you for reading my books and supporting my Kickstarters in 2017, and here's to 2018. And talking of 2018, German gamebook fans have this to look forward to...

* And one of them was a re-issue.

** Or the new edition of YOU ARE THE HERO Part 1 that was released to accompany the YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2 Kickstarter, or the Print on Demand reprint of Status: Deadzone available now from Black Library.

The World's First Fighting Fantasy Pub Quiz

Do you know your Calacorms from your Clawbeasts? Do you know the difference between a Krell and a Krell? Can you find your way around a map of north-western Allansia?

If you do, or you can, then perhaps you should come along to the world's first Fighting Fantasy pub quiz a fortnight today.

Get warmed up for FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2 with a special get together for Fighting Fantasy fans!

Featuring:

• The inaugural Fighting Fantasy Pub Quiz
• SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK Rolls
• Special one-off prizes
• And of course - BEER!

Admission is £5 per person.

We are raising money for the men's health charity Prostate Cancer UK, in memory of Freeway Fighter illustrator Kevin Bulmer. Once costs have been covered, all proceeds will be donated to Prostate Cancer UK.

Spaces are limited and entry is by ticket only.

This event is for over 18s only.

And then on Saturday 2nd September, join other Fighting Fantasy fans to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the world's premier gamebook series at FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2!

Gamebook Friday: Freeway Fighter signing at Forbidden Planet, London!

Tomorrow, Saturday 20th May 2017 from 1:00-2:00pm, many of the creative team behind Ian Livingstone's Freeway Fighter, published last Wednesday by Titan Comics, will be visiting the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London to sign copies of the very first Fighting Fantasy comic.

Joining writer Andi Ewington, artist Simon Coleby, original gamebook cover artist Jim Burns, letterer Jim Campbell, and author of the original Freeway Fighter gamebook, co-creator of the FF series and co-founder of Games Workshop, Ian Livingstone, will be Yours Truly, since I worked as editor on the title. Having edited three short story anthologies (to date) this is my first professional comic-editing gig and it's been a lot of fun to work on.

As well as being able to pick up various variant cover editions of the comic, at the Forbidden Planet signing Freeway Fighter fans will also to be to buy two limited edition Jim Burns giclee prints (each one £29.99, 18" x 24"), signed by Jim Burns and Ian Livingstone. These will only be available at the event and will not be available later from the Forbidden Planet website afterwards!

The event is bound to be very busy, so make sure you start queueing early, may your STAMINA never fail, and maybe I'll see you there...

Freeway Fighter the Comic - Launch Day!

Andi Ewington first approached me about working on the Freeway Fighter comic with him last summer. As well as coming on board in an editorial role, the plan was that I would run a Kickstarter to fund production of the comic, Andi having already assembled a team of veritable comic talent to help turn his script into a piece of glorious sequential art, including artist Simon Coleby, colourist Len O'Grady, and letterer Jim Campbell.

However, before I could get underway with setting up the Kickstarter, Andi got in touch to say that Matt Mastracci had come on board as executive producer*, providing the financial backing which meant we wouldn't need to crowdfund the comic after all.

Then began the process of creating the comic, from refining the script - making sure it worked as both a comic and a Fighting Fantasy product, linking back to the original Freeway Fighter gamebook by Ian Livingstone - to Simon producing the art, which was then coloured by Len and finally lettered by Jim Campbell.

As things currently stand, Issue #3 is well on the way to being finished, with work having already begun on Issue #4 and its variant covers.

The next piece of good news was when Andi revealed that he Matt and Ian had been in talks with Titan Comics who would being coming on board as publisher, which brings us to this very day, when Issue #1 of Ian Livingstone's Freeway Fighter goes on sale for the very first time. It includes an exclusive introduction by Ian Livingstone himself and a letters page featuring letters by some very well-known figures within the world of comics indeed.

If you're in or around London on Saturday (20th May 2017) why not pop along to the Forbidden Planet Megastore on Shaftesbury Avenue from 1:00-2:00pm, when the creative team behind the Freeway Fighter comic - creator Ian Livingstone, writer Andi Ewington, artist Simon Coleby, original cover artist Jim Burns, and editor Jonathan Green - will be taking part in a mass signing.

Maybe I'll see you there...

* And all because he read about Andi Ewington's dreams of publishing a Freeway Fighter comic book in YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks!

Forthcoming Events

A couple of dates for your diary...

Essex Book Festival - Saturday 25th March 2017

I shall be appearing at the Essex Book Festival in Chelmsford, on Saturday 25th March 2017, as part of the Steampunk Author Showcase, along with m'colleagues Toby Frost and Raven Dane.

If you're in the area, why not stop by? The event will be taking place from 2:30pm - 3:45pm but I shall also be selling my wares on the day, include my Pax Britannia books, as well as my steampunk-inspired Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland.

To find out more, and to book tickets, follow this link, down the rabbit-hole...

Freeway Fighter Signing - Saturday 20th May 2017

Join an all-star Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks line-up at Forbidden Planet, launching Titan Comics’ Ian Livingstone's Freeway Fighter: The Comic on Saturday 20th May from 1 – 2pm!

Forbidden Planet are pleased to welcome Gamesmaster Ian Livingstone, artist Jim Burns, editor Jonathan Green, and creators Andi Ewington, Simon Coleby and Orlando Arocena, bringing us the first leg of a furious three-way road trip.

