Getting a Little Nostalgic...

As a child, did you ever find yourself trying to find out what happened next by going back a few pages? And did you ever find yourself in a position where you were using all your fingers and thumbs as bookmarks? If you answered yes to both of these questions then, just like me, you were reading Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks back in the nineteen eighties, they were great weren’t they?

Like you, my introduction to Fighting Fantasy came in the classroom where all my mates were reading these books with covers full of monsters , dark forests and sinister looking castles. And they weren't like normal books either; reading over people’s shoulders I saw that you got to choose how the story went and it could just as easily end in death as it could glory. I wanted in and promptly pestered my folks for my own FF books.

For someone like me, FF books were a godsend as you weren’t just reading a book anymore, you were actually living the adventure and deciding what would happen next. They were amazing times; wandering strange lands on quests for treasure and glory and frequently dying in incredibly gory ways (check out ‘Seas of Blood’ for the best examples of how to die messily). I’m not going to lie, most of the time I cheated like a madman. I’d nip ahead in the book to see what happened next and then make my decisions based on that. And the number of times I killed monsters without even rolling a dice (because I was just that good apparently…) It wasn't playing the game that did it for me though, it was the feel of travelling those lands and yes, escaping for a bit and being someone else. The books were written very well as far as that went, it was incredibly easy to get immersed very quickly.

So I got all nostalgic a year and a bit ago and set out to find some of my favourites from back in the day. There’s still a few that I’d like to find (‘Island of the Lizard King’ is one) but I’m in no big hurry. What I’ve got here will keep me happy for a bit.

‘Forest of Doom’  and ‘Deathtrap Dungeon’ were the first two FF books that I got way back in Christmas nineteeneightysomethingorother. I was a big fan of forests in fantasy novels even then and so it was amazing to be able to go off and have an adventure in one myself. ‘Deathtrap Dungeon’ is the FF book that everyone knows I think. I've spent hours playing/reading this one (stands up to repeated reading very well I think) and I still have a little chuckle every time I see the barbarian with sunglasses. Seriously, he’s wearing sunglasses; go and see for yourself.

‘The Citadel of Chaos’… You know what? I've only read this book through the once but it still left a lasting impression on my young mind, possibly through use of the word ‘citadel’ which I found really impressive for some reason. And it has an Ian Miller cover! Even back then I knew I liked Miller’s work :o)

I like forests and I also like cities in fantasy fiction as well. ‘City of Thieves’ was my first excursion into one and I barely made it out alive. I’m going back in again this weekend to see if I can get the better of Zanbar Bone once more. Wish me luck?

Did you ever read FF books as a kid? Any favourites?

‘Judge Dredd: Trifecta’ – Various (Rebellion)

Mega-City One, 2134 AD. Fresh from the devastating events caused by the Chaos virus, Dredd becomes aware of a potential power grab from within the Justice Department. Wally Squad gumshoe Jack Point is given a mysterious doll to safeguard. Dirty Frank wakes up on Luna-1 as a board member of Overdrive, Inc. All three Judges soon find themselves embroiled in the same case in which allegiances and grudges form in equal measure! And who is the mysterious figure who loves his tea and biscuits…?

Where does Mega City One go next after Chaos Day? Where do the writers go come to think of it? The Chaos Bug has laid waste to the largest Mega City on earth and left it a smoking ruin; are there any stories left to be told in the rubble. Yes, yes there are while the Justice Department is still fighting to uphold the law and keep the city together in the face of new threats. One the these new threats plays out over the course of ‘Trifecta’; an ambitious experiment in storytelling that loses its impact a little bit with its transition into this collection.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing read with separate stories gradually coalescing into the one major storyline that they were all along. By themselves, the ‘Judge Dredd’, ‘Simping Detective’ and ‘Lowlife’ stories have a lot going for them with a heady dose of action and intrigue. No-one is safe and no-one can be trusted (in the case of Dirty Frank possibly not even himself, he’s not sure). Take those three intricate, tightly plotted stories and merge them all together, the result is exactly as you would expect – all of the above times three.

