[Novelist Ibraheem Abbas] first novel, “HWJN,” is the story of forbidden love between a 90-year-old supernatural jinn, who experiences his first interactions with the human dimension through a relationship with a young woman.
The novel is told from the perspective of the supernatural creatures and cleverly conveys their standpoint on humans. (In Islam, jinn are extraterrestrial, invisible creatures believed to have been made from “smokeless fire by God.”)
In writing “HWJN,” Abbas had no intention of publishing the story. It was merely a medium where he could channel his “personal creative journey” in which he allowed his notions to roam free.
But when he ultimately decided to publish “HWJN,” Abbas and his partner, Yasser Bahjatt, hit a brick wall. Publishers didn’t want it. It was too fantastical for Arab tastes. As a result, they were compelled to launch Yatakhayloon where it was successfully published.
In addition to science fiction’s growth, gaming is booming in Saudi Arabia, and the country is Nintendo’s largest outside investor, owning 8.26% of the Japanese gaming company. It’s such a thrill to know that Arab gamers are going to get to experience my story about the rise of Japanese RPGs and the cultural exchange with western games that has created one of the most vibrant and interesting genres in the world.
I don’t know when the Yatakhayloon version will be released, but it’s happening sometime this year. AND. I’ve got two more announcements coming as soon as the ink is dry on the contracts (I just signed another international rights deal yesterday!) So, keep an eye out for those.
It’s here! Fight, Magic, Items: The History of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and the Rise of Japanese RPGs in the West is finally on store shelves—and, hopefully, in your Genji Glove-equipped hands right now.
I’ll write more about the book, my experience writing it, and why I love the genre so much in a separate post, but in the meantime I’ve gathered up a bunch of goodies below including reviews, interviews, and an exclusive excerpt exploring the history and legacy of the JRPG that launched the genre to meteoric heights in the west: Final Fantasy VII.
Thank you for all the support! Enjoy!
Interview on RPGFan’s “Random Encounter” podcast
To kick things off, I had a delightful chat with Jono and Hilary on the RPGFan podcast “Random Encounters.” This book club-style episode digs into Japanese RPGs, why I wrote such a personal book, and the impact of Pokemon on JRPG’s massive success in the west.
I’ve been a longtime fan (and very infrequent contributor) to the Hugo Award-winning Nerds of a Feather, so it was an absolute delight to read this generous review from Joe DelFranco.
As someone who doesn’t find too many things nostalgic—hell, my favorite game is only from nine years ago—it was impressive to find that Moher’s words took the wheel and had me riding shotgun while I relived some of the best escapism from my youth. Even if I hadn’t played the title he was discussing, I still felt a connection to the content. Moher’s appreciation and intent are infectious and well worth investing your time into. Fight, Magic, Items isn’t just a history of some of the greats, but a celebration of an incredible sub-genre that has influenced people the world over.
Fight, Magic, Items might be on store shelves, but if you’re on the fence or waiting for your copy from the library, you can head over to io9 for an exclusive excerpt.
This excerpt is an adapted version of the chapter covering Final Fantasy VII‘s risky development, meteoric success, and long legacy, and serves as a celebration of the 25th anniversary of its western release, which happened earlier this month.
Here’s a sneak peek:
There are moments in a person’s life when they know with certainty that things have changed and a new era has begun. That they’re taking a step forward in history. Drenched in the glow of a CRT, a group of friends explored the slums of Midgar and knew, with absolute certainty, that things would never be the same again. That night lasted forever and was over in the blink of an eye. When they stepped out into daylight the next morning, Midgar’s Sector 7 was burning at their backs, and they set forth into a new era of JRPGs.
Such was the impact of Square’s Final Fantasy VII. It changed not just the kids in my friend’s basement, but the entire genre its predecessors had helped establish a decade and a half earlier, crossing the threshold of a new era of JRPGs without looking back.
I had been a Nintendo die-hard my whole life, but later that morning, blurry eyed and sleep-deprived, I somehow convinced my dad to take a multi-hour trip by ferry and car to the Sony Store and lay down a few hundred bucks. We left with our very own PlayStation and a beautiful, shrink-wrapped copy of Final Fantasy VII— the allure of Square on PlayStation was irresistible.
Sony’s gamble had paid off.
This little Nintendo fanboy was now a PlayStation fan.
Capital Daily is a wonderful local news site covering many local topics I’m invested in—so I was tickled when they reached out to cover the book with this profile by Tim Ford, especially since we got to chat about Canada’s long history with video games and Japanese RPGs.
