Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks Coming to America via Steve Jackson Games

Fighting Fantasy and Steve Jackson Games announced a deal to release the series of solo choose-your-own-adventure style gamebooks in the United States for the first time in over 20 years.

The Fighting Fantasy series, written by Sir Ian Livingston and Steve Jackson (not the same Steve Jackson of SJ Games), were originally published starting in 1982. While still available in other markets, they have been out of print in the United States after the publisher, Laurel Leaf Editions, was purchased along with parent company Dell Publishing Group in 1999.

From the announcement:

Fighting Fantasy debuted with The Warlock of Firetop Mountain in 1982. Since then, over 20 million copies of the exciting series have been sold worldwide. In Fighting Fantasy, players embark on a solo adventure where their decisions – and dice rolls – determine the outcome of the story. This combination of nonlinear narrative and classic tabletop action sets the series apart from other gamebook franchises. Fighting Fantasy co-creators Sir Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson (UK) stated how thrilled they were to sign a US publishing agreement for Fighting Fantasy with Steve Jackson Games.

Sir Ian says: “To have a new publisher in the USA is a special moment in the history of Fighting Fantasy. We have known Steve Jackson (US) for more than 40 years, having distributed Steve Jackson Games in the 1980s when we owned Games Workshop. Steve also wrote three fantastic Fighting Fantasy books which caused a lot of confusion at the time when people didn’t realize there were two Steve Jacksons! We look forward to exciting times ahead in the USA for new and existing Fighting Fantasy fans.”

The first five books of the 50-title series will be made available in early 2025 with the next five in the series coming later that year.

 

[GreyLord]

"Original" varies by region. I'm still sad that I got rid of my American version, because it seems almost impossible to find, and I refuse to accept any other trade dress.
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That's a cool cover.

Mine looked like this

 

[GreyLord]

City of Thieves was always my favorite, but Forest of Doom and Scorpion Swamp were my second favorite. The Dungeoncrawling ones were frustrating. I've never understood why The Warlock of Firetop Mountain is considered a classic. I read it once and then threw it in a box in disgust, never to pick it up again. As a middle-schooler in 1984 or so.

My favorites were by Stephen Hand...Dead of Night, Moonrunner, and Legend of the Shadow Warriors. I also really enjoyed those by Keith Martin/Carl Sargent, so Vault of the Vampire and Stealer of Souls were some favorites. I also really liked Revenge of the Vampire.

For lower numbered favorites I think it would be Demons of the Deep and Talisman of Death. Interesting thing about Talisman of Death is that it is by the same people who wrote Way of the Tiger and it occurs in the same world as Way of the Tiger.