‘Trifecta’ is an enthralling read that plays out against an evocatively drawn city on a downward spiral into more chaos. If Dredd didn’t have enough to deal with already he’s also dealing with the knowledge that it was his actions during the Apocalypse War that have left the city in this state and have cost the lives of 350 million citizens. Dredd has been through a lot but Ewing does leave you wondering if this will be the final straw that sees Dredd crack. That one could go either way, it really could.

I’m a little less (ok, a lot less) familiar with Dirty Frank and the Simping Detective but that didn’t stop those two stories being a lot of fun albeit not as engaging. Williams' 'Lowlife' is a little too cartoonish for my tastes but made me chuckle and Spurrier's 'The Simping Detective' is a delicious slice of noir. If I had to pick a favourite artist from those on duty it would have to go to Henry Flint who strikes a perfect balance between spectacle and tone (something that neither of the others quite manage).

I always have an issue with 2000AD stories not transitioning all that well to collections and ‘Trifecta’ is no different. I never read the comics at the time but the concept underpinning the whole thing (three stories actually being one) already feels a little bit worn here, although done very well. I can’t help but imagine how it must have felt in each issue, seeing stories flow into each other for the first time and you’re not going to get that here.

It’s a (very) small niggle though. ‘Trifecta’ remains a gripping read and I’m going to call it as an essential part of the whole ‘Chaos Day’ storyline; fans will love it (they have probably all read it already, I am so behind…)

Tad Williams to return to Osten Ard (Graeme very happy to hear this!)

It's been a pretty crappy week, what with one thing and another, but this bit of news has put a smile on my face (as far as books go anyway). Tad Williams is a favourite author of mine, he can't write a bad book as far as I'm concerned, so the news that he is returning to Osten Ard (home of my favourite fantasy series) is just amazing. Check out the press release (which I came across on Suvudu)...

DAW BOOKS TO PUBLISH THE LAST KING OF OSTEN ARD,
SEQUEL TRILOGY TO TAD WILLIAMS’ NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING MEMORY, SORROW, AND THORN SERIES

NEW YORK, NY, April 2, 2014—Betsy Wollheim and Sheila Gilbert, Publishers of DAW Books, have acquired The Last King of Osten Ard, a sequel trilogy to Tad Williams’ New York Times bestselling Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy. The series will begin with The Witchwood Crown, continue with Empire of Grass, and conclude with The Navigator’s Children.

Tad Williams has been one of the most respected names in speculative fiction since the release of his debut novel, Tailchaser’s Song, in 1985. He took the fantasy community by storm in 1988 with the first novel in the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy, The Dragonbone Chair (DAW). This first installment and the subsequent books—Stone of Farewell and To Green Angel Tower—sold millions of copies worldwide and have been translated into twenty-five languages. Since the release of this classic trilogy, Williams has authored many critically acclaimed novels, short stories, and comic books, including the Otherland, Shadowmarch, and Bobby Dollar series.

Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn was an inspiration for many of the fantasy genre’s great talents, including George R. R. Martin, author of the phenomenally popular Song of Ice and Fire series, and Christopher Paolini, New York Times bestselling author of the Inheritance Cycle, who called Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn “one of the great fantasy epics of all time.”

In this new trilogy, Williams journeys back to the magical land of Osten Ard and continues the story of beloved characters King Simon and Queen Miriamele, married now for thirty years, and introduces newcomer Prince Morgan, their heir apparent. Also expanded is the story of the twin babies born to Prince Josua and Lady Vorzheva—a birth heralded by prophecy, which has been the subject of feverish fan speculation since the release of To Green Angel Tower in 1993.

In The Last King of Osten Ard, Williams returns with the ingenious worldbuilding, jaw dropping twists and turns, and unparalleled storytelling that have made him one of fantasy’s brightest stars for more than thirty years.

Thirty years eh...? It's unlikely but I'm hoping that this gap leaves a little room for Duke Isgrimmnur to make a little appearance at least. This is great news though and I'm already in a state of eager anticipation even though there is no publication date for the books as yet. Happy Days etc etc... :o)

‘Revival’, Volume Two and Volume Three – Tim Seeley and Mike Norton (Image)

The dead have come back to life… again? That’s not exactly news any more, more often than not that’s exactly what the dead do in genre fiction. Whether it’s zombies eating the living or the latest Marvel hero coming back from the grave, it sometimes feels like it would be more of a shock if the dead stayed exactly where they were and just let the living get on with, well… living. You can see then that when I saw these two volumes of ‘Revival’, I wasn’t exactly all that intrigued. If you've seen someone come back to life once then you don’t really need to see it again to see what happens. It’s the same thing over and over again and I’m not mad keen on trop re-cycling right now.

