Andy Jamieson

Sometime Geek Overlord, bi-monthly Dungeon Master, part-time care worker, reigning Husband of the Year, & full-time daddy. Also, proficient proverbial juggler.

EVENTS REVIEW: Fighting Fantasy at the Edinburgh Book Festival 2018

Aug 272018
 

Fighting Fantasy at the Edinburgh Book Festival 2018

The first Fighting Fantasy book, released in 1982.

Last year marked the 35th anniversary of the release of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, the very first of the Fighting Fantasy choose-your-own-adventure books. Since their worldwide bestselling heyday in the early to mid-1980s (20 million copies sold and counting), this classic series of books have been in and out of print, to varying degrees of success. Scholastic books are the latest publisher to tackle the series, in an attempt to bring Fighting Fantasy to a new generation of fans.

The two events at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Sunday 12th August were testament to the fact that Scholastic might just have succeeded in bringing Fighting Fantasy and its creators, Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, to a new audience.

I first read a FF book when I was 8 or 9 (Caverns of the Snow Witch; I still love it) and read them relentlessly for the next five or six years. They were a massive influence on me, infusing me with a love of fantasy and gaming, and definitely in terms of inspiring me to try creative writing (still trying 30 years on, to mixed results).

Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone are the masterminds behind the Fighting Fantasy series, a project that was born out of their love for roleplaying games (aka RPGs), Dungeons and Dragons in particular, and their desire to try and translate those gaming mechanics to a younger audience. Prior to Fighting Fantasy, they had founded Games Workshop, steering it from its origins as a stockist and distributor of boardgames and RPGs (including being the original distributors of Dungeons & Dragons in Europe) to the worldwide Warhammer phenomenon of today; Games Workshop recently recorded their most successful year of trading yet.

The two events on Sunday were all about bringing Fighting Fantasy to a new generation. The programme notes for the afternoon event, Fighting Fantasy with Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone (sold out weeks ahead of the festival opening), which I introduced, promised an “interactive audio experience in which you become the hero.” Steve and Ian had created an audio adventure, operated from Steve’s laptop, and designed in the solid tradition of the FF books. Steve had also brought along some large toy dice for audience participation. After Ian had done a short slideshow detailing the history of Fighting Fantasy, Steve asked for volunteers from the audience – one to be the ‘hero’, and one volunteer each to roll the hero dice and the creatures dice.

Ian Livingstone gives a short slideshow history lesson on all things Fighting Fantasy.

Some suitably atmospheric audio chapters were played out, with Steve moving things along and prompting the encounters, and Ian on creature duty. The young volunteers – Daniel, Calum and Ruaridh – were full of enthusiasm, and there were lots of improvised moments of japes and mischief, which were handled in good nature by Steve and Ian, especially when the chapter order in the audio adventure became a little muddled. As I discussed with Steve after the event, these kind of technical hiccups only add to the good atmosphere. There was a tight time slot for audience questions towards the end of the event (always sure to keep seasoned book fest hosts like myself on our toes), and there was no shortage of hands up from the audience, with a good mixture of questions from veteran geeks from the first days of FF, to the inquisitive minds of the new generation of fans. Ian commented later that it particularly pleased him to see such a good, healthy mix of old and new fans alike.

The signing queue in the Children’s Bookshop at the festival lasted approximately an hour, and again was a lively mix of veteran FF fans with pile of vintage books, and younger fans taking their first steps into the Fighting Fantasy series, clutching the shiny new additions published by Scholastic.

After the event there was opportunity for me to talk freely with Steve and Ian, and it was interesting to get their perspective on the rise in popularity of boardgames and RPGs, such as the notable successes of Dungeons & Dragons, and the continued high grade quality output from Games Workshop.

Later that day, Steve and Ian were part of an event along with Charlie Higson, titled Charlie Higson with Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone: Fighting Fantasy.

The evening event, where Charlie Higson joined Steve and Ian to discuss Fighting Fantasy, and the new additions to the series.

Higson has written The Gates of Death, a brand new entry into the Fighting Fantasy series, set in Allansia, like the bulk of Jackson/Livingstone fantasy set FF books. The event took place in the Sparkes Theatre on nearby George Street, and was chaired by illustrator Tom Morgan-Jones. This event was more discussion led than the earlier one, with the three authors and their host quizzing each other on the long history of Fighting Fantasy, and the addition of new titles to the series; last year Livingstone penned The Port of Peril, whilst this summer has seen Higson’s entry released to some acclaim, alongside reissues of some of the classic FF titles.

Ian opened the event with a variation of the slideshow that began the afternoon’s event. Higson discussed how he came to write a Fighting Fantasy book, and the design process of the books was explained (the diagrams from the authors own sketchbooks were something to behold, looking more like complex scientific formula than fantastical adventures!). Like the earlier event, the audience here was a good split of young and old (and I recognised a fair few faces from that event in attendance here too).

Figjting Fantasy for a new generation: The Gates of Death by Charlie Higson, and The Port of Peril by Ian Livingstone.

There was a good amount of questions asked at the end, and some fascinating bits of trivia came to light through the authors’ answers; Higson explained that Jackson and Livingstone had allowed him to write an Allansia-set adventure, meaning that aside from themselves, he was the first author to write an adventure set in that realm; Steve Jackson is working on a new FF book, but was tight-lipped on the details, other than it is expected next year; Charlie Higson gave his view on why and how Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings became a worldwide bestseller in the 1970s, with the development in printing techniques allowing for all three books to be released as one volume, which until 1972 had not been possible; Ian Livingstone revealed that one of the driving reasons behind the creation of the Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40k universes was that Games Workshop went from being the sole distributors of Dungeons and Dragons to being one of many distributors, and that there was a desire to create settings that were unique to the company.

It was ultimately a day of celebration of all things Fighting Fantasy, and it was a pleasure and honour to have been involved in some small way. The Edinburgh International Book Festival, and the Children’s Programme Director, Janet Smyth, are to be praised for their vision in getting these events co-ordinated. On the evidence of these two events, the continued success of Fighting Fantasy seems in a healthy position.

