Rick Riordan's Blog, page 4

For the publication of SAL AND GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE, March 5, my editor Steph Lurie had this idea: Let’s invite people to post pictures of themselves reaching into different universes and pulling out alternate versions of themselves, like (SPOILER KINDA) happens sometimes in the book. These Other Me’s could show their love for SAL AND GABI!

Being a nerd, a ham, and an all-around extra kinda guy, I contacted the fine folks at Boston Costume and asked if I could use their “inter-dimensional portal” for the afternoon. They very generously agreed!

First, we summoned a version of Rick Riordan from an alternate Colonial America, which seemed appropriate, since we were in Boston.

Then we got Greco-Roman, since . . . well, that’s what I’m known for.

Next up, how about Rick the Purple Wizard, with his faithful sidekick the stuffed dragon staff? Sure, why not?

And finally, how about Steampunk Rick!

All of my Other Me’s love SAL AND GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE, and I’m betting you will too, in whatever reality you choose to inhabit! Heck, even my rubber chicken loves to read this book!

A big thank you to Tim and Eric at Boston Costume for their help with this crazy romp through the multiverse, and of course my wife Becky, who took the pictures!

Tim, by the way, (in the Camp Jupiter shirt) is a longtime fan and demigod whose goal is to become a history teacher! Yes, we need more great teachers!

A very happy publication day to Carlos Hernandez for his brilliant SAL AND GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE! Pick up a copy. You will NOT be disappointed!

Say hello to the latest titles upcoming from Rick Riordan Presents! First, Jennifer Cervantes’ stunning THE FIRE KEEPER, sequel to her New York Times bestselling Maya mythology adventure THE STORM RUNNER. Zane Obispo is back in action and hotter than a bag of Flamin’ Hot Chee-tohs! Pub date Sept. 17, 2019. Pre-order here!

Next, RACE TO THE SUN from Rebecca Roanhorse, a modern-day fantasy based on Navajo folklore, in which middle-schooler Nizhoni Begay must navigate a crazy world of gods, shapeshifters and monsters to save her family. Pub date Oct. 15, 2019. Pre-order here!

And last but definitely not least, TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY by Kwame Mbalia. Seventh-grader Tristan accidentally creates a hole into the Midpass, a world where ancient African gods clash with gods of African-American legend. Now he must race to find Anansi, the Weaver, and repair the rip before the iron monsters wreaking havoc in the Midpass consume their world and ours. Pub date January 2020. Pre-order information will be available soon, but you can add it to your Goodreads list now!

Not sure what Rick Riordan Presents is all about? Want to see what other cool titles are coming up? Get all the latest info here!

The wait is over! Yoon Ha Lee’s marvelous adventure DRAGON PEARL is now officially published!

What is it about?

Yoon Ha Lee’s space opera is about thirteen-year-old Min, who comes from a long line of fox spirits. But you’d never know it by looking at her. To keep the family safe, Min’s mother insists that none of them use any fox-magic, such as Charm or shape-shifting. They must appear human at all times.

Min feels hemmed in by the household rules and resents the endless chores, the cousins who crowd her, and the aunties who judge her. She would like nothing more than to escape Jinju, her neglected, dust-ridden, and impoverished planet. She’s counting the days until she can follow her older brother, Jun, into the Space Forces and see more of the Thousand Worlds.

When word arrives that Jun is suspected of leaving his post to go in search of the Dragon Pearl, Min knows that something is wrong. Jun would never desert his battle cruiser, even for a mystical object rumored to have tremendous power. She decides to run away to find him and clear his name.

Min’s quest will have her meeting gamblers, pirates, and vengeful ghosts. It will involve deception, lies, and sabotage. She will be forced to use more fox-magic than ever before, and to rely on all of her cleverness and bravery. The outcome may not be what she had hoped, but it has the potential to exceed her wildest dreams.

This sci-fi adventure with the underpinnings of Korean mythology will transport you to a world far beyond your imagination.

What are people saying? Check out these starred reviews!

*”Lee offers a perfect balance of space opera and Korean mythology with enough complexity to appeal to teens.”―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

*”Lee skillfully weaves Korean folklore into this space opera narrative, creating dynamic and relatable characters. VERDICT: With ghosts, pirates, and a rollicking space adventure, there’s a little something for everyone here.”―School Library Journal (starred review)

*”Lee has created an adrenaline-filled space opera with mythological creatures living alongside humans. It is refreshing to see both Koran elements and a nonbinary character seamlessly integrated into the storyline. A high-octane, science-fiction thriller painted with a Korean brush and a brilliant example of how different cultures can have unique but accessible cosmology and universal appeal.”―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

And what other amazing authors are saying about Yoon Ha Lee:

“I was so impressed by DRAGON PEARL. The story is multi-layered, the world construction is impeccable–with an awesome intersection of tech and culture–and it is totally compelling to read. Min’s nuanced feelings about her magic, her family, and her fox heritage are marvelously complicated. I loved her, and I know you will, too!”―E.K. Johnston, author of the #1 New York Times best-selling Ahsoka

“Who would have thought Korean mythology would make for such an intense and magical space opera! I loved every moment of it and want the next book NOW so I can explore all the Thousand Worlds with Min! This book is brilliant and gorgeous, and why didn’t I have it when I was a kid??”―Ellen Oh, author of Spirit Hunters and the Prophecy series

Recently I asked you guys what kind of team you’d like to see in charge if a Disney-led Percy Jackson reboot were to happen. Again, I have to warn you this is completely HYPOTHETICAL, just wishful thinking, not based on any concrete plans in the pipeline. Even if some reboot happened someday, I would have ZERO control over it, because those rights were signed away before the first PJO book was even published and, like most authors, my contract was very standard in that Hollywood controls all things and all decisions about the movie. The author may or may not be consulted, but the movie folks have final say on everything. There is a widespread myth (ha!) that authors have much more control over movie decisions than we actually do. Even the most powerful authors (yes, the ones you are thinking of right now) have WAY less influence and control than you think they do. Nobody talks about that though, because when a movie is just coming out it is in the studio’s interest for it to SOUND like everybody was very involved and pleased with the final product. In reality, the best we authors can hope for is a good team effort, where everyone gets along, has the same vision, and works together well. Sometimes, that happens . . .

Thinking about reboots even hypothetically made me remember the process I went through with those Percy Jackson movies. I was indeed consulted at some points, about some things. I did my best to give feedback that would help. At the time, obviously, I couldn’t really share any behind-the-scenes information with you guys, the readers, but since these conversations are now almost ten years old (yikes!), I thought you might like to take a look at some of the correspondence and suggestions I sent to the producers while they were planning THE LIGHTNING THIEF movie. I hope this will give you a sense of what I was trying to do behind the scenes. Whether/how much the producers listened to my ideas, I will let you be the judge. As I’ve said many times, once I saw the final script and saw what they were doing on the set, I realized I had to step away for my own peace of mind. I never saw either of the movies in their final form. What I know of them, and how I judge them, is based entirely on my experiences with the producers and on the final scripts. The SEA OF MONSTERS movie is a whole ‘nother story, but it followed basically the same process.

Below are extracts from two emails I sent the producers in 2009. I have XXXed out some names to keep them private, but otherwise these are word-for-word what I sent.

Should a reboot happen some day, in some fashion, I would hope, like you, that it would be a great adaptation that is faithful to the books and fun to watch. The fact that Disney has now acquired the rights from Fox may be hopeful news, but it doesn’t change my contractual powers (which are zilch). Still, I’ve let it be known that I would be happy to consult and advise IF they want me and IF the new project was undertaken by a completely different team than the one which made the movies. I think that would be important. Fresh eyes. Fresh ideas. Hopefully people who know and are passionate about the books. I have no desire to go through my first experience again and see the same results. If I felt like that was going to be the case, I would have to stay away from the project completely. In the future, if some project actually does get underway, I may not be able to comment on it for contractual reasons, but you can tell how I’m feeling about it by what I do or don’t say. Am I talking about it? Promoting it? Sharing cool things? I am probably happy. Am I completely ignoring it and never mentioning it on social media? Yeah . . . that’s probably not a good sign. For instance, check out my website, rickriordan.com. Do you see any indication there that the Percy Jackson movies ever existed? No. No, you do not.

I will also say again, for the record, that I have been very blessed and am eternally grateful that the movies brought so many people to the books. That is a wonderful thing movies can do for books, and all authors dream about getting that opportunity. Very few actually get to experience it. I just wish, well . . . You can read below, and see exactly what I was wishing and worrying about, back in 2009!

From January 2009 note to producers

Hi XXXXX,

I understand that a decision has been made to age the main characters in the film to seventeen. As no one wants to see this film succeed more than I do, I hope you’ll let me share a couple of reasons why this is a bad idea from a money-making point of view.

First, it kills any possibility of a movie franchise. I don’t know if you or your staff have had the chance to read farther than The Lightning Thief in the Percy Jackson series, but there are four other volumes. The series is grounded on the premise that Percy must progress from age twelve to age sixteen, when according to a prophecy he must make a decision that saves or destroys the world. I assume that XXXX would at least like to keep open the option of sequels assuming the first movie does well. Starting Percy at seventeen makes this undoable. I’m also sure that XXXXX (for) the first Harry Potter movie, some in the studio argued for making the characters older to appeal to a teen audience. Fortunately, they took the long view and stayed true to the source material, which allowed them to grow a lucrative franchise. This would’ve been impossible if they’d started Harry at seventeen. The same principle applies here.

Second, it alienates the core audience. I’m guessing those book sale numbers are important to XXXX because you’re hoping all those kids show up at the theater. The core readership for Percy Jackson is age 9-12. There are roughly a million kids that age, plus their families, who are dying to see this film because they want to see the pictures in their imagination brought to life. Many of these kids have read the books multiple times and know every detail. They are keenly aware that Percy is twelve in the first book. By making the characters seventeen, you’ve lost those kids as soon as they see the first movie trailer. You signal that this is a teen film, when the core audience is families. I understand that you want to appeal to teens because they are a powerful demographic, and conventional wisdom says that teens will not see movies about kids younger than themselves. Harry Potter proved this wrong, but aside from that, deviating so significantly from the source material risks pleasing no one – teens, who know the books are meant for younger kids, and the younger kids, who will be angry and disappointed that the books they love have been distorted into a teen movie. I haven’t even seen the script yet, so I don’t know how much the story has changed, but I fear the movie will be dead on arrival with a seventeen-year-old lead. (At this time I had no idea who might be cast)

I’ve spent the last four years touring the country, talking about the movie. I’ve seen hundreds of thousands of kids. They are all excited about the movie, but they are also anxious. Most of these kids have no idea which studio produces which film, but everywhere I go, they say the same thing: Please don’t let them do to the Lightning Thief what they did to XXXX (another movie from the same producers) Don’t let them change the story. These kids are the seed audience for the movie. They are the ones who will show up first with their families, then tell their friends to go, or not go, depending on how they liked it. They are looking for one thing: How faithful was the movie to the book? Make Percy seventeen, and that battle is lost before filming even begins.

Thanks for letting me say my piece. I care too much about the project to see it fail.

