Meeting Ian Livingstone – A Personal Journey Back to Fighting Fantasy

There are stories that stay with you far beyond the moment you first experience them. For me, the world of Fighting Fantasy, created by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson, is exactly that.

I discovered these fantasy gamebooks as a teenager, at a time when I needed something to escape into. They offered structure, imagination, and a sense of adventure where every decision mattered.

Looking back, this was also my first real step toward worldbuilding. I even started drawing my own maps for the books, trying to visualize the paths and places they described. Without realizing it, this became the foundation of my later work with fantasy maps.

Over time, I returned to this world from a different perspective, no longer just as a reader, but as a creator. The logic of gamebooks, branching paths and connected locations, naturally evolved into map-making for me. Today, through my work on Qatlasmap, I create hand-drawn and isometric fantasy maps, as well as historical and stylized fantasy maps, often inspired by classic gamebook storytelling.

On March 21, 2026, I had the chance to meet Ian Livingstone in person at Budapest Comic Con. My wife and I traveled there so I could finally tick off a long-time dream.

There were many people, a long line, constant movement, yet what stayed with me most was how calm, patient, and approachable he was with everyone, not a distant creator, but someone who genuinely pays attention to people.

Meanwhile, I was mostly focused on quickly assembling English sentences in my head for the few minutes I had. Looking back, I learned more about the moment from my wife afterward than I did while it was happening. She told me that Ian actually recognized my work and showed genuine interest, something I barely processed at the time because I was so caught up in the situation.

I often imagine situations like this in advance, and they usually turn out completely differently in reality. This time, though, it was surprisingly close to what I had imagined, maybe even better.

The meeting itself was brief, but its impact lasts much longer. There’s something difficult to put into words about meeting someone whose work shaped your imagination, and realizing that, in some small way, you are now part of that same world.

The Maps

I’m truly grateful to be able to create within this space, and to contribute, even in a small way, to something that once meant so much to me.

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