 

The Gates of Death by Charlie Higson is out now. The Port of Peril by Ian Livingstone is also out now, as are a number of other Fighting Fantasy titles, all published by Scholastic.

Tom Morgan-Jones’ first picture book is out now, called The Red Dread, published by Barrington Stoke.

Geekzine editor Andrew Jamieson is the award-nominated author of steampunk fantasy novels, The Vengeance Path, and its sequel, Children of War, both available from the Amazon Kindle Store.

Geekzine Q&A: Robbie MacNiven

Feb 242018
 

Scottish author Robbie MacNiven is one of the rising stars of Games Workshop’s publishing arm, the Black Library, gradually making a name for himself over the last few years as a great writer of Warhammer 40k and Age of Sigmar fiction. Geekzine editor Andy Jamieson cited Robbie’s excellent space marine novel, Carcharodons: Red Tithe in his best books of last year. A sequel, Carcharodons: Outer Dark is released in hardback March this year. Robbie took time out of his hectic schedule to tackle a Geekzine interview. 

 

Andy Jamieson: Your new Space Marine novel, Outer Dark, is released very soon. What can you reveal about it?

Robbie MacNiven: It’s the direct sequel to Red Tithe, set a decade after the first book (and 115-ish years before the events of the Gathering Storm). We’re back with Bail Sharr and the 3rd Company as they go up against an enemy that cares not one jot for their infamous brutality – the tyranids. There are also several sub-plots relating to the Inquisition and the Chapter’s famously veiled origins that I rather expect fans will enjoy…

 

Robbie’s new novel, Carcharodons: Outer Dark, released March 24th.

AJ: The Carcharodons space marines are quite a niche chapter in Warhammer 40k – how did Red Tithe come about? Was it something you pitched to BL or vice versa?

RM: I’d always been intrigued by what little lore there was on them, so when I first started writing for Black Library I asked if there was any chance I could try and expand on it with a novel and some short stories. They were a little reticent at first (understandably – brand new author plus niche Space Marine Chapter isn’t necessarily a great combo), but they could tell I was hyped to give them a go, so they green-lit it. I sure am grateful they did!

 

AJ: With a second Carcharodons book due out, do you have further plans for them beyond that?

RM: Definitely, we’ll have to see how Outer Dark goes first, but I’d love to do a third book, and have plenty of ideas to take them further!

 

AJ: You also have a Necromunda short story out now, called Once a Stimm Queen. What can you share about that, and have you been playing Necromunda Underhive for research? 

RM: Not much beyond the fact that it involves Eschers, Goliaths, and an Enforcer sting gone horribly wrong. I’ve always been fascinated by the Necromunda setting, so I was really glad when they asked me if I wanted to write for it. Sadly I’ve been too busy to give the tabletop game a shot, but I’m hoping to find the time for it at some point, and I can’t wait for the Enforcers to get a new release!

 

Robbie’s new Necromunda short story, available as an eShort.

AJ: What hobby projects do you have on the go at the moment? (A Carcharodons strike force, perhaps?!)

RM: I wish! As I said, with the amount of writing I’m doing at the moment (a novel, another novel’s edits, a novella’s edits, three short stories and a University PhD…) I’ve not had time to dedicate to The Hobby for a while. That being said, I’m desperate to start a Maggotkin army for Age of Sigmar (I’m a long-time Chaos player in Fantasy).

 

AJ: Aside from your work for the Black Library, what other plans do you have?

RM: At some point I’m hoping to pursue my own sci-fi setting with a major publisher. I’ve also got an urban fantasy novel about werewolves (it’s grim and gritty, I promise) that I’m going to get around to touting eventually!

 

AJ: What’s been the highlight of your writing career so far?

RM: I don’t think I could pick a single moment, but if I were to make a disorganized list it’d go something like;

  • Discovering that I’d been hired by Black Library.
  • Writing my first 40k short story (Deathwatch 4: Redblade).
  • Getting to write parts of a story from the perspective of Ragnar Blackmane (in Legacy of Russ).
  • Being approached for representation by my current literary agent.
  • Being asked to write the novelisation of Dawn of War 3.

 

AJ: What was the last good book that you read?

RM: Warmaster by Dan Abnett. I was worried it might be hard to get into given it’d been years since I last read a book in the Gaunt’s Ghosts series. I needn’t have worried. I was like old times all over again, Dan delivers on every level, and then some.

 

AJ: What is the best writing advice you’ve been given? And what advice do you give out to other writers just starting out?

RM: The best advice I’ve been given is the same advice I’d give out – you’ve got to keep reading, and keep writing. It sounds basic, but it’s true. The only way to succeed at writing is to hone your craft and keep getting up after rejections knock you down. It took me a full decade of trying before Black Library took me onboard. The only thing limiting you is how much time you’re able and willing to dedicate.

 

Thank you to Robbie for his excellent answers. You can follow him on twitter @RobbieMacNiven, and check out his blog too.

Geekzine editor Andrew Jamieson is the award-nominated author of steampunk fantasy novels, The Vengeance Path, and its sequel, Children of War, both available from the Amazon Kindle Store.

 

 

BOOKS: Best of the Black Library

Feb 242018
 

The Best of the Black Library

The eagerly awaited new Dan Abnett Eisenhorn novel.

Games Workshop’s publishing arm, the Black Library, celebrates its twentieth year of business this year. Saturday 24th February sees the Black Library releases Magos, the latest Inquisitor Eisenhorn novel by best-selling author Dan Abnett. Games Workshops and Warhammer stores across the UK and worldwide will be hosting special events to commemorate all things Black Library, with some limited edition releases.

We here at the Geekzine are big fans of Games Workshop and the Black Library, so our editor Andy Jamieson thought it proper to mark the occasion with a list of some of the best books (in no particular order and by no means comprehensive) to come off the Black Library’s prolific production line.

 

The Eisenhorn Trilogy by Dan Abnett (2001/02) A seminal trilogy of books – Xenos, Malleus and Hereticus – and some of Abnett’s best work. These tales of the charismatic Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn, and his varying assortment of companions, explored parts of the 4ok universe previously ignored, and raised the bar in terms of the quality benchmark that would go on to be a staple of the Black Library’s output. Abnett’s latest book, Magos, sees him revisit his old friend, Eisenhorn, and also collects together all the short stories about the adventurous inquisitor.

