Dragonmeet 2017

On Saturday I was at Dragonmeet 2017 in London. Dragonmeet is one of those fixtures in my con calendar that I always look forward to* partly because it's such a sociable convention.

It was great to catch up with a number of people I had seen in a while, including James Wallis - who was launching Alas Vegas at Dragonmeet - John Dodd, Pookie, Brian Edwards, Richard Williams (and his wife Fiona), Matt Zitron, Jonny Nexus and Magnus Anderson, as well as those who I see more regularly, such as Colin Oaten, Steven Dean and Gary Loveridge. And then there were those people who I met for the first (or second) time, including Kickstarter backers Rene Batsford, Simon Smith, and Steve Britton, who presented me with an exquisite miniature he had made to thank me for writing the YOU ARE THE HERO books!

The level of detail in Steve's miniature is astonishing!

My stand was sandwiched between Ian Livingstone's - who gave a talk and did a signing with Steve Jackson - and Fox Yason Audio, producers of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain audio drama.

Fox Yason Audio

Ian Livingstone at Dragonmeet 2017

Steve Jackson signing at Dragonmeet 2017

My best-seller of the day was my ACE Gamebook The Wicked Wizard of Oz. I was kept busy all day, which is much better than being bored, but I did manage to have a quick scooch round and pick up a few choice items myself, including a bit of Christmas shopping.

Dragonmeet 2017 stash

And look what was waiting for me when I got home...

* Along with the UK Games Expo.

Short Story Saturday: GAME OVER

While Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland still has over two days left to run, it's time that I drew your attention to another new project of mine.

GAME OVER is a collection of horror stories inspired by classic arcade games. And in the sinister seaside amusement arcades of the British coast, as well as the surreal worlds of the 8-bit shoot-'em-ups and platformers, there is much horror to be found.

This anthology draws together a veritable High Score table of writers, including the 'Godfather of Indie Games' Design James Wallis, and BAFTA-nominated scriptwriter and New York Times bestselling author James Swallow, as well as Simon Bestwick, one of "the most important writers of contemporary British horror” (according to Ramsey Campbell), and Judge Dredd scriptwriter Michael Carroll, while games designer and one-time Warhammer Loremaster Gav Thorpe has taken a break from dragon-riding elves and the grim darkness of the far future to contribute a tale.

After swimming with sharks and lived to tell the tale, a number of SHARKPUNK contributors are back to harry us with tales inspired by arcade games as well as arcade gaming, including multi-award winning editor (and writer) Jonathan Oliver, mistress of the macabre Sarah Peploe, and co-editor of Holdfast Magazine Laurel Sills.

GAME OVER also introduces you to some writers you may not have heard of - yet! The likes of Tim Major, Alexandra Peel, George Pickett, and Adam Chillman.

GAME OVER is published by the award winning UK publisher Snowbooks Ltd and will be booting up and invading your reality very soon!

Dragonmeet - The Aftermath

A few photos are starting to appear online now, podcasts are going live and others are blogging about their experiences of this year's Dragonmeet.

The Official Fighting Fantasy Website has a piece on the front page, in which the Warlock name-checks me. There is a link to a recording of James Wallis's interview with Ian Livingstone, in which I also get name-checked (and you can actually hear me at about 55:30).

And Sarah Newton's posted some photos of our panel here. (Just don't ask why I appear to be crooning and whistling!)

When the Dragon met the Spider

So, Dragonmeet was on Saturday, and I was there, as were various colleagues and acquaintances of mine, which meant that as well as promoting Temple of the Spider God, taking part in panels and having interesting (and potentially exciting) meetings, I also got to catch up with friends. Which was nice.

Dragonmeet 2011 for me actually started a few hundred yards from High Street Kensington tube station, in a coffee shop, in the company of James Wallis and Tim Dedopulos, where we briefly discussed [CONTENT REMOVED] before heading up to Kensington Town Hall in time for James to interview Ian Livingstone about everything from the foundation of Games Workshop and the early days of Fighting Fantasy, to the future of RPGs and the what OBE actually stands for*.

Ian is a great speaker and James a highly knowledgeable interviewer, and, as a consequence, the allocated hour flew by. What was particularly nice was that I got a mention, as did Tin Man Games Gamebook Adventures. The Tin Man's flesh interface Neil Rennison was there this year as well, and apparently Mr Livingstone himself dropped by the Gamebook Adventures stand early in the day.

Neil Rennison (the Tin Man's organic minion) on the Gamebook Adventures stand

During the course of the seminar, Andrew Kenrick (the current editor of White Dwarf, Games Workshop's hobby magazine) asked Ian Livingstone (former editor of White Dwarf) a question, which was slightly surreal. Ian also revealed that he has written a new Fighting Fantasy gamebook which will be published as close to the actual 30th anniversary of the publication of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain as possible, next year. However, he wouldn't say what it was called, so watch this space...

