Herald of Oblivion - A Warhammer 40,000 gamebook

Almost a year to the day since I started work on the proposal for what then went under the working title of TERMINATOR, my very first Warhammer 40,000 gamebook is published today!

You are a veteran Space Marine of the Imperial Fists Chapter. Equipped with powerful Terminator armour and armed with the deadliest weapons that the Adeptus Astartes wield, you are a symbol of the Emperor's might. Trapped aboard the space hulk Herald of Oblivion and the only survivor of your squad, you must fight your way through the aliens and heretics that infest the star vessel and find a way to escape the horror and return to your Chapter.

One year from initial outline to publication. That's right, on Thursday 7 July 2011 I started typing up my proposal for TERMINATOR and on 10 July I emailed it to Black Library's range development editor Christian Dunn.

And now, on Friday 6 July 2012, I'm very proud to announce that HERALD OF OBLIVION is available to buy direct from the Black Library.

If you're a fan of the Imperial Fists Space Marines, buy it! If you loathe and detest the Golden Avengers -  buy it! (Why? Just read the book and you'll soon find out.) If you're a fan of Space Marines - buy it! If you're a fan of Orks, Tyranids, Necrons or Dark Eldar - buy it! If you're a fan of the classic GW board game SPACE HULK - buy it! If you're a fan of the Adeptus Mechanicus - buy it! Even if you are a vehement supporter of the Traitor Legions - buy it! There really is something for everyone in this book!


And if that's not enough to sell it to you, it also features the awesome artwork of Mr Karl Richardson, the artist on Dan Abnett's legendary LONE WOLVES.

I don't know if the idea had been mooted at Games Workshop before (after all, the original founders of the company did also create the Fighting Fantasy series of gamebooks) but what I do know is that Marc Gascoigne and I first pitched the idea of a series of Warhammer/Warhammer 40,000 gamebooks to Boxtree back in 1995-96. Obviously nothing came of the idea at the time, but in 2007 Black Library editor Nick Kyme got in touch about the possibility of doing something then. But as things turned out it wasn't until long time FF devotee Christian Dunn was on board (GW having sold the Solaris imprint to Rebellion) that what had been a dream for many (myself included) finally became reality.

HERALD OF OBLIVION may be my first gamebook for the Black Library, but as long-term readers of this blog will know, it's not my first adventure gamebook. It is in fact my fourteenth published adventure in twenty years*. My other gamebook titles include seven Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, two Sonic the Hedgehog adventures, one Doctor Who, one Star Wars The Clone Wars, one Gamebook Adventure app, and the first part in the Warlock's Bounty series.

If you're interested the full list of titles is as follows:

Spellbreaker (Fighting Fantasy)
Knights of Doom (Fighting Fantasy)
Curse of the Mummy (Fighting Fantasy)
Bloodbones (Fighting Fantasy)
Howl of the Werewolf (Fighting Fantasy)
Stormslayer (Fighting Fantasy)
Night of the Necromancer (Fighting Fantasy)
Theme Park Panic (Sonic the Hedgehog)
Stormin' Sonic (Sonic the Hedgehog)
The Horror of Howling Hill (Doctor Who)
Crisis on Coruscant (Star Wars The Clone Wars)
Temple of the Spider God (Gamebook Adventures)
Revenge of the Sorcerer (Warlock's Bounty)
HERALD OF OBLIVION (Path to Victory)


If you enjoy HERALD OF OBLIVION and you've not read any of my other gamebooks before, why not check them out? And of course if you enjoy HERALD OF OBLIVION, you'll enjoy my other Warhammer 40,000 book and short stories, including THE ARMAGEDDON OMNIBUS and the novel IRON HANDS.

And lastly, if you do enjoy HERALD OF OBLIVION please post a review on the Black Library website, and drop me a line too, if you like. It's always great to hear from gamebook fans.

* That's right, this summer marks 20 years since my first commission, which just so happens to have been my first gamebook Spellbreaker. And which book is it that's out in time for the 20 year anniversary? HERALD OF OBLIVION - another gamebook! Oh, and my current project is my first Warhammer Path to Victory book SHADOWS OVER SYLVANIA. (What are the chances?)

Friday the 13th... Unlucky for some

Yes, I know it's not Friday the 13th today, but last Friday (which was the 13th) the shortlists for The Kitschies 2011 were announced*.