From March 2009, notes to producers on the Lightning Thief movie script

Hi XXXXX,

Thank you for letting me look at the script. It’s very important for me that the movie does well. I also take my role seriously as an advocate for fans of the book, who have been pleading with me for four years, “Please don’t let them change the story!” In my view, the two go together. When I look at the children’s books that have been made into movies over the past few years, I see a direct correlation between how faithful an adaptation is and how well it does at the box office. I’m not sure the movie industry sees this connection, as they keep making the same mistakes over and over again, but it’s pretty clear to me and to the young readers I talk to every day.

There are things I like about this adaptation. The beginning works well. The opening scenes do a good job getting into the story quickly and setting up the characters. The first part of story has been made more economical, but it is still more or less faithful to the spirit of the book.

The scene with the Minotaur is nicely crafted. I liked the Minotaur appearing out of the field of cows. The gate with words that rearrange themselves as “Camp Half-Blood” was a nice touch.

Annabeth’s first appearance was good. I like how’s she been made a more physically challenging rival for Percy.

The scene in Las Vegas is mostly good. I have a few suggestions on that, but they are easy changes.

I like the entrance to the Underworld being at the Hollywood sign.

The way Gabe is petrified at the end makes sense, and the idea of the heroes toting XXXX’s head across country makes me chuckle.

Having said that, here’s the bad news: The script as a whole is terrible. I don’t simply mean that it deviates from the book, though certainly it does that to point of being almost unrecognizable as the same story. Fans of the books will be angry and disappointed. They will leave the theater in droves and generate horrible word of mouth. That is an absolute given if the script goes forward as it stands now. But the bigger problem is that even if you pretend the book doesn’t exist, this script doesn’t work as a story in its own right.

The good news: It is eminently fixable. When I first read the script I’ll admit I was plunged into despair at just how bad it was. If I were intentionally trying to sabotage this project, I doubt I could have done a better job than this script. But as I began to make notes and look specifically at what was bothering me, I realized that the script could be made palatable to fans and the general movie-going audience without really changing its present scene structure, lengthening the script, or adding new sets that would increase the budget. I am choosing to take heart in your assurance that this script is not finished. That is one thing we can agree on: It needs help.

So if you’re still with me, here are my specific thoughts and suggestions for a fix. My concerns fall into three basic categories: age appropriateness, structure, and the writing. I’ll address these in general first, then follow with specific suggestions in page-by-page notes.

Age-appropriate content:

This is the easiest fix, but an important one. The Percy books are family-oriented. They are read primarily by children age 9-12. You will have (I hope) a large number of parents bringing their 9-12 year-old children to this movie, expecting to see something appropriate for that age range XXXXXXXX. As one of those parents, I would walk my kids right out of the cinema if the movie included some of the language and content presently in the script. In the page-by-page comments below, I’ve listed the words and scenes I’m concerned about.

I don’t mind being a little subversive and pushing boundaries, but there is nothing radical, fresh or interesting about biyotch, ass, or shit. It’s a lazy attempt to make the script seem hip to teens, but such language has been overused to the point that it doesn’t even rate a cheap laugh anymore. If you go this route, you lose the entire demographic of families with younger children. School groups, who otherwise would take field trips to see this movie, will stay away en masse. Neither do I believe you have to have cliché crude language and gutter humor to engage a teen audience if you have a script that is funny, fresh, and original. As it is, the script will offend the parents of younger children and alienate what should be its core audience while gaining nothing.

I’m talking with fourth and fifth graders all the time about this upcoming movie. I would be horrified if I steered them into a movie with this kind of content. I wouldn’t see it. I wouldn’t let my kids see it. I wouldn’t recommend anyone else see it, and I certainly wouldn’t want my name associated with it. Please do not “sex up” my children’s story. If you take out all the lines I’ve flagged and put in something funnier and fresher but not blatantly crude, you will have a stronger script with a wider appeal.

Structure:

I have no problem with changes for the sake of streamlining. I also understand the need to limit the number of sets to stay within budget. The script does this well in many places. You’ve cut the Oracle at Delphi, Dionysus, the search for Pan, Clarisse – I could go on and on – but those changes don’t upset me because they don’t affect the story’s core.

I’m not so understanding of adding scenes and plot lines that are completely foreign to the book and make the story read like an illogical hatchet job.  The most prominent examples:

Persephone’s pearls. A truly bad plot device. In the original, Percy must go across country because he cannot fly, as Zeus would zap him out of the sky. He’s got a timer – the summer solstice. He’s got double motivation – find his mother, and find Hades, who supposedly has the lightning bolt. He’s got a goal: Los Angeles. This gives him plenty of reason to go to the Underworld without tagging on some superficial quest for pearls that don’t have any basis in Greek mythology. This is the point where the script takes a hard left turn into weird. The story ceases to be the Lightning Thief, and it will have fans squirming in their seats and demanding a refund.

Nashville, the hydra, battle bugs. This entire scene is awful and completely alien to the story. I’m guessing it was added because the set is easier to make than, say, the St. Louis Arch, or you’re thinking the hydra is more recognizable than the Chimera.  Again, this is a place where you will lose the readers of the books in droves for no good reason, but I think it could easily be fixed.  It could also be a place to insert Ares, as you mentioned you’re interested in that. I’ve given my ideas for this below in the page-by-page critique.

Luke: In the original, Luke is a rival for Annabeth’s affections. He’s older, good-looking, cool and suave, with an important backstory. In the script, Luke has become a sniveling little slimeball. This a) takes away a great source of romantic tension, b) makes it much too obvious that Luke is the villain, c) destroys the series storyline, in which Luke becomes Percy’s archenemy and eventually morphs into Kronos, and d) makes the script ending anticlimactic. I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have a fight with Luke at the end (though I still think it’s not nearly as exciting as a fight with Ares). But if you have a fight with Luke, he should be an attractive, powerful enemy. Who wants to see our hero fight a little creep? Why is that exciting?

Persephone: Talk about deus ex machina. She had no part in the original and has been added to patch up a storyline that no longer makes sense. The ending now, with Grover getting out of the Underworld off-stage, has no tension and no believability. I would strongly encourage you to restore the mystery of the original plot – Percy believes Hades has the lightning bolt, and he discovers along the way this cannot be true, which leads them to the realization that they’ve all been played by Ares. Again, I’ve put my specific suggestions below.

Kronos: This is rather important if you want to preserve the possibility of a franchise, as Kronos is the master villain in the series. Having said that, I can see making a script that works with only a passing mention of Kronos, but at the very least, it should be Ares manipulating Luke, and there should be some question at the end of the book: Why would Ares do this? Was he working alone? This would at least leave some opening to introduce Kronos later.

The fight with Ares: Honestly, this is the best, most cinematic scene in the book. It’s a crime to exclude it from the movie, and Ares is the best adult role in the story.

You mentioned that the script is still being revised for logic and motivation, and I can understand why. The plot has been chopped up so thoroughly that it no longer holds together. As I said, I think this could be fixed without radically changing the scene structure that you’ve developed, but it would take better writing by someone who understands the story, which brings me to the last point:

The Writing:

The dialogue needs to sparkle. I’d like to see it be fresh and original and funny. Right now there are some good areas, but mostly it is flat, tired, and uninspired. It’s certainly not funny. I’m not expecting lines to be lifted from the book verbatim, but it would be nice if they resembled the source material at least in tone and spirit.  One of the things that defines Percy is his sense of humor. He doesn’t have one in the script. When XXXX first acquired the book, I was told one of the main selling points was the humor. Why then do we want to settle for a script that is completely devoid of the story’s trademark humor?

There is no heart or soul to the story. The only motivator seems to be sex – will Annabeth and Percy get together? That’s a) not enough, and b) not done very well.

Percy: Percy should doubt himself. He’s conflicted about his father. He shows resentment toward the gods and his dad, but finally has reconciliation and realizes that he is different than Luke – He can rise above his anger and become a hero, accept his parents even if they are not perfect. There needs to be a message here about what it takes to become a hero. There is only the tiniest hint of this in the script, and it’s not nearly powerful enough. On the romantic front, Percy is attracted to Annabeth, but she also intimidates and annoys him at times.  He’s not completely driven by hormones to get the girl, as he is in the script. Their relationship needs to be more nuanced.

Annabeth: She is meant to have a backstory with Luke. She is conflicted about her feelings toward Percy because of this. Their romance in the script is too obvious, too quick, and not nearly interesting enough. Where is the tension, the doubt, the conflict? And in terms of the series arc, getting them together in the first installment throws out four more books worth of character development. It would be much better if they kiss at the end, but it is still very unclear whether they are actually together. It should be more of a tease.

Grover: Grover has become a cipher in the script. All he cares about is sex. There’s a passing reference to his need to ‘earn his stripes’ but it never feels real, and Grover never seems worried about it. If you take out the entire subplot about Pan, okay, but Grover needs to have something more serious on the line. For instance, his reputation and his backstory, having failed once before as Luke and Annabeth’s protector. Percy’s quest is his shot at redemption. This would only take a few lines to develop, but it would make the character more than simply comic relief.

Below is my critique by page.

If you find my comments have merit, I’d be happy to revise the script myself, which you could then take or leave as you please. I could do this without changing the number of scenes or the length of the script, and if necessary I will set everything aside to turn this around quickly. My main focus would be freshening up the dialogue, adding Percy-brand humor, and trying to tighten up the logic of the plot while keeping it simple. Note that my rough suggestions for substitute lines below are just that – rough. I would take care to make the wording punchier and more economical. At the very least, please address my concerns and get another writer who has actually read the book and can make the necessary changes, but at this point, I really don’t trust anyone but myself to do it correctly. If the script goes forward in its present form, I don’t need to be the Oracle of Delphi to foresee what will happen. You will lose the fans of the series 100%, but more importantly the script will fail to impress even regular moviegoers who haven’t read the book. The movie will become another statistic in a long line of failed movies badly adapted from children’s books.  No one wants that, and a year from now I really would prefer not to be saying: “I told you so.”

 (This was followed by twelve pages of notes, going through the script line by line. They did not accept my offer to rework the script.)

My son Haley and I took a last-minute trip up to Montreal this weekend. I had not been there in decades and wanted to chase down some family history before winter set in. Haley came along for good food and entertainment!

First we took a stroll through Old Town Montreal, which was full of beautiful architecture.

There were still a few hints of Autumn leaves, here at there. We were blessed most of the trip with blue skies.

We also got to check out the archaeology museum, which was amazing. If you have a chance, go! You get to plunge straight into the ruins under street level:

The old city sewer. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t lit up purple back in the day. It probably smelled worse, too.

At night, the buildings are lit with soft pink, red, and blue accent lights, so the whole city looks like an ice palace. Hard to get pictures of that, but it was magical.

On our first full day, we visited the Cimeterie Notre-Dame-des-Nieges, where several generations of my Riordan ancestors are buried:

It’s a lovely maze of monument stones and fields, forests and mausoleums. Hades and Daedalus would be pleased! Also, according to Haley, the whole place is full of Pokemon Go gyms. Ghost types, would be my guess.