Storm of Iron by Graham McNeill (2002) … in which the traitor space marines of the Iron Warriors Legion lay siege to a seemingly innocuous Imperial planet. A novel in which the bad guys are the driving force, and nothing the Imperial forces do seems to make a difference. Warhammer 40k action has rarely been depicted as well as it is here, equal parts thrilling and bleak.

Gav Thorpe’s seminal Dark Angels novel.

Fell Cargo by Dan Abnett (2006) Piratical fantasy in the Warhammer Old World, as Captain Luka Silvaro reclaims his ship and sets off on a deadly journey. Swashbuckling action and adventure that tapped into the Pirates of the Caribbean popularity and arguably surpassed the antics of Depp and co.

Angels of Darkness by Gav Thorpe (2003) One of the most important novels about space marines that the Black Library has ever released. What Gav Thorpe has forgotten about the Dark Angels marines is more than most mortal minds could begin to comprehend. This book used the mystery of the chapter’s background to excellent effect, essentially redefining the whole identity of the infamous First Legion. Thorpe would continue the plot strands set up in this book in his also excellent trilogy, The Legacy of Caliban.

Atlas Infernal by Rob Sanders (2011) is a thrilling, twisting-turning adventure across the 40k universe as Inquisitor Czevak steals the titular atlas, putting him in harm’s way of the dreaded Eldar Harlequins and also Ahriman, arch-sorcerer of the Thousand Sons traitor space marines. Full of wonderful characterisation and inventive plotting.

Carcharodons: Red Tithe by Robbie MacNiven (2017) Taking an obscure space marine chapter such as the Carcharodons (once upon a time known as the Space Sharks!) and forging them into a memorably vivid assortment of veteran warriors is no easy task. Author MacNiven proves he has skill, talent and imagination of the highest calibre, delivering easily one of the most impressive space marine novels, up there with the best of Abnett, McNeill, Thorpe and Swallow. Red Tithe made the Geekzine’s best books list of 2017. An eagerly awaited sequel, Outer Dark, is released this year.

A classic of the Warhammer Fantasy range.

The Enemy Within by Richard Lee Byers (2007) Taking as inspiration an old campaign book from Warhammer Fantasy RPG, Byers crafted a desperate tale of a compromised hero, going undercover in a chaos cult in a bid to win his freedom from a malicious witch hunter. Taking the best bits of the RPG and fusing them with great characters, this is one of the defining works of the Warhammer Fantasy range.

Broken Honour by Robert Earl (2007) … is a brutal siege warfare novel, as the city of Hergig holds back a horde of bloodthirsty beastmen. Mercenary Captain Eriksson is a grizzled sword for hire who inadvertently leads the forces of Hergig through a brutal siege. A superb fantasy war novel, with epic battles and plenty of intrigue in supply.

A Murder in Marienburg by David Bishop (2007) A superb city-based novel, as ex-soldier Kurt Scnell is promoted to a captain of the watch, in one of the more wretched parts of the city-port of Marienburg, a bustling trading hub on the fringes of the Old World’s empire. Written by 2000AD regular Bishop, he infuses the Warhammer Fantasy setting with a hardboiled noir vibe. With added Skaven to boot. Achieved some notable success, enough to earn a sequel, A Massacre in Marienburg.

Brothers of the Snake by Dan Abnett (2007) One of Abnett’s best 40k books features the little known space marine chapter of the Iron Snakes. Following Sergeant Priad and his Damocles squad, the seven different inter-linked stories see Priad and his men face down Dark Eldar, Orks and foes of the more insidious kind. One of two novels recently voted for by fans for a re-release this year.

Fulgrim by Graham McNeill (2007) The fifth book in the ongoing Horus Heresy series is a sweeping, ambitious epic, charting the rise and fall of the Emperor’s Children space marine legion, as they descend from one of the Emperor of Mankind’s most loyal band of warriors to arch traitors of the very worst. Some of McNeill’s finest work, capturing the tragic fall of these once-heroic warriors in engrossing detail.

A Thousand Sons by Graham McNeill (2010) That man McNeill was at it again for another excellent Horus Heresy novel, and one of the best-selling of the series. Similar to Fulgrim, the author charts the rise and fall of another cursed space marine legion, this time the psychically charged Thousand Sons, led by their charismatic primarch, Magnus the Red. It’s a fascinating novel and, twinned with Abnett’s Prospero Burns, examines the complicated rivalry between the Thousand Sons and the Space Wolves. The Thousand Sons are unfortunate victims of their own ambition, and the book culminates in the invasion of their home world by the Space Wolves.

Flight of the Eisenstein by James Swallow (2007) The fourth book in the Horus heresy series, as James Swallow captures the descent of the Death Guard Legion into treachery, told through the eyes of Captain Nathaniel Garro, a staunch loyalist, who leads a ragtag group of survivors in escape, taking word of Horus’ betrayal to Holy Terra. A thrilling instalment, and Swallow would later pen a series of Garro short stories, gathered together and expanded upon in a single volume (see below).

Legion by Dan Abnett, one of his finest Horus Heresy novels.

Legion by Dan Abnett (2008) Taking one of the more mysterious space marine legions (the Alpha Legion), and using that inherent mystery to weave an absorbing tale of espionage and clandestine plans-within-plans, Abnett produced one of his most innovative books. Quite unlike anything else in the series, capturing a heightened, atmospheric tale of a legion of cold, calculating warriors. Abnett introduced here the Cabal, a coalition of alien forces intent on preventing the success of the Chaos gods and their plans for domination. The Cabal’s foremost agent, John Grammaticus, an altered human, seeks to carry out the coalition’s agenda and he adds a fascinating angle to the story. Abnett also dropped a twist-bomb in his revelation about the Alpha Legion’s primarch, Alpharius. Abnett would go on to explore the Cabal’s influence in his impressive Horus Heresy novels, Know No Fear, and The Unremembered Empire, as well as a number of related short stories.

