The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is on Kickstarter!

Exciting news, Fighting Fantasy fans... It's here at last!

That's right, Tin Man Games' Kickstarter to complete work on The Warlock of Firetop Mountain* is now live, and in under 24 hours has already raised almost half its funding target of $15,000AUD.

I'm sure you'll agree that that's an amazing achievement and if you are a fan of Fighting Fantasy, RPGs, or Tin Man Games' previous gamebook apps, then you will want to be a part of this! 

Rewards on offer include having your name appear in the credits, unique digital miniatures to use in the game (which also unlock additional content and story), and even having your name appear on the wall in Zagor's crypt!

So click this link and be a part of this project! And may your STAMINA never fail!

* I might have had my own small part to play in this project.

YOU ARE THE HERO and the BFS Awards 2015

You may remember that earlier this year YOU ARE THE HERO made the shortlist for the British Fantasy Awards in the Best Non-Fiction category.

So, dutifully, yesterday I strapped on my sword belt, filled my backpack with rations, and set off for Firetop Mountain... I mean the East Midlands Conference Centre, and the British Fantasy Society Awards.

To cut a long story short, YOU ARE THE HERO didn't win. Letters to Arkham: The Letters of Ramsey Campbell and August Derleth, 1961–1971, ed. S.T. Joshi (PS Publishing) did. But at least we were nominated* and even got a cheer when we were read out on the shortlist. And no one can take the UK Games Expo Award from us ;-)

I prepared a speech, just in case the book did win**, and even though it didn't, it still seems appropriate to post it here, now.


Fighting Fantasy is why I'm here, and I don't just mean today. I expect some of you are also here, in part, because of Fighting Fantasy.

Fighting Fantasy was what set me on the path to becoming an author, which has ultimately brought me here today.

There are lots of people I have to thank... Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone for creating Fighting Fantasy in the first place, Marc Gascoigne for giving me my big break, Snowbooks for publishing YOU ARE THE HERO, everyone who agreed to be interviewed for the book (some of whom are here today), but most of all, everyone who backed the original Kickstarter. I couldn't have done it without you!


* And I don't think a Fighting Fantasy-related book had been nominated for a BFS Award before.

** Because if you fail to plan you plan to fail.

YOU ARE THE HERO makes the shortlist for the British Fantasy Awards 2015!

Having spent the day exploring the land of the Vikings, I was delighted to return to the Information Age this evening to discover that YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks has made the shortlist for the British Fantasy Awards 2015.

It's also great to see how FF artist Les Edwards make the shortlist for Best Artist.

In other news, the guys at Starburst Magazine have uploaded an interview I did with them about Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland, as well as the podcast I recorded with Ed Fortune, Adrian Tchaikovksy, Producer Al and an audience of... half a dozen, at Edge-Lit 4, and Alex Davis (the organiser of Edge-Lit) also has a guest post on his blog from me today.

And last of all, Alice's Nightmare in Wonderland now has less than £1,000 to raise to achieve funding.

YOU ARE THE HERO at the MCM Expo, London

I will be at the Excel Centre in London again this weekend, attending the MCM Expo and will have some of the few remaining hardback copies of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks for sale.

If you're a fan of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, the gamebook genre in general, or just great fantasy art, and you've not yet picked up a copy of YOU ARE THE HERO, you should really make the most of the opportunity to pick up one of the increasingly rare first edition copies of the book and get it signed while you're at it.

French editions of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks by Jonathan Green

Just over a week ago, Curse of the Mummy was published in French for the first time, almost 20 years after it was first published in English. This means that all seven of my Fighting Fantasy adventure gamebooks are now available in French, with five of them currently in print.

Both Spellbreaker and Knights of Doom (my first two published books) have been published in two different French editions, and for some reason, the cover art was reversed from edition one to edition two.

YOU ARE THE HERO at Waterstones.com

“A Fantastic Tome”

5 stars

"You Are The Hero is an amazing exploration into the history of the hugely popular Fighting Fantasy game book series. Jonathan Green has painstakingly pieced together a veritable bible of information including brand new artwork, interviews with creators, illustrators and fans alike. No stone has been left unturned."

