Steampunk Thursday: Asylum Steampunk Festival 2016

Despite having given attendees a sneak preview of Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland at the Asylum last year, I'm afraid that I'm not actually attending the event this year. (It seems that every event this year clashes with some other commitment.) However, if you are there, there are a number of literary-themed events that you should check out.

HOW NOT TO WRITE A STEAMPUNK NOVEL
WHEN: 27th August 2016 @ 11:00 am – 11:45 am
WHERE: Cathedral Centre
Join Steampunk author, Rob Harkess, as he shares his experiences to educate and inform those who wish to undertake this perilous enterprise.

TELOS PUBLISHING – MEET AND MERCH
WHEN: 27th August 2016 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
WHERE: Castle
Thanks to the lovely team at Telos Publishing, Asylum goers will be able to purchase some of their titles at very special Festival rates. Joining them are Sam Stone, bestselling and award-winning author of the Vampire Gene series, the Kat Lightfoot Steampunk adventure series and the Jinx Chronicles alien invasion Series. Also attending will be Raven Dane, another award-winning author and popular Asylum speaker. Top DOCTOR WHO historian and author David J Howe will also be on hand with copies of several factual tomes associated with the series. So come along and browse some great titles, chat to the people to publish, edit, write and create the books, and pick up some bargains!

STEAM IS MY MIDDLE NAME
WHEN: 27th August 2016 @ 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
WHERE: Assembly Rooms
Join the quizmaster for some frantic buzzer action, as our Steampunk authors and members of the audience take on the ultimate fun quiz on Steampunk writings. One to watch, or possibly take part in if you can drag yourself away from the latest Steampunk tome. (I wonder if Pax Britannia will feature in any of the questions?)

A HISTORY OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE FROM GRAVITY NULLIFICATION TO THE OUTBREAK OF THE MODERN WAR (1843-1911)
WHEN: 27th August 2016 @ 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm
WHERE: Cathedral Centre
Steampunk author, Steve Turnbull, takes you on a journey through the alternate history of his Steampunk worlds. Discover something new and let your imagination take a holiday on someone else’s planet.

I’M SORRY, I HAVEN’T A STEAMPUNK
WHEN: 28th August 2016 @ 12:15 pm – 1:00 pm
WHERE: Assembly Rooms
Time for a round of Mornington Crescent, but we’ll be using the 1905 Rules! Join our panel of Steampunk authors, as they try to work out if they can be as funny as a bunch of comedians.

STEAMPUNK INSPIRATION
WHEN: 28th August 2016 @ 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm
WHERE: Cathedral Centre
Take it where you can get it and make it your own. This thoughtful and informative session will look at where the inspiration comes from and where it can take you. Literature, comics, TV, Literature, comics, TV, games and film, all have crossover and “mash-up” opportunities, so how do you take your Steampunk?

HOW TO BUILD A STEAMPUNK NATION
WHEN: 28th August 2016 @ 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm
WHERE: Cathedral Centre
No, we are not planning a revolution, but whether you are creating a backstory or writing a novel, creating your own steampunk nation is a fun exercise, and a much better time-waster than the Internet!

SAM STONE AND GUESTS
WHEN: 28th August 2016 @ 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm
WHERE: Cathedral Centre
Join author Sam Stone, as she brings together a panel of Steampunk authors to talk about the creation process, how to get published and what projects they are currently working on that might be your next big summer read.

Interestingly, this year there is also a discussion about Dieselpunk, which is one of the influences on The Wicked Wizard of Oz...

MORE ANACHRONISTIC HISTORY – FORWARD UNTO DIESELPUNK
WHEN: 27th August 2016 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
WHERE: Assembly Rooms
Steampunks love to explore and discover new things and with proliferation of time travel and other temporal experimentation they will eventually either by design or accident find themselves viewing something that is not quite steampunk but oddly familiar and very intriguing. Come along and find out more as the Major lifts the veil and peers at the world of dieselpunk.

And don't forget to visit the Telos Publishing stand and Steampunk Authors' stand at the Steampunk Market.

Weekend at the Asylum - Pax Britannia: Tempus Fugit

Today (Sunday 30th August) at 12:00pm, I will also be giving a reading from my first brand-new Pax Britannia short story in three years!

An opportunity not to be missed I am sure you'll agree.

Be there (at the Westgate Academy) or remain clueless as to the relevance of the story's title. ;-)

Weekend at the Asylum - Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland

Today (Saturday 29th) at 3:00pm, I will be giving a talk (at the Westgate Academy) about my latest Steampunk-related project, Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland.

