Rick Riordan, known for authoring the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, discussed the idea behind his best-selling novels and his newest book at Lisner Auditorium Monday.
Riordan introduced the fourth installment in the “The Trials of Apollo” series – titled The Tyrant’s Tomb – which chronicles the Greek god Apollo after he is turned into a human. During the talk, he reflected on his best-selling Percy Jackson novels and discussed other works printed by his recently created publishing company.
If you couldn’t attend the book talk, here are some highlights from the event:
How it all started
Most young readers know the story of Percy Jackson – a 12-year-old boy whose life is turned upside down when he discovers that he is the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. But some Percy Jackson fans may not know that Riordan drummed up the concept for the story while reading his son a bedtime story.
Riordan said he began telling the bedtime story to his son who is dyslexic and lives with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He said his son did not like school but enjoyed learning about Greek mythology, so he created stories about the topic until one turned into what is now a best-selling children’s book.
“One day I ran out of stories to tell him, so I made one up,” Riordan said. “I said ‘OK, once upon a time there was a kid named, I don’t know, Percy Jackson. And he had ADHD and dyslexia, just like you. And he found out that if you have those learning differences, there’s a pretty good chance you’re a demigod.’ And so Percy Jackson was born.”
When The Lightning Thief was first released in 2005, Riordan said he hoped the novel would allow children with ADHD or dyslexia to see their disabilities as strengths that make them heroic, like Percy Jackson’s character.
Riordan’s publishing company
Riordan said he was most excited about the development of his publishing company, Rick Riordan Presents.
Since his original Percy Jackson series was published, he said fans have asked if he would also write novels on Aztec, Chinese or Hindu mythologies. But Riordan said he was not the right person to write stories about different cultures and wanted to step back and allow other authors to tell their own stories inspired by their heritage.
“I thought, ‘Instead of me trying to take over all these world mythologies for myself, surely there are great authors out there that are writing stories kind of like Percy Jackson, but authors that are from those cultures who know them in a way I never could.’ So instead of me writing them, why don’t I take my spotlight and shine it on them and let them tell their stories?”
The company has published middle grade fiction series like Roshani Chokshi’s Aru Shah series about Hindu mythology, J.C. Corrantes’s Storm Runner series about Mayan mythology and Yoon Ha Lee’s Dragon Pearl series about Korean mythology.
He said future publications include Kwame Mbalia’s Tristian Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky – which is about West African folklore – Rebecca Roanhorse’s Race to the Sun about Najavo mythology and Tehlor Kay Mejia’s Latin American folklore story Santiago and the River of Tears.
Up next
Aside from hyping up The Tyrant’s Tomb and Rick Riordan Presents, Riordan discussed the upcoming re-release of The Heroes of Olympus series in celebration of its 10th anniversary.
He added the release of the Percy Jackson Demigod Collection – a “starter pack” of Riordan books – and The Tower of Nero, the final volume in the Trials of Apollo series. Riordan said he promised more diversity and representation in his future novels and from his writing protégés as he continues to write for young readers.