Buy a signed limited edition hardback of YOU ARE THE HERO

With 47 5-star reviews on Amazon (at the time of writing) and referred to as 'a cultural roadmap of an '80s childhood', the critically-acclaimed YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks is a must buy (at least according to SciFiNow magazine).

If you would like one of the few remaining limited first edition hardbacks, signed by the author, then drop me a line at info@jonathangreenauthor.com and I'll sort you out with one.

The books cost £40.00 each, which includes post and packing within the UK. (Overseas readers will need to pay a little bit more to acquire their signed copies.) I shall look forward to hearing from you.

YOU ARE THE HERO at Redemption '15

Today (Friday 20 February) sees Redemption '15, the Multimedia Science Fiction Convention kick off at the Britannia Hotel in Coventry. The event runs until Sunday 22 February.

I shall be there this year as Guest of Honour, along with Archimedes the Steampunk Parrot and YOU ARE THE HERO.

The event programme is now available and I will be taking part in the following panels during the course of the weekend:

Friday 20 February
5.00pm - Meet the Guests (panel)
8.00pm - Opening Ceremony
10.00pm - It's sh!t but we like it (panel)

Saturday 21 February
12.00pm - How to Write an Adventure Gamebook (workshop)
4.00pm - Has Steampunk Had Its Day? (panel)
I may also be taking part in...
8.00pm - Mark Gatiss Appreciation Society (panel)

Sunday 22 February
11.00am - Guest Talk
12.30pm - Signing Autographs
4.00pm - Closing Ceremony

I will be selling my books - Pax Britannia and YOU ARE THE HERO mainly - over the course of the weekend, so maybe I'll see you there...

YOU ARE THE HERO - 'A cultural roadmap of an '80s childhood'

That's what Jes Bickham, current editor of White Dwarf magazine and the man who commissioned my original History of Fighting Fantasy piece for an SFX Fantasy special back in 2012 says, more or less. Here's Jes in his own words:

"I read You Are The Hero over Christmas and what a treat it was... Not only was the book an absorbing account of a phenomenon, it also acted as a strange cultural roadmap for my childhood/adolescence - like you, I grew up with GW and now I find myself editing my favourite magazine from when I was 13! Lovely stuff, and very well done sir."

If you haven't got hold of a copy yourself yet, you can acquire a strictly limited edition signed hardback here.

* * * * *

In other gamebook-related news, Bloodbones the App appears to be going down a storm and has certainly created some buzz online, such as here, and here (even if Pocket Gamer don't actually know who wrote it).

The Tin Man himself has this to say about his company's latest release:

"Jonathan Green has become the modern standard bearer for Fighting Fantasy, having recently written You Are The Hero, a history of the series. I’m really thrilled to have one of Jon’s titles as part of our FF library and Bloodbones is truly an epic adventure – one of our biggest yet!"

Illustrator Tony Hough gets a mention too:

"Veteran fantasy and science-fiction artist, Tony Hough, has also returned to add some colour to his original black and white artwork, which can still be viewed by playing in an added retro mode."

Reviews have already appeared on 148apps and Playboard, with the latter saying:

"This one is from Tin Man Games. Almost all of their gamebooks were awesome and this one is even better - fantastic story and just so much fun!"

Don't forget you can download Bloodbones for the smartphone of your choice via the portal here.

All I wanted for Christmas was... YOU ARE THE HERO!

So Black Friday has been and gone, Christmas has been and gone, the New Year sales are as good as over, and still no one has bought you a copy of the critically-acclaimed* YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks. What's a gamebook fan to do?

Simple answer is drop me a line at info@jonathangreenauthor.com and I'll sort you out with one of the few remaining hardback copies of YOU ARE THE HERO, and I'll even sign it for you. Now I can't say fairer than that, can I?

The hardback and the softback editions of YOU ARE THE HERO side by side.

The books cost £40.00 each, which includes post and packing within the UK. (Overseas readers will need to pay a little bit more to acquire their signed copies.) I shall look forward to hearing from you.


