Welcome to Blackwell Academy!

My latest book – Life Is Strange: Welcome to Blackwell Academy – comes out today in the USA. (The UK has to wait until October 30 instead.) It’s based on the hit video game series, Life Is Strange, developed by Dontnod and (in the case of the prequel, Life is Strange: Before the Storm) Deck Nine.

As it says in the official description:

An atmospheric and characterful look at the world of the hugely successful video game Life is Strange, through the eyes of Max and Chloe.

Welcome to Blackwell Academy is an in-universe book from the Life is Strange video game franchise from Dontnod Entertainment and Square Enix. This detailed book takes the form of a student guide to Blackwell Academy and the town of Arcadia Bay. Overlaid onto the pages is graffiti: notes, doodles, sketches and photographs from the Blackwell students themselves, including contributions from the beloved protagonists Max and Chloe.

Welcome to Blackwell Academy includes information on the staff and facilities of Blackwell Academy, the people and locations of Arcadia Bay, overlaid with funny, irreverent and poignant comments from the students.

I had played a little bit of Life Is Strange before Matt Ralphs at Titan Books approached me about working on it, but my kids – particular Marty and Pat – are huge fans of the series. I mean, they LOVE the games, and their passion for the series inspired me to dive deep into it for the book. They coached me through playing through every bit of both Life Is Strange and Before the Storm and debated all sorts of contentious bits about the games with me, helping me clarify things in my mind as I tried to figure out what it would be like to live inside the world of the games.

Pat even took dozens of screenshots from the games for the book, earning him his first publishing credit at the age of 16. He saved me countless hours and did a much better job at it than I could have managed.

It’s an unusual book in many ways.

  1. It’s an in-game artifact, something that’s supposedly plucked from the game’s universe just before the climactic moments at the end of the final episode of Life Is Strange.
  2. It’s a flip book. You read it Welcome to Blackwell Academy about three quarters through and then flip it over to read Welcome to Arcadia Bay.
  3. The original parts of the book are authentic replicas of a standard prep-school guide book and small-town guidebook.
  4. But then the characters from the book got a hold of it and scribbled all over the damn thing.
  5. Max and Chloe (the main characters from Life Is Strange) do most of the scribbling and doodling, bantering with each other with their pens, but a bunch of other characters chip in too.
  6. There’s a lot of swearing in the book. Like on every page and at maximum volume. You’ve been warned. (Or amused. Either way, go with it.)
  7. It’s a thick hardcover book that comes shrink-wrapped with a white band of paper around it, which you can see in the picture above. You remove the band, and it’s like you’re carrying around the actual artifact – although a little less worn, perhaps.

I had a ball working on this book, and not just because I got to play video games for days on end and call it research. My editor, Matt Ralphs, was fantastic fun to work with. He and I riffed up so many incredible ideas that made their way into the book, and he provided a strong guiding hand through it all.

The folks at Amazing15 provided the book’s stunning graphic design. That’s complicated as hell in a book like this – one with several layers, plus notes from me like “turn these bits of trivia into infographics” – and they made it look seamlessly easy.

So, huge thanks to them, plus also to the teams at Dontnod and Deck Nine. Particularly Jean-Luc Cano, Raoul Barbet, Michel Koch, Christian Devine, Webb Pickersgill, Chris Floyd, and Zak Garriss, who led the creative charge. Without them, we wouldn’t have a Life Is Strange world to set the book in at all.

I hope you enjoy this fun tome we came up with. It was borne of a wonderful game about friendships, family, and love – with a bit of supernatural drama thrown in – and inspired everyone who worked on it to love that world just as much as Chloe and Max love each other. With luck, that shines through.

I encourage you to ding your copy around. To tote it around in a backpack, drop it, scuff it, and maybe even write in it yourself. And swear in it as much as you like.

For authenticity.

Gen Con Insights

As I may have mentioned before, I’m on the committee that helps select the gaming industry guests of honor for Gen Con, my favorite event of the year. This is kind of like being asked to help oversee Christmas.