I picked the two books up though, I never turn my nose up at free comic books (yep, the phone box again) and I’ll try almost anything once as far as genre fiction goes. Having torn through the two volumes, last night and this morning, it looks very much like I was wrong and there is life in the old trope yet. Once I get paid, I’ll be searching out the first volume just so I can get all caught up with myself; after seeing a few ‘old favourite series’ kind of tail off I think I’ve found a new one to follow.

For one day, in the town of Wausau, the dead have returned to life and are just trying to make sense of things really (as you would do if you suddenly woke up in the middle of being cremated!) None of the ‘revived’ are interested in eating the living, they just want to get back to normal and start over. Is this possible though? Wausau has been quarantined and is surrounded by media and religious zealots all eager to see what happens next. Inside the town, the arrival of the revived sees dramas play out that are smaller but no less intense. And what are the strange glowing creatures that lurk in the woods? Officer Dana Cypress has a lot on her hands; not least trying to solve the mystery surrounding the death of her revived sister (who cannot remember what happened at all).

Starting to read at Volume Two, ‘Live like you mean it’, isn’t such a big leap as it looks at first. Everything has been introduced already but it’s still fresh enough for the townspeople that you don’t feel like you’re catching up. The news broadcast, on the very first pages, is a big help as well :o) ‘Live like you mean it’ is all about how the townspeople react to what is happening; the quarantine has people feeling a touch of cabin fever but the revival itself is also an outlet for some of the less salubrious townspeople to make some quick money and this makes for a plot all the more gripping because of how understated life in Wausau is. When it all kicks off it’s like a shot of adrenaline to the system; this climax also raises a lot of questions (others are quietly introduced earlier) that had me keen to move onto Volume Two. ‘Live like you mean it’ is all about people trying to live their lives in the middle of something extraordinary and some of the resulting imagery (Cooper playing superheroes with the strange glowing creature) is all the more chilling for how low key Mike Norton keeps the art. The plot switches between characters a lot, giving things a choppy feel, but Tim Seeley really has a keen eye for characterisation and I swiftly found myself reading through the choppiness just to get to favourite characters (Em in particular). A tale well told then and one that raises a lot of intriguing questions for the future.

Volume Three, ‘A Faraway Place’, takes a little step back from the human drama (although doesn’t ignore it completely) to ask questions about the wider phenomenon; questions that are expanded upon through Dana’s search for answers around the death of Em. Don’t expect any answers about anything by the way, it’s far too early in the story for anything like that (I think that certain hints should be taken with a pinch of salt personally). What you get instead are questions upon questions and they’re all good ones, especially where Dana is about to find stuff out and then… That would be telling but the range of emotion on display here (from both Seeley and Norton’s work) is astonishing, really has to be experienced. There isn’t the sense of closure here, plot-wise, but what you come away with instead is that things are beginning to fall into place, slowly but surely, even though there are questions still to be answered. Seeley does a superb job of taking something half formed and making it look tantalising instead of opaque and like I said, this is a story that I’ll definitely be following (just need to catch up with Volume One first).

Has anyone else here read ‘Revival’?

‘Deadpool: Dead Presidents’ – Posehn, Duggan & Moore (Marvel)

Like I said yesterday, the micro-library up the road had a handful of comic books so I just grabbed them and ran off home for a read :o)

Not that you really want to know about my week but it’s been a bit crappy, what with one thing and another, so I was in the mood for something utterly brainless and fun. I knew ‘Deadpool’ would be a good bet to satisfy this need, having picked up a few of the comics over the years. This was the first time that I’d read anything full length though; thanks to the whole ‘Marvel Now’ thing I was able to jump into a Marvel series and not have to worry about what happened years ago in issue whatever etc. Not that continuity seems to be a big deal with ‘Deadpool’; a quick look at Wikipedia shows that writers on the series tend to just go with whatever is entertaining and works. Like I said, just what I was after.

