The Wicked Wizard of Oz two weeks in

The Wicked Wizard of Oz Kickstarter has now been running for two weeks, and with just over half the time left for the project to run we are almost three-quarters funded.

The Wicked Wizard of Oz has been receiving some love online recently from numerous sources. SFX Magazine tweeted about the project on Wednesday.

On Thursday both Starburst Magazine and the guys at Geek Syndicate gave the project a plug, with the Geek Syndicate piece being particularly complimentary about my previous crowdfunded gamebook, Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland. The project also got a plug at the end of this week's Nerd Vs World podcast (at around the 37:50 mark).

Thanks are also due to Megara Entertainment, for sharing the project with their own gamebook backers and, of course, a special mention must go to Scifind.com, who previewed the project before it even launched on Kickstarter.

Remember, Kickstarters only succeed if enough people get to hear about them, so please consider backing the project yourself, but even if it's not your thing, please spread it among your friends, because it might just be theirs.

Thank you.

Hear me speak!

On Tuesday I spent a very pleasant evening in the company of Simon 'Spindles' Potthast, Brendan 'Nerd Vs World' Gylee, and Ady 'Chocolatier' Wilce, for the recording of Episode 29 of the aforementioned Nerd Vs World.

We spent our time eating chocolate and retro sweets, whilst talking about everything from '80s kids' cartoons to YOU ARE THE HERO, and the podcast went live yesterday. You can listen to it here.

And then today another interview I did - this time at the Sci-Fi Weekender, and conducted by Jonathan Hicks, the Farsight Blogger - went live. You can listen to that one here.

Thanks to Jonathan and the guys from Nerd vs World for talking to me, and I wouldn't be surprised if in a year's time there'll be another Nerd vs World blog post...

(From left to right, and back to front)

Spindles, Nerd Vs World, The Chocolatier and Kaiju Killer.

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 (Part 3): Nerd Vs World

I enjoyed a most pleasant evening on Tuesday, in Oxford, taking part in the recording of the latest Nerd Vs World podcast. I had been invited by Mr Simon 'Spindles' Potthast, whom I met at the Sci-Fi Weekender*. Also in attendance were Mr Brendan Gylee, whose baby Nerd Vs World really is (and master of the hot drinks cabinet), and Mr Ady Wilce, who supplied some most welcome Yum Yums that kept us** energised during the course of the evening.

We ended up talking for a good couple of hours about everything from Star Wars chopsticks and retro kids TV to the Clemency Slaughter Kickstarter, Pax Britannia (and Steampunk in general) and must-see movies***. You can listen to the podcast here.

The Nerd Vs World podcasters: (from l-r) Ady, Brendan and Spindles.

The guys have very kindly offered to have me back again, at some point in the future, an offer that I plan to take them up on.



The evening's musical interlude was provided by The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, who also wrote this.


* In the video/slideshow, he's the one dressed as Professor Severus Snape.

** Well, me.

*** I was surprised none of the guys had seen Gareth Edwards' sublime Monsters. If you've not seen it, get hold of a copy and do so without further delay!