Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
Bitmap Books’ amazing library of retro gaming-themed titles are stunning to behold. Thick, beautifully produced volumes with full colour spreads, often running over 500 pages, they are the sort of book you can enjoy looking at as well as reading.
From time to time, Bitmap Books reprints older titles, perhaps with a slightly different format. That is the case with A Gremlin in the Works, which was original released as two volumes with a sleeve in 2015, but has been reissued in 2024 with an all-in-one design. And if you’re interested in this book, you can grab a copy now for £10 off the original price.
What’s in A Gremlin in the Works?
Good question. Let’s take a look at the blurb:
With the British computer game scene about to explode, a small shop appeared on Sheffield’s Carver Street. It was called Just Micro, and was founded by the partnership of Ian Stewart and Kevin Norburn, both with retail backgrounds but a desire to get into the business of games publishing. Fortunately, the shop attracted local talent such as Pete Harrap, Shaun Hollingworth and Tony Crowther, and so, in 1984, Gremlin Graphics was formed.
This lavish, 560-page book plots the course of the company, from initial successes with Monty Mole, Jack the Nipper and Thing on A Spring, to its ground-breaking Lotus-branded racing games, and eventual purchase by Infogrames in 1999.
Officially endorsed by founder Ian Stewart, A Gremlin In The Works by Mark Hardisty features interviews and anecdotes from all of Gremlin’s key members, including Chris Kerry, Ben Daglish and Greg Holmes, along with stalwarts of the UK gaming scene: Rod Cousens, Tim Chaney, Jeremy Heath-Smith, Geoff Brown and Infogrames founder Bruno Bonnell, among many others.
Filled with game imagery, memorabilia and archive material such as old letters, business cards, staff photos and game design documents, this is an exhaustive and comprehensive chronicle of one of Britain’s best-loved developers, and a fascinating exploration of the meteoric rise of the gaming scene in the ’80s and ’90s.
Each copy of A Gremlin In The Works now comes with a free PDF, plus a PDF of extra DLC content that didn’t make the printed book. If you previously purchased A Gremlin In The Works direct from Bitmap ?Books, you will be emailed this second edition PDF free of charge.
How long is the discount?
That isn’t clrear right now, so you should act quickly. Here’s the announcement:
Running to 560 pages, this 250mm × 210mm isn’t just a nostalgia-fuelled call back to classic British gaming, it’s a useful reference, too.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through those links. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