So if you want to find out more about what I have in store for our heroine, and maybe have a play through of part of the book, then why not pop along?

Gamebook Friday: Alice's Nightmare in Lincoln

Just a quick reminder that I am at Weekend at the Asylum VII this weekend.

I will be based at the Westgate Academy, home to the literature and gaming zones, along with the other authors, publishers, games companies and gamers who are also attending this year.

On Saturday 29th at 3:00pm, I will be giving a talk about my latest Steampunk-related project, Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland. So if you want to find out more about what I have in store for our heroine (150 years old this year!) and maybe have a play through of part of the book, then why not pop along?

On Sunday 30th at 12:00pm, I will also be giving a reading from my first brand-new Pax Britannia short story in three years! An opportunity not to be missed I am sure you'll agree.

Hopefully I'll see you there!

Gamebook Friday: Alice at the Asylum

Calling all Pax Britannia fans! I will be attending Weekend at the Asylum VII on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th August this year.

This will be my fourth stay at the asylum and this year I will be based at the Westgate Academy, home to the literature and gaming zones, along with the other authors, publishers, games companies and gamers who are also attending this year.

Admission is by wristband only, and there is going to be a mini street food festival in the grounds of the Academy.

On Saturday 29th at 3:00pm, I will be giving a talk about my latest Steampunk-related project, Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland. So if you want to find out more about what I have in store for our heroine (150 years old this year!) and maybe have a play through of part of the book, then why not pop along?

On Sunday 30th at lunchtime, I will also be giving a reading from my first brand-new Pax Britannia short story in three years! An opportunity not to be missed I am sure you'll agree.

So, be splendid, and maybe I'll see you there.

A Summer of Events

I'm going to be appearing at a number of events over the summer, either in my capacity as a writer and designer of gamebooks, or as an editor of short story anthologies, or as an author of Steampunk novels.

Saturday 11th July 2015
Edge-Lit 4
SHARKPUNK is sponsoring the 5:15pn panel 'Short and Sweet – Writing and Selling Short Stories', featuring Andrew Hook, Kim Lakin-Smith (SHARKPUNK contributor), Alison Littlewood, and Gav Thorpe (GAME OVER contributor), with Adele Wearing chairing.

Saturday 18th - Sunday 19th July 2015
London Film and Comic Con
I shall be appearing in the Book Zone, talking about SHARKPUNK and Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland.

Friday 7th & Sunday 9th August 2015
Nine Worlds Geekfest
I will be appearing as a guest at this year's Nine Worlds. More details to be revealed later...

Saturday 29th - Sunday 30th August 2015
Weekend at the Asylum VII
This will be my fourth stay at the asylum. I will be appearing at the Westgate Academy, which is home to the literature and gaming zones, and the other authors, publishers, games companies and gamers will also be based here. Admission is by wristband only, and there is going to be a mini street food festival in the grounds of the Academy.

And don't forget...

Ending at 1.00pm BST Monday 3rd August 2015
Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland on Kickstarter

If you've ever wondered what would have happened if Alice hadn’t drunk from the bottle labelled ‘Drink Me’, or if she hadn’t joined the Hatter, the March Hare, and the Dormouse for tea, now you can find out. In Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland, rather than becoming Alice yourself, YOU guide Alice through the fluctuating dream world, deciding which route she should take, which perils to risk, and which of Wonderland’s strange denizens to fight. But be warned – whether Alice succeeds in her quest, or meets a dire end as the nightmare escalates, will be down to the choices YOU make. But remember, this book can't happen without YOU!

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.

Weekend at the Asylum 2013 - Day 2

I'll be at Weekend at the Asylum today, promoting Pax Britannia and selling my Steampunk novels. I'll also be running my already legendary Steampunk Tombola and my soon-to-be legendary Book Lucky Dip.

So, if you're at the Asylum (or even just happen to be in Lincoln), why not stop by the Assembly Rooms in time to join in with the panel I'll be taking part in today?

Steampunk Fiction

Sunday 15 September, 11.00 a.m.(Assembly Rooms Main Room)

Authors talking about Steampunk in the written form on page and screen. Where is it now? Where do they see it to be going? With Toby Frost, Linzi Cooke, Raven Dane and Jonathan Green.

Maybe I'll see you there...

Weekend at the Asylum 2013 - Day 1

I'll be at Weekend at the Asylum today, promoting Pax Britannia and selling my Steampunk novels. I'll also be running my already legendary Steampunk Tombola and my soon-to-be legendary Book Lucky Dip.

So, if you're at the Asylum (or even just happen to be in Lincoln), why not stop by the Assembly Rooms in time to join in with the panel I'll be taking part in today?