Great view from the cemetery looking out of Mont Royal and the dome of St. Joseph’s Oratory:

After seeing dead people, we headed to Parc La Fontaine, which is right across the street from my great-great-grandfather Michael Patrick Riordan’s old homestead. This would have been their view out the windows each morning:

Here’s Haley, enjoying our autumn stroll:

And here is a giant sculpture of a slingshot, for reasons unknown:

My 2x great granddad was a professor who taught writing (seems appropriate), and one of the schools where he taught still exists in the park. It’s not an active school anymore, but you can still see the words PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL etched in French on the stone:

The old Riordan homestead has seen better days. I doubt this is the same building as in the 1890s, but it’s the correct location on Rue de Champlain:

The Saint Mary’s Ward, where a lot of Catholic Irish settled in the 1800s, has changed a lot over the decades. Much of it was torn down to build the Radio Canada building, but here and there we could still see glimpses of the grimy Victorian past. Saint Mary’s Ward was filled with working class tenements and stinky factories like tanneries. (Hey, you couldn’t put those factories where the rich people lived!) This old warehouse is probably a relic from Michael Patrick Riordan’s days:

Now, of course, it has been converted to upscale lofts.

That night, we went to a concert inside Notre-Dame Basilica, on the main square in the old city.

This was the church where my 2x great-grandpa and a lot of other Riordans had their funeral services. The concert was Mozart’s Requiem, so that seemed especially appropriate. The inside . . . wow.

Day two, we decided to check out the Biosphere, an environmental museum of one of the islands in the St. Lawrence River. The museum is housed in an old geodesic dome built for the World’s Fair in the 1960s:

Alas, when we got there, the place was closed for Remembrance Day, which left us on a deserted island in the middle of the river, in windy sub-freezing temperatures, screaming, “Noooooooo!” as our Uber driver drove away, no doubt cackling maniacally.

We could have called another ride, but we like walks in the bitter cold, so we headed to a huge structure on the next island over, figuring we could catch a cab from there.

From the distance, we were pretty sure this was the Canadian Super-Friends’ Fortress of Justice. Turns out, it’s a casino. Lots of people playing high stakes poker games and slots for 11 AM, but hey, whatever! We got a cab back into town and hit MAC, the contemporary art museum. Our cab driver looked very confused. I had to break out my rusty French to give him the address. I don’t guess a lot of people roll out of the casino and head to the art museum. Not sure why.

When you touch the controls of this light installation in the lobby, the whole thing pulses to your heartbeat.

The show on offer was the works of Francois Sullivan:

Haley thought the red sculpture would look great in his apartment. Alas, it was not for sale.

In case you’re wondering, you can get an Oreo blizzard in downtown Montreal:

Later we passed this crooked old stone building that looked like it would fall down any second. I figured it had to be something really cool like a museum or a French bakery or an art gallery!

Nope. It’s a Starbucks.

The coolest coffee shop, though, was Crew Coffee in the lobby of an old bank building:

I walked into this swanky place thinking, “I am not worthy of your caffeine!”

That night we were to the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighborhood, which is hip and trendy for sure. Lots of restaurants and clubs and galleries. More Pokemon spin stops than Haley could keep up with!

We had dinner at the Upstairs Jazz Club and heard a great Afro-Cuban quartet.

Blurry picture. Those musicians were moving fast!

Pre-show picture. Notice the fish tank under the Upstairs sign. Those fish must be traumatized from all the music. I hope they like jazz.

And now we’re back in Boston, just in time for the first snow of the year. Merci, Montreal, for a wonderful weekend! See you again soon, I hope!

The verge of Halloween seems like an appropriate time to get excited about the next title coming out from Rick Riordan Presents: Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee! Monsters, magic and outer space adventure, the book has it all!

Why am I so excited about Dragon Pearl? It’s unlike any of the other books in my imprint, and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever read. For one thing, it’s very hard to find great middle grade science fiction. I’m not sure why that is, but Dragon Pearl is exactly the sci-fi fix you need. Younger and older readers alike will devour it! Imagine Stars Wars combined with Korean mythology. It’s like that, only better. Our main character Min, a young fox spirit, lives on a backwater planet, helping her family scrap by, when she learns that her big brother Jun has supposedly deserted from the Thousand Worlds Space Forces to search for an ancient magic relic called the Dragon Pearl. Min knows something isn’t right. She runs away in search of her brother and the truth behind his disappearance, but even for a fox spirit with shape-changing and Charm abilities, the universe is a big scary place!

Dragon Pearl comes out January 15, 2019. It’s the perfect pre-order for those holiday bookstore gift certificates, because you WILL want to have this book in your hands the day it comes out. All the cool fox spirits, dragons, goblins, tigers and humans will be reading it. Stay tuned to my website and social media feeds between now and then. I’ll be giving you sneak peeks at Dragon Pearl every #SciFiSunday!

Yoon Ha Lee. You can follow Yoon on Twitter here.

Confused about what the Rick Riordan Presents imprint is all about? You can get answers here! 

Tuesday, October 2, this little slice of Viking mayhem is coming your way! 9 FROM THE NINE WORLDS will give you a chance to step back into Magnus Chase’s world in a totally different way.

WHAT NOT TO EXPECT:

This is not a new full-length Magnus Chase novel, so don’t buy it thinking that’s what you’re getting. This is a companion book more along the lines of THE DEMIGOD DIARIES. Think appetizer, not three-course meal.

WHAT TO EXPECT: 

Nine fun short stories about the Nine Worlds, each one told from the point of view of a different character from the Magnus Chase series. You will learn new things about the worlds, and of course about the characters!

Want to see the list of contents? Sure!

Here’s a sneak peek at the first story, as told by Odin himself:

Hearthstone’s newest adventure in Alfheim:

And Mallory Keen takes on the entire world of Niflheim in the very ‘Mallory-titled’ story So’s Your Face:

Alex Fierro, T.J., Amir, Blitzen, Samirah and Halfborn also narrate stories!

Here’s a look art the inside cover art:

No, that’s not Magnus running . . . That’s Thor. Why? Well, you’ll have to read the book!

Hope you guys enjoy this short but savory trip back into Magnus Chase’s world. The book was a blast to create!

Becky and I got to spend last week in New York, mostly working on various projects and me writing, but we did have time for some fun excursions!