This year, we had a fantastic slate of guests: Jordan Weisman, Nolan T. Jones, and Anita Sarkeesian. We also instituted a new series of presentations called Gen Con Insights, featuring high-quality videos of some of the best speakers in gaming. Those were all recorded, and the first one’s out now, featuring my pal Peter Adkison, founder of Wizards of the Coast and co-owner of Gen Con.

In this presentation, Peter tells the story of how he came to publish one of the most influential and successful games of all time, Magic: The Gathering. It’s well worth the watch.

Other videos are on the slate too, as listed below. In the Uncommon Conversations, we enlisted a crew of gaming industry luminaries (Tanya DePass, Nicole Lindroos, Luke Crane, and Jason Morningstar) to interview our guests of honor. These made for some amazing chats.

Friday, 9/28

  • Uncommon Conversations – Nolan T. Jones / Tanya DePass

Friday, 10/5

  • Uncommon Conversations — Jordan Weisman / Nicole Lindroos
  • Insights — Shanna Germain

Friday, 10/12

  • Uncommon Conversations — Anita Sarkeesian / Luke Crane
  • Industry Guest of Honor Round Table — All IGOH / Jason Morningstar
  • Insights — Ben Dobyns

Tune in as the other videos come up too. I hope you’ll be as delighted with them as I am.

Endless Quest Interviews

Last week, I sat down and chatted with people for three interviews in one day, all about my new Endless Quest books. Two of them are already posted and ready for you.

The first of these is a chat with Paco Jean of GMS Magazine. We had a great time and probably could have gone on for a lot longer. Paco’s a great interviewer, and his passion for both games and books shines through.

The second is Dragon Talk, the official D&D show on Twitch. I got to talk with Shelly Mazzanoble and Greg Tito, who regularly roll critical hits for fun banter. You can watch our entire exchange below.

The books have been getting a great reception so far. I love hearing stories about parents reading them to their kids, especially when it leads to the kids asking about playing in an actual D&D game too.

Endless Quests Are Here!

I’ve had a crazy, wonderful summer packed with all sorts of fun, but now that Labor Day is over and the kids are heading back to school, it’s back to work for me. Today, I have not one but FOUR brand-new books scheduled to debut. Some folks have been able to get their hands on them early, but today is the official release date for the launch of the new Endless Quest line, which features four fresh adventure books, all written by me. They include:

You can see the covers below. These are fully illustrated, full-color, pick-a-path adventures for ages 10 and up. They clock in at 128 pages each, and every one of them is based upon an adventure Wizards of the Coast has published (or is about to publish) for the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. 

They’re available in both hardcover and paperback in the US. In the UK, you might be able to find them in a dust-jacketed hardcover edition too. They are not being produced as ebooks, only in varieties that require an actual bookmark, so grab them while you can!

While you’re at it, go ahead and check out other brand-new books by some friends of mine, each about an iconic hero.

  • Troy Denning’s latest Halo novel, Silent Storm, releases today. It’s a story about Master Chief himself.
  • R. A. Salvatore has a new Drizzt novel out, set in the Forgotten Realms, of course, called Timeless. 
  • Mur Lafferty wrote the novelization of the film Solo, featuring all sorts of new additions that didn’t make it into the movie’s final cut.

Lots of great reading, so get stocked up and started!

Gen Con Is Here!

I took the week off after Comic-Con and headed into the Northwoods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a much-needed break. I’m back home now, though, and preparing for the greatest event of the year: GEN CON.

I’ll be there for all four and a half days, starting tomorrow night. Here’s my public schedule:

Wednesday, August 1

  • 9 PM: Diana Jones Award party. (This is a private event I host, but if you’re a creative professional going to the show, hit me up for an invitation.)

Thursday, August 2

  • 10 PM: The Diana Jones Award Morning After Report. The Diana Jones Award is given out the Wednesday night before Gen Con. Join Matt Forbeck & reps of the items shortlisted for the award for a way-too-early discussion about the award & winner.
  • 12 PM: Reading as Writers. How does reading change when you are a writer? SHOULD you change your reading habits? Will reading ever be fun again? With Keith Baker, Erik Scott de Bie, Matt Forbeck, and Maurice Broaddus.
  • 4 PM: Writer Talk: Writing Fast and Well. Award winning and New York Times bestselling author and game designer Matt Forbeck has had a successful freelance career while still making time for family. How does he find time for everything? (Damn good question!)
  • 5 PM: Gen Con Insights. A premiere speaking experience in the gaming industry, featuring Peter Adkison, Ben Dobyns, and Shanna Germain. Join us for this inaugural event where Presenters share their unique experience as Change Makers. Each will give a half hour presentation w/ Q&A. (I’m not actually in this event, but I sat on the committee that created it, so I’m going to watch and enjoy. Join me!)