Garro by James Swallow (2017) Gathering together all of Nathaniel Garro’s tales in one volume and expanding upon them, author Swallow has created a character driven sequence of stories that are varied as they are thrilling, ranging from out-and-out action yarns, to covert intrigue in the shadowy corners of the Imperium. Reviewed here by our editor Andy Jamieson.

Notable mentions: there are so many other talented authors currently plying their trade for the Black Library, that this above list of titles is by no means definitive, and is by extension meant only to give an indication of some of the standout releases according to the tastes of the Geekzine team. Over the course of twenty years, many authors have plied their trade for the Black Library. The likes of William King, Nathan Long, David Guymer, Andy Hoare, Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Guy Haley, David Annandale, Andy Smillie, Nick Horth, Laurie Golding, CL Werner, Andy Clark and Nick Kyme, amongst many others, have produced, and are continuing to produce, a great range of exciting stories set within the Warhammer 40k universe and the Warhammer Age of Sigmar Mortal Realms.

 

Geekzine editor Andrew Jamieson is the award-nominated author of steampunk fantasy novels, The Vengeance Path, and its sequel, Children of War, both available from the Amazon Kindle Store.

Geekzine Q&A: Owen WIlliams

Feb 142018
 

Owen Williams is an author and a journalist for the Empire movie magazine. His latest book is the ALIEN Survival Manual, published by Carlton Books and is out now. We featured it in the second part of our Geekzine Review of 2017 as one of the best books of last year. It truly is a tome of nerdy detail for fans of the Alien saga films. I was keen to get an insight from Owen into the creation of the book, and duly peppered him with questions. I’m delighted to present his excellent answers.

Andrew Jamieson, Geekzine editor-in-chief 

ps – just a wee disclaimer: this interview was conducted in Winter last year so there is the occasional reference to ‘next year’ etc.

 

Andrew Jamieson: The ALIEN Survival Manual is quite a weighty dive into the iconic film series. How did the project come about, and how much freedom did you have in shaping the structure and content of the book?

Owen Williams: It was something I was asked to do, which is always very gratifying. Roland Hall, the editor, was looking for someone to do the words for it, and apparently he turned my name up. In 2009 Empire had done a special set of features for the twentieth anniversary of the original Alien, and I’d done the one interviewing all the surviving Colonial Marines from Aliens – which at the time was everyone except Tip Tipping. So that was my qualification for the gig. Plus I was available at short notice and not very expensive. Possibly.

The structure and content was pretty much dictated by the app. The idea that the app would be “classified” information videos and training mission simulations was already in place by the time I came on board, and that obviously dictated that the book would have the “Survival Manual” angle. And the images and “assets” Fox were providing also played a part in shaping what the book could be. The edict was that we could only cover stuff from the six canonical Alien movies: so the original four, plus Prometheus and Covenant, which was just out before the deadline, so we were able to sneak it in. The Alien Vs Predator movies and the Dark Horse comics and other peripheral media were all off limits.

 

The ALIEN Survival Manual
by Owen Williams

AJ: Was the app developed in conjunction with the book, and did you have any input into the app’s design?

OW: It was, but I was nothing to do with it and I only had a sketchy idea of what the app would be. All I knew about Augmented Reality was that it was like that Pokemon Go game, which I had never played. I was in Tokyo for a job at the end of 2016, and a friend I was with was collecting Pokemon in Tokyo Airport, and that was the first time I’d seen the tech in action. So I got that it was somehow going to let you hatch Alien eggs in your living room (or Tokyo Airport), but other than that I wasn’t that clued in to the app aspect.

The app was designed by a company called Scary Beasties, who contrary to their name do loads of kids’ stuff for shows like Charlie & Lola and Sarah & Duck. I love the idea that they were like, “Right, enough of this happy shit, let’s spend a few weeks developing the tech to rip people open with chestbursters on their phones!”

(I’ve never spoken to them, so I don’t know that’s how the conversation went, but I like to think it is.)

 

AJ: What was the most challenging aspect of writing the book?

OW: It wasn’t that hard a job, if I’m honest. As a fan of the Alien movies it was pretty enjoyable. There was a certain amount of hanging around waiting for Fox to provide the assets, so for a while I was trying to write a visual guide to the Alien universe without knowing what the actual visuals were going to be. That was a bit tricky.

 

AJ: Which part of the book was most fun to write?

OW: Something that hadn’t really occurred to me when I took the job on was that I’d have to essentially write it in character. The idea is that it’s a handbook for marines in the field, so I had to write it as if I was some sort of corporate suit at Weyland-Yutani. That ended up being quite fun, because it’s this weird line between writing a companion to the films and actually writing in-universe fiction.

And I tried to sneak a lot of jokes in, which might not be immediately apparent. I was afraid that the “voice”, by its nature, would be boring, so I tried to play around with some references and in-jokes that fans would enjoy if they got them. There’s a crack about “inexplicable lapses in safety protocols” in Prometheus that I know people have picked up on. And as I said, we weren’t allowed to use the AvP movies or the comics or novels, so I had some fun making veiled references to those here and there; or references to discrepancies between different cuts of the different films, or between the films and the novelisations. Any time I mention something like “uncorroborated evidence” or dodgy intelligence, or stories that are probably apocryphal, I’m basically talking about something outside what’s officially canonical. I even slipped a reference to Death Race in (Paul WS Anderson used Weyland as his evil company in that as well as in his Alien Vs Predator).

The logo for the sinister corporation Weyland-Yutani,
a shadowy presence throughout the Alien films.

AJ: Which of the Alien films are you the most fond of, and why?

OW: I like all of them, to a greater or lesser extent. I even think AvP: Requiem has a few things going for it (although more from the Predator than the Alien angle). My favourite, of course, is the original from 1979, for the way it takes a very basic pulp sci-fi/horror plot and elevates it to something extraordinary through its production design and direction. Of the sequels, my favourite is actually Alien 3, again pretty much for its atmosphere: it’s so sort of haunted and bleak. I get why fans resisted it at the time – and they still do – but I think it’s hugely underrated, and the assembly cut massively improved it from the theatrical version. It’s just a completely different film. All the British actors with shaved heads that you couldn’t tell apart before suddenly have actual characters. And I love the sub-plot about Paul McGann’s Golic worshipping the “dragon” as some sort of deity. Everyone bangs on about the production problems and how Vincent Ward and his wooden planet would have been so much better. If anyone can explain to me how the wooden planet thing makes any fucking sense… leave me alone.

