40 years of Ian Livingstone's Temple of Terror

Sir Ian Livingstone's 8th Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Temple of Terror, was published 40 years ago this year.

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.

Temple of Terror was the only FF gamebook to be illustrated by Bill Houston. The cover was painted by ’80s fantasy art legend Chris Achilleos, the second time he contributed a cover to the main series (after Space Assassin).

“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.

Temple of Terror has yet to be republished by Scholastic Books, but who knows what the future might bring? And what of Steve Jackson Games' plans for the series in the US? Could Temple of Terror be among those adventures slated for a release Stateside?

You'll just have to wait and see...

Temple of Terror is on Fighting Fantasy Classics on Steam

Happy New Year!

Back in 1985, the Fighting Fantasy series was in full swing. During that year, seven FF gamebooks were published, five of which just happened to have a non-traditional fantasy setting.

The seven books were, Space Assassin, Freeway Fighter, Temple of Terror, The Rings of Kether, Seas of Blood, Appointment with F.E.A.R., and Rebel Planet.

The final book in Steve Jackson's Sorcery! series was also published in 1985 - The Crown of Kings!

And then there was the Fighting Fantasy monster manual, Out of the Pit.

Last, but by no means least, was the FF adjacent puzzle book The Tasks of Tantalon, written by Steve Jackson and illustrated by Steve Lavis.

Over the coming year, you can expect deep dives into these classic gamebooks and other publications, that are marking their 40th anniversary this year, here on the official Fighting Fantasy blog. 

But in the meantime, you can get an insight into the creation of all of these titles in YOU ARE THE HERO: An Interactive History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks.

Chris Achilleos (1947-2021)

We were very sorry to hear the terrible news that renowned fantasy artist Chris Achilleos passed away after a short illness on Monday afternoon.

Ian Livingstone posted this tweet in response to the announcement:

For many young fans in the 1980s, the cover of Temple of Terror was their first introduction to the work of the legendary artist, although he had already painted the cover for Space Assassin, and would go on to produce others for the series, including Armies of Death and the seminal background lore books, Out of the Pit and Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World. His painting appears in The Fighting Fantasy Poster Book an unprecedented four times!

Chris (full name 'Christos') was interviewed about his work for YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks, and even provided the cover for the second volume. This was what he had to said about the creation of the cover painting for Temple of Terror:

“I was dealing with Ian 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.”

This trust that the writer had in the artist, also resulted in Chris producing one of the most recognisable cover paintings in British fantasy gaming, that of Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World:

“With that Ian said, ‘Just draw a dragon picture, Chris,’ and then left it to me. So I had to consider first of all that’s it a double spread… and then come up with something. When you don’t get a manuscript or a story that already describes what you need to do, when you’re left to yourself, you tend to go round in circles with many ideas and not focusing on one, not knowing quite what to do. Time flies and you’re still wondering which way to go.

“In this case, this was what was going on. I felt like, I’ve got to stop here; it’s not working. So I made up a story in my head about a shape-shifting wizard, who is attacking this city, in the form of this giant dragon, being held back. He’s destroyed the army that you can see… The drawbridge is down, he’s holding onto one of the chains – the other one’s already been broken – and the rest of the bridge is broken and down… The best of the knights have been killed. In desperation the baron comes out with his magicians, or druids or priests, to do magic with the dragon – not to hold him, not to destroy him, but to turn him back into human form and conquer him.

“The clue I put in there that the dragon is not just an animal – it’s a shape-shifting being, a super-being if you like, a magician – is that I put earrings and bracelets on him. That’s what that’s saying. That’s also why it’s called ‘Dragon Spell’. They’re putting a spell on him and trying and revert him back to a human being so they can defeat him. The question in that picture is, will he turn back to human or will he just snap out of it and literally bite the heads off them? That’s what the picture’s saying. People either see that consciously or unconsciously.”

Chris also had the honour of providing the cover art for the first Fighting Fantasy novel, Steve Jackson's The Trolltooth Wars:

“I was given the outline of the story and it was left up to me. I quite liked the concept of an orc fighting off a disgusting skeleton.”

Fans will be deeply saddened by the passing of a great artist and a fine man, but Chris leaves behind an immense body of work that has adorned everything from Doctor Who novels to Whitesnake album covers, as well as FF gamebooks. But certainly, the worlds of Fighting Fantasy would be diminished without Chris's contributions, and our thoughts remain with his friends and family at this difficult time.

In memory of

Chris Achilleos

1947-2021

Are you ready to return to Ian Livingstone's Temple of Terror?

Yesterday, Tinman Games announced that they will be releasing more classic FF titles for their Fighting Fantasy Classics game. And the first of the new batch is Ian Livingstone's Temple of Terror!

The dark, twisted power of the young Malbordus is reaching its zenith! All he needs now is to retrieve the five dragon artifacts which have been hidden for centuries in the lost city of Vatos, somewhere in the Desert of Skulls. Your mission is to reach the lost city before Malbordus and destroy the treasures he seeks. But beware! Each step you take leads you closer to your doom...

