YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks - is here!

So yesterday, this happened...

If you're wondering, that's what half a tonne of books looks like. (I'm not kidding - it's actually slightly more than half a tonne!)

YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks - in print at last!

It's big.

In case you were wondering how big, here's YOU ARE THE HERO next to the 25th anniversary edition of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

In other news, Tin Man Games' app version of Steve Jackson's Appointment with F.E.A.R. was released on the 32nd anniversary of the publication of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

The official book launch of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks is taking place at FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014, the world's first convention dedicated to Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks. You can find out more details, and buy your ticket, here.

Five reasons why you need to be at Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014

If you've not already purchased your ticket for FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014 - the world's first convention dedicated to Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks - here's why you should.

1) You will not only get to listen to the Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, the co-creators of Fighting Fantasy, give a talk about the history of their gaming and publishing phenomenon, you'll also be able to get your FF treasures signed by them, and even hang out in the Black Lobster Tavern with them!

2) The Adventurer's Backpack goodie bag that is included in the price of every ticket is chock full of awesome merchandise, with many of the items being exclusive to the event, such as the limited edition Zagor miniature and the collectible convention programme - not to mention the bag itself!

3) There are a host of special guests coming to FIGHTING FANTASY FEST, including legendary fantasy artists Chris Achilleos, Russ Nicholson, Malcolm Barter and Tony Hough. Tin Man Games and Inkle Studios will also be there to talk about their latest FF and Sorcery! app releases, and Tin Man are even generously giving away a download code to all attendees. And on top of that Arion Games will be running demo games of Advanced Fighting Fantasy!

4) One of the highlights of the day will be an auction of rare - and highly collectible - items of FF memorabilia from the Warlocks' own hoard, including a pair of swords made to promote the Deathtrap Dungeon video game and now hard-to-find classic Fighting Fantasy computer games.

5) Quite simply, Fighting Fantasy Fest is going to be a unique experience. There has never been an FF event like it before, and YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks is going to launch on the day. Just think, when FF is celebrating it's 50th anniversary in 2032, you'll be able to look back and say, "I was there!"

So click this convenient link and buy your ticket today. And don't delay! The first 100 ticket buyers will receive a copy of the extremely hard to get hold of 25th hardback edition of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

And if you have bought your ticket, tell all your friends about FFF 2014, via email, your blog, Twitter (#FFF2014), Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Instagram, or whatever your social media networking tool of choice is.

And hopefully we'll see you on Sunday 7 September...

Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 - Goodies galore!

Tickets for FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014 - the world's first ever convention dedicated to Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks - are on sale now. Guests of Honour Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone will be giving a talk about how FF first came to be, artists Chris Achilleos, Russ Nicholson, Malcolm Barter and Tony Hough are guests, and the event will also feature the official book launch of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks. But that's not all...

Every full price paying guest will also receive a complimentary Adventurer's Backpack. (We want everyone who attends FIGHTING FANTASY FEST to feel like a VIP.)

So what's in this Adventurer's Backpack? What, you mean apart from a collectible convention programme, Tin Man Games app download code, a poster and the bag itself (which is sure to become a collector's item in its own right)?

How about a limited edition metal miniature of Zagor, the Warlock of Firetop Mountain himself? How about a Pax Britannia novel by Yours Truly? And how about a Fighting Fantasy gamebook? Not only that, but if you're one of the first 100 people to buy a ticket for FIGHTING FANTASY FEST that gamebook will be none other than the much sought after, limited edition hardback of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, including a solution and map, and a host of other fascinating snippets of information.

And as if that wasn't enough to tempt you, everyone who buys a ticket for FIGHTING FANTASY FEST will be entered into a draw to win the chance to have their name appear in a forthcoming Fighting Fantasy app from Tin Man Games.

Aside from the Adventurer's Backpack, and the money-can't-buy prize on offer, we also have all of the following planned for Sunday 7 September 2014:

• Arion Games will be running sessions of the Advanced Fighting Fantasy RPG
• Tin Man Games and Inkle Studios will be talking about their app adaptations of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks and Steve Jackson's Sorcery! epic
• Trade stands
• Book signings
• Panels and talks
• An exhibition of rare Fighting Fantasy memorabilia
• A Fighting Fantasy auction

Among the items being auctioned at FIGHTING FANTASY FEST will be two swords, currently owned by Ian Livingstone, made to promote the Deathtrap Dungeon video game, and seen here in the hands of the Warlocks of Firetop Mountain.

If you think this sounds like something you would like to be involved in, don't delay - click this link and purchase your ticket today!

The Next Big Thing: YOU ARE THE HERO

I know I've been tagged by the Next Big Thing meme before, but it's happened again - and it really couldn't have come at a better time. So, here we go.

What is the working title of your next book?

YOU ARE THE HERO – A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

My love of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks. The fact that 2012 marks 30 years since the publication of the first one, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, and 20 years since my first commission, which was also for a Fighting Fantasy gamebook – Spellbreaker. And because I wrote a piece on the subject for SFX Magazine in the year, which I soon discovered barely scratched the surface of the story waiting to be told.

What genre does your book fall under?

Non-fiction, but non-fiction about the gamebook genre, specifically fantasy adventures.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

I guess Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone would have to play themselves, as any such movie would need to be a documentary.

