Charlie Higson to pen Fighting Fantasy book

Charlie Higson is writing a new book in the bestselling Fighting Fantasy gamebook series for Scholastic UK, set for an April 2018 release.

Higson’s adventure will be set in the iconic Fighting Fantasy world “while bringing his own brand of fiendish, pacy plotting and spine-chilling monsters into play”, the publisher said.

It follows the 35th anniversary last August of the first publication of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone’s classic adventure series.

The deal for world rights was struck between Lauren Fortune, editorial director at Scholastic UK and Alexandra Cann Representation on behalf of Higson and Philippa Milnes-Smith at Lucas Alexander Whitley on behalf of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone.

Higson’s book will be published alongside five more classic backlist titles from Jackson and Livingstone: Creature of Havoc, Deathtrap Dungeon, Appointment with F.E.A.R, The Island of the Lizard King and Sorcery! Fighting Fantasy is a trademark owned by Jackson and Livingstone and used with permission.

Higson wrote the Young Bond series which has now sold over a million copies in the UK and has been translated into over 24 different languages.

He said: “I’ve always been a huge fan of fantasy and gaming so when I first came across the Fighting Fantasy books back in the day I just had to check them out. Even though I was probably a little older than the average reader I thought they were great fun. In fact I thought they were genius. So it’s a huge honour now to be asked to write an adventure of my own and help introduce these amazing books to a new generation of readers.”

Fighting Fantasy co-creators Jackson and Livingstone said: “We are extremely proud of the world of Fighting Fantasy that we created 35 years ago, and which endures so well today. We’re very excited to see what the amazing imagination of bestselling author Charlie Higson will bring to the world. Charlie is a big fan of the series, and we know he will delight existing fans and his own readers with his first Fighting Fantasy book.”

Over 20 million copies of Fighting Fantasy have sold worldwide in 25 languages and the series has a legion of high-profile fans.