Editing Fighting Fantasy (section)

==Publication history==
In 1980, Steve Jackson (not to be confused with the [[Steve Jackson (US game designer)|US-based game designer of the same name]]) and Ian Livingstone attended a [[Games Day]], and after meeting with a [[Penguin Books]] editor Geraldine Cook decided to create a series of single-player gamebooks. Their first submission, ''The Magic Quest'', was a short adventure intended to demonstrate the style of game. ''The Magic Quest'' was eventually accepted by Penguin, although the authors devoted a further six months to expanding and improving upon their original concept.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fightingfantasy.com/fffaq.htm#format |title=Fighting Fantasy FAQ |date=2005-11-27 |access-date=2011-12-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051127132716/http://www.fightingfantasy.com/fffaq.htm#format |archive-date=November 27, 2005 }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/ian_livingstone_and_steve_jackson_interview/|title=Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson interview|last=Hamblin|first=Jon|date=2007-08-24|website=Gamesradar|access-date=2018-07-19}}</ref>

===Puffin Books (1982–1995)===
The result was ''[[The Warlock of Firetop Mountain]]'' and, after several rewrites, the book was accepted and published in 1982 under Penguin's children's imprint, Puffin Books. Following the success of this title,<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://www.fightingfantasy.com/fffaq.htm#sold |title=Fighting Fantasy FAQ |date=2005-11-27 |access-date=2011-12-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051127132716/http://www.fightingfantasy.com/fffaq.htm#sold |archive-date=November 27, 2005 }}</ref> Jackson and Livingstone began writing individually to create additional ''Fighting Fantasy'' gamebooks.

This series was published under Puffin's newly-created ''Adventure Gamebooks'' banner, which eventually would hold not only the ''Fighting Fantasy'' series, but ''[[The Cretan Chronicles]]'' trilogy, the ''Starlight Adventures'' series, and the individual role-playing game ''[[Maelstrom (role playing game)|Maelstrom]]'' as well.<ref name="Imagine26">{{cite journal | last = Davis |first = Graeme |author-link = Graeme Davis (game designer) | title =Notices | type = review | journal = [[Imagine (game magazine)|Imagine]] | issue = 26| pages =40| publisher = TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd. |date=May 1985}}</ref>

In 1983, ''[[The Citadel of Chaos]]'' and ''[[The Forest of Doom]]'' were published, by Jackson and Livingstone respectively. Four more titles quickly followed: ''[[Starship Traveller]]'' (the first title with a [[science fiction]] setting), ''[[City of Thieves (gamebook)|City of Thieves]]'', ''[[Deathtrap Dungeon]]'', and ''[[Island of the Lizard King]]''; Jackson writing one and Livingstone writing three. In 1984, a decision was made to hire additional writers to expand the series more quickly: Steve Jackson (the U.S.-based founder and owner of [[Steve Jackson Games]]) was the first, followed by others such as Andrew Chapman, [[Carl Sargent]] (aka Keith Martin), [[Marc Gascoigne]], and [[Peter Darvill-Evans]]. Jackson and Livingstone, however, continued to be involved and approved all cover and internal illustrations within the UK.<ref name="archive1">{{cite web|url=http://www.fightingfantasy.com/fffaq.htm#version |title=Fighting Fantasy FAQ |date=2005-11-27 |access-date=2011-12-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051127132716/http://www.fightingfantasy.com/fffaq.htm#version |archive-date=November 27, 2005 }}</ref>

Jackson wrote a self-contained four-part series titled ''[[Steve Jackson's Sorcery!]]'' (1983-1985), which combined the use of combat and sorcery, and introduced the continent later known as the Old World. These featured dice images at the bottom of each page, making it possible for the player to randomly flip through the pages for the equivalent of a dice roll (the ''Fighting Fantasy'' titles published by Wizard Books used the same device).

Andrew Chapman and Martin Allen also wrote a two-book, two-player adventure titled ''[[Clash of the Princes]]'' (1986). There were also [[List of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks|several supplemental books]] produced that provided more information about the ''Fighting Fantasy'' universe, including a comprehensive bestiary of monsters and a sample adventure.

