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Amazon Interview: Rick Riordan on The Lightning Thief

In our exclusive Q&A with Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, learn about his inspiration for the character Percy Jackson, his long-time interest in Greek mythology, and more.

Amazon.com: Since The Lightning Thief was published in 2005 it’s sold more than a million copies, and the four subsequent books in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series have been blockbuster bestsellers among kids and adult readers alike. When you were writing the first story starring Percy Jackson, did you ever imagine it would become such a phenomenon? How has the success of the series affected your life?

Rick Riordan: I had no expectations other than to make a good story for my older son, Haley. I had no idea it would become a book, much less a series, until he encouraged me to write down the story.

I hoped the stories would get kids reading, but I never anticipated such exponential growth. It was not an overnight success, nor was it heavily marketed at the beginning. The Lightning Thief was passed around from kid to kid, teacher to teacher, parent to parent, and the series got bigger with each book. It really was a grassroots phenomenon. Still, I have trouble thinking in terms of millions. I measure success by anecdotes--the kid who told me he never liked books until he found The Lightning Thief, the parent who thanked me for turning her daughter into a reader, the teacher who said I turned her class around because they bonded over reading Percy Jackson every day. That's what it's all about for me.

It hasn't changed our life much other than making me busier, but doing something I love! I still drive the same car. My kids go to the same schools. We try our best to keep things simple at home.

Amazon.com: You’ve said that you wrote this series for your son, Haley, who, like the book’s hero Percy, has been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. How does Haley feel about being the inspiration for a bestselling series?

Riordan: Both my sons are always my first audience. I read the manuscripts to them aloud to make sure they work for young readers. Both are proud, though being teenagers they are also embarrassed by the attention they get sometimes. They don’t like it when classmates ask them to get my autograph. Haley likes to play down his importance in the genesis of the series, but I think he's enjoyed growing up with Percy, and I know it has increased his interest in writing. Recently he came into my office and announced the manuscript he is working on now has a bigger word count than mine!

Amazon.com: Percy’s stories are based on Greek mythology--classic tales that have been passed down for thousands of years. What lessons can kids today learn from the ancient myths?

Riordan: The stories have everything--romance, magic, mystery, action, and great characters. The Greek gods are our first superheroes. They have amazing powers, but they are also very human and subject to jealousy, envy, anger, etc. Kids especially respond to them because they are both powerful and accessible. Who wouldn't want to be the son or daughter of a Greek god? By reading about the struggles of gods and heroes, we learn a lot about being human, and that's something that hasn't changed over the millennia.

Amazon.com: Have you ever visited Greece? What was it like?

Riordan: I’ve been to both Italy and Greece, but only after I finished the Percy Jackson series, which is ironic. One doesn’t need to travel there, however, to appreciate the stories from mythology. Those are quite universal. Greece actually reminded me quite a bit of my home in Texas--hot, green, hilly, somewhat arid, except the ocean is much better in Greece.

Amazon.com: Percy’s guardian satyr, Grover, is strongly connected to the Earth, the well-being of animals, and humans’ emotions. Moreover, Percy’s life is relatively free of technology, in contrast to many people today. Is there a message about the natural world that you’re hoping to convey through Percy and Grover?

Riordan: I don’t consciously put messages in the books, because my job is telling a good story, not preaching. However, I do pick up on themes from Greek mythology that still resonate in the modern world, and certainly man’s relationship to nature is one of those. I’ve always been fascinated by the god Pan, and his reported death in ancient times. It seemed a very relevant theme for modern readers.

Amazon.com: Percy encounters many dangers throughout his adventures--some that could be considered beyond the abilities of a normal 12-year-old. Though we know Percy is no normal kid, where does he find the find the strength to overcome all the challenges that he encounters?

Riordan: None of us knows what we're capable of until we are called to action. Percy may have demigod abilities, but he's a very normal kid in a lot of ways. He goes from a 12-year-old who is unsure of himself and his relationship with his friends and family, to a 16-year-old young man who steps up and leads a war to save Olympus. Most heroes are born out of dire circumstances, and Percy is no exception. He's afraid, unsure, doubtful, angry--all the things we would be if we were called to deal with a crisis. But he does the job anyway, and that is the definition of courage.