Canada, which is the world’s third-largest producer of video games after the United States and Japan, has roots in the industry that go right back to one of the most influential companies out there: Nintendo of America.
[…]
“When this all tied back to Canada, I was like, this is so fascinating to me, because I don’t think of Canada being necessarily connected to the world of video games,” Moher said.
“But that of course, has changed a lot. Canada is a huge home for so many game developers and publishers, and I think that it’s only kind of natural to look back and find all these connections to Canada.”
When I covered Retrograde Amnesia for Wired earlier this year, I got to chat with hosts Eric Layman and Chris Stone about their remarkable work building a book club community centred on a shared love of retro JRPGs. They were kind enough to turn the tables and recently hosted me for a long discussion about Japanese RPGs, Fight, Magic, Items, and the time I lost my childhood Chrono Trigger save because I was eating too much candy.
I had a lovely chat with ComicBook.com’s Jamie Lovett about Fight, Magic, Items, Japanese RPGs, writing, and what the future of the genre might look like. It’s an absolute pleasure to be interviewed by someone with such obvious experience and love for the subject matter.
Here’s a taste:
Aidan Moher has literally written the book on Japanese role-playing games. The Hugo Award-winning editor and journalist, whose work has appeared at Wired and Kotaku among other outlets, has written his first book. Titled Fight, Magic, Items: The History of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and the Rise of Japanese RPGs in the West, the book chronicles the ups and downs of JRPGs’ presence and popularity in North America, from the genre’s inception with Yuji Horii and Hironobu Sakaguchi creating Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, respectively, to the 32-bit boom, to the work of a new generation of designers that grew up playing those 8, 16, and 32-bit classics.
Moher put a lot of personality and personal experience into Fight, Magic, Items, making it a rich, satisfying, and entertaining read. With only two weeks left until the book goes on sale to the public, ComicBook.com caught up with Moher to chat about how Fight, Magic, Items came together and what he thinks the future has in store for the JRPG genre.
It’s out! The new Dungeons & Dragons Beholder figurine, including my story “Dame Beatrix J. Delacroix III’s Guide For Training Your New Beholder,” is available now! Creating two canon Dungeons & Dragons characters is a dream come true, and I hope you all enjoy meeting them.
This little friend comes packaged with a small book entitled “Guide For Training Your New Beholder” and is attributed to the author Dame Beatrice J. Delacroix the 3rd. This tiny tome expounds upon the ways to care for your Beholder, creating a domain for your Beholder and, of course, adventuring with and taming your Beholder.
The good Dame Delacroix the 3rd is also very clear in her information booklet that there are no refunds of any kind, and once you take possession of the Beholder it is very much your own problem.
Just look at it!
And here’s what I had to say in my original announcement:
“Dame Beatrice J. Delacroix III’s Guide for Training Your New Beholder” is an accompanying booklet for an officially licensed light-up Beholder figurine. It’s also quite possibly the most hilariously enjoyable project I’ve worked on.
Working with the Dungeons & Dragons team at Wizards of the Coast and my editor Brit Brooks-Perilli at Running Press, I was given a lot of freedom to have fun writing this guide about training your brand new (and very disgruntled) Beholder pet, and, well… it goes just about as well as you’d imagine.
This might be a relatively small story in the overall Dungeons & Dragons world, but it’s a thrill to get to introduce fans to Dame Beatrice J. Delacroix III, her granddaughter Pip, and their menagerie of dangerous creatures. “Dame Beatrice J. Delacroix III’s Guide for Training Your New Beholder” is a 32-page mini guidebook that walks you through your early days with your new Beholder, how to set up its new home, tips for feeding and care, and offers tons of advice for what to do when (not if!) things go awry.
Obviously, working in the Dungeons & Dragons world—which has been a huge part of my life since adolescence—has been an absolute treat. Dame Beatrice J. Delacroix III and Pip have already stolen my heart (along with a few… let’s call them unregulated living curiousities), and with any luck this won’t be the last you see of them.
You’ve maybe noticed Astrolabe’s been a little quiet for the past few months. Well, I’ve had good reason for that, and now I can finally tell you why, and I’ve literally been waiting my whole life to say this:I’m pleased to say I’ve sold my first book, Fight, Magic, Items: The History of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and the Rise of Japanese RPGs in the West to Britny Brooks-Perilli at Running Press. And the best part? It’s done! Written, revised, copyedited, and off to production as we speak for release in early October, 2022. Just a few months away—and perfectly timed for the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII‘s western release. What a (totally intentional) coincidence!
Take a journey through the history of Japanese role-playing games—from the creators who built it, the games that defined it, and the stories that transformed pop culture and continue to capture the imaginations of millions of fans to this day.