Relive Fighting Fantasy – the beloved text-based, interactive adventures of the '80s and '90s! Push your SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK to the limits as you explore the lost city set against the backdrop of a foreboding desert landscape. This gamebook has been converted to digital format using Tin Man Games' acclaimed Gamebook Adventures engine.

• Make the gamebooks as easy or hard as you like and even turn on a special 'Free Read' mode to play the book like an old-school cheater!
• Map feature makes it easy to keep track of everywhere you have explored during current and previous playthroughs.
• Unlimited Bookmarks allow you to revisit difficult sections as many times as desired.
• Classic, original artwork from Bill Houston, all viewable through a collectable artwork gallery.
• Automated Adventure Sheet that keeps track of your stats, inventory and knowledge gained during your journey.
• Specially composed, atmospheric soundtrack and effects.

You can download Fighting Fantasy Classics and Temple of Terror from Steam now!

The 12 Fighting Fantasy Days of Christmas - Day 6

Fans of Tin Man Games' digital app adaptations of classic Fighting Fantasy gamebooks will be pleased to hear that the next two titles in the Fighting Fantasy Classics series have been announced.

Written by Steve Jackson

Are you ready for the most unusual Fighting Fantasy adventure yet?

You begin this adventure not knowing where you are or who you are. All you know is that you are some kind of creature of instinct, understanding little. During the course of the adventure, it may be possible for you to begin to control your bestial nature, to find out more about yourself, and even to learn your destiny. But even if you know all this, success is by no means certain, for the traps and terrors of Trolltooth Pass are many... Are you ready — to become the Creature of Havoc? 

Written by Ian Livingstone

The dark, twisted power of the young Malbordus is reaching its zenith!

All he needs now is to retrieve the five dragon artefacts which have been hidden for centuries in the lost city of Vatos, somewhere in the Desert of Skulls. Each day that passes brings him closer to them and only YOU can stop him! YOUR mission is to reach the lost city before Malbordus and destroy the treasures he seeks. But beware! Each step you take leads you closer to your doom...

Two dice, a pencil and an eraser are all you need to make your journey. YOU decide which route to follow, which dangers to risk and which foes to fight!

Watch this space for more news from Tin Man Games in the New Year...

Chris Achilleos to attend Fighting Fantasy Fest 3

Following hot on the heels of yesterday's announcement that Geraldine Cooke will be attending Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 on 31st August*, we are delighted to report that fantasy art legend Chris Achilleos will also be joining us at the gamebook event of the year.

Over the past 40 years, Chris has created some of the best loved fantasy and glamour art and is acknowledged as one of the top fantasy artists in the world.

However, Fighting Fantasy fans will doubtless fondly remember Chris's cover art for such classic gamebooks as Ian Livingstone's Temple of Terror and Armies of Death, as well as Steve Jackson's The Trolltooth Wars, and the sourcebooks Out of the Pit and Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World.

More recently he painted the wraparound cover for Part 2 of Jonathan Green's YOU ARE THE HERO - A History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks.

So don't miss out this opportunity to meet the man himself and collect another signature. Make sure you secure your ticket for Fighting Fantasy Fest 3 today!

* I don't know, you wait ten weeks for a new guest announcement and then two come along at once!

The Second Swordsman – Preparing for The Port of Peril

With Ian Livingstone's The Port of Peril published this Thursday, it's time for another in Malcolm Garcia's Second Swordsman series. Enjoy!

The Second Swordsman – Preparing for The Port of Peril

By Malcolm Garcia

With the imminent release of Ian Livingstone’s new FIGHTING FANTASY gamebook, The Port of Peril, I decided to get ready for attempting the latest adventure by trying the Second Swordsman process on a trio of his books from the original series. The last time I entered his part of Allansia was in Island of the Lizard King (which was the seventh of his books that I’ve attempted). This was the adventure where I set a new record by dying within four choices, so I was hopeful this was just one-off failure and I’d find more success if I tried three of his books in quick succession.

In each of these three, YOU ARE THE HERO trying to save the world of Titan from impending doom by attempting to destroy an evil ne’er-do-well. Temple of Terror has the evil wizard Malbordus, who will be given unchecked power if he can get his hands on several dragon artifacts which are hidden in the lost city of Vatos Crypt of the Sorcerer has the necromancer Razaak, who has risen from the grave bent on vengeance and can only be defeated by his own long-lost sword. And Armies of Death has the shadow demon Agglax, who is amassing an army of evil in northern Allansia.

The internal illustrations for both Temple and Armies were done by artists who would only do this once in the FIGHTING FANTASY series, being Bill Houston and Nik Williams respectively. Crypt was illustrated within by John Sibbick, who also did Midnight Rogue and the cover for Masks of Mayhem. And both Temple and Armies had covers by Chris Achilleos. Armies is also unique in that it’s the only time YOU are the adventurer in a direct sequel, it following on from your successful attempt at Trial of Champions. While the opening of Temple seems to suggest that the wizard Yaztromo knows you from The Forest of Doom, although whether this is actually the case is not explicitly revealed.