I think what’s wonderful and almost unique about the series is that they’re all so tonally different. You have this gothic horror thing; followed by an action war movie; followed by The Name of the Rose; followed by a Jean-Pierre Jeunet black comedy. I love Aliens. I still remember the shock, watching it for the first time on TV with my dad, of that scene in the egg chamber when the camera pans up to reveal the Queen. That’s an absolutely formative moment in my film-watching life. But in a lot of ways I do think Aliens is the least interesting of the four. It’s the most machine-tooled, efficient thriller of the original four, but it isn’t weird. I like the oddness of the others. Although Resurrection does go to shit at the end. Up until the moment Clone Ripley falls through the floor into the nest, that film’s totally fine. After that… not so much. There’s no defending the Newborn.

 

AJ: During the writing of the book, did you learn anything new about the films that you didn’t know beforehand?

OW: I learned some stuff about the fan theories as to why the Aliens look different in the different films. That’s all quite fun. And I realised that using the word “Xenomorph” for the Alien species is actually totally erroneous. That’s something that fandom picked up on and ran with, but if you pay attention to what Gorman actually says in that scene in Aliens – which is the only time the word gets used on screen – he’s actually using “xenomorph” to generally describe the type of creatures the Aliens are. He isn’t saying that’s the officially designated name of the species. So that’s a mistake in fandom that I’ve compounded by continuing. You sort of can’t not use it now.

Oh, and I also learned about “eggmorphing”. It had absolutely never occurred to me before, but the originally deleted scene in Alien, when Ripley finds Dallas and Brett cocooned by the Alien, fundamentally changes our understanding of what the Alien in that film is doing. It seems like it’s somehow turning Brett and Dallas into eggs, so that it can reproduce. Which contradicts what we learn later in Aliens, that there’s a Queen that lays the eggs. It’s right there on the screen, and it’s in the novelisation too, but somehow I’d never twigged to it at all. I guess I never paid it much attention because it was a deleted scene. And by the time I saw it, I’d already seen Aliens, where the colonists are cocooned for a different reason. So I must have seen the cocoon and not thought anything of it, and missed the fine detail.

Sir Ridley Scott directing Katherine Waterston, as Daniels,
on the set of Alien Covenant.

AJ: What is your opinion of Sir Ridley Scott’s new Alien films? What are your predictions for Alien: Awakening?

OW: I’m enjoying them, for all their flaws. I know that’s a controversial stance. I like the sheer perversity and bloody-mindedness behind them, that Ridley Scott is absolutely not going to take any notice of what the fans think they want. He’s going to do what he wants. And I think he’s right in that. Because the internet essentially just wants Aliens again. I would rather see any number of wonky Ridley Scott films than see Neill Blomkamp just make Aliens again based on some fucking drawing he did that the internet went nuts for.

Scott said a while ago that he thought the Alien – the creature itself – was played out. He reneged on that a bit with Covenant, but I get where he was coming from. There’s actually not all that much you can do with the Alien itself plot-wise. The best of the Dark Horse comics, like the Mark Verheiden ones from the ’90s, are barely about the Alien at all. The Alien is just going to kill people, either in stalk-and-slash mode or full-on-onslaught mode, both of which we’ve seen before. You need to populate those stories with other stuff to avoid them just being repetitive, which I guess is what David’s about. So I predict Awakening will be a lot more Fassbender and not much Alien again. And I predict that it will make extremely odd creative choices and have some very dodgy science in it and some of its characters will behave inexplicably. But I’ll take a strange, interesting failure over a mediocre success every time.

 

AJ: Do you have any more projects lined up?

OW: Yes, a couple of potentially exciting things, although neither of them are definite yet so I can’t talk about them. Hopefully they’ll come together at the start of next year. And if they come together simultaneously then I’ll actually be a bit a bit busier than I’d like! But mustn’t grumble. This is the curse of freelance life. I’ve either got a bit too much work on, or I’ve got nothing on at all and I’m convinced that I’ll never work again.

I should mention Yuletide Terror: Christmas Horror On Film, which isn’t my book, but I’m in it.

It’s a collection of essays on festive horror films and TV shows, edited by the estimable Kier-La Janisse. My chapter is on The League Of Gentlemen’s Christmas Special from 2000. It’s just been published in the last week or so and you can buy it here (http://www.spectacularoptical.ca/store/product/yuletide-terror-christmas-horror-on-film-and-television-2/).

 

AJ: And what are you reading at the moment (for leisure or work)?

OW: I had a freezing cold, snowy, Christmassy weekend in Whitby at the start of this month, and I took The Case of Charles Dexter Ward by HP Lovecraft, and The Hundred-and-Ninety-Nine Steps by Michel Faber. The Faber one is set in Whitby, and I found, totally by accident, that I was staying in the exact same hotel and room as the protagonist. So that was pleasingly spooky. And since then I’ve fallen down a Christmas murder mystery rabbit hole. I’ve read The Mistletoe Murder collection by PD James, and A Maigret Christmas by Georges Simenon, and I’ve just started Murder For Christmas by Francis Duncan.

I wish this answer was cooler.

When I’ve had enough of Christmas I want to read The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. Then after that I don’t know. But reading is never work, even when it technically is.

 

Thank you to Owen for taking the time for a Geekzine Q&A. You can follow Owen on Twitter via @FlexibleHead

The ALIEN Survival manual is out now, in hardback at £25 – although Carlton Books have it for £20 from their website… 

Andrew is the award-nominated author of steampunk fantasy novels, The Vengeance Path, and its sequel, Children of War, both available from the Amazon Kindle Store.

Geekzine review of 2017: Books, Games & Toys

Feb 132018
 

In this slightly belated second part to our Geekzine Review of 2017, Geekzine editor-in-chief Andrew Jamieson pours his frivolous attitude all over a selection of the books, boardgames, videogames and toys that kept our geek chops smiling during 2017.