Celebrating 35 years in 2017, Fighting Fantasy brought together choice-driven storytelling with a dice-based role-playing system to create a world in which ‘YOU are the hero!’ The series sold over 18 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 languages.

In the new comics series, an unknown virus has wiped out over 85% of the world’s human population. Former I-400 Driver Bella De La Rosa is one of the 15% – living every day as if it were her last. Now, eighteen months after the collapse of civilisation, faced with a new world order where violence and chaos rule the Freeway. She must hone her racing skills and survive any way she can! 

Stepping away from the usual mix of orcs and goblins, FREEWAY FIGHTER is a road trip like no other. Dare you take it? If yes, turn to paragraph 132!

Fighting Fantasy Fest 2 - Saturday 2nd September 2017

On Saturday 2nd September 2017, a host of dedicated Fighting Fantasy fans will gather at the University of West London, in Ealing, to mark the 35th anniversary of the publication of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, and the subsequent series of adventure gamebooks it spawned. And you could be there too!

Tickets are now on sale for Fighting Fantasy Fest 2, via the official Fighting Fantasy website here.

Review of the Year - 2016

On New Year's Eve last year I posted a review of 2015. I'm a little earlier this year, seeing as nothing major is going to happen writing-wise between Christmas and New Year, so here's my review of 2016.

Last year I had an unprecedented nine books published. This year there were only four books, and one video game that I worked on, that saw the light of day. The first of those was a re-issue, but the second was a brand-new Doctor Who gamebook, Night of the Kraken!

Shakespeare Vs Cthulhu - funded via Kickstarter - was a concept I thought couldn't fail, and yet it has yet to really find a committed readership, which is a shame.

Of course the number of projects published this year doesn't reflect the work I've done this year that is yet to see print, such as The Wicked Wizard of Oz or a brand new Pax Britannia short story.

And there were other things that happened this year that have made a big impact on my writing/career.

For one thing, I took on the mantle of Warlock for www.FightingFantasy.com and have started planning Fighting Fantasy Fest 2 which is taking place on Saturday 2nd September 2017, to mark the 35th anniversary of the publication of the very first Fighting Fantasy gamebook, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

I was also editor on the new Freeway Fighter comic that is coming out from Titan Comics next year.



I was invited to write the novelisation of Robin of Sherwood: The Knights of the Apocalypse at the end of 2015 and met some of my childhood heroes (or at least their 20th century counterparts) in 2016.

With some of the cast of the audio drama Robin of Sherwood: The Knights of the Apocalypse. (I'm the one second from the left, dressed like an estate agent.)

And there were two more projects that I worked on that won't see the light of day until 2017.

Talking of 2017, I have a few projects in the pipeline already, including SHARKPUNK 2 - a second anthology of killer shark stories - and a new novel, which I am outlining at the moment. I also hope to start work on YOU ARE THE HERO Part 2, also to mark Fighting Fantasy's 35th anniversary. And then there are yet more projects that either I can't talk about yet or which may still come to nothing, or both!

I attended fewer conventions than ever before this year - although I did attend the European premiere of Fantastic Beast And Where To Find Them - mostly because they clashed with other commitments.

Among the many celebrity deaths this year, sadly 2016 will also be remembered as the year that Joe Dever, creator of the Lone Wolf gamebook series, passed away.

Joe Dever - 1956-2106

One of the biggest things for me writing-wise in 2016, in terms of its importance to me and also, hopefully, bringing my work to a new readership was the Robin of Sherwood gig, so I think 2016 will be listed in my autobiography as The Year of Robin of Sherwood.

But what will 2017 be remembered as?

We will just have to wait and see...

Gamebook Friday: Freeway Fighter - The Comic!

Fans of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks may well already know, but coming from Titan Comics in Spring 2017 is FREEWAY FIGHTER, a comic book based the Ian Livingstone-penned Mad Max-esque post-apocalyptic road-trip of a gamebook of the same name, written by Andi Ewington, with pencils and inks by Simon Coleby, colours by Len O'Grady, and letters by Jim Campbell.

Some FF fans may also have already been aware that such a project was in the offing, thanks to being members of the Facebook group or even because they read about it in YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks.

However, not many people know that I am actually the editor on the project, and it is a project that I am very proud to be a part of. There are many comic book creators I would love to work with, one day, and Simon, Len and Jim were three of them. In fact, thinking that I may never get a better chance to work with Simon, I commissioned him to produce the cover art for SHARKPUNK. And yet here I am, only eighteen months later, and I've worked with him again.

Although I dotted a few 'i's and crossed a few 't's here and there, FREEWAY FIGHTER the comic is really Andi Ewington's baby, and I thank him wholeheartedly for inviting me to join this project. A huge thank you must also go to Matt Mastracci, who has financed the project, and what makes him involvement all the more special to me is that he came on board after reading this passage in YOU ARE THE HERO!

If you have yet to, I would urge you to join the Ian Livingstone's Freeway Fighter: The Comic Facebook group, and check out more about yesterday's breaking news item here and here.

Freeway Fighter

Ian Livingstone's Freeway Fighter might have been published 31 years ago today, but it will be zooming back into your realities soon.

To find out more, join the Facebook group here.

Gamebook Friday: Odds and Sods

A few things to post about today, and all of them somehow gamebook-related.

Last week I went here...

And did this...

For this.

I have also recently joined the International Wizard of Oz Club...

And I also set up this Facebook group to start to spread the word about the forthcoming comic book prequel to Ian Livingstone's 1985 Fighting Fantasy gamebook Freeway Fighter...