FantasyCon 2011

First off an apology. I don't usually do these - I get tired of reading posts by writers apologising for not updating their blogs because they've been... er... writing - but today it's not without just cause.

I realise that I owe you a couple of posts - one about Games Day (which was awesome) and one about the House of Fear launch (which was equally awesome). And they will happen, but the thing is I've been rather immersed in my latest project (which is a good thing) and know that my time is limited because this weekend I'm off to Brighton for FantasyCon 2011.

I'll be there from Friday to Sunday, attending various panels that m'colleagues are on, attending The Big Solaris Book Event and the Dark Continents launch, and generally hanging out 'networking' in the bar. I may also stop by the dealers' room... see if there are any good deals to be made, and so forth.

Maybe I'll see some of you there. I you see me first do come over and say hello. Although, having checked out the list of 'professionals' attending the Con, I wonder if they'll actually be anybody else there at all...

BL at Games Day UK, okay?

This Sunday (26 September) Games Day UK is taking place at the Birmingham NEC. I'll be there (as a fan as well as to chat to the BL editors and authors) and if you're planning on coming along yourself, check out this visitors' map (taking careful notes of the Black Library Digitial bit - cool!).


Maybe see you there?

Games Day 2009 - The Aftermath

For those of you who didn't know, yesterday was Games Day, and a very fine Games Day it was too. It started for me pulling up in the car park next to Rick and Lindsey Priestley, to find ace author James Swallow unfolding himself from their Mini. On the way into the NEC hall I happened to then meet up with Graham McNeill and got all the latest on his five week-old Mini-Me.

Next to join the ever-growing band was the very dapper Mathieu Saintout, French publisher of the Black Library books, and his aide Julien. I then bumped into Dan and Nik Abnett and managed to say 'Hi!' which was (unfortunately) all I managed all day.

The Black Library stand - busy as ever

So, then it was into the hall. I felt very privileged to meet the fan every author wants to meet, Lady Inquisitor Xhalax, although I'm told she was in fact dressed as a very specific character from the forthcoming Blood Pact by Dan Abnett.

Everyone's a critic...

I also caught up with my erstwhile editor Christian Dunn and had a very exciting chat with him, and editor-turned-author Nick Kyme, who was savouring a biscuit at the end of a long day when I caught up with him. I also got to admire Richard Williams' banner and book-stamp, admire Neil Roberts' cover artwork up close (big shout goes out to the Zoat!), said 'Hello!' to new(ish) editor Alex Davis and even caught Ben Counter entering the create a Chaos Champion competition.

'Just hang on a minute while I put my eyes in.'

I also got to meet the new enfant terrible of the Black Library, the very cool and double-barrelled Aaron Dembski-Bowden - who said some very kind things about my Black Templar Armageddon books - and his delightful girlfriend Katie. I'm only sorry I couldn't go back to Bugman's with them to share a pint only dad-duty called.

The astonishingly well-off author Aaron Dembski-Bowden and his gorgeous girlfriend Katie.

(Only one of these statements is true.)

Outside of the Black Library I got to catch up with ace artist Adrian Smith (whose painting of Gerhard Brennend adores my office wall) and salivate over his brilliant new Space Wolves artwork, and finally got to meet the legendary John Blanche, who reminisced with me about Fighting Fantasy and Sorcery! in particular.

Ace artist Adrian Smith

I think that's probably enough names dropped for now. The only thing I'll add is that I also had an amazing Friday and was somewhere where many FF fans would kill to be. Suffice to say I got to see an original copy of the very first White Dwarf magazine and the original flowchart for Deathtrap Dungeon. I'm not boasting or gloating, I'm just rather excited, that's all. ;-)

Games Day 2009

It's tomorrow, Sunday 27 September. I'll be there, celebrating the fact that I've just finished the first draft of Night of the Necromancer. Will you?

Dawn of War II - say 'Hello!' to the Tyranids

Back in July I let you know about the Warhammer 40,000 computer game Dawn of War II. Well, the full trailer for the game has now been released.

I saw it for myself back in September at Games Day, but you can now watch it at IGN Video. The general response to the twist that follows the dying Eldar's enigmatic words was along the lines of '**** me! Cool! ****** brilliant!'

Anyway, you get the idea. Go check it out for yourself and prepare to be enthralled!

Games Day 2008

Doesn't time fly? It doesn't seem like 12 months have passed since I put up an early post on this blog about Games Day 2007, and here I am about to commence with my write-up of Games Day 2008...

So, anyway, to get to the point... Yesterday I headed up to Birmingham for a couple of hours to immerse myself in all things Warhammer and Warhammer 40K, catch up with old friends, make a few new ones and even talk a bit of business.

Games Day was bigger than ever, now occupying the NEC's Hall One, as well as the Arena and Pavilion. There were the usual participation games, pre-release models, opportunities to find out more about how Games Workshop's games are created, brand new computer games to test run, and, of course, the latest Black Library products available a good month or more before they'll be out on your local high street.

It was in the BL's signing area that I spent most of my time. BL's top authors - Dan Abnett and Graham McNeill - had their own signing tables with queues that had to be seen to be believed. They were there all day as well, with only a few minutes off for lunch for good behaviour.

But how was it for me? Well I caught up with BL editors Lindsey Priestley and Nick Kyme, talked Doctor Who with top scribe (and all round ace bloke) James Swallow, waved nonchalantly at Graham McNeill, didn't even attempt to chat to Dan Abnett, but instead spoke to his wife and editor Nik Vincent about grammar and style (and our respective kids), got excited about all things steampunk with BL head honcho George Mann, reminisced about the good ol' days with Paul Sawyer (one time White Dwarf editor and now of Warlord Games), got up to speed with what artist extraordinaire Karl Kopinski is doing now and met Rob Clark - who recognised me from my blog and with whom I discussed both the past, and the possible future, of Fighting Fantasy.

So, all in all, a good day.

And to end, here are some snaps from the day...

James Swallow - good times!

The must-see GD 08 centrepiece modelling masterpiece - the Dwarf port of Barak Varr

A life-size Blood Ravens Rhino APC!

Karl Kopinski - talented artist and all round top bloke

Dan Abnett - a very busy man

Titanicus Cometh

Games Day 2008 is less than a couple of months away now, and one of the new Black Library book releases that will be available on the day is the hefty tome Titanicus by Dan Abnett.

I'm looking forward to picking up a copy of this one myself, but don't you just love marketing guys and their advertising hype? Over at the Black Library site they are naturally bigging up the imminent new hardback but they're describing it as 'the first Black Library novel with Titans as a main feature'.

Now, excuse me if I'm speaking out of turn, but didn't Crusade for Armageddon have a Titan and its crew as a main feature back in - oh, when was it - 2003? And they've featured in a fair few other novels to a greater or lesser extent of course as well.

It reminds me of when Masters of Magic came out earlier this year, a book which supposedly focused on the Colleges of Magic for the first time when (in 2003 again) Magestorm related the tale of a Bright Wizard and his quest to save Wolfenburg from destruction by the forces of Chaos.

Ho hum - people have short memories when it comes to hyping up the Next Big Thing.