Becky captured the lovely view above on our first evening in town from the window of our apartment. (Yeah, I know. It’s a tough life.)

The next day, we went to the Cloisters, which holds the Metropolitan Museum’s medieval collection. I’ve been there many times, but I love walking through the gardens and atriums (especially when the weather is nice) and getting inspired by the wonderful and often weird art.

Here are some of my favorite finds this time:

Saint Michael slays a demon which is a collection of weird faces and animal parts. Who says Greek myths have the only cool monsters?

A medieval book which appears to be the oldest copy of Lord of the Rings, judging from the illustration of Sauron’s eye.

A teensy-weensy wittle book that could easily fit in my palm (if they let me hold, which they didn’t.) Can you imagine trying to paint those pictures and write those lines by hand, in miniature?

This is part of the only complete medieval set of playing cards which exists.  Not sure what the symbols of the suits are. Egg beaters and horse halters? Go fish.

This poor priest’s left hand does not know what his right hand is doing. That’s because his right hand has been missing for several hundred years.

Medieval cat is so done with your nonsense.

That same day we went to the Asia Society and saw a great exhibit on the Progressive Movement in modern Indian art. I knew pretty much nothing about this subject, but I was blown away by the works. Here are some of my favorites:

I find that looking at art is a great way to inspire writing, because I get a sense for the many different ways visual artists can see and describe the world. Next time you have writer’s block, head to a museum and try it!

The next night, we got brave and did something we’d never done before . . . We caught a game at Yankee Stadium. We carefully left our Red Sox paraphernalia at home, jumped on the 6 train with about a billion Yankees fans, and headed into the Bronx.

Considering we scored our tickets at the last minute, I have to say they were ridiculously good seats. We were so close to the visitors’ dugout we saw all the Sox players up close and personal.

These are not zoomed in. We actually were that close. I am so used to sitting way up in the stands I couldn’t tell what was going on, to tell the truth. Was that a strike? A ball? No idea. But THAT’S MOOKIE BETTS! RIGHT THERE!

Gotta say, props to Yankee Stadium for being a great place to watch a game. Our section was in the Legends area, which is so over-the-top swanky it’s crazy. In Boston, we certainly don’t have a Candy Wall with everything free for the taking. Fenway, I love ya, but we gotta talk . . .

The best photo of the night wasn’t taken by me. The doorman of our building happened to be at home, watching the game on TV, when he spotted familiar faces on the screen. “Hey, that’s Mr. Riordan!” he said. He got this shot of Becky and me, looking very concerned as the Sox got slaughtered 11-1. (The Sox clinched the division the night after, but alas, we got the losing game).

Yes, that is me peeking over J.D. Martinez’s shoulder.

The day after that, we headed to the Metropolitan Museum, which you can probably guess is one of my favorite places anywhere since I used it in chapter one of The Lightning Thief. No matter how many times I go, I find great and bizarre new stuff.

For instance:

A pair of bronze statues that once adorned a Roman garden. These show two girls, with totally different facial features, trying to catch a pair of partridges. Why are they doing that? Who knows. I call this installation ALL UR PARTRIDGES ARE BELONG TO ME.

One of the many pieces from the Greek and Roman “Dangerous Beauty” exhibit, showing pictures and sculptures of Medusa and other gruesome lovelies. This pot is decorated with Sirens who have snakes and dogs for their nether regions. I don’t know why. I didn’t ask.

This famous painting of the Sphinx challenging Odysseus I call PERSONAL SPACE, PLEASE.

I’d never spent any time in the Islamic collections at the Met, and I was amazed by all the great stuff. Below, a medieval book on constellations featuring our old friend Pegasus:

And here is a gorgeous copy of the Qur’an on an equally amazing carved wooden stand:

These are bronze incense holders:

This one just happens to look like my dog.

This one is inspired by that famous Mo Willems children’s book DON’T LET THE PIGEON EAT SMOKING INCENSE.

This man from Ancient Crete is happy to see you. He had a great deal of coffee this morning.

The Met also had an exhibit on the French artist Delacroix, who inspired later impressionists like Van Gogh. Here are a few of my faves:

Jesus featured in the work I JUST CAN’T WITH YOU RIGHT NOW.

And again in this picture of Christ asleep during the tempest:

I love the color of the water. Jesus is snoozing. The Apostles are freaking. Peter is like, “He said only wake him up in an emergency! I think DROWNING IS AN EMERGENCY!”

Above are two studies of Apollo triumphing over Python. Don’t tell Apollo. It’ll just may him sad for the good old days.

And a picture of Medea about to kill her two babies before Jason gets back home. Pro tip: This is not the correct way to hold your children.

On our last night in town, we went to Madison Square Garden to see Paul Simon. It was one of the last events in his Farewell Tour and he sounded great.

Small Paul, from our seats.

Big Paul, on the big screen above the stage.

A lot of the artists we loved when we were young are doing farewell tours because they’re getting too old for the road. Becky and I have dubbed these concerts “GET OFF MY LAWN” tours. We saw Joan Baez in Boston the week before, and then Baez happened to show up at the Paul Simon concert the night we were there. Small world, even in Madison Square Garden.

Now we are back in Boston and I am back to writing, but it was a great week! Wherever you live, I hope you have some time to check out some great art and music once in a while. Like books, art and music make everything better!

Rick Riordan Presents, my new imprint at Disney Publishing Worldwide, is off to a roaring start!

In case you’ve missed out, here is the latest on what we’re doing and what’s coming up!

The basics

Rick Riordan Presents is one small branch of the Disney-Hyperion Publishing family. We aim to publish about four books a year. All these will be books that my editor Stephanie Lurie and I feel will appeal to kids who like my books. In other words, they will probably be some type of middle grade fantasy, with lots of humor and action, and probably draw on myth or folklore in some way.