* 38 five-star reviews on Amazon, at the last count.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and thank you for making 2014 the Year of YOU ARE THE HERO!

Don't forget, it's not too late to purchase a copy of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks and for it to be delivered in time for Christmas in the UK - which is also true of my new book Christmas Explained: Robins, Kings and Brussel Sprouts.

And if you do happen to find a copy of the book for you under the tree this year, please consider adding a brief review here. ;-)

YOU ARE THE HERO at Dragonmeet 2014

I shall be at Dragonmeet 2014 tomorrow, attending as a guest author, and I shall have a few remaining hardback copies of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks with me. Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone are also going to be in attendance, so you might even be able to get your book signed by them as well.

If you would like to pick one up, make sure you drop by the Author area. I'll also have some badges and dice for sale. After all, Dragonmeet wouldn't be Dragonmeet without the dice. And remember, if you are planning on popping along, this year Dragonmeet is being held at the Ibis Hotel Earls Court and ILEC Convention Centre (47 Lillie Road, London, SW6 1UD).

Maybe I'll see you there...

Dragonmeet 2014 - Saturday 6 December 2014

A month today I shall be attending Dragonmeet 2014 as a guest author. Gaming industry legends Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone will also be in attendance.

So if you're yet to pick up a copy of YOU ARE THE HERO, or if you just want to find out more about how the book came to be, buy a ticket today and I'll see you there.

A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks at the Kilburn Literary Festival - TODAY!

This afternoon I shall be taking part in the inaugural Kilburn Literary Festival, giving a talk about the history of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks and how YOU ARE THE HERO came to be.

We will be gathering from 2.00pm at the North London Tavern, and there's still time for you to grab a ticket here.

YOU ARE THE HERO reviewed

It's been a couple of weeks since YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, was released on an unsuspecting public, and with all the Kickstarter backer copies having been sent out into the wild now, the book has begun to receive some reviews, and very favourable they are too.

Geek Syndicate has this to say about the book: "You Are The Hero is a magnificent work that manages to be objective and passionate about the series it discusses. A more fitting tribute to the series that saw me through my youth I can’t really imagine." 4.5/5

Lew Stringer, the comic artist who provided a brand new Derek the Troll strip for the book, reviewed it both here and here. Lew said that the book, "looks very interesting because it seems to be written for both Joe Public and the hard core gamer, which can't be a bad thing... The book is well illustrated throughout with numerous images, including many full page book covers without the cover copy so that you can fully appreciate the art."

Games designer Jake Thornton even gave YOU ARE THE HERO a mention over at Quirkworthy.com.

Realm of Chaos 80s loved the book! "The book is a joy! An absolute joy! Even if you have a slimmest interest in FF this book is worth buying. Every page brings a new memory, a new fact and a bigger, broader smile!"

Starburst Magazine had this to say: "Green has produced a beautifully edited and firmly present account of a phenomenon that for some is as important as Transformers or Star Wars and yet has been pretty much overlooked by the mainstream. If you’ve recently become reacquainted with the idea of turning to page 400 and want to know more about this strangely British fandom, then this is the best place to start." 8/10

Corehammer.com also liked it: "You Are The Hero is an absolute triumph. It is a love letter to a cherished memory, written with a scholars knowledge and a fanboys heart."

And then there are the 22 5-star reviews on Amazon.co.uk*,  the 5-star review on Amazon.fr, and the 5-star review on Waterstones.com**.

If you would like to pick up a physical copy of the book, you can do so here. However, if ebooks are more your thing these days, you can download a digital copy of YOU ARE THE HERO here. And if you enjoy it, feel free to add your own review online.


* As of writing. ;-)

** That has mysteriously vanished!

FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014... IS HERE!

Your adventure begins at 10.30am this morning...

... May your STAMINA never fail!

Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 - 1 month to go!

There is just 1 month to go until  FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014 takes place at the DoubleTree Hilton in Ealing, West London, and 4 days left to buy your tickets.

For those attending we have all of the following on offer:

6 Fighting Fantasy artists - including Russ Nicholson, John Blanche, Chris Achilleos, Malcolm Barter, Tony Hough and Leo Hartas.