Although the ''Fighting Fantasy'' titles had successful sales<ref name=autogenerated1 /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fightingfantasy.com/fffaq.htm#Concept|title=Fighting Fantasy FAQ|date=2005-11-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051127132716/http://www.fightingfantasy.com/fffaq.htm#Concept|archive-date=November 27, 2005|url-status=dead|access-date=2011-12-12}}</ref> the increasing dominance of video games in the 1990s caused a gradual decline. The series was scheduled to conclude with ''[[Return to Firetop Mountain]]'' (book 50, Livingstone, 1992), but due to strong sales of that volume, ten more books were scheduled. Nine were published,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/steve-jackson-ian-livingstone-283-v16n12/|title=Steve Jackson & Ian Livingstone|website=Vice.com|date=2 December 2009 }}</ref> the series ending with ''[[Curse of the Mummy]]'' (1995). ''[[Bloodbones]]'', the tenth scheduled title (meant to have been book 60 in the series) was cancelled, but was eventually published by Wizard Books as part of their later reprinting efforts.

===Wizard Books===
====Series 1 (2002–2007)====
In 2002, Wizard Books acquired the rights to the ''Fighting Fantasy'' series and reprinted many of the original titles in a revised order (initially only the gamebooks actually written by Jackson and/or Livingstone were published), starting with ''The Warlock of Firetop Mountain''. They also incorporated the ''Sorcery!'' miniseries, as books 9, 11, 13, and 15.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fightingfantasycollector.co.uk/wizard_covers.htm |title=Wizard Covers |publisher=Fightingfantasycollector.co.uk |access-date=2011-12-12}}</ref> A new title, ''[[Eye of the Dragon]]'' (by Ian Livingstone) was released in 2005, followed by ''Bloodbones'' in 2006 and ''Howl of the Werewolf'' in 2007. This series used a new logo, the rationale being that the old covers did not suit the modern market.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.fightingfantasygamebooks.com/interviews_simon1.htm
|title=Interview with Simon Flynn on the official Fighting Fantasy website
|access-date=2005-08-08
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050322130101/http://www.fightingfantasygamebooks.com/interviews_simon1.htm
|archive-date=2005-03-22
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

2007 also marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of ''Fighting Fantasy'', and to commemorate the event Wizard Books published a special hardcover edition of ''The Warlock of Firetop Mountain'' that used the original 1982 cover image and contained extra material such as the dungeon solution and a commentary on ''Fighting Fantasy'' by Livingstone. This series concluded that same year, ending with 29 books.

====Series 2 (2009–2012)====
Wizard Books then began again with a new series of reprints in 2009, again featuring a different cover art style, and again starting with ''The Warlock of Firetop Mountain''. These books were physically larger than prior releases, being produced in [[Paperback#B-format|B-format]] (like the original ''Advanced Fighting Fantasy'' volumes). Three other original titles were added during this run,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fightingfantasy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=9 |title=Gamebooks |publisher=Fighting Fantasy |access-date=2011-12-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120129055941/http://www.fightingfantasy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8&Itemid=9 |archive-date=2012-01-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref> including ''Blood of the Zombies'' by Ian Livingstone to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary in 2012.<ref>{{cite book|title=Blood of the Zombies |id={{ASIN|1848314051|country=uk}} }}</ref> This series was 17 books long, although ''Blood of the Zombies'', the last volume released, is unnumbered and packaged differently than the rest.