Our goal is to publish great middle grade authors from underrepresented cultures and backgrounds, to let them tell their own stories inspired by the mythology and folklore of their own heritage. Over the years, I’ve gotten many questions from my fans about whether I might write about various world mythologies, but in most cases I knew I wasn’t the best person to write those books. Much better, I thought, to use my experience and my platform at Disney to put the spotlight on other great writers who are actually from those cultures and know the mythologies better than I do. Let them tell their own stories, and I would do whatever I could to help those books find a wide audience!

Are the Rick Riordan Presents connected to Percy Jackson’s world?

No! My job is to help edit the books where it seems appropriate, to offer advice and guidance where I can, and to promote the great books we will publish. I am not writing the books and I don’t tell the authors what to write. This is not like using a ghost writer or ‘assistant writer’ to write my ideas. These are original stories generated by the authors – their intellectual property, told their way, with their characters and their sense of humor. The worlds they create are their own. They are not extensions of Percy Jackson’s world, but I can safely say that if you like my books, you will probably love these.

*Suspicious Sideways Glance* So what’s in it for you?

Disney is paying me a nominal fee to write an introduction for each book, help edit and promote it, etc., but that’s the limit of my monetary involvement. The authors own their own intellectual property and negotiate contracts with Disney as they would with any publishing deal. I am not doing this for money.

For me this is a way to give back for my success. I’ve been very lucky in my career. I want to use my platform to help other writers get a wider audience. I also want to help kids have a wider variety of great books to choose from, especially those that deal with world mythology, and for all kinds of young readers to see themselves reflected in the books that they read.

The Lineup So  Far! 

ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME, by Roshani Chokshi.

Released March 27, 2018

Cover art by Abigail L. Dela Cruz (@hyamei)

Aru Shah is a smart and salty middle school girl who just wants to impress her snooty private school friends. She takes them on a tour of the Indian-American Museum her mom curates, where her friends dare her to do the one thing she is forbidden to do: light an ancient lamp that will supposedly start the end of the world…

14 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list

* “Chokshi weaves an engrossing adventure that will leave readers anticipating the next installment.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

* “Chokshi spins a fantastical narrative that seamlessly intertwines Hindu cosmology and folklore, feminism, and witty dialogue for an uproarious novel for young readers.”—Kirkus (starred review)

*  “An enthralling start to a series that Riordan fans and anyone in the mood for a high-octane adventure will love.”—School Library Journal (starred review)

And coming in April 2019:

ARU SHAH AND THE SONG OF DEATH

Just when she’s learning how to be a Pandava, Aru is accused of stealing the god of love’s bow and arrow. In order to prove her innocence, she must navigate the serpent realm with Mini and two new companions, one of whom is a BOY!

ARU SHAH BOOK 3: April 2020

ARU SHAH BOOK 4: April 2021

Rosh’s website

Rosh on Twitter: @NotRashKnee

STORM RUNNER by Jennifer Cervantes

To be released September 18, 2018

Cover art by Irvin Rodriguez

Zane is a lonely 13-year-old boy in New Mexico whose physical disability makes him feel even more like everyone at his middle school is watching him. But as he soon learns, his physical differences are merely the first clue to a family history that connects him to the Mayan gods–and puts him in mortal danger. As an ancient Mayan prophecy begins to unravel, Zane has to find the hero within himself!

*Cervantes wastes no time getting right into the action, and her conversational tone and suspenseful pacing will keep the pages turning as the tension escalates and the characters face deepening stakes. Don’t miss this rip-roaring adventure.”—Booklist (starred review)

*“Fantastic and villainous creatures from Mayan folklore combine with clever, realistic, and heartwarming characters. VERDICT A page-turning and well-written trip into the world of Mayan mythology.”—School Library Journal (starred review)

And coming in September 2019:

THE FIRE KEEPER

In this fiery, fast-paced sequel to THE STORM RUNNER, Zane Obispo has an impossible choice to make: save other godborns like him from the angry Maya gods, or rescue his godly father from his eternal prison.

Jennifer’s website

Jennifer on Twitter: @jencerv

DRAGON PEARL by Yoon Ha Lee

To be released January 15, 2019

Cover art by Vivienne To (@VivienneTo)

Sci fi meets Korean mythology! Min, a teenaged fox spirit, goes searching for her missing brother, who vanished while hunting for the legendary artifact the Dragon Pearl.

*“Lee has created an adrenaline-filled space opera with mythological creatures living alongside humans. It is refreshing to see both Korean elements and a nonbinary character seamlessly integrated into the storyline. A high-octane, science-fiction thriller painted with a Korean brush and a brilliant example of how different cultures can have unique but accessible cosmology and universal appeal.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

 *“Lee skillfully weaves Korean folklore into this space opera narrative, creating dynamic and relatable characters. VERDICT With ghosts, pirates, and a rollicking space adventure, there’s a little something for everyone here.”—School Library Journal (starred review)

Yoon’s website

Yoon on Twitter: @motomaratai ‏

SAL AND GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE by Carlos Hernandez

To be released March 5, 2019

 Book cover coming soon!

A brilliant sci-fi romp with Cuban influence that poses this question: What would you do if you had the power to reach through time and space and retrieve anything you want, including your mother, who is no longer living (in this universe, anyway)?

And coming March 2020, the sequel:

SAL AND GABI FIX THE UNIVERSE

Carlos on Twitter: @WriteTeachPlay

RACE TO THE SUN by Rebecca Roanhorse

To be released September 2019

 Book cover coming soon!

A seventh-grade girl named Nizhoni Begay and her brother, aided by various Navajo gods disguised as relatives, must stay one step ahead of a shape-shifting monster as they follow in the footsteps of the legendary Hero Twins to save their family!