Amazon.com: It’s often said that writers write about what they know. Were you interested in the ancient world when you were Percy’s age? What kinds of books were your favorites when you were a kid?

Riordan: I've always loved mythology. I had a great English teacher who showed me that The Lord of the Rings (the only series I would read at age thirteen) was based on Norse myths, and from then on, I was a mythology buff. I taught mythology in my own classroom when I became a teacher, and it was consistently my students' favorite unit.

Amazon.com: If you discovered, like Percy, that you were the son of a Greek god, who would you want your immortal parent to be?

Riordan: I'd like Poseidon or Athena, but with my luck, I'd end up with Dionysus.

Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-09-06
Summary: "So Much Fun to Read!"

This was recommended to me by a few of my students. I really enjoyed the story- I've always liked Greek Mythology so I found Rick Riordan's twist on it really entertaining. I think if you like Harry Potter or Artemis Fowl, you'll love Percy Jackson!

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-09-01
Summary: "Even non-Mid-Grade readers will fall for this one"

Percy Jackson is a 12-year-old problem child. Trouble springs up around him (which has led to his being expelled from six private schools in six years), he can't focus on school because of his dyslexia and ADHD, and when he goes home to visit, he can't enjoy spending time with his saint of a mother because his schlubby, repugnant stepfather bullies them both. If it weren't for his sweet but wimpy best friend Grover and his Latin teacher and mentor Mr. Brunner, his life would be devoid of bright spots.

Then the excitement begins. His mother begins talking cryptically about his birth father who was 'lost at sea' before Percy was born, and in desperation she takes him to the place she said his father thought he should be all along--Half-Blood Hill. But before they can get to the hill, they are attacked by the one and and only Minotaur. Percy's mom vanishes into golden mist when the Minotaur attacks her, then Percy uses a supernatural power rush to kill the Minotaur with it's own horn.

Still grieving his maybe-dead-maybe-not mother, Percy is welcomed into camp Half-Blood, a training ground for the half-mortal children of the Greek gods. He quickly learns that his friend Grover is a satyr sent to be his guardian, and that Mr. Brunner the Latin teacher is Chiron the centaur, a great teacher of heroes. He also meets Annabeth, the smart, athletic half-blood daughter of Athena, and makes enemies with the brutish children of Ares.

His demigod powers begin to manifest themselves. At the end of a camp-wide game of Capture the Flag, his true father sends the sign of a trident, claiming Percy as his own: Poseidon, one of the 'Big Three' gods, which makes Percy more powerful than any of the other kids at camp. (Note: the fact that he's Poseidon's son isn't revealed for 100 pages, but it's not what I'd call a spoiler. If you notice that rain and streams energize Percy, and that he can manipulate water when he's stressed, or if you've seen the first 30 seconds of the film trailer, this info will not come as a surprise).

And it turns out that Percy's Dad needs him. Zeus' lightning bolt, a weapon more powerful than an atomic bomb, has been stolen, and Poseidon is being blamed. War among the gods is inevitable unless the bolt is returned by the summer solstice. Guess who gets to go look for it? Yep. Percy is granted a quest, and only Grover and Annabeth are allowed to come with him on a cross-country journey to LA (the entrance to the underworld) to visit Hades, whom they believe is responsible for stealing the bolt. Percy has another motive in going--he wants to win back his mother's soul from the underworld.

What follows is nothing short of stunning. Adventure upon adventure, with excellent pacing and plenty of humor thrown in at the just the right moment. Percy's heroic quest is an adrenaline-fueled montage of monster-fighting, but with an abundance of rich mythological references at every turn. It works better than I could have imagined. When Percy achieves his big victories toward the end of the novel, they feel well-earned for the reader as well as the character and not everything is resolved, leaving plenty of mystery and action left over for the sequels.