Dead American Presidents are rising from the grave and attacking the living. Regular superheroes aren’t going to get involved (it’s a public image thing) so the authorities turn to the only man who can get the job done and is totally expendable at the same time; Wade Wilson is on the case!

I’ve read a few Marvel comics in my time (college was great for that) and a lot of comics in general. I don’t think I’ve read anything as irreverent as ‘Dead Presidents’ though. It is fantastic; nothing is sacred and when that involves a whole load of bad jokes, and a grudge match between Deadpool and Abe Lincoln, then it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’m there for the ride. I was sniggering like a school boy for most of the book; when I wasn’t sniggering I was quietly in awe of Tony Moore’s ability to cover a panel in Deadpool’s innards (or monster innards for that matter, they all look the same spilt all over the pavement…) The action is right in your face and nicely over the top, I’ll quite happily read more ‘Deadpool’ if Moore is on art duty.

There’s not really a plot as such, more a series of encounters between Deadpool and various presidents that are fuelled by violence and bad jokes. To be honest, not a lot more than that is needed to make this book work (although you do get intriguing flashes of Deadpool as a character on the outside who just wants to be a part of something bigger) and it’s clear that Posehn and Duggan are having a lot of fun here throwing Deadpool out of helicopters accompanied by bad puns. I had a lot of fun too, just what the doctor ordered in fact.

If you’re after something deep and meaningful then this is the wrong comic book for you; sorry but that’s just the way it is. However, if you want to read a comic book where a zombie Roosevelt punches out a bear then ‘Dead Presidents’ is very much the comic book for you. It was for me too :o)

Frontier & Gollancz announce authors for kickstarted “ELITE: DANGEROUS” Books.

I was quite possibly the only boy at school who didn't have a copy of 'Elite' for their computer (which was fine by me actually, I much preferred playing 'Knightlore' instead) so this news doesn't have quite the nostalgic feel for me that it will for other bloggers. I'm always up for some entertaining sci-fi though and this news sounds good in that respect.
Check out the press release,

Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV) and Gollancz, an imprint of the Orion Publishing Group, are delighted to announce the authors who will be writing their three tie-in novels set in the world of ELITE: DANGEROUS, the ground-breaking Kickstarted sequel to best-selling computer game ELITE.

Frontier received crowd-sourced funding for ELITE: DANGEROUS via a hugely successful campaign on the Kickstarter website, and now has over 45,000 backers. Gollancz contributed over £13,000 to secure the rights to publish three related books. After much discussion and many volunteers, Gollancz editor Marcus Gipps selected the authors and collaborated closely with Frontier to ensure continuity and reflect the evolving game world.

The original game ELITE was one of the best-selling and most iconic computer games of the eighties, and has been credited with inspiring generations of game designers and players. It was the first game to be packaged with an accompanying novella – ELITE: THE DARK WHEEL, by Robert Holdstock; an award-winning and much-respected author, and had a long relationship with Gollancz.

ELITE: WANTED, by Gavin Deas, is a rip-roaring space epic told from two points of view – the hunted, and the hunter. When a routine bit of piracy goes wrong, the crew of the Song of Stone realise that there's a bounty hunter on their tail. One who might, finally, be able to outclass them. The Dragon Queen is feared across space, and for good reason. But even the bounty hunter doesn't realise what she's been hired to do. Or what is in the container she's been sent to retrieve. And she's not the only hunter in the game...

Gavin Smith and Stephen Deas are regular Gollancz authors – having produced 15 books between them over the last few years – and their combined talent makes this a gripping tale.

ELITE: NEMORENSIS, by Simon Spurrier, tells the story of an unlikely pair of star-crossed lovers who steal a spaceship and go on the run, attacking at random and revelling in the fame and glory their violence brings them. Celebrated by the jaded youth of the Federation and urged on to ever more flashy acts of destruction, they know it won't be long before they are caught and killed. But someone is following the couple. Someone who knows why they are so obsessed with each other. Who knows where they are heading. Who knows why. Someone who knows more about them than they do themselves. And has another plan for their deaths...

Simon is currently writing X-MEN for Marvel Comics and CROSSED for Avatar Press, and has written for Judge Dredd, Wolverine and many other popular characters. He has published two novels with Hodder and five licensed novels based on Warhammer and 2000AD properties.

