Anthony Horowitz

[GOLLUM]

I was on my latest book buying spree yesterday gobbling up all Fantasy masterworks and other SFF classics in sight and happened to drop into Dymocks and lo and behold there's Anthony Horowitz doing a book signing! Naturally yours truly felt inclined to mosey on over and have a 'quiet' chat with the man after things had died down a little. Quite an interesting fellow....

He's apparently in OZ to do research into his next book that will take place in Northern Australia.

Just wondering how popular this guy is with the YA audience as I gather he may have outsold the latest Harry Potter over here with his Alex Rider series?..

[Sass]

Hi, new member here...

Anthony Horowitz is big in the UK (his home) and the US, especially for junior spy Alex Rider - and not just with boys, but also with older women (I think most of them want to mother him - but some of us just enjoy the stories and the fact that they're less sexist than Bond !! I'm certainly a big fan - although I started reading Horowitz with The Raven's Gate before I got into the Alex Rider books...

[I, Brian]

Hi Sass, glad to see you made it in - and welcome to chronicles.

[Sass]

Thanks Brian !

I forgot to also mention that Anthony Horowitz's "Groosham Grange" horror series has long been popular here in the UK - so some of his fans have been reading him a long time. I'm not a horror fan myself, so I've not read any of the GG books, but I love the Alex Rider series (and they're such fast reads !). I must get hold of the sequel to Raven's Gate, too - hopefully the library has it !

[CarlottaVonUberwald]

groosham grange was amazing..i loved/ still love it. and it still scares me

[Alia]

Anthony's bibliography:

The Killing Joke (Orion)
Anthony's first adult novel is the story of an out-of-work actor trying to find out where jokes come from. Some people loved it. Some people hated it. It's certainly very different to all the other books.

Granny (Walker Books)
A very early book inspired by Anthony's truly repulsive grandmother - a child-hating monster with secret plans to live for ever.

The Switch (Walker Books)
This is a body-switch story - and it's one of Anthony's favourites. Rich, spoiled Tad Spencer swaps bodies with petty criminal Bob Snarby. Murder and violence follow.

Groosham Grange (Walker Books)
A school on an island that teaches magic. A boy with magical powers living with unpleasant relatives. Heard it all before? This one was written first!

Return to Groosham Grange (Walker Books)
The second book in what was meant to be a series. 13-year-old magician, David Elliot, fights a mysterious villain who plans to destroy his school.

Horowitz Horror (Orchard Books)
The first collection of very dark, occasionally funny stories including the extremely bloody “Bath Night” and “Killer Camera”.


More Horowitz Horror (Orchard Books)
More disturbing and frankly irresponsible story-telling. Includes “The Hitchhiker” (see if you can guess the end) and “The Shortest Horror Story Ever Told”.


Myths and Legends (Kingfisher)
This was an attempt to tell all the old stories of gods and heroes with a bit of humour, a bit of blood and a lot more fun.


The Sinister Secret of Frederick K. Bower (Arlington)
It might be worth a bit if you can find a copy of this out-of-print book. Anthony's first novel, written when he was 22. It's about a multi-billionaire 13-year-old…

Misha, the Magician and the Mysterious Amulet (Arlington)
Terrible title, not very good book. Also out-of-print…fortunately. This was Anthony's second book, written when he was 23. Well, we all make mistakes.

The Devil's Doorbell (Methuen)
The Night of The Scorpion (Methuen)
The Silver Citadel (Methuen)
The Day of the Dragon (Methuen)
Again, these books are very rare and all out-of-print (although you can still get them in French). They're a horror/fantasy series that Anthony wrote a long time ago. There were meant to be five but he never finished them.

However, Anthony has gone back to them recently and used some of the same ideas for his new series which begins in 2005 with…

Raven's Gate (Walker)
Five teenagers from around the world. Each of them has hidden powers which they are unable to control. They have to join forces to defeat an ancient evil known as the Old Ones. The night of everlasting darkness is drawing in…

From his website: http://www.anthonyhorowitz.com/books/index.html

[The Upright Man]

Anthony's bibliography:


Quote:
The Killing Joke (Orion)
Anthony's first adult novel is the story of an out-of-work actor trying to find out where jokes come from. Some people loved it. Some people hated it. It's certainly very different to all the other books.