Percy's story feels very timely for the 21st century. Instead of being an orphan, he's been raised by a single mom and a stepdad he does not like. In addition to his monster problems and demigod issues, he has dyslexia and ADHD--though in a lovely reversal, they turn out to be the markers of demigods, who have trouble with English because their brains are wired for ancient Greek, and their shifting attention is better suited to the battlefield. Percy's ordinary human problems make it easy to empathize with him, but he's strong enough that he never becomes someone to be pitied.

Harry Potter comparisons are inevitable, but I personally think that The Lightning Thief holds its own in comparison to HP, and retains its own unique story- flavor. In fact, I've put my finger on what I like best about Percy--he does not angst. Like Harry, Percy has no parents (to speak of), experiences trials and tribulations and has people who want to kill him. Under these circumstances, it's perfectly understandable to brood a bit and SPEAK IN ALL CAPS as Harry does so often in the middle books, but I am proud of Percy for rolling with the punches.

The retooling of classic myth is brilliant. The main gods and their personalities are introduced intact, but there are many more delightful literary references packed into this book. It's as if someone asked Mr. Riordan, "Just how much mythology can you put into one book?" and he replied, "Well...how much mythology is there?" It's all here: Cyclops, Medusa, Lotus-Eaters, Hephaestus' gold net, the Procrustean Bed, Chimera, Echidna, and the list goes on. All handled skillfully and updated for maximum impact. The Lightning Thief is practically its own Intro to Mythology course, and would work as a great preparatory text for reading epics like the Odyssey, which is filled with heroic pit-stops just like Percy's, where the hero is constantly being sidetracked on his journey and must battle through dozens of mini-quests during his great big quest.

In conclusion, this book is marvelous--smart, fast-paced, funny, enriching. I'll be reading the next four books in the series on the force of this novel alone. Well done, Percy. I can't wait to see what you'll do next, young hero.

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Rating: 3 / 5
Date: 2010-09-01
Summary: "Good action, but something was missing for me"

3.5 stars. I wanted to give it 4, but just couldn't do it.

The opening chapters were very good. Gets right to the action and let's us know there's a lot more to come. I was all in until his mom and stepfather were introduced. Just too cliche. The fat, greasy no-good stepfather that plays poker and calls the protagonist a punk. The mother is a clone of Polly Purebred, the goody damsel in distress.

Riordan's writing is tight and fast-paced and he kept me invested in the plot, so I looked past my disappointment in the parents. But then I really wished he hadn't used "half-blood" to described the half human/half god children since JK Rowlings universalized the term. I realize it's an appropriate description, but after reading it I couldn't stop seeing the parallels between this book and Harry Potter. It got distracting.

But Riordan kept me in story. The ending was lukewarm. The parents resolution not all that satisfactory. Luke's attempt to kill Jackson with a scorpion reminded me of Austin Powers. Why not just rid of him?

It felt like a middle grade book, and his target audience clearly loves it, so he succeeded without question. And that explains why his characters don't use any language beyond 'jerk' or 'punk'. At times, I thought the plot was getting interesting but then got very jokie-joke (like getting past Cerebus with a red ball). Rowlings managed to avoid this (sorry for the comparison, but 'half-blood' made me do it). She injected humor when appropriate and got serious when the plot needed it.

Riordan is a good writer and he'll continue to succeed with his demographic.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2010-08-31
Summary: "The Powers of all Gods"

I have to give credit to Rick Riordan. He really know how to put the gods together, under
one smashing roof.

The story is put together nicely with all the Greek Gods, hitting head to head under a false conspiracy that Poseidon's (Sea God) son Percy Jackson, stole the lightning bolt
from Zeus (Thunder God). News spread like wild fire. Other Greek Gods were not happy. Camp half-blood, it community, and demons are running in a panic, hoping for the thunder bolt to be returned
safely to it rightful owner, Zeus.

I Enjoyed reading this exciting tale. The movie was also good, however, the book provides more information,
and focuses and defines on each of the characters and places.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2010-08-30
Summary: "a fun, exciting story with a lot of humor and heart"

Percy Jackson is used to getting in trouble at school and missing details about his surