The role-playing adventure books sold 20m copies in the 80s, before being eclipsed by video games. Now they’re back with a new story by Charlie Higson, can they captivate the web generation?Ian Livingstone calls it the “five-fingered bookmark”: that grip known to children of the 80s and 90s. You’d insert a finger into various sections of your Fighting Fantasy adventure game book in order to be able to return if, say, your choice to drink the “sparkling red liquid” and turn to section 98 turned out to be a bad one, or if attacking the Mirror Demon “from another dimensional plane” proved fatal.“You used to see it on public transport everywhere,” says Livingstone, who with Steve Jackson dreamed up Fighting Fantasy back in the early 80s. “It’s like peeking around the corner. You can’t call it cheating – it’s taking a sneak peek.”We were so into interactivity, because it’s empowering, rather than passive reading, which is a linear experienceThe Evangelical Alliance warned that by interacting with demons you’re bound to be possessed by the devil Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2018-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As you may have heard, the cookbook sensation of the season, if not the decade, is Modernist Cuisine, a six-volume magnum opus on contemporary cooking principles that will set you back roughly $500. Self-published by Nathan Myhrvoldthe genius founder of Microsoft's research division,... Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2011-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Always adventurous publisher Taschen is launching its first line of 3D books, and, as youd expect from a house known for its outsize books--and subjects--the first Taschen books getting the 3D treatment are Taschens Big Body Parts series: The Big Penis Book and The Big Book of Breasts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Thu, 31/03/2011 - 09:00 Titles on feminism, New Labour and the life and times of Christopher Hitchens have been longlisted for the 2011 Orwell Prize for political writing. The announcement was made at an event on Wednesday [30th March]. Eighteen titles... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Thu, 31/03/2011 - 15:30 Beautiful Books has acquired an inquisitive biography of Brideshead Revisited author Evelyn Waugh. Evelyn! Rhapsody for an Obsessive Love by Duncan McLaren is lined up for hardback and ebook publication on 26th September.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 30/03/2011 - 09:36 Eason is pumping 20m into the company over the next three years, at the same time as embarking on trade union talks over a restructure that will likely include some job losses. The Irish bookselling chain announced to staff... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 30/03/2011 - 09:36 Eason is pumping 20m into the company over the next three years, at the same time as embarking on trade union talks over a restructure that will likely include some job losses. The Irish bookselling chain announced to staff... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Wed, 30/03/2011 - 15:17 Just shy of £3m has been spent on the 10 titles of More 4's latest "TV Book Club" in 2011, with sales over the series up 2% on the 2010 selections and against an overall book market decline of 7%. A grand total of 506,200... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Tue, 29/03/2011 - 08:51 Busy schedules and a strong presence from US publishers in an "upbeat" mood were reported on the first day of the Bologna Book Fair. Hodder Children's Books publishing director Anne McNeil said the fair was busier than it had... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 29/03/2011 - 15:50 Book sales slipped for the fourth week in a row last week, and were down more than £3.3m last year, according to Nielsen BookScan data. A total of £24.2m was spent on printed books at UK retail outlets in the seven days to 26th... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Mon, 28/03/2011 - 09:30 Tim Waterstone is reportedly assembling a management team for Waterstone's with a view of returning the chain to its stock-holding roots, as speculation mounts about a bid. The weekend press extensively reported on the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 24/03/2011 - 08:34 Bloomsbury's The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt: the History of a Civilisation from 3,000 BC to Cleopatra has won this year's £3,000 Hessell-Tiltman Prize for History. Written by Toby Wilkinson, the book was commended by... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amanda Hocking, the 26-year-old author who shot to fame by selling more than a million copies of her self-published books, has signed a deal with St. Martin's Press. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2011-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google may seek help from Congress as it tries to salvage a book publishing settlement that was rejected by a federal judge. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2011-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Katie Allen and Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 23/03/2011 - 15:48 Mainstream, J R Books, Pan and Faber are to rush publication of titles on Elizabeth Taylor, after the Oscar-winning film star died today [23rd March]. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Tue, 22/03/2011 - 19:52 A New York judge has ruled that the revised Google Book Settlement is not "fair, adequate, and reasonable" and has denied final approval. Judge Denny Chin has instead told the parties to redraft the settlement as an "opt-in"... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 22/03/2011 - 15:36 Spending on printed books in the UK slumped for a third consecutive week to a new 2011 low, with this week's number one the lowest-selling top title for more than seven years. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amanda Hocking, the darling of the self-publishing world who has sold more than 900,000 copies of nine books in the last year, has been shopping a four-book series to major publishers. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2011-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What's new in the hardcover fiction bestsellers of 2010? Very little. Almost every author in the fiction top 30 has been on these charts in previous yearsmost several times. The sole exception is the #1 fiction bestseller, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, with sales of 1.9 million. Stieg... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble, through its combination of physical bookstores and bn.com, remained the largest outlet for the sale of trade books in 2010. That was one of the first findings from Bowkers annual rollup of its monthly book consumer tracking program, PubTrack Consumer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Wed, 16/03/2011 - 14:50 Fiona Goble's 64-page Knit Your Own Royal Wedding (Ivy Press), which comes with a backdrop of Westminster Abbey "so that you can display your creations in authentic surroundings", is the current sales leader in the incredibly... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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