Thanks to Will Millar, boardgame guru, and Alex Martin, videogame retail expert, for their valuable contributions.

 

Books…

The Art and Soul of Blade Runner 2049

A gorgeous deluxe hardback delve into the creation of 2017’s most ambitious movie. With its dedication to physical special effects bringing a powerful authenticity to the screen, this book charts the production from rights acquisition and script development, to the ‘world building’ design challenge and the myriad complex effects of the epic shoot, with input from the creative team throughout.

ALIEN Survival Manual by Owen Williams

Empire reviewer Owen Williams penned this very thorough and enjoyable exploration of the Alien films, including last year’s Alien: Covenant. Written from the perspective of a training manual, this is a very amusing and entertaining read for fans of the films. Full of great nerdy details and great photographs, this is so much more than a tie-in, and really sets the standard for how this type of book should be done. Links into a very cool app that allows you to have some fun with chestbursters…

The ALIEN Survival Manual
by Owen Williams

(we’ve got an interview with Owen lined up very soon, so keep your eyes peeled)

The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi

A gorgeous collection of the conceptual art involved in the making of latest Star Wars film, The Last Jedi. Lots of sweeping vistas and intriguing character design that, more often than not, didn’t make it into the film.

Carcharadons: Red Tithe by Robbie MacNiven

One of the best Space Marine novels ever written, about one of the most peculiar and fascinating Space Marine chapters, the Carcharadons, from Scottish author on the rise, Robbie MacNiven. He really gives the Carcharadons their own distinctive identity and goes to great lengths to depict their unique background in lots of geek-friendly detail. As for the antagonists of the story, the Chaos Space Marines of the Night Lords Legion, the author really captures their distinctive bloodthirsty style of stealth warfare. No character is given short shrift here, and this really is one of the most exceptional releases from the Black Library, to date.

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

One of the most noteworthy debuts of 2017, this fantastical novel weaves the story of its young protagonist, gifted with portentous powers, into a plot of epic fantasy. The first in The Daevabad Trilogy.

Clade by James Bradley

This stark warning of a future Earth on the brink is another fine example of why Bradley is a writer worthy of your attention. The novel follows a line of descendants through the ages as they seek to survive the changing world around them. The Guardian‘s Jane Housham reviewed it here.

Horus Heresy book 42: GARRO by James Swallow

A triumphant, epic tome, and much more than a short story collection, GARRO is the reworked and updated chronological saga of Nathaniel Garro, a space marine without a legion. Following his daring escape from his traitorous comrades of the Death Guard Legion (as told in Swallow’s exceptional Flight of the Eisenstein, back in 2007), Garro is recruited by Malcador the Sigilite as his Knight Errant, and is duly sent on covert missions across the galaxy to recruit specialised individuals to aid in the conflict against Warmaster Horus. I reviewed it here.

 

Books for little geeks…

Curse of the Werewolf Boy by Chris Priestley

A fun, spooky read for the 8+ crowd, yet well crafted enough to entertain readers much older. Like me. Read my glowing review here.

Jinks and O’Hare Funfair Repair by Philip Reeve & Sarah McIntyre

The latest collaboration from scribe Reeve and illustrator McIntyre, my little girl who is 8 had this to say: “I really liked the characters. The story was a bit complicated but lots of fun. I would read another book with these characters.” You can read over my interview with these two fine individuals here. You may be familiar with Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines, the film adaptation of which is out this December.

Toru & Meep: Snapshot Safari by Matt Pattinson

A glorious second picture book from rogue illustrator at large, Matt Pattinson (aka Culprit Art), featuring Japanese boy Toru, and blue alien, Meep. In this second book to feature the pair, Meep takes Toru on an alien safari so he can complete a school project. Available from the blurb website, here, and worth every penny.

 

Board games…

The Blood Bowl Almanac

Collecting the two softback releases Deathzone: Season 1 and Deathzone: Season 2, the almanac adds a few sweet extras with all the special rules published over the course of the last year-and-a-bit in Games Workshop’s magazine, White Dwarf. A glorious release and crammed full of wonderful details. Keep your eyes peeled for the launch of the Inaugural Geekzine Blood Bowl League this spring…

Dungeons & Dragons: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything

A Player’s handbook version 2.0, if you like, and a geek’s delight. Covering new character classes and monsters, amongst many other veritable treats, there is all sorts of glorious detail hidden in the glossy pages of this deluxe hardback tome. This is a golden time for D&D fans, with more exciting campaign & themed handbooks set for release this year.

2017 was a great year for D&D fans with numerous releases, including Xanathar’s Guide.

High Frontier (3rd edition)

You’re going to need a bigger table. The definitive 3rd edition of the space exploration epic, High Frontier made a splash in 2017, combining the original base game and the Colonization expansion, plus a heap-ton of new and redesigned cards. A game that requires no small amount of dedication, to play it through to its finish could take you a whole day.

Necromunda: Underhive

A mid-nineties gang warfare classic reimagined, Necromunda: Underhive does away with the 3d element of the original in favour of the more straightforward board game approach. Twenty plastic multi-part models, plus scenery, and a lean rule set and campaign book allow for a quick entry into this snapshot of feuding gangs in Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40k universe. The first supplement, campaign book Necromunda: Gang Warfare, is already out, with more gang sets and books to follow in 2018, starting this month with the Orlocks gang set and Gang War 2, plus a set of new floor tiles.

Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire

A slight departure for Games Workshop, Shadespire is a card-driven strategy skirmish game, as small warbands duke it out across the ruins of a mysterious city. The miniatures are great and the deck building aspect has potential for some fiendish strategic plays.

Warhammer 40K: Dark Imperium

The latest 40k box, released summer 2017 to coincide with the 8th edition of the rules, was a bargain box of delights, that includes two full armies (the shiny new Primaris Space Marines and those squelchy traitorous Space Marine rotters, the Death Guard) and the hardback rulebook. The slickest 40k experience yet.

