Sir Ian Livingstone will be attending the UK Games Expo on Saturday 31st May and Sunday 1st June (but not Friday 30th May).
He will be signing copies of the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks (including The Dungeon on Blood Island), Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop, and Magic Realms: The Art of Fighting Fantasy (with co-author Jonathan Green), at Stand 2-359 in Hall 2.
Fighting Fantasy will have a significant presence at the UK Games Expo this year. The event is on from Friday 30th May - Sunday 1st June 2025 at the NEC, just outside Birmingham, and you will find the Fighting Fantasy crew at Stand 2-359 in Hall 2.
In other exciting news, another of the Special Guests attending the event is the American-born games designer Steve Jackson - author of Scorpion Swamp, Demons of the Deep and Robot Commando, and the man who will be bringing Fighting Fantasy back to the US later this year. Talking of which, the first five books are now available to pre-order from Steve Jackson Games.
Others in attendance at the UK Games Expo include representatives of Martin Wallace Games, who are currently putting the finishing touches to Fighting Fantasy Adventures, All Rolled Up, who are going to be selling the first in an extended range of FF-themed products, Dan Jack of Blue Giant Studios, who produce the official Fighting Fantasy Legends miniatures range, and Oscar Carlquist of Sound Realms, publishers of the updated Steve Jackson's F.I.S.T. audio adventure.
Joining Sir Ian and Jonathan on the Fighting Fantasy stand will be Paul Toderas from Germany games company Ulisses Spiele. He will be demoing the company's new Fighting Fantasy Quest - The Warlock of Firetop Mountain board game, so why not stop by Stand 2-359 and try it out yourself?
Lastly, Sir Ian will be giving a talk about his 50 Years in Games, on Saturday 31st May, from 3:00-4:00pm, on Stage B in Hall 4.
If you are going to the UK Games Expo this year, may your STAMINA never fail!
%20and%20Sir%20Ian%20Livingstone%20at%20the%20UK%20Games%20Expo%202024.png)
The majority of the adventure takes place in the waterless wastes
of the ominously-named Desert of Skulls. The book begins with the wizard Yaztromo
(who first appeared in The Forest of Doom)
hiring the hero to thwart the plans of the sorcerer Malbordus, the so-called ‘Storm
Child’. The evil sorcerer’s power is reaching its zenith, and all he needs to lead
his army of conquest across Allansia are five Dragon artefacts which lie hidden
within the lost city of Vatos.
Vatos was named after a small beach resort in Corfu where Livingstone had holidayed more than once, hence it being used as the name of a lost city swallowed by sand. As well as its desert setting, the book is particularly memorable for its introduction of the lethal Messenger of Death.
“I was dealing with Ian,” Achilleos recalled in 2014, “and he
called me and said, ‘I’m going to leave it to you to design me the creature for
this new book I’m writing. I’m going to tell you the scene and you come up with
the creature, because you probably don’t need guidance on this from someone like
me.’ And I said, ‘That sounds great, yeah. Then you can describe it from my painting.’
“It was a guardian of this gate, and it was a desert scene –
a city half buried under sand – so I designed this creature that lies in wait, buried
under the sand... It was something I’d seen in a wildlife programme, these desert
snakes that hide in the sand and just have their eyes out and then they pounce on
you. So I imagined the same creature sort of lying in wait for someone to try and
pass the gate. I drew that and he was delighted with it. In fact, he bought the
original from me.”
You can find out more about Chris Achilleos' contributions to the Fighting Fantasy series in Magic Realms: The Art of Fighting Fantasy, by Sir Ian Livingstone and FF author and historian Jonathan Green.
You'll just have to wait and see...
.jpg)
If you are attending AireCon at the Harrogate Convention Centre this weekend (Friday 14th March - Sunday 16th 2025) make sure you visit the trading Hall M and stop by Booth D13, where you will find Arion Games, publishers of the Advanced Fighting Fantasy Second Edition RPG.