Pax Britannia: Anno Frankenstein was put forward for consideration by my publishers but it wasn't to be this time, although fellow steampunk author** Lavie Tidhar did make the shortlist for Best Novel - the coveted Red Tentacle - for Osama: A Novel.

The winners of the Red Tentacle, the Golden Tentacle (for best newcomer) and Inky Tentacle (for best cover artist) will be announced on Friday 3 February at the SFX Weekender***.

However, all is not lost as far as Anno Frankenstein is concerned! Oh no!

You see the Tor.com 2011 Readers’ Choice Awards are now taking votes, until until 11:59 PM Friday, 20 January.

Notice the word 'Readers' in the title? That's right, it means that you the book buying (and presumably reading) public get to choose. Basically it's a popularity contest but one that Anno Frankenstein, with the right backing, might just have a shot at.

So whaddya say? Simply click this link and in the comments section after the blog post about the awards, type the title of the novel (Anno Frankenstein), the author's name (Jonathan Green), and if you want to the name of the publisher (Abaddon Books) as well.

And it's not just Anno Frankenstein that's eligible. In the Best Short Fiction category, I have a couple of stories published by Black Library that were both published last year, the 40K story But Dust in the Wind and the Warhammer tale Sir Dagobert's Last Battle.

So, what are you waiting for? If you vote for me I'll be eternally grateful. ;-)

* Provoking no end of Internet interest such as here, here and on the Guardian website here.

** He'll hate me for saying that.

*** Good luck, Lavie!

Black Library - Last Shipping Dates

Black Library have announced their last shipping dates before Christmas.

They're also offering free shipping on orders over £10. So if you're looking to buy a Loved One one of my Warhammer or Warhammer 40K novels or short stories for a bit of festive cheer, now is the perfect time to order. (You only need to order one of my Print on Demand titles to receive free shipping.) And of course there are eBooks too - which don't cost anything to post. Marvellous!

Here's the entirety of the JG catalogue currently available from Black Library.

Print on Demand titles

The Armageddon Omnibus

Iron Hands

Daemonifuge (my comic strip Ephrael von Stern - Sister of Sigmar is reprinted within)

Ebooks

The Dead and the Damned (my first Warhammer 'novel')

Hammer & Bolter #9 (featuring my short story Sir Dagobert's Last Battle)

The Relic (Black Templars short story)

But Dust in the Wind (Imperial Fists short story)

Hive of the Dead is here!

Yes, it's here at last - the first ever Warhammer 40,000 gamebook!

Hive of the Dead is by C Z Dunn and casts you in the role of an amnesiac Imperial Guardsman at the height of Abaddon's 13th Black Crusade.

Here's some more from the book's blurb:

The forces of Chaos are moving against the Imperium once more, and only YOU can stop them! Face all the horrors of Abaddon’s legions, including Death Guard Chaos Space Marines, the walking dead, and foul warp-spawned daemons. Will you make the ultimate sacrifice for the good of mankind, or will your name be forgotten with the rest?

To order your copy of Hive of the Dead, click here!

More Space Marine action

Space Marine

Iron Hands - update

I know that some of you had a bit of a shock the other day, after following up my post about Iron Hands being made available again, due to it being listed as costing £20.00.

Well the Black Library website has been updated with Iron Hands' new cover and the correct price - £13.99 - which I'm sure you'll agree is much more agreeable.

So, what are you waiting for? With original copies of Iron Hands retailing for up to £60.00 elsewhere order your copy from Black Library's Print on Demand range here.

Iron Hands - available again!

Iron Hands - my second Warhammer 40,000 novel, first published in 2004 - is available again as part of the Black Library's Print on Demand range.

The book's been given a face lift and you can order it direct from the publisher here. And in case Adrian Smith's fantastic artwork isn't enough to sell it to you, here's the blurb from the back cover:

With Abaddon the Despoiler’s Thirteenth Black Crusade engulfing the galaxy, Iron-Father Gdolkin and his company are pulled away from the defence of Medusa to honour an ancient oath to the Adeptus Mechanicus. A trail of clues leads Gdolkin to a long-lost world, home to an ancient weapon that might turn the tide of war in the Imperium’s favour. But for Gdolkin, the quest is personal, as this mysterious planet might also contain the answer to the oldest mystery of the Iron Hands Chapter... the resting place of the Primarch Ferrus Manus.

The Black Templars duology

With a new Black Templars story out now in the 40K anthology Legends of the Space Marines and with talk of Crusade for Armageddon and Conquest of Armageddon appearing as part of the Black Library's Print on Demand range next year, I thought you might like to see this...