 

Videogames…

Battle Chasers: Night War (PlayStation 4 / Xbox One & Nintendo Switch)

2017 saw the return of comicbook artist-slash-videogame entrepreneur Joe Madureira as he & three companions (all formerly of Vigil Games) launched their own company, Airship Syndicate. Night War is their first game, a visually gorgeous, traditional RPG set in the world of Madureira’s fantasy comicbook series, Battle Chasers, that ran for nine issues back in the late nineties until 2001. Night War is a pseudo-sequel to the comic, and Madureira has hinted that fans can expect the Battle Chasers story to continue in one form or another. The game is not going to win awards for its originality, as it is a fairly traditional explore n’ hack ‘JRPG’, but it is engrossing and the depth of world-building on display is sumptuous.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar saw creator Joe Madureira return to his heroic fantasy saga that was originally a comicbook series.

Horizon Zero Dawn (PlayStation 4)

An original title for the PS4 from Guerrilla Games, known for their Killzone titles, Horizon Zero Dawn is a post apocalyptic action RPG. It garnered lots of critical praise and heaps of sales, as fans revelled in the adventures of Aloy, a young tribal hunter looking to uncover the mysteries of her past whilst surviving the perils of her deadly world. A beautifully rendered game that received its first DLC late last year in The Frozen Wilds.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch)

One of the launch games for the Nintendo Switch was a truly wow moment for Zelda fans, offering not only a great, immersive gaming experience but a good indication of the power of Nintendo’s new console.

Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Switch)

Six months after Zelda, Nintendo Switch fans were rewarded with Super Mario’s debut on the new console. Once again, Princess Peach has found herself at the heart of dastardly Bowser’s plans and it is up to everyone’s favourite hirsute Italian plumber to put things right. Thankfully, Mario games are never judged on their plots but their fiendish game design, and Odyssey does not disappoint. Next time: Princess Peach saves Mario ?

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Playstation 4 / Xbox One)

A marked return to form for the original survival horror, making a bold stylistic move to harken back to the series’ minimalist roots. Exploration over splat-action is the main draw to this title, as lead character Ethan Winters finds himself drawn to a mysterious plantation, as he searches for his missing wife, whilst attempting to outwit the cannibal Baker family.

 

Toys…

Lego

The ubiquitous construction toy of choice for little kids and big kids alike, Lego had a good year, with two successful animated movies (neither as good as the original Lego Movie, in my opinion, but still lots of fun), and some strong new lines such as the new Ninjago Movie sets, and the new Star Wars sets. With the Channel 4 reality/competition show, Lego Masters, proving a hit, Lego continues to go from strength to strength. Rumours of a Lego Star Wars Cloud City have emerged recently…

Transformers

Takara Tomy’s excellent rendition of
Autobot Sunstreaker.

If, like me, Transformers formed a crucial part of your childhood (do you remember what you were doing the day Optimus Prime died??), then you may be familiar with the rise in collectable transformers, official and third party alike. Takara Tomy of Japan produce highly desirable Masterpiece editions of classic characters, and pleased many a fan, myself included, with their excellent release of Sunstreaker in late 2017. Open Play, a new production company on the third party scene, made a strong debut with ‘Big Spring’, their version of Springer. Their hook is that they provide no instructions, you simply Open and Play…

 

Andrew is the award-nominated author of steampunk fantasy novels, The Vengeance Path, and its sequel, Children of War, both available from the Amazon Kindle Store.

 

Geekzine Review of 2017: Films & TV

Jan 052018
 

The year that was 2017 delivered some cultural geekish delights. In the first of two linked features, Geekzine editor-in-chief Andrew Jamieson takes a roughshod look at some of the genre films and tv shows that kept us nerds smiling – and grimacing. It wasn’t all good, eh? 

FILM

Split (released in January) James McAvoy gives one of the performances of the year, and of his career, in this taught, twisting thriller from M. Night Shyamalan. A definite return to form for the writer-director, who has had more misses than hits in recent years.

Get Out (released in March) The debut feature film from Jordan Peele (of Key & Peele fame), this is ostensibly a horror, wrapped in biting satirical comedy. Approached with tongue firmly in cheek, its more ridiculous moments are outweighed by the sheer onslaught of thrills and shocks.

Ghost In The Shell, adapted from the anime and manga

Ghost In The Shell (released in March) The live action adaptation of the Japanese manga series is better than many give it credit, delivering some cyberpunk visual splendour. I reviewed it for reviewsphere.org earlier this year, and (mostly) liked it.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (released in April) Not quite the lean machine that the first movie was, this second outing for the galactic misfits is overlong and dogged by pacing issues. However, there is lots of enjoyment to be had from the onscreen chemistry between the Guardians and Kurt Russell’s scenery chomping turn as Ego the living planet.

The Red Turtle (released in May) Academy Award winner Michael Dudok de Wit is the first Westerner to direct for the acclaimed Japanese animation studio, and in his first feature film he delivers a philosophical fable of man’s struggle with nature. Engrossing and rewarding, and an interesting, less child-focused production for Studio Ghibli. I reviewed it for reviewsphere.org, and was very impressed.

Studio Ghibli’s The Red Turtle was nominated for the 2017 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature

Wonder Woman (released in June) Gal Gadot, as Wonder Woman herself, makes an impact in the biggest hit of DC’s superhero series in this origin tale, proving that her scene-stealing cameo in Batman v Superman was no fluke. Mixing Greek mythology with World War One espionage is not the most obvious of plot-blends, but in the talented hands of director Patty Jenkins, assisted by a stellar supporting turn from Chris Pine, this is a very charming, watchable jape.

Spider-Man Homecoming (released in July) Tom Holland’s Spidey was one of the highlights of Captain America: Civil War, and he carries that bravura into the first official MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) outing for Spider-Man, with Robert Downey Jnr and Michael Keaton also on fine form in support. Some great character moments outshine a somewhat overly familiar plot.

Dunkirk (released in July) Brit director Christopher Nolan returned with this World War Two epic about the evacuation of British troops from the port of Dunkirk. With an inventive use of timeframe and narrative, this was easily the year’s most intense, full-on cinema experience, particularly the teeth-rattling imax showing.  