3 Fighting Fantasy authors - Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, co-creators of the Fighting Fantasy series, and Jonathan Green, author of seven FF gamebooks.

An extremely collectible goodie bag, including a Fighting Fantasy gamebook, a poster, a novel, a Tin Man Games download app code, and a ZAGOR THE WARLOCK miniature, only available to those FF fans attending FIGHTING FANTASY FEST and based on this piece of artwork by Russ Nicholson!

A talk on the early days of Fighting Fantasy by Steve and Ian, with special guest Philippa Dickinson, the editor who first worked on The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

Arion Games running Advanced Fighting Fantasy sessions throughout the day.

Tin Man Games talking about and demonstrating their latest FF apps.

Inkle Studios talking about their Sorcery! apps.

Various others traders, offering books for sale, wargaming miniatures, dice and gaming equipment, and more!

The official book launch of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, written by Jonathan Green and supported by hundreds of FF fans through the Kickstarter crowd-funding website.

An exhibition of never-before-seen and highly-collectible items from FF's history.

An auction of rare Fighting Fantasy memorabilia from the vaults of the Warlocks of Firetop Mountain themselves.

And if all that wasn't enough you'll be able to have a drink with the creators of Fighting Fantasy at the Black Lobster Tavern, from Port Blacksand, City of Thieves, themed bar!

If you've not bought your ticket yet you can do so here. Please tell all your friends via social media and any other means at your disposal (such as telephone, email, carrier pigeon, smoke signals, sorcery...) and we'll look forward to seeing you in September!

Fighting Fantasy Fest and other forthcoming events

I shall be attending various different events over the next month or so.

On Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 August, I shall be appearing as part of the Steampunk strand at the Nine Worlds Geekfest in London.

On Friday 15 August, I shall be appearing on a couple of panels at Loncon3, the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention, which is also being held in London (funnily enough).

And then on Sunday 7 September I shall be appearing at, signing books at, launching YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, and generally running Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014, the world's first dedicated Fighting Fantasy convention. You can buy your tickets for the event here.

Fighting Fantasy Fest 2014 - Only 2 months to go!

It's hard to believe, I know (and just a little bit scary), but two months today the DoubleTree Hilton in Ealing, West London, will be opening its doors to attendees from across the world visiting FIGHTING FANTASY FEST 2014. And you could be there too.

For those attending we have all of the following on offer:

6 Fighting Fantasy artists - including Russ Nicholson, John Blanche, Chris Achilleos, Malcolm Barter, Tony Hough and Leo Hartas.

3 Fighting Fantasy creators - Steve Jackson, Ian Livingstone and Jonathan Green.

An extremely collectible goodie bag, including a Fighting Fantasy gamebook, a poster, a novel, a Tin Man Games download app code, and a ZAGOR THE WARLOCK miniature, only available to those FF fans attending FIGHTING FANTASY FEST and based on this piece of artwork by Russ Nicholson!

A talk on the early days of Fighting Fantasy by Steve and Ian, with special guest Philippa Dickinson, the editor who first worked on The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

Arion Games running Advanced Fighting Fantasy sessions throughout the day.

Tin Man Games talking about and demonstrating their latest FF apps.

Inkle Studios talking about their Sorcery! apps.

Various others traders, offering books for sale, wargaming miniatures, dice and gaming equipment, and more!

The official book launch of YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, written by Jonathan Green and supported by hundreds of FF fans through the Kickstarter crowd-funding website.

An exhibition of never-before-seen and highly-collectible items from FF's history.

An auction of rare Fighting Fantasy memorabilia from the vaults of the Warlocks of Firetop Mountain themselves.

And if all that wasn't enough you'll be able to have a drink with the creators of Fighting Fantasy at the Black Lobster Tavern, from Port Blacksand, City of Thieves, themed bar!

If you've not bought your ticket yet you can do so here. Please tell all your friends via social media and any other means at your disposal (such as telephone, email, carrier pigeon, smoke signals, sorcery...) and we'll look forward to seeing you in September!