Friday 21 January 2022

Titan - The Audiobook

Independent audiobook publisher Spokenworld Audio is proud to announce a partnership with legendary UK gaming authors Steve Jackson and Sir Ian Livingstone to bring the original Fighting Fantasy world guide, Titan, to audiobook life.

Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World was first released by Puffin Books in 1986, and was compiled and edited by Marc Gascoigne. The large-format book brought together the lore, history and characters of the many Fighting Fantasy gamebooks available at the time, and fleshed it out into a grimoire full of exciting world-building. It was not only a guide to fans of the books, but also a compendium of facts for those creating their own fantasy adventures within the wider FF world, and a gateway for many into the expansive artform of fantasy fiction.

Titan is being narrated by award-winning audiobook director/narrator Neil Gardner, a lifelong fan of the Fighting Fantasy series. Neil said of Titan:

“I was 12 years old, it was 1986, my Mum had dragged me shopping in Orpington and I was thoroughly miserable. But then, in WHSmith’s , I saw Titan, and there was no going back. I begged my mum to let me buy it, and for the next few weeks I was lost in this incredible tome. I had bought every FF book up to that point, and friends and I were writing our own adventures to share between us. Titan fleshed out the FF landscape and tied together the various stories and characters. It opened my eyes to a universe of creative possibilities, and I’ve owned that copy ever since. It sits proudly on my bookshelf to this day!”

On bringing Titan to audiobooks, Neil said:

“For my entire professional career in radio and audio, I’ve dreamed of bringing Fighting Fantasy to life. For so long I’ve been frustrated by the technology, or the lack of interest from commissioning editors and broadcasters. But now, with audiobooks in such demand, and fantasy being so entrenched in our modern culture, it feels like it is time to bring Fighting Fantasy to audio life. Titan has always been my favourite FF title, and being prose makes it perfect for an audiobook release. If the fanbase enjoy what they hear, my next aim is to bring Out of the Pit to audio, and then some of the other prose FF titles.”

On partnering with Steve and Ian, Neil said:

“There are moments in your life when you just have to take a step back and do a little Snoopy-dance of joy. For me, getting the go-ahead from Steve and Ian was just such a moment. Their words, creativity and vision have been with me my entire life. From Fighting Fantasy, Warlock, and Games Workshop, to amazing video games and how they have represented the UK’s creative industries… they are true legends, who in my mind, sit alongside Douglas Adams, Pat Mills, Terry Pratchett and Robert Rankin. I hope this will be just the first step on a long audio adventure with these incredible gentlemen!”

Titan - The Fighting Fantasy World will be released as a download-to-own single-voice audiobook on the 1st February 2022 exclusively via www.spokenworldaudio.biz. FF fans are encouraged to support the independent publishing of the title by buying it from Spokenworld Audio during the initial 10 day period. It will then become available across all other platforms (including Audible and iTunes) from the 11th February 2022.

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