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

A 'coffee table' book celebrating 30 years of Fighting Fantasy, the publishing phenomenon created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, written by gamebook guru Jonathan Green.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Chronicle City is actually going to publish the book, as long as the Kickstarter raises the necessary funds.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I’ve not written it yet, but I’m anticipating it will take a couple of weeks. It will be the interviews and preparing the book for publication that will take up much the time.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

None. This book is unique. So back the Kickstarter today and make the fantasy a reality!

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Steve Jackson, Ian Livingstone and Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, of course.

What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
YOU ARE THEHERO will tell the story of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, from the early days of Games Workshopright up to the present day, and beyond. I have already interviewed the creators of the Fighting Fantasyseries – Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone – who are both keen to have their story told. In fact, Steve Jackson once said to me, "You are the perfect person to write this book."

I have also interviewed many other people who’ve been involved with Fighting Fantasy over the years. These include authors and editors – such as Dave Morris, Robin Waterfield and Marc Gascoigne – the artists – people like Russ Nicholson, Martin McKenna, John Sibbick and Leo Hartas – and fans of the series, such as New York Times bestselling author Graham McNeill, founder of Tin Man Games Neil Rennison, and author, actor and comedian Charlie Higson.

I want YOU ARE THEHERO to be something special, a book worthy of commemorating such an extraordinary achievement and the impact Fighting Fantasy gamebooks have had on the world. As a result, the first print run of YOU ARE THE HERO will be a limited edition. The book will feature brand new, specially-commissioned cover art by Martin McKenna, as well as original artwork from the series, and a foreword written by Steve and Ian themselves.

Not only will YOU ARETHE HERO tell the amazing story of how Fighting Fantasy gamebooks changed the world, it will also cover everything from spin-off novels and puzzle books, to foreign editions, board games and video games. It will even delve into such areas as the gamebooks that never were, the myths and legends surrounding the series, and how Ian Livingstone’s newest gamebook – Blood of the Zombies– almost never happened.

Thanks to Kickstarter we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a book about the history of Fighting Fantasy. But now it’s up to YOU! The more YOU pledge, the more impressive this book will be –with more artwork, higher spec production values and more content. I would love this first limited edition to be a hardback, and with YOUR help it could be. But without your support YOUARE THE HERO can never happen.

If you have any interest whatsoever in the British games industry, adventure gamebooks or fantasy fiction, then this book is for you. Check out the rewards on the YOU ARE THEHERO Kickstarter page and pledge your support today!

Remember – only YOU can make this book happen, because, thanks to Kickstarter, YOU ARE THE HERO!

You can find out more (and pledge your support) by clicking this link.

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain - the gamer's review

Thanks to Fighting Fantasy Collector Jamie Fry for this...

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain - DS trailer

Ian Livingstone forwarded this to me today along with the message, 'This is funny and good.' And he's not wrong.


Check it out for yourself here. (Can't quite get over the voice-over guy's intonation at the end either.)

I'll never look at an Iron Cyclops in the same way again. (Was this what Ian originally intended? I'll have to ask him next time we meet up.)

Win copies of STORMSLAYER at Sci-Fi Online

The UK's leading telefantasy and cult website Sci-Fi Online, in conjunction with Review Graveyard, has copies of Stormslayer up for grabs (along with the other newly re-released Fighting Fantasy adventures The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Citadel of Chaos and Deathtrap Dungeon). To enter the mind-bogglingly easy competition, follow this link.

And keep an eye on Sci-Fi Online over the weekend and you may just see an interview with a certain FF author pop up there at some point.

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain DS trailer

Check out the trailer for The Warlock of Firetop Mountain on the DS!

Stormslayer is here!

Thanks to my local independent bookshop The Owl and the Pussycat I now have a copy of Stormslayer.


Wizard Books kindly sent out author copies ten days ago but thanks to postal strikes and the bank holiday they haven't turned up yet. I could have travelled into Wizard's offices and collected them myself quicker. And now that Martin McKenna's got his contributor copies of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (for which he produced the new cover) I'm starting to suspect that the staff at the local sorting office are too busy playing Stormslayer to actually deliver any post!

Anyway, at least I have a copy now - after a fair number of you, by the sounds of things. So the final score is, Local Bookshop - one, Royal Mail - nil!

New Fighting Fantasy website launches today!

In time for the FF re-launch of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Citadel of Chaos and Deathtrap Dungeon, along with the publication of brand new adventure Stormslayer (by yours truly), Wizard Books have launched their brand new Fighting Fantasy website. Check it out for yourself here.

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain - exclusive!

Here is the brand new cover for the 2009 edition of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, written by Fighting Fantasy legends Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. The new cover has been painted by the very talented Martin McKenna and is (in my opinion) the best yet!


You can get hold of your brand new larger format edition of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain here!

May your STAMINA never fail!

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain on Nintendo DS

Exciting news, Fighting Fantasy fans! Aspyr Media and Big Blue Bubble have partnered to launch Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain for Nintendo DS™.

Based on the legendary book series by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson, Fighting Fantasy: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is a first-person fantasy role-playing game that takes players on an elaborate adventure through the Firetop Mountain Keep, the scene of the first entry in the renowned literary line.

To find out more click here and here.

I want to know who this bad boy is!