JAMES SWALLOW

The Official Site of Bestselling Author James Swallow - COMING SOON!

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You Are Hearing Me Talk…to BAFTA Guru

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The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) have been doing a lot over the past few years to make videogames an important part of their organization, and most recently there was a whole day of games-related events as part of the BAFTA Guru program – as the official site Here says, “Guru is bursting with advice from the best creative minds in the industries so whether you’re an actor, a games developer or a cinematographer, we’ve got something for you.”


I was pleased to be part of the Guru Live event last month, where I took part in a panel called “The Storytellers”, along with Meg Jayanth (80 Days) and Rob Yescombe (The Division), hosted by Guy Cocker, where we talked about the various challenges of writing for interactive media. You can click on the panel below or go Here to listen.

 
BAFTA Guru have now put up all the audio recordings from the games day and you can check out the rest of them Here.

HALO: FRACTURES cover reveal!

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When I first saw Halo, the game that would become Xbox’s killer app was still in deep prototype and the console that would make it a hit hadn’t even been announced yet; but even back then I saw the potential for awesomeness in the saga, and when Halo: Combat Evolved arrived in 2001, I was on board. Drawn in by the epic scope and the visceral, dynamic gameplay, I was in for the long haul – and a decade and a bit later, I’m still engaged in Master Chief’s world.

So naturally, when I learned that Simon & Schuster (with whom I’ve worked on Star Trek fiction for several years) were picking up the license to produce all-new original stories in the Halo universe, I knew that was a flag I had to capture. I pitched myself to S&S and the folks at 343 Industries and the end result was an opportunity to write a story set deep in the continuity of the saga, as part of a new anthology called Halo: Fractures. The book will release this September under the Gallery Books imprint in trade paperback, eBook and unabridged audio editions.

 
 
I’ll be joining a literary strike team of writers that also includes Tobias Buckell, Troy Denning, Matt Forbeck, Kelly Gay, Christie Golden, Kevin Grace, Morgan Lockhart, John Jackson Miller, Frank O’Connor and Brian Reed – and I’ll talk more about my work in the collection in the months ahead.

Launch once more into galaxy-spanning conflict and legendary heroism…shards of an ever-expanding journey where human and alien alike find their finest hours in facing their greatest challenges.

These scattered stories span untold millennia, from the age of the ancient custodial race known as the Forerunners…to the aftermath of the Covenant’s bloody war against humanity…and even the shocking events surrounding the resurrection of the mysterious Guardians.

Halo: Fractures explores mythic tales of bravery and sacrifice that blaze brightly at the very heart of the Halo universe.

For more about Halo: Fractures, check out the posting on the official Halo Waypoint blog Here, or for pre-order information, go Here.

DEUS EX: BLACK LIGHT cover reveal!

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Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is the next release in the Deus Ex videogame saga, due out on August 23rd – and as well as writing for DXMD, as part of the expanding franchise I’ve written a new tie-in novel – Deus Ex: Black Light.
 


The year is 2029, and the shining promise of a new age of human augmentation is in ruins in the wake of the devastating ‘Aug Incident’ – a horrific catastrophe triggered by a cabal of shadowy power brokers, where millions of cybernetically-enhanced people suffered a forced psychotic break.

Awakening in the aftermath of a changed world, with gaps in his memories and suspicion on all sides, augmented ex-cop and former security operative Adam Jensen struggles to piece his life back together, in a new reality where ‘Augs’ have become the targets of hatred, fear and violent discrimination.

Now the dark forces behind the Incident are gathering once again, reaching out to manipulate the course of global events through terror and intimidation. To find the answers that he seeks and the people who destroyed everything he knew, Jensen must return to the ashes of the past, reconnect with old allies, and risk all to expose a deadly conspiracy – but in a world shattered by secrets, can the truth be brought into the light?

The novel is set between the end of Human Revolution and the beginning of Mankind Divided; Deus Ex: Black Light will be published in paperback and eBook editions by Titan Books on August 23rd.

Eidos Montreal’s offical blog announced the release Here.

 

Breaking the Silence

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The newest Horus Heresy anthology collection from Black Library – The Silent War – is now available in hardcover, digital eBook and audio versions!


The Silent War features three stories by me – “Lost Sons“, a Blood Angels tale and companion piece to my novel Fear To Tread, and two Knight Errant stories “Ghosts Speak Not” and “Patience“. You’ll also find tales from C Z Dunn, John French, Nick Kyme, Graham McNeill, Anthony Reynolds, Rob Sanders and Chris Wraight.

Check out the website Here to order whichever version you might care to procure; you can also go Here to listen to an audio clip from my story “Ghosts Speak Not“, read by Jonathan Keeble.

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DEUS EX MANKIND DIVIDED 101 Trailer

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August rolls ever closer, and with it comes the release of Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, the next in the landmark Deus Ex game series; I worked on the script and story for DXMD, and you can hear some of that in this new trailer – six whole minutes of hero Adam Jensen laying out the themes and scenario around the events of Mankind Divided. (Warning: some story spoilers in here for a few early plot elements).
 
 

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is out on August 23rd of Playstation 4, XBox One and PC platforms – as will my new Deus Ex novel Black Light, which acts as a bridge between the end of the previous game Human Revolution and the beginning of DXMD.