The Japanese roleplaying game (JRPG) genre is known for unforgettable characters, rich stories, and some of the most iconic games in the industry. Inspired by early western RPGs and introducing boundary-pushing technology and artistic styles, they’re responsible for many of gaming’s boldest and most successful games—and have the fanbase to prove it. In Fight, Magic, Items, Aidan Moher guides readers through the fascinating history of JRPGs, exploring the technical challenges, distinct narrative and artistic visions, and creative rivalries fueling the creation of countless classic games and their quest to become the best—not only in Japan, but in North America, too.
Moher starts with the origin stories of two classic Nintendo titles, Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and immerses readers in the world of JRPGs, following the interconnected history through the lens of their creators and their stories full of hope, risk, and pixels. From the tiny teams and almost impossible schedules that built the foundations of the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest franchises; Reiko Kodama pushing the narrative and genre boundaries with Phantasy Star; the unexpected team up between Yuji Horii and Hironobu Sakaguchi to create Chrono Trigger; to the unique mashup of classic Disney with Final Fantasy coolness in Kingdom Hearts. Filled with firsthand interviews and behind-the-scenes looks into the development, reception, and influence of JRPGs, Fight, Magic, Items captures the evolution of the genre and its continued hold on millions of fans, decades after those first iconic pixelated games released.
I’ll write at greater length about my process and experiences with the book soon—because, boy howdy, did I learn a lot not only about JRPGs, but writing, publishing, and everything in between. This has been an intense labour of love for me as I wrote and revised Fight, Magic, Items between last summer and January, 2022. This book combines all my experience with JRPGs as a kid growing up during their golden age and explosive growth in the west with my background in games journalism, reporting, interviewing, and personal narrative history. It’s part history, part memoir, and all JRPG goodness.
This is a story that’s been brewing inside of me since my earliest memories of exploring the mines of Narshe on my trusty Commodore 1702 monitor, flying high in the skies of Zeal on the Blackbird, and soaking in Midgar’s neon glow with my friends at my side. It’s a dream come true, and I owe huge thanks to my agent, Eric Smith, who prompted the idea almost two years ago; my editor Britny, for giving me a platform; and my friend Ty Schalter for always being there with a Phoenix Down when I needed it most.
I’ll be revealing the cover at a later date, but right now I can tell you it (and the interior art) is being created by the astonishingly talented Sara Alfageeh. I’ve had a peek at the near final cover, and, whoo boy, let me tell you: it’s amazing. Sara’s previously worked on things I love, like Avatar: The Last Airbender, and has a terrific looking graphic novel coming out in March, 2022 called Squire. If you’re very adventurous, you might even find a sneak peek of the Fight, Magic, Items cover by taking your sleuthing skills to her Twitter profile.
If you can, please consider supporting your local bookstores with a pre-order for Fight, Magic, Items. This helps not only the book, but also supports the small businesses and booksellers that are the heart and soul of the bookselling industry.
“Dame Beatrice J. Delacroix III’s Guide for Training Your New Beholder” is an accompanying booklet for an officially licensed light-up Beholder figurine. It’s also quite possibly the most hilariously enjoyable project I’ve worked on.
Working with the Dungeons & Dragons team at Wizards of the Coast and my editor Brit Brooks-Perilli at Running Press, I was given a lot of freedom to have fun writing this guide about training your brand new (and very disgruntled) Beholder pet, and, well… it goes just about as well as you’d imagine.
The blurb:
Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder with this officially licensed miniature figurine.
FIGURINE WITH LIGHT: A one-of-a-kind 3-inch figurine of the popular monster: the Beholder with a glowing eye
BOOK INCLUDED: Learn more about this iconic monster in this fully illustrated 32-page miniature book
PERFECT GIFT FOR D&D FANS: Display on a shelf, desk, or bookcase and show off your love of Dungeons & Dragons
This might be a relatively small story in the overall Dungeons & Dragons world, but it’s a thrill to get to introduce fans to Dame Beatrice J. Delacroix III, her granddaughter Pip, and their menagerie of dangerous creatures. “Dame Beatrice J. Delacroix III’s Guide for Training Your New Beholder” is a 32-page mini guidebook that walks you through your early days with your new Beholder, how to set up its new home, tips for feeding and care, and offers tons of advice for what to do when (not if!) things go awry.
Obviously, working in the Dungeons & Dragons world—which has been a huge part of my life since adolescence—has been an absolute treat. Dame Beatrice J. Delacroix III and Pip have already stolen my heart (along with a few… let’s call them unregulated living curiousities), and with any luck this won’t be the last you see of them.