Legends of the Space Marines - The Relic

Legends of the Space Marines (the latest 40K anthology from Black Library) is barely out and yet the reviews are already starting to come in. Selfishly, I'm most interested in what people have to say about my newest Solemnus Crusade story The Relic.

Long-time Black Library fan Xhalax has not always been my keenest supporter, to the point where when I met her at Games Day once I didn't dare introduce myself. (Sad, I know.) But since then I've got to know her a little and the other day she sent me this missive via Facebook:

Well Mr. Green, I've just finished The Relic in Legends of the Space Marines and I really enjoyed it. I've always had a soft spot for Dreadnoughts, so the outcome of the story definitely made me smile....as did the general Dreadnoughty goodness of the whole thing.

That meant a lot to me. And then I came across this on Amazon:

THE RELIC (Black Templars) by Jonathan Green

Brother Jarold of the Black Templars well remembers the moment he witnessed a mech-enhanced greenskin warboss, Morkrull Grimskar, teleport away with the unconscious form of Emperor's Champion Ansgar as his prisoner. Within his Dreadnought body-shell, Brother Jarold has vowed to locate Brother Ansgar and either bring him back in triumph or that they may lay his body to rest. Then while battling the orks in the desolate ice fields on Armageddon, a long lost brother is found underneath the ice.

**** Four Stars! Author Jonathan Green writes his story from the grand view point of a Dreadnought. I found it to be enlightening to say the least. ****

In passing, yesterday Legends of the Space Marines was ranked #413 in Books and #9 in Science Fiction. Result.

Warhammer 40,000 motivational posters

If you're a fan of Warhammer 40K, then you'll probably appreciate these...

Black Library to print on demand

SF Signal have got an exclusive interview with Christian Dunn, Black Library's Range Development Editor, where he talks about their new Print on Demand book line. You can read it for yourself here.

I've heard it rumoured that my Black Templars Armageddon books may well be joining the PoD range in the future, collecting together the various short stories that have been told about the crusaders of the Solemnus Crusade since Crusade for Armageddon was first published back in 2003.

And on that subject, don't forget that Legends of the Space Marines is out in April featuring a brand new Black Templar story called The Relic.

Daleks galore!

Endless Dalek desktops by the Mechmaster. What more could you ask for on a grey mid-week morning?


Oh, and he does 40K too...

Bienvenue a Croisade pour Armageddon

According to this blog's sitemeter, it has a few regular visitors from Belle France, so, if that's you, this post may be of interest to you.


This January, French publishers Bibliotheque Interdite will be publishing Croisade pour Armageddon, the French language edition of Crusade for Armageddon (funnily enough).

Other titles of mine that have already been translated into French include The Dead and the Damned (Mort ou damne), along with the Fighting Fantasy adventure gamebooks Spellbreaker (Le Sépulcre des ombres) and Knights of Doom (Les chevaliers du destin).

A Thousand Sons & Prospero Burns

If you're a fan of the Black Library, watch this and consider your breath well and truly bated...

Fabius Bile

Fans of Warhammer 40K - especially devotees of the Chaos Space Marines - should check this out...


I think the expression is, 'Sweeeeet!'

Dan Abnett talking Blood Pact and the Horus Heresy

Black Library care package

A care package arrived from those very generous fellows at the Black Library today, containing the new Imperial Fists novel by Chris Roberson Sons of Dorn and the three published Empire Army novels to date.


The handwritten note that came with them described the books as an added Christmas treat. More like homework, I'd call it... ;-)

Aaron Dembski-Bowden on writing for the Horus Heresy series

As fans of Warhammer 40K and the Black Library will undoubtedly know, the Horus Heresy series of books has finally put down in print the cataclysmic events of the 31st millennium that ultimately led to half the Space Marine Legions falling to Chaos and one hell of a galactic civil war.

Some of you may also have already heard the name Aaron Dembski-Bowden mentioned before. He is the new infant terrible of the Black Library writing team and has already earned himself the honour of joining the elite group of writers who have been tasked with making the legendary events of the Horus Heresy reality.

Here he talks about attending his first Horus Heresy writers' meeting. But be warned - it's typical Aaron. In other words it's both funny and filthy!

Ultramarines - the movie!

In case you hadn't heard, there's going to be a Warhammer 40K movie... and Dan Abnett's written the screenplay!