Jonathan Green's Blog

Anyone who has read my work for a while, particularly my gamebooks, will know that I have a bit of a thing for cephalopods.

I have always been fascinated by these highly intelligent, boneless mollusks, starting with legends of giant squid. In fact, I even have a print of a giant cephalopod on my wall. I based this image from my map of Neverland on the self-same print.

The Terrorsquid, by Jonathan Green.

I should warn you that there are minor spoilers ahead...

There is a Giant Octopus in Bloodbones, the Abyssal Horror in Stormslayer shares some features with a giant cephalopod, there's the Terrorsquid in NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters!, and a Kraken in Beowulf Beastslayer.

Giant Octopus, by Tony Hough.

One of my books - Doctor Who: Night of the Kraken - even has a cephalopod in the title. And there are squid or octopus-like creatures in 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas, Dracula - Curse of the Vampire, and RONIN 47. And that's just the gamebooks.

Giant Squid vs. Ghost Whale, by Neil Googe.

Something very much like a giant squid gets a fair bit of screen time in the second Ulysses Quicksilver Pax Britannia novel Leviathan Rising, and there is a fantastic illustration of a Kraken in Heorot - Roleplaying in the World of Beowulf Beastslayer.

Kraken, by Heraldo Mussolini.

Will there be octopuses and giant squid in future books? Undoubtedly!

Back at the start of the year, I was interviewed by Kenny Smith for The Power of 3 Podcast about my Eleventh Doctor novel Terrible Lizards .

First published in 2012 as part of Monstrous Missions, and later released as a self-contained novel for the US market in 2016, in Terrible Lizards, the Eleventh Doctor and his friends join a group of explorers on a Victorian tramp steamer in the Florida Everglades. The explorers are searching for the Fountain of Youth, but neither they nor the treasure they seek are quite what they seem...

If you are interested in peeking behind the curtain, to find out how a book comes to be, you can listen to the podcast here. And you can order pre-loved copies of the novel here.

This year, to date, I have written three gamebooks. Today, I am delighted to be able to share the news about one of those projects with you.

“Greetings, Agent Valiant,

The Crown and Her forces face enemies on all fronts, on land and

on sea, in politics and in trade. But yours is a subtler mission, your

tools more covert, using perseverance, keen observational skills, and

strength of character and deed. You have joined the secret ranks of Her

Majesty’s Ministry of Intelligence, laying your life on the line to protect

Queen and Country. Choose your tools of subterfuge carefully, Valiant,

for success or failure from here rests on your choices.

Good Luck, and Godspeed

M”

Set in the world of Warcradle Studios' Dystopian Age games, amidst the never-ending conflict of the warring powers, Valiant sees you play your way through the setting like never before.

Written by Yours Truly, and illustrated by Neil Googe (who also illustrated the seventh ACE Gamebook RONIN 47), this upcoming adventure places you in the role of Valiant, an Agent in the Circus (Her Majesty’s Ministry of Intelligence), and provides a glimpse into the world of the Dystopian Age as your actions decide the fate of your mission for the Crown.

To find out more, click this link to visit the Warcradle Studios' blog.

Yes, it's that time again - it's Talk Like a Pirate Day!

So I would just like to remind you that my Dinosaurs Vs. Pirates Vs. the End of the World ACE Gamebook NEVERLAND - Here Be Monsters! is available to buy now, either as a physical paperback or as a PDF.

This Friday, 12th September 2025, Paul Grogan of Ulisses Spiele will be doing the first live play preview of Fighting Fantasy Quest: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain online at 8:00pm UK time.

Paul previewed the game at the UK Games Expo earlier this year, but now everyone, all over the world, can see what it's all about.

Paul Grogan and Sir Ian Livingstone at the UK Games Expo with
Fighting Fantasy Quest: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain

So, make sure you put 8:00pm Friday 12th September in your diary and join the livestream here.

YOU ARE THE HERO: An Interactive History of Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks has been out for over a year, but now you can download the hyperlinked PDF from DriveThruRPG. Click on the cover below to find out more.

Ninety years ago today, on 30th August 1935, The Box of Delights by John Masefield was published in the UK by Heinemann. 
Why not mark the occasion by purchasing a copy of the licenced The Box of Delights - The Roleplaying Game ?

The Box of Delights – The Roleplaying Game is a rules-lite RPG for 2-6 Players, plus a Gamesmaster, inspired by John Masefield's Christmas classic.
Designed to be picked up and played with minimal preparation, it nonetheless includes a well-developed character creation system, as well as rules for combat and magic.
Illustrated throughout by Tony Hough, it is ideal for a festive gaming session with an established group, or as an alternative to the family games usually played at Christmastime.
Time and Tide and Buttered Eggs wait for no man. So, grab your dice and playing cards, and prepare for adventure, for the Wolves are Running!

Today I received my latest royalty statement from Games Workshop. It may be a while since I last wrote for Black Library but I still get a few pounds and pence in royalties each year from sales of , thanks to the prevalence of eBooks.

I thought it might be interesting to share the best-selling titles, based on earnings. So, here we go...

1) Iron Hands

2) The Relic - published in the Warhammer 40,000 anthology Legends of the Space Marines.

3) But Dust in the Wind

4) Journey of the Magi

5) Paradise - published in the Necromunda anthology Uprising.

27 August 2025 marks 43 years since the publication of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, which means it is also International Gamebook Day.

International Gamebook Day began in 2020 but went on hiatus in 2024. However, it is back for 2025.

While 27 August is nominally International Gamebook Day, when the formal celebrations take place can vary. In 2023, the celebrations took place on 14 October, and had a horror theme.

This year, the International Gamebook Day celebrations will take place in November, so keep your eyes peeled for more news soon.

It's that time of the year when I put my ACE Gamebooks on sale through DriveThruRPG for just 99p each!

So, if there's a title you've been meaning to pick up but you haven't yet, or you have a physical copy and would like a PDF for ease of reading on the move, then now is the first time to check out the Summer Sale.

And please tell all your friends! Thank you.

You can also pick up some bargain collecticles on eBay at the moment.