Fighting Fantasy at Dragonmeet

From left to right - Graham Bottley (Mr Advanced Fighting Fantasy), Jamie Fry (the new Warlock), Ian Livingstone OBE (the most important man in the British games industry), and me

It turns out that Dragonmeet is one of those cons where everywhere I turn there are people I know/have worked with/am working with, and so to begin with it took a while to get anyway, as I stopped to shake hands, chat, be introduced to other people, who will now join the list of those people who, when I arrive at a con, will be everywhere I turn...

After listening to Ian and James's seminar, I made the most of the chance to catch up with various people, took a turn on the Gamebook Adventures stand, and then, before I knew it, it was my turn to be on a panel.

Apparently I am a giant of the gamebook genre.

(Certainly looks like it judging by this photograph!)

Sarah Newton, Iain Lowson and myself were the 'Fiction and the Games Industry' panel. I'd seen(?) Sarah and Iain speak on a panel at the UK Games Expo back in June, and it was a pleasure to join them on this occasion. Not having an MC we were left to our own devices, but fortunately Sarah had done her homework and come up with a few questions to get the ball rolling before we opened it up to the floor. It felt like the panel went very well, from my point of view at least, and the audience were very appreciative. It was a particular pleasure that at the end one member of the audience took the time to thank me for my Pax Britannia books!

Sarah Newton with her novel Mindjammer

and Yours Truly with The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus

Then it was back upstairs into the main hall for more chats, stints on the stand, and perusing the games that were for sale. I did quite well, coming away with just the two large, hardback tomes this time.

During the day I caught up (briefly) with Angus Abranson - Dragonmeet's organiser and who, it was announced last week, is leaving Cubicle 7 (creators of the Doctor Who RPG, amongst other things) - Fighting Fantasy's new Warlock (a.k.a. Jamie Fry), Graham Bottley of Arion Games, Paul Baldowski (demo-game runner extraordinaire), and Sarah Newton, who was selling her first novel Mindjammer at the Cubicle 7 stand (along with my more recent Pax Britannia titles). I obviously also got to meet Iain Lowson - having only Skyped and Twittered with him before -which was a pleasure, and not just because he presented me with a copy of his stunning self-penned RPG Dark Harvest: The Legacy of Frankenstein.

Iain Lowson (author of Dark Harvest) meets Neil Rennison (of Tin Man Games) and Jamie Fry (Fighting Fantasy's new Warlock)

Having left Dragonmeet, I spent the evening in the company of Neil Rennison talking about future plans for the Gamebook Adventures series, which was all rather exciting. But more about that another time...

So it just remains for me to thank Angus for organising such a great con, and having me as a special guest, and Neil for inviting me in the first place. (I also just want to thank Wilf for his kind comments with regard to me helping to keep Fighting Fantasy alive.)

Until next time...

* Turns out, according to Ian, to mean 'Oldest Bloke at Eidos'. (And in case you're wondering, he's 62 next birthday.)

Dragonmeet - today!

Yes, it's here at last!

I shall be appearing at Dragonmeet today, as the guest of Tin Man Games.

The event runs from 10.00am, at Kensington Town Hall, and I'm planning on being there for the whole day.

Fighting Fantasy's Warlock is going to be around as is Graham Bottley of Arion Games, publisher of Second Edition Advanced Fighting Fantasy. And Cubicle 7 will be selling my Pax Britannia books.

I'm on the 'Fiction and the Games Industry' panel with my esteemed colleagues Sarah Newton and Iain Lowson, starting at 1.30pm, whilst m'colleague James Wallis will be interviewing Ian Livingstone OBE, from 11.00am - 12.00pm with a Q&A session afterwards.

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

Dragonmeet - 3 days to go!

Okay... Here, as promised, is the updated info regarding my appearance at Dragonmeet this weekend (Saturday 26 November).

The event runs from 10.00am until around 6.00pm (I think), at Kensington Town Hall, and I'm planning on being there for the whole day.

I'm there officially as the guest of Tin Man Games, but Fighting Fantasy's Warlock is going to be around as well, as are Arion Games, and I'm told Cubicle 7 will be selling my Pax Britannia books. So, if you want me to sign a copy of Howl of the Werewolf, or the latest Ulysses Quicksilver penny dreadful, or even your iPod, feel free to ask.

I shall also be on a panel entitled 'Fiction and the Games Industry' with my esteemed colleagues Sarah Newton and Iain Lowson, running from 1.30pm - 2.00pm.

And while we're on the subject of Dragonmeet, m'colleague and games industry legend, James Wallis, is going to be interviewing m'colleague and games industry demigod, Ian Livingstone OBE, from 11.00am - 12.00pm with a Q&A session afterwards. I can guarantee it will be a great listen; Ian is the best after dinner speaker I know!

Lego Minifig Game by legendary games designer James Wallis

Like this?

And this?

And this?

They're all Lego figures based on characters from my various books but they're also all based on (or, in some cases, exactly the same as) various minifigs from the collectible series that have been out for a while now.

Well James Wallis (of Hogshead Publishing and Magnum Opus Press) created a great game utilising these fabulous figures for the recent GameCamp held at the London South Bank University.

And you can read all about his experiences of creating the game here.