This figurine (with a glowing eye!) and the guidebook will be available in April, 2022, and is available for pre-order now!
But, just remember: Dame Beatrice J. Delacroix III’s Menagerie of Unusual Kind does not offer refunds or returns on products.
I’m pleased to announce that I’m now represented by agent extraordinaire Eric Smith of the P.S. Literary Agency. I’ll be joining Eric’s impressive list of clients with both fiction and non-fiction projects.
Collaborating with Eric is a dream come true as I’ve long admired his work, ultra-positive personality, and all around geekery. As someone writing professionally in both fiction and non-fiction, his experience representing authors of both disciplines provides great opportunity for both aspects of my career. I strive to write ultimately positive and colourful stories, and I can’t imagine a better fit to bring those stories to market than Eric. And he’s just an all around cool dude.
Plus, P.S. Literary is Canadian, which is just icing on the cake for me.
My first project is a multi-volume novelization of the classic Japanese RPG, Chrono Trigger. Besides the time travel, this book will also incorporate the game’s silent protagonist mechanic, making it one of the most challenging projects of my career.
Just kidding.
(Or am I? If Eric can sell that book, I will write it!)
I won’t say too much about our first actual project right now, but it’s very exciting, and shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who’s followed me on Twitter over the past couple of years. In the meantime—work continues on The Thousand Shattered Gods, which is about half-complete, and I’m looking forward to doors opening for my completed book, The Rose and Honey Soul. More on those projects here.
I’m thrilled to collaborate with Eric on many future projects.
Last November, I posted about the completion of the first draft of The Rose and Honey Soul, my gothic-post apocalyptic-funguspunk-fantasy set in an eternally dark world. It was the culmination of over two years of work, and I was really proud of the draft—but also recognized that it needed a lot of work. But, I also needed some space—so, I set aside some time to break ground on my novel, The Thousand Shattered Gods. That went swimmingly, and I quickly fell in love with the world and characters I was meeting. Once I had a good foundation of work for the novel, I returned to The Rose and Honey Soul at the beginning of the new year, and started work on what turned out to be an extensive revision.
You won’t find tips for writing tighter dialogue, cleaner prose, better transitions. There’s nothing inside its pages about how to make your action scenes sing, improve your descriptions, or increase your word count. It’s not a worldbuilding bible.
I’ve recently been talking a lot about my two WIPs—a novella called “The Rose and Honey Soul,” which is nearly complete, and a novel called The Thousand Shattered Gods. The process for writing both of these has been fraught with all the perils that come with working on long-form projects as an unsigned/unpublished writer—including the ever-wavering certainty that you’re balancing on the knife’s edge of brilliance and existential irrelevance. Fun times.
Of course, there’s all the great stuff about writing, too: excitement, possibility, craft, research, discovering your world and characters are so much more than you ever expected or hoped they would be. It’s heady, and I’m constantly reminded why I pursue my writing goals.
Over the years, I’ve written a lot of short fiction, and sold/published a fair bit of it. You can find those stories here. I’ve learned a lot, and though I’m still on a neverending journey of improving my craft and becoming a better storyteller, I feel like I have a good handle on the business side of short fiction. I know when I’ve reached the point where a short story is as good as it’s going to get—when it’ll either sell or it won’t, and further tinkering won’t change that. For me, this is roughly the fourth draft (first draft is the bones of the story, drafts two and three focus on structural/thematic/character issues, draft four focuses on cleaning up language, tightening, copyedit, etc.) I know what to do with my short stories once they’re ready. (Hint: The Submission Grinder is an invaluable tool.) I know how to send a short story out into the world, whether that’s through a publication that’s purchased the rights, or by self-publishing.
In which I discuss my experience with self publishing SFF short stories.
Hey, y'all! #Worldcon76 is on, but not all of us could make it. So I thought it would be fun to for those of us staying home to join in the fun by hosting some #NotAtWorldCon panels. I'm going to kick things off by discussing my experience with self publishing short fiction. 1/
In general, self publishing short stories has been a positive experience for me. It all began a few years ago when I published my short fiction collection, TIDE OF SHADOWS AND OTHER STORIES. You can read my in-depth thoughts on Medium: https://t.co/5nLdm5eXiW#NotAtWorldCon 2/
The gist, though, is that I believe readership outpaces the number of paying markets for short fiction. I've discussed this with @tyschalter in the past, and one thing seems clear: we spend a lot of our day on social media and reading news/non-fiction articles. #NotAtWorldCon 3/