Granny (Walker Books)
A very early book inspired by Anthony's truly repulsive grandmother - a child-hating monster with secret plans to live for ever.

The Switch (Walker Books)
This is a body-switch story - and it's one of Anthony's favourites. Rich, spoiled Tad Spencer swaps bodies with petty criminal Bob Snarby. Murder and violence follow.

Groosham Grange (Walker Books)
A school on an island that teaches magic. A boy with magical powers living with unpleasant relatives. Heard it all before? This one was written first!

Return to Groosham Grange (Walker Books)
The second book in what was meant to be a series. 13-year-old magician, David Elliot, fights a mysterious villain who plans to destroy his school.

Horowitz Horror (Orchard Books)
The first collection of very dark, occasionally funny stories including the extremely bloody “Bath Night” and “Killer Camera”.


More Horowitz Horror (Orchard Books)
More disturbing and frankly irresponsible story-telling. Includes “The Hitchhiker” (see if you can guess the end) and “The Shortest Horror Story Ever Told”.


Myths and Legends (Kingfisher)
This was an attempt to tell all the old stories of gods and heroes with a bit of humour, a bit of blood and a lot more fun.


The Sinister Secret of Frederick K. Bower (Arlington)
It might be worth a bit if you can find a copy of this out-of-print book. Anthony's first novel, written when he was 22. It's about a multi-billionaire 13-year-old…

Misha, the Magician and the Mysterious Amulet (Arlington)
Terrible title, not very good book. Also out-of-print…fortunately. This was Anthony's second book, written when he was 23. Well, we all make mistakes.

The Devil's Doorbell (Methuen)
The Night of The Scorpion (Methuen)
The Silver Citadel (Methuen)
The Day of the Dragon (Methuen)
Again, these books are very rare and all out-of-print (although you can still get them in French). They're a horror/fantasy series that Anthony wrote a long time ago. There were meant to be five but he never finished them.

However, Anthony has gone back to them recently and used some of the same ideas for his new series which begins in 2005 with…

Raven's Gate (Walker)
Five teenagers from around the world. Each of them has hidden powers which they are unable to control. They have to join forces to defeat an ancient evil known as the Old Ones. The night of everlasting darkness is drawing in…



You have forgotten that he has written Evil Star and numerous TV programmes like Foyle's War and Midsomer Murders

[Karsa Orlong]

His Diamond Brothers series was great, I used to love those books - both hilarious and intriguing when you're a kid.

Anthony Horowitz : Books : Diamond Brothers

[Sass]

I picked up the third in the "Power of Five" series from the library this morning. Nightrise is newly released over here... Hopefully I can remember what happend in the previous two (which I only re-read just before Xmas)...

I'm eagerly awaiting Snakehead though - the penultimate Alex Rider novel !

[Lenny]

I saw Nightrise on a poster in Smiths t'other day, and that was the first I'd heard of it. For such a successful author, wouldn't you expect a bit more advertising?

Looks like I might have to give Amazon anoher visit - order both Evil Star and Nightrise, and re-read Ravens Gate.

[Sass]

Perhaps you're moving in the wrong circles ? I know people who've been talking about Nightrise for ages ! Personally, I'm signed up to Anthony's News Feed, so I get all the goss "hot off the press"...

[Lenny]

I have no circles to move in.

The only people I know who love books like I are those on these forums. Sure, there are one or two people I know in real life who read a bit, but they don't read the right things, in my opinion.

I think I'll have to sign up to the News Feed too, then.

[Sass]

Originally Posted by Lenny

I have no circles to move in.

The only people I know who love books like I are those on these forums. Sure, there are one or two people I know in real life who read a bit, but they don't read the right things, in my opinion.

I think I'll have to sign up to the News Feed too, then.

Do ! There's not just book publishing news on there - he was talking recently about the script for the movie of Point Blanc...

[Lenny]

Ooooh! Anything interesting said about the script?

[Sass]

Originally Posted by Lenny

Ooooh! Anything interesting said about the script?

No, he just said he was working on it. He was pretty disappointed with the way the US distribution of Stormbreaker went, so he's said he's not sure when Point Blanc is likely to get made...