You will also find Fighting Fantasy author and historian Jonathan Green at Booth A11, with signed copies of YOU ARE THE HERO: An Interactive History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks and Magic Realms: The Art of Fighting Fantasy.
It has been another busy year for Fighting Fantasy. There has been the release of another new Fighting Fantasy gamebook, The Dungeon on Blood Island, as well as the publication of numerous foreign translations, some of which marked the 40th anniversary of particular titles.
Then there was the release of two non-fiction books about Fighting Fantasy, Jonathan Green's YOU ARE THE HERO: An Interactive History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, and MAGIC REALMS: The Art of Fighting Fantasy, written by Jonathan Green and Sir Ian Livingstone.
There was also crowdfunding success for the Advanced Fighting Fantasy Adventure Creation System and the board game Dark Dungeons.
And of course, Fighting Fantasy Fest 5 took place in September, marking 40 years of Deathtrap Dungeon and featuring an in-person visit from ace artist Iain McCaig.
So, what does 2025 have in store for Fighting Fantasy fans? Apart from the release of Fighting Fantasy Adventures and more Fighting Fantasy Classics from Tin Man Games, you mean? You'll just have to wait and see.
But in the meantime, here's wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
Fighting Fantasy co-creator Sir Ian Livingstone and FF historian Jonathan Green will be attending Dragonmeet on Saturday 30 November 2024. You will find them at the Fighting Fantasy stand in the Upper Trade Hall (indicated by the small blue tent under the FF logo on the map below).
Sir Ian Livingstone will be attending Dragonmeet again this year, at the Novotel London West, on Saturday 30 November 2024.
Before the trade halls open to the general public, the Dragonmeet Awards ceremony will take place. Last year, one of the awards that was made was the Ian Livingstone Prize for Innovations in Games.
If you have been meaning to pick up a signed copy of Magic Realms, Dice Men, or the collector's hardback of The Dungeon on Blood Island, Dragonmeet will be the perfect occasion to do just that.
Also in attendance will be FF author and historian Jonathan Green, who will be selling copies of YOU ARE THE HERO: An Interactive History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks.
So, if you're in London on Saturday 30 November 2024, why not pop along and say hello?
He will be discussing his life, writing process, inspirations, as well as his latest FF adventure, The Dungeon on Blood Island, and Unbound’s new book Magic Realms, a celebration of the iconic artwork in Fighting Fantasy.
The webinar will take place from 7:00-8:00pm BST (GMT+1) and you can reserve your free spot here.
In other FF news, or rather AFF news, the crowdfunding campaign for the Advanced Fighting Fantasy board game Dark Dungeons, launches on Kickstarter on Tuesday 1st October 2024. To find out more and register your interest, click here.
Last Saturday, Fighting Fantasy Fest 5 took over the University of West London in Ealing for a day dedicated to your favourite gamebook series.
A huge thank you to everyone who attended, including the traders who came along, and to all our guests, but especially Guests of Honour artist Iain McCaig and Fighting Fantasy co-creator Sir Ian Livingstone.
There is no other event quite like Fighting Fantasy Fest. After all, where else could you see a Hollywood blockbuster character designer dance a jig while a knight of the realm plays blues harmonica?!?
Sir Ian was inundated with people wanting him to sign his new books, The Dungeon on Blood Island (number 72 in the series if you're counting from the beginning) and the #1 Bestseller Magic Realms: The Art of Fighting Fantasy.
If you were not able to attend FFF5, you have another chance to grab yourself a signed copy of the books at Forbidden Planet, on Saturday 14th September, from 2:00-3:00pm, where Jonathan Green, co-author of Magic Realms, will also be in attendance.
Today sees the publication of the long awaited Magic Realms: The Art of Fighting Fantasy by Sir Ian Livingstone and Jonathan Green.
Sir Ian and Jonathan will also be signing Magic Realms: The Art of Fighting Fantasy at Fighting Fantasy Fest 5 on Saturday, while Sir Ian will be giving a talk at the Cartoon Museum, in Central London, on Tuesday 10th September.