ELITE: DOCKING IS DIFFICULT, by Gideon Defoe, humorously explores what life in the future is really like. On what might be the worst planet in the universe, a young man dreams of the stars. Adventure! Lasers! Women! And the ultimate goal - to become Elite! Unfortunately, Misha has to do his chores first. And learn how to talk to Phoebe, the beautiful customs officer. And leave the planet. But the death of a famous author unexpectedly drags Misha and Phoebe into a system-wide conspiracy, complete with smuggling, international art thieves, multi-system corporations, canapés and exploding pigs. This is Misha's chance to prove he has what it takes! After all, surely anyone can be Elite if they dream...

Gideon is best known for his comic novels featuring THE PIRATES! and was the scriptwriter for the Oscar-nominated Aardman film THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS, based on his books.

The books will be released for sale as eBooks in major digital stores on the 15th of May 2014. Other ebook retailers will put the books up over the next few days, and the hardback editions should also go live everywhere shortly. Collector’s hardbacks will then be published for sale alongside the retail release of the game later that year.

Funnily enough, 'The Pirates! In an adventure with Scientists' has been playing pretty much non-stop since Hope watched it on Saturday. I can't stand Aardman stuff normally (for... reasons...) but 'The Pirates' is actually very watchable. But yeah, back on topic. The blurbs for the three books all look good. I'm up for reading them, how about you?

The 'Library in a Phone Box' Comic Book Post!

It’s another one of those days where I’ve found myself in the middle of two books (‘The Godwhale’ and ‘The King in Yellow’) and eager to get going with another one (‘The Goblin Emperor’, I’ve heard loads of good things about it). If that wasn’t enough, I’ve found my commute taken up with an overwhelming need to beat my top score on ‘Subway Surfers’ (137740 just in case you were wondering). It’s times like this when you have to take a step back from the reading pile (or it will grind you down) and the games on my phone to read some comics instead :o) Today sees a regular on this blog and a newcomer that I’m kind of half and half on. Which one should I go for first? I know, lets go for…

‘X’ #12 – Swierczynski, Maia (Dark Horse)

X faces his greatest challenge of the series as four villains—suicidal maniac Deathwish, stargazing supercriminal Carmine Tango, risk-taking assassin Gamble, and a new threat no one suspected—converge on Arcadia’s lone vigilante . . . but the cruelest stab of all comes from a friend!

I said this before with #11 but it’s worth saying again because… bloody hell, ‘X’ is a particularly brutal read. Every time I think that Swierczynski and Maia have taken ‘X’ as far as they can they never fail to surprise me by ramping things up an extra notch. #12 is no exception with the fight from #11 being ramped up by adding three more villains to the mix. There’s only so much that one vigilante can take, especially when another betrayal is playing out off-screen (so to speak). X may be down but the last panels show that he is by no means out; it’s a long way back to the top and I have a feeling that X will be climbing over the bodies of several enemies on the way back up. Swierczynski and Maia have come with up a comic that is essential reading as far as I’m concerned, read it for yourself and see. #13 cannot come soon enough as far as I’m concerned.

‘Chew Volume 7: Bad Apples’ – John Layman, Rob Guillory (Image)

Just up the road from us is an old phone box that people have turned into a micro-library. It’s great, not only do I have another place to get rid of unwanted books but every now and then I come back home with a couple of books for myself. This explains why I have started reading ‘Chew’ at volume 7; not the best place to start reading a series (although it could have been worse, could have been volume 8…) but you have start somewhere and it was a free book after all.

‘Bad Apples’ was a quick, fun read (is it me or are trades getting slimmer…?) that I enjoyed more for the art than the story. Not that the story was bad in itself, it just felt like it was bridging a gap between two plots that I didn’t know anything about. Not the books fault at all and there is a lot of stuff going on that a newcomer can get straight into (like Tony Chu’s relationship with his daughter). It was Rob Guillory’s artwork that did it for me, very dynamic and with a lot of sly humour in the details; I liked the touch of anime in the characters as well.

Would I read the rest of the series? Maybe… If I do I’ll be going along the ‘old fashioned route’ of starting with volume 1, it also depends if I come across any more volumes in the micro-library :o) I’ll definitely be keeping an eye open.