Publishing, self, small or mainstream?

Saturday 14 September, 11.00 a.m. 

(Assembly Rooms Tennyson Suite)

Steampunk is a creative scene which attracts writers. How do you get published? Is self-publishing an option? What about setting up your own publishers? With Meg Kingston, Jim Snee, Sam Stone and Jonathan Green.

Doors open at 10.30 a.m. Maybe I'll see you there...

Steampunk Thursday: Weekend at the Asylum

This weekend, around 1,500 Steampunks will descend on the historic city of Lincoln (in the UK) to celebrate Weekend at the Asylum 5.

Pax Britannia has been a fixture there since the very beginning, and this will be my third visit to the premier Steampunk convention in Europe.

I shall be present in the Assembly Rooms, selling my wares and talking about all things related to Steampunk and literature. The specific timings of the panels I'm involved in are as follows:

Saturday 14 September, 11.00am 
(Assembly Rooms Tennyson Suite)
Publishing, self, small or mainstream? - Steampunk is a creative scene which attracts writers. How do you get published? Is self-publishing an option? What about setting up your own publishers. With Meg Kingston, Jim Snee, Sam Stone and Jonathan Green.

Sunday 15 September, 11.00am
(Assembly Rooms Main Room)
Steampunk Fiction - Authors talking about steampunk in the written form on page and screen. Where is it now? Where do they see it to be going? With Toby Frost, Linzi Cooke, Raven Dane and Jonathan Green.

The panels at the recent Nine Worlds Geekfest were a lot of fun, and my fellow panellists are great raconteurs, so the talks at the Asylum should be highly entertaining if nothing else.

Doors open on Saturday at 10.30am. Maybe I'll see you there...

Steampunk Thursday: Clemency Slaughter and the Legacy of D'Eath - A Grim, Gothic Tale Without a Happy Ending

It's Steampunk Thursday here on JonathanGreenAuthor.com... Or should that be Gothic Thursday?

The reason? Because today I want to talk to you about Clemency Slaughter and the Legacy of D'Eath, a grim, gothic tale born of a chance meeting at the Steampunk convention Weekend at the Asylum last year.

When Tom Brown (the artist behind Hopeless, Maine) and I first discussed collaborating on a project, it was going to be a Steampunk project. But then it morphed into something less knowingly anachronistic and a lot more darkly gothic.

So what is Clemency Slaughter and the Legacy of D'Eath?

Well, in a nutshell, it's a book, written by Yours Truly and fully illustrated by Tom, and it's due to be published by Steel Quill Books, a new imprint of NewCon Press.

At first it might appear to be a children's book, but in reality it is something much darker and more adult. Children of all ages will enjoy its mix of macabre humour and beautiful illustration - and you can become the proud owner of one (as long as the project funds) if you pledge £12 or more here.

Clemency Slaughter and the Legacy of D'Eath

I thought some of you* might like to see what artist Tom Brown and I have been working on since we met at last year's Weekend at the Asylum.

Check out the new blog, check out the Facebook page, click the 'Like' button, and start to spread the word. This is going to be something special...

 

 

* Especially all you fans of Steampunk and the Gothic.

Steampunk Thursday: JG at Weekend at the Asylum

Back at the start of September (when it was still warm!) I attended Weekend at the Asylum. While I was there, Vishnu AV Productions videoed me - along with the other contributors - for a film they were making about the event.

Well, the finished film is now online, and despite the corporate video titles, it gives you a pretty good idea of what Weekend at the Asylum was like. In case you're interested, my brief segment appears at around the 11 and a half minute mark.

Enjoy...

Pax Britannia Week: Steampunk Badges

The badges I designed and had made for this year's Weekend at the Asylum proved so popular that, based on customer feedback, I've had some more made.

So when you see me selling my books at a con in the future make sure you pick up one, or two... or more.

Steampunk Thursday: Keep Calm and Buy Badges

I had some badges made for Weekend at the Asylum and they proved so popular I've decided to put them up for sale on eBay. There are three sets on offer.

 Splendid Steampunks

Victorian Heroes 

Victorian Hunters

So if you were unable to attend Weekend at the Asylum (or missed me) you can pick up your own steampunk badges today! Don't delay! Simply click the appropriate image above to be taken to the correct eBay listing.

Warhammer Wednesday: Mission GW - Lincoln

In case you've been hiding under a rock for the last week or so (or alternatively you're still recovering from the Dead Dog party and don't know what day of the week it is), you'll know that this past weekend I was in Lincoln for Weekend at the Asylum, the largest steampunk gathering in Europe.