Rebecca’s website

Rebecca on Twitter: @RoanhorseBex ‏

TRISTAN STRONG PUNCHES A HOLE IN THE SKY by Kwame Mbalia

To be released January 2020

Book cover to come!

Tristan Strong accidentally creates a hole into the MidPass, where gods of African American folklore clash with ancient African gods. He must race to find Anansi, the Weaver, and repair the rip before iron monsters wreaking havoc in the MidPass consume their world—and ours.

And coming January 2021: TRISTAN STRONG BOOK 2

Kwame on Twitter: @KSekouM

PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE DROWNED PALACE, by Tehlor Kay Mejia

To be released May 2020

 Book cover to come!

A 12-year-old aspiring scientist suspects that the infamous La LLorona is responsible for the disappearance of her best friend, and she must venture into an underwater world to prove it.

And coming May 2021: PAOLA SANTIAGO BOOK 2

Tehlor’s website

Tehlor on Twitter: @tehlorkay

I hope it’s been a summer full of good books for you! This is just a sampling of the many books I’ve read over the summer — the ones I really enjoyed and think you might too! As always, I don’t post reviews of books I couldn’t get through or didn’t love.

Tommy Orange’s debut novel is already getting a lot of love, but I have to chime in with my praise, too. For one thing, There, There is set in Oakland, where I lived for most of the 90s, and reading it brought back a lot of memories. The author hits us with a buckshot blast of wonderful characters, self-described “Urban Indians,” each with his/her own short, interwoven chapters. We follow their interconnected lives as they prepare for the first Big Oakland Pow Wow. They are drawn there for many different reasons — to reconnect, to make money, to dance, to record stories. Unfortunately, a few of them are planning to rob the Pow Wow. Orange provides deft, beautifully crafted portraits of their lives, so by the time the hold-up come and (SPOILER) the heist does not go as planned, we care about how all of them will fare. The ending is perfect — unfinished, jagged with emotion, and yet still full of perseverance and hope. I won’t say this read was ‘easy.’ It packs an emotional wallop. But the pages fly by, thanks to the short chapters and varying points of view.

I am late in reviewing this, but oh my goodness, what an amazing book. Kwame Alexander gives us a novel in verse — a series of poems about twin brothers, JD and Jordan Bell, sons of a former pro basketball player, who are making their way through middle school as best they can — navigating first crushes, homework, family tensions, and of course, basketball. I was in awe of Alexander’s ability to tell such a rich, multifaceted story with so few words. Poetry is hard, at least for me, yet Alexander, like all great athletes and writers, makes the three-point shots look easy. You will laugh in this book, many times. You will also cry. You’ve been warned. You will want to know more about the characters’ lives, but you will also put down the book with a satisfied sigh, knowing the ending was perfection. It’s a quick read, even for a slow reader like me. I kept thinking, so many times, I wish I’d had this book when I was teaching in the 90s. My students would have devoured this — the basketball players, sure, but everyone else, too.

I’ve been a fan of Mark Lawrence’s gritty ‘grimdark’ fantasy novels for a long while now, but I think Red Sister may be my favorite. (Sorry, Prince of Thorns. I still adore you.) Elevator pitch? Okay, it’s reductive, but imagine Hogwarts as a nunnery that trains young girls to be assassins. The world of Abeth orbits a slowly dying sun. As a result, most of the world is encased in ice except for an ever-shrinking corridor along the equator, where humanity is squeezed together, fighting for survival. A satellite mirror, the “Focus Moon,” passes over each night, reflecting the dying sun’s concentrated light along the corridor in a losing battle to keep the ice at bay. It’s a world in which magic and science co-mingle. Four bloodlines, from the original human inhabitants who came ages before, sometimes manifest themselves in present-day children. Gerants are huge and strong. Hunsa are fast and dexterous. Marjal control shadowy and elemental magic. Quantal have the ability to walk the Path — pulling on the subatomic strands of the universe’s fabric to see the future, connect their minds to others’, or even manipulate reality. Our hero Nona Gray is a child from the edges of society, sold into slavery by her own mother for reasons not quite clear. She is about to be hanged by a local constable for a heinous crime when she is rescued — if ‘rescued’ is the right word — by the Abbess of the Sweet Mercy Convent. Nona is taken in, and her training begins . . . Fabulous, in-depth world building, great characters, and as always with Lawrence, plotting that is fresh and unpredictable. Upon finishing, I went out immediately and bought the sequel, Gray Sister. If you like fresh, take-no-prisoners fantasy, this is for you.

My favorite recent history book, Mann surveys the breadth and complexity of indigenous cultures in the Americas before the arrival of Columbus. Some of this research was familiar to me. When I taught American history in the 2000s, I would start with such ‘snapshots’ of Cahokia, the Olmecs, the Serpent Mound, the Maya, the great trade networks that connected the continent. But even that information was hard to find. Good luck finding even a mention of it in the school textbooks. Despite having some knowledge, I was blown away, again, by how populated and cultivated the American landscape was before the cataclysmic arrival of Europeans and their diseases. This book blows up many stubborn, out-dated theories like the singular Bering land-bridge migration, the idea that the land was ‘mostly empty’ when Europeans arrived, and the idea that most indigenous peoples were ‘simple’ hunter gatherers. It also gives us a good look at just how stubborn and resistant traditional Euro-American scholarship has been to accepting any new information that didn’t fit established theories about the indigenous peoples. None of this will comes as a surprise to indigenous readers themselves, I’m sure, but for me, it was a refreshing, amazing read. I knew nothing about the vast, sophisticated terraforming societies of sub-Amazonian South America, or the pre-Incan empires, or the way that hunter-gatherer people intentionally crafted the landscape to better serve their needs. Mann gave me a tantalizing glimpse into a complex, beautiful pre-Columbian world.