Friday, August 3

If you see me wandering around, feel free to say hi. If I have my kids with me, we’re usually on our way from one game to another, so it might have to cut the chat short, but I’m always happy to catch up with friends, fans, and fellow gamers when I can.

Find Me at Comic-Con!

I’m heading out to San Diego for Comic-Con International next week, and I have a good slate of appearances set up. Here’s where you can find me at the show:

Friday, July 20

  • 11 AM: Signing at the Simon & Schuster booth (#1128). They should have copies of my Halo novels on sale, including Halo: Bad Blood. I’ve only signed a handful of these so far, so come on by and be the first on your block to snag one.
  • 2 PM:  International Association of Media Tie-In Writers: Scribe Awards. Max Allan Collins (Mike Hammer) hosts this year’s Scribe Awards for excellence in tie-in writing. Nominees/panelists Michael Black (The Executioner), David Boop (Predator), Matt Forbeck (Halo), Christie Golden (Star Wars), Jonathan Maberry (Planet of the Apes), and Sarah Stegall (Deadworld) will present a lively look at one of the most popular and yet underappreciated branches of the writing trade.

Saturday, July 21

  • 2 PM: Signing at the Candlewick Press booth (#5532). They’ll have some advance reader copies of Endless Quest: Escape the Underdark for me to sign, and they should have copies of Dungeonlogy for sale as well.

Sunday, July 22

  • 11 AM: An Author’s Guide to D&D. Many SFF authors writing today grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons. The game is experiencing a resurgence today. Hear some of today’s most popular authors of science fiction and fantasy talk about how the classic game of the imagination inspired their own writing. Dungeon master Naomi Novik (Spinning Silver) guides authors Lila Bowen/Delilah Dawson (Treason of Hawks, Kill the Farm Boy), Kevin Hearne (Kill the Farm Boy), Matt Forbeck (Dungeons & Dragons: Endless Quest series), R. A. Salvatore (Timeless, Child of a Mad God), Raymond E. Feist (King of Ashes), and Kyle Newman (Dungeons & Dragons Art and Arcana).
  • 12:30 PM: Signing in the Sails Pavilion. After the panel, my fellow panelists and I will make our way to the Sails Pavilion where the rest of us will watch Bob Salvatore and Raymond Feist sign books! (I joke! But not really…) Mysterious Galaxy will be on hand to sell copies of all sorts of things, including Dungeonology, and Candlewick may also have more Escape the Underdark ARCs on hand too.

The rest of the time, I’ll be wandering around the show with some of my kids, having meetings, and soaking in the California sun. I hope to see you there!

And Now We Got Bad Blood!

My latest novel, Halo: Bad Blood, hit shelves (virtual and physical) around the US today. It should find its way out in other parts of the world soon after.

This is my third novel for Halo, the bestselling military science-fiction series of video games from Microsoft, and it’s my second one that takes up the continuing story of the heroes from Halo 3: ODST, Eddie Buck and his pals in Alpha-Nine. I also wrote New Blood, the first of those novels. You don’t have to read that to be able to read Bad Blood, but hey, it sure couldn’t hurt.

This story picks up seconds after the end of Halo 5, and it rolls on from there. As the back cover copy says:

Just hours following their climactic battle on the Forerunner planet Genesis, the Spartans of Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris find themselves running for their lives from the malevolent machinations of the now-renegade artificial intelligence Cortana. But even as they attempt to stay one step ahead, trouble seems to find Spartan Edward Buck no matter where he turns.