The three adventures all started well with either fair or good starting scores for my SKILL, STAMINA and LUCK. Temple added the ability to use several magic spells – although I never actually had the opportunity to use any. Crypt dispensed with the usual ten provisions and gave me a five-portion healing potion instead – although I never got to use it. And Armies added the opportunity to have skirmish battles between soldiers – although I didn’t get to try this modification either.

In Temple I was able to reminisce about good times as I visited Port Blacksand early on and stayed at the Black Lobster tavern, although while there I was robbed of all my gold (which is apt for the City of Thieves). I was later rescued from a sinking pirate ship by a crew of sea-going Dwarves, but not before I was quizzed about who was their King (the answer is in the background section of the book – well played Mr. Livingstone!). Then I started across the Desert of Skulls looking for Vatos. I fought some Needle Flies but then ignored too many opportunities to gather information and objects and was finally killed by a Giant Sandworm. This is only the fourth time the Second Swordsman process has failed due to a fight (the previous time was against a Kraken in Demons of the Deep). With the Giant Sandworm’s SKILL score of ten I figure I either (a) had gone the wrong way entirely, (b) had failed to find a special object to help kill it, or (c) this was just a test to cull the weaker characters before they reached Vatos where more fearsome foes dwelled.

Crypt also starts with a chat with Yaztromo where he tells me that Razaak’s sword is to be found in the Lost Lake which is somewhere in the Moonstone Hills.  I headed into the Hills on horseback but then, through two unlucky rolls of the dice, I was thrown from my horse and then robbed and left for dead by some Chameleonites. Thus a new record has been set – dead after just two choices. No fights. No puzzles. Just an ignominious end.

In keeping with its title, in Armies YOU start with an army of 220 warriors. And YOU still have 700 gold left over from your success in Trial. For this I can forgive the lack of any provisions at the start of the adventure. Through using the Second Swordsman process I don’t muck about and immediately start marching to find Agglax’s army. In doing so I ignore the advice of people I meet on the way and anonymous cries for help (ignoring things seems to usually be the second choice in Ian Livingstone adventures). I reached the town of Zengis in record time, and then before nightfall I managed to ignore six opportunities in a row to spend my loot or otherwise gain information or objects. After leaving Zengis, no better off than when I arrived, I then entered the Forest of Fiends and continued to rush and ignore things. I found Agglax’s army and, while I had not yet lost a single warrior, I had also not gained any more troops or objects or information to help me to victory. A combination of Chaos Warriors, catapults and an arbitrary dice roll cut my troops by half and I then suffered an instant death at the hands of a goblin armed with a crossbow.

I did get into several one-on-one fights in Armies, taking on a Fishman (possibly related to those in The Forest of Doom – another Ian Livingstone adventure), a trio of Robbers, a Mountain Orc, a Hill Troll, and a Werewolf. While none of these were too difficult, because of my good starting SKILL, it was annoying not being able to replenish STAMINA that was lost from the occasional unlucky dice roll. And even though the Werewolf managed to inflict one wound upon me when it only had one STAMINA point, I still needed to do a LUCK test to see whether I’d contracted lycanthropy.

So once again, the Second Swordsman process has been unsuccessful in my quest for glory. But while I set a new record for failure in Crypt, I did manage to find Agglax’s troops in Armies. It will be interesting to see how I perform in The Port of Peril. In all of my adventures I’ve yet to die in Port Blacksand, but will choosing every second option mean I continue to ignore too many opportunities for new objects or knowledge and fail tantalisingly close to the finish? We will find out in just a few days...

The Warlock of Tabletop Mountain

While Steve Jackson was signing Fighting Fantasy gamebooks at Dragonmeet last weekend, Ian Livingstone was Guest of Honour at São Paulo Comic Con in Brazil.

180,000 genre fans attended the four-day event and a significant percentage of them were Fighting Fantasy fans! Jambo Editora, the Brazilian publishers of Fighting Fantasy, certainly made sure that there was plenty of stock to sign!

And it was a good thing too! There were over 100 people in line at the start of Ian's signing sessions for all four days, and they all lasted over two hours before the queue began to die down!

What was particularly pleasing was how many children were there with their parents, who loved the books back in the '80s and '90s.

And here's the view from the main hall stage, with 800 fans crammed in to hear Ian's talk about FF and RPGs - for which he received a standing ovation!

Among the many fans Ian met over the four days was Daielyn Cris, who gave him her beautifully illustrated, hand-made edition of City of Thieves!

FF fan Daniel Werneck gave Ian The Warlock of Tabletop Mountain, an FF book in which you are Ian Livingstone!

Here's Ian with a fan of The Forest of Doom, who just happens to be TV chat show host Danilo Gentili, who just happens to have 14 million Twitter followers.

And here's Ian with a Freeway Fighter fan!

Ian also met Ed H Muller, who produced the cover illustration for the new Brazilian edition of Temple of Terror, which he then generously gifted to book's author!

The whole São Paulo Comic Con experience was very much like being on the set of Fighting Fantasy: The Movie!

In fact, Ian was so inspired by the event that he posted this tweet on Sunday!

So if you want a new FF gamebook for the 35th anniversary, you know what you have to do...