While I was in Lincoln I indulged another habit of mine, that of visiting the local Games Workshop store when I'm in town. When I visited last year, James Monk was manager but he's now at the Bromley store so I was welcomed by new manager Brian Purchase.

It turns out that Brian's rather a fast painter - all the miniatures in the Dark Vengeance boxed set over two evenings after work - and proudly showed off the labours of his efforts. I love the new Helbrute figure, and it's surely only a matter of time before one of these appears in one of my stories somewhere.

Thanks, Brian, for the warm welcome, and see you again next year. (Probably.)

 The Crimson Slaughter attack

 The Helbrute

Weekend at the Asylum 2012 - The Aftermath

So that's Weekend at the Asylum over for another year, and what a weekend it was! I caught up with all sorts of friends (whom I didn't know before Asylum 2011) and made many new ones too. The event itself was even bigger and better than before, taking over much of the historic part of Lincoln (or so it seemed).

Lincoln Cathedral and the top of Steep Hill

I was kept busy all weekend, selling books and badges (which proved to be very popular) and on Sunday hosted 'An Audience with Jonathan Green' and moderated the panel 'Write a Cog on it'.

My wares - not much of this was left at the end of the weekend!

Just a few highlights of the weekend included a boy telling me that the opening of Unnatural History was like a cool version of Jurassic Park, meeting Vincent's family, having the moral support of the Pax B Posse (Esther and Frances), officially joining Emilia Etherheart's pirate crew as their Professional Gambler, being asked to help judge the costume competition, and Kit Cox's evening of folk singing.

You can see my (many) photos from the event here. If you see yourself among them, please do tag yourself and thereby help to grow the Pax Britannia community.

Bebb and Rockett - here to save the day!

Among the people I met were Tom and Nimue Brown. Tom had some of his artwork on display and at the end of the weekend very kindly gave me one of his prints. You can check out their gothic webcomic here. I should also mention that Vincent Shaw-Morton won the coveted Ruskin Award for the second year in a row!

Bridge of Bottles, by Tom Brown

Thank you to Tinker and Lady Elsie, Ben and the rest of the Victorian Steampunk Society, for organising such a fantastic event, and thank you to the staff of the Assembly Rooms in Lincoln who were absolute stars as well.

And lastly, congratulations to Raven Dane who won Best Novel at the inaugural Victorian Steampunk Society Awards for Cyrus Darian and the Technomicron.

Apparently we're doing it all again next year... so here's to Weekend at the Asylum 2013!

Steampunk Week: Weekend at the Asylum - Day 3

It's the final day of Weekend at the Asylum today, but it's also probably going to be the busiest for me.


At 11.00am I shall be holding a Q'n'A session, as well as reading from Part 3 of Time's Arrow - White Noise.

At 1.00pm I shall be taking part in the panel 'Write a cog on it' with Raven Dane and Jema Hewitt.

And then at 4.00pm it's the awards ceremony for the inaugural Victorian Steampunk Society Awards for works released during 2011. I am very pleased to say that I have been nominated in the BEST NOVEL category... not once, but twice! Here's the shortlist:

BEST NOVEL

Heartless – Gail Carriger

Cyrus Darian and the Technonomicron – Raven Dane

Anno Frankenstein – Jonathan Green

Red-Handed – Jonathan Green

So, wish me luck!

Steampunk Week: Weekend at the Asylum - Day 2

Weekend at the Asylum kicks off in earnest today.

You'll find me in the Ballroom of the County Assembly Rooms, so if you're coming along why not stop by and say hello, browse my stall and buy a book or a badge.

Or you could always have a go on my Steampunk Tombola.

And don't forget, this year's Weekend at the Asylum features the inaugural Victorian Steampunk Society Awards for works released during 2011. I'm up for BEST NOVEl - twice! 

Awards will be made following a popular vote of all AVSS members attending The Asylum. (Voting slips will be available when you register and collect your wristband.) So, if you're going to Weekend at the Asylum and you happen to enjoy my Pax Britannia books, you know what you have to do. ;-)

Maybe I'll see you there...

Steampunk Week: Weekend at the Asylum - Day 1

It's Day 1 of the fourth annual Weekend at the Asylum and I'll be heading up to Lincoln today to prepare myself for the fun and frolics ahead.








This evening you will probably find me at The Victoria Inn catching up with old friends* and making new ones. So if you're there and you spot me** please stop and say "Hello!"

Maybe I'll see you there.


* In other words, people I met at the Asylum last year.

** You'll hardly be able to miss me in this T-shirt!