Blade Runner 2049 (released in October) As unnecessary sequels go, this had no right to be any good. However, with director Denis Villeneuve on board, and fresh off The Arrival, we were never going to be served a lukewarm dish. Whilst this was never going to better the original Villeneuve did at least match (if not supersede) the visual and sonic spectacle of Sir Ridley Scott’s 1982 masterpiece. The script fluctuated between moments of invention and engrossing science-fiction, but also fell prey to third act wobbles and a too-neat finish. Look for a feature article on this film early 2018.

The Limehouse Golem (released in September) A gothic murder-mystery adapted from Peter Ackroyd’s novel by the screenwriter, Jane Goldman, who has form when it comes to adaptations in particular. Bill Nighy is on excellent form as Inspector Kildare, and it was reviewed (here) very favourably by the Geekzine’s Genevieve Taylor.

Marvel’s Thor Ragnarok

Thor Ragnarok (released in October) Easily the year’s most enjoyable movie – and better than any third film in a series deserves to be – that combined an intoxicating mix of drama, action, spectacle and humour. A great adventure movie that gave audiences lots of happy moments, particularly when Thor and Hulk team up. Director Taika Waititi matched the quality of his 2016 critical hit, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, proving that he is an auteur on the rise.

Paddington 2 (released in November) Hugh Grant delivers probably the performance of his career in this madcap sequel to 2014’s very charming original. Lots of fun for all the family.

Blade of the Immortal (released in December) Veteran director Takashi Miike’s adaptation of the long-running manga series came and went in the blink of an eye, lacking the distribution and marketing to make any impact at UK cinemas, but proved that Miike is still going strong over a hundred films later.

Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (released in December) A film that has proven to be very divisive amongst audiences and critics, this just about delivers on expectations but is still not the Star Wars film many of us hope for. Less homage heavy than The Force Awakens and more intent on moving the new story arc along, the most satisfying plotline of the film sees Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker and Daisy Ridley’s Rey shine as master and pupil, as Jedi mythology and legacy is explored. We’ll be looking more closely at Episode 8 in an upcoming article this month.

and the stinkers…

Sir Ridley Scott’s third Alien film, Alien: Covenant

Alien: Covenant (released in April) 2012’s Prometheus had ambition to spare but was let down by a scrappy, poorly scripted second half. Unfortunately, Alien: Covenant saw Sir Ridley Scott essentially recycle his own Alien but without any of that film’s quality. Alien: Covenant was bereft of ambition and scuppered itself with a clunking script and a clumsy plot, that favoured gruesome spectacle and mad robot hijinks over xenomorph-fuelled space terror – that fans of the series are crying out for. Hopefully with Disney buying out Fox, we’ll see some sensible decisions made over the direction of this series, and Sir Ridley Scott is by no means the authority on the Alien films. Whilst Elysium director Neill Blomkamp’s proposed ‘Aliens 2.5’ is perhaps not the answer, some fresh vision is required for the series to survive and thrive. I reviewed Alien: Covenant for reviewsphere.org, and we’ll be looking at the future of the series in an upcoming article.

Brimstone (released in September) Dutch director Martin Koolhoven delivers a relentless and utterly bleak western, divided into four segments all titled with references to the Old Testament. Packed with excellent performances from the likes of Guy Pearce and Dakota Fanning, Brimstone is beautifully shot, and starts promisingly – however, it suffers from its own relentlessly bleak plot, ultimately becoming an elongated exercise in predictable, grinding cliche. Michael Winterbottom’s The Claim covered similar ground but with better results.

Mother! (released in September) Good grief. Darren Aronofsky has never been a cautious director but he always had a keen eye for balancing story and character. Mother! is a film of two halves and for all the excellent tension building of the first half, the film then unravels into a spectacular mess. Excellent performances do not save the film in any way. A pretentious experiment gone wrong.

 

TV

BBC’s Taboo, produced by and starring Tom Hardy

Taboo (on BBC One from January to February) This Tom Hardy produced and acted mini-series channelled the darker elements of the works of Joseph Conrad and Jack London with beguiling results. Hardy turns in one of his best performances, obtuse and enigmatic all at once, and he is ably served by a twisting gothic mystery of a script co-written by Steven Knight, performed by a fantastic cast (including Jonathan Pryce, Stephen Graham, Oona Chaplin and Franka Potente), and shot through with atmosphere and portentous foreboding.

Twin Peaks: The Return (on Sky Atlantic from May to September) This year saw the return of David Lynch’s seminal tv series, Twin Peaks, and it delivered its peculiar charms over the course of 18 deranged episodes, giving fans some kind of closure for cherished characters but delivering sucker punches at regular intervals. Predictable it wasn’t, and eye-catching and mind-boggling it often was.

The Handmaid’s Tale (on Channel 4 from May to September) This Hulu produced adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s harrowing vision of a fascist future America was riveting viewing across its ten episodes, with very distinctive visual style and a gripping central performance from Elizabeth Moss as Offred, which saw her bag an Emmy last year. Quite possibly the favourite to bag the Best Actress award for a television drama series at this year’s Golden Globes…

Ronja the Robber’s Daughter (available to stream from Amazon Prime Video) This debuted on Amazon Prime at the tail end of 2016 and was recently released on dvd and blu-ray. Directed by Goro Miyazaki (Hayao’s son), it is a beautifully conceived fantasy series that delivers a compelling, soul-nourishing tale of the friendship between a boy and girl, from rival robber gangs. Adapted from the book by Astrid Lindgren, it’s a long haul at 24 episodes but is worth every minute of your time.

Stranger Things Season 2 poster CR: Netflix

Game of Thrones season 7 (on Sky Atlantic from July to August) The shortest season so far delivered the most action, spectacle and plot progression of the series. Some satisfying character arcs came to fruition and the end is now in sight. The last episode served up some plot developments that don’t bode well for a pair of well loved characters…

Stranger Things 2 (on Netflix from October) An impressive sequel to last year’s surprise Netflix hit, this season did not disappoint and crammed in more spectacle and bright character moments along with plenty of retro thrills and scares.
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