===Scholastic Books (2017–)===
A new ''Fighting Fantasy'' book by Livingstone, ''The Port of Peril'', was published in August 2017 by [[Scholastic Corporation|Scholastic]] in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the series.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fightingfantasy.com/copy-of-ff-gamebooks-1|title=FF Press Releases|website=Fighting Fantasy|access-date=2018-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720225726/https://www.fightingfantasy.com/copy-of-ff-gamebooks-1|archive-date=2018-07-20|url-status=dead}}</ref> Scholastic also released five of the original books. Instead of reusing the original artwork or its style, Scholastic commissioned new artwork.<ref>[http://www.beastsofwar.com/fighting-fantasy/books-relaunching-scholastic/ Beastsofwar.com] (Retrieved 3 August 2017)</ref> In April 2018, a further six titles were published, including a new adventure by author [[Charlie Higson]], entitled ''The Gates of Death''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fightingfantasy.com/charlie-higson-interview|title=Interview with Charlie Higson bestselling author of The Gates of Death|date=2018|website=Fighting Fantasy|access-date=2018-07-20}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/apr/04/fighting-fantasy-game-books-charlie-higson-interview|title=Dare YOU face the orcs? 80s game books Fighting Fantasy return|last=Flood|first=Alison|date=2018-04-04|website=The Guardian|access-date=2018-07-20}}</ref> Three more titles were published in September 2019, including Livingstone's new adventure ''Assassins of Allansia''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gamebooknews.com/2019/06/07/fighting-fantasy-assassins-of-allansia/|title=Fighting Fantasy: Gamebook News|access-date=2019-06-07|archive-date=2019-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190625233543/https://gamebooknews.com/2019/06/07/fighting-fantasy-assassins-of-allansia/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In October 2020, two new titles were published, including a new adventure entitled ''Crystal of Storms'', the first in the series by a female author, [[Rhianna Pratchett]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Warlock|first=The|date=2020-06-25|title=Fighting Fantasy: Crystal of Storms - by Rhianna Pratchett!|url=https://officialfightingfantasy.blogspot.com/2020/06/crystal-of-storms-by-rhianna-pratchett.html|access-date=2020-10-27|website=Fighting Fantasy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Crystal of Storms|url=https://www.fightingfantasy.com/crystal-of-storms|access-date=2020-10-27|website=fightingfantasy|language=en}}</ref> In September 2022, two more new titles were published, one by Steve Jackson (''Secrets of Salamonis'') and one by Ian Livingstone (''Shadow of the Giants''), in celebration of the series' 40th anniversary.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-04-14 |title=Fighting Fantasy co-creators pen two new books for the series' 40th anniversary |url=https://officialfightingfantasy.blogspot.com/2022/04/fighting-fantasy-co-creators-pen-two.html |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Fighting Fantasy}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2022-09-01 |title=40th Anniversary Fighting Fantasy titles released today! |url=https://officialfightingfantasy.blogspot.com/2022/09/40th-anniversary-fighting-fantasy.html |access-date=2023-03-07 |website=Fighting Fantasy}}</ref> In September 2024, a new title by Ian Livingstone, ''The Dungeon on Blood Island'', was released.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-08-09 |title=The Dungeon on Blood Island |url=https://officialfightingfantasy.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-dungeon-on-blood-island.html |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=Official Fighting Fantasy}}</ref>

=== United States ===
''Fighting Fantasy'' was published in the United States by Laurel Leaf, an [[Imprint (trade name)|imprint]] of [[Dell Publishing]], beginning in November of 1983. These U.S. versions featured a new cover design, with the first eleven books using a white background for their covers and books 12 through 21 using a black background. Initially these editions had new cover illustrations by [[Richard Corben]] (books 1 through 7) and Richard Courtney (books 8 through 13), until 1986 when with ''Temple of Terror'' (book 14) the original Puffin Books cover illustration were used till the range ended with book 21, ''Trial of Champions''. During this run, ''House of Hell'' was re-titled ''House of Hades''.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

In October 2003, iBooks of New York began republishing the books, beginning with the first two (''The Warlock of Firetop Mountain'' and ''The Citadel of Chaos''). iBooks filled for [[Chapter 7 bankruptcy]] in February 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ibooks & Byron Preiss Visual Publications File Chapter 7 |url=https://icv2.com/articles/comics/view/8272/ibooks-byron-preiss-visual-publications-file-chapter-7 |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=icv2.com |language=en}}</ref>

In October 2024, Steve Jackson Games announced that it had secured the U.S. rights to publish ''Fighting Fantasy'', with the first books scheduled to appear in "early 2025" in two waves of five books each.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Daily Illuminator: Fighting Fantasy Returns To The U.S. – With Steve Jackson Games! |url=https://www.sjgames.com/ill/archive/October_18_2024/Fighting_Fantasy_Returns_To_The_US_With_Steve_Jackson_Games |access-date=2025-02-07 |website=www.sjgames.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 October 2024 |title=Fighting Fantasy |url=https://www.sjgames.com/fightingfantasy/ |access-date=22 October 2024 |website=www.sjgames.com}}</ref>