A secret mission enacted by the Office of Naval Intelligence could possibly help turn the tide, and has Buck reluctantly agreeing to reform his old team, Alpha-Nine. Because if the band is really getting back together for this one, that means everybody–including the Spartan who Buck never wants to see again, the one who committed the ultimate betrayal of trust…

I want to thank all the people at Gallery/Pocket/Simon & Schuster who worked on the book and helped promote it, as well as all the folks at 343 Industries (the part of Microsoft that works on Halo). They all did an amazing job of making me look sharper and smarter than I actually am, and they were a pleasure to work with every step of the way. I need to particularly call out Ed Schlesinger, Jeremy Patenaude, and Tiffany O’Brien, who have worked with me on all three books and have always been tremendously helpful and understanding throughout.

On top of that, big thanks to Isaac Hannaford, the artist who created the covers for both New Blood and Bad Blood. They’re both deadly attractive.

The book’s already selling well it seems, to thanks also to all you wonderful readers out there, including my fellow Halo fans. It’s a privilege to be able to work in this awe-inspiring universe, and I’m thrilled to have you all along for the ride.

If you want it signed, I’m going to be at Comic-Con International and Gen Con this summer. Hope to see you there!

 

Find Me at Gen Con!

Hard to believe it, but Gen Con (the best time of the year!) is just seven weeks away. It’s my favorite event of the entire year, and I never miss it. I’ve been going since 1982, which means this will be my 37th Gen Con in a row.

I’ve been a guest at the show for more years than I care to count, mostly by means of my work with the Industry Insiders Advisory Panel, which now chooses the convention’s gaming guests of honor. My schedule is evolving for the show, but at the moment, here’s where you’ll be able to find me:

Wednesday, August 1

  • 9 PM: Diana Jones Award party. (This is a private event I host, but if you’re a creative professional going to the show, hit me up for an invitation.)

Thursday, August 2

  • 12 PM: Reading as Writers. How does reading change when you are a writer? SHOULD you change your reading habits? Will reading ever be fun again? With Keith Baker, Erik Scott de Bie, Matt Forbeck, and Maurice Broaddus.
  • 4 PM: Writer Talk: Writing Fast and Well. Award winning and New York Times bestselling author and game designer Matt Forbeck has had a successful freelance career while still making time for family. How does he find time for everything? (Damn good question!)
  • 5 PM: Freelancing Life. Freelancing can be a way to supplement writing income. Lucy Snyder, Sandra Tayler, Matt Forbeck, and Keith Law discuss getting started, negotiate contracts, find work, and how to maintain your sanity.

Friday, August 3

I’ll be around the entire weekend, but that Saturday is my 50th birthday, so I plan to spend most of it playing games with my kids. The way it should be!

Either way, I hope you can join us all in Indianapolis for the Best Four Days in Gaming. Don’t miss out!

Halo: Bad Blood Cover and Description Revealed!

Last night, over at HaloWaypoint.com, Jeff Easterling of 343 Industries (who I finally actually met this week!) revealed some details about my upcoming novel, Halo: Bad Blood in his latest update. They revealed the cover art a while back, but now we have the full cover treatment, with logos, text, and all.

In addition to that, we now have the description slated to appear on the book’s back cover. It reads:

Just hours following their climactic battle on the Forerunner planet Genesis, the Spartans of Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris find themselves running for their lives from the malevolent machinations of the now-renegade artificial intelligence Cortana. But even as they attempt to stay one step ahead, trouble seems to find Spartan Edward Buck no matter where he turns.

A secret mission enacted by the Office of Naval Intelligence could possibly help turn the tide, and has Buck reluctantly agreeing to reform his old team, Alpha-Nine. Because if the band is really getting back together for this one, that means everybody–including the Spartan who Buck never wants to see again, the one who committed the ultimate betrayal of trust….

Interpret all that as you will…

I’m just putting the final touches on the book right now, and I’m pretty thrilled with it. It’s slated to debut on June 26, so get ready. That’s coming up fast!

Hello, Emerald City!

I’m off to Emerald City Comic Con this weekend, a last-minute thing I tacked onto a trip to Seattle. I only have one official event at the entire show. You can find me there at the Lone Shark Games booth (Fourth Floor, 204) from 2—3 PM on Saturday, where I’ll be signing cards for the Apocrypha Adventure Card Game, a game for which I helped create the background.

Otherwise, you may bump into me wandering around and gawking at all the cool things on display. Hope to see you there!