Gamebooks and the Fighting Fantasy Series in particular were very much responsible for our discovery of RPGs, and in today's episode we're incredibly pleased to have welcomed Jonathan Green joining us. One of the true titans of the Game Book industry.
Jonathan discusses what defines a gamebook, distinguishing branching stories with a problem to solve from simple choose-your-own-adventure formats. He looks at the history and appeal of Fighting Fantasy, including its role in combining fantasy, role-playing, and interactive fiction, and explains why the books attracted children through accessibility, brevity, and reader agency.
He also talks about the importance of cover art and interior illustration, and how printing changes affected artistic style. Jonathan describes his path into writing, from childhood book-making to his first published game book, Spellbreaker, and then outlines his later work on Game Books, role-playing material, and adaptations of public-domain works.
The interview ends with his more recent projects and his view that good gamebooks need meaningful choices, fairness, and a playable structure. He contrasts this with role-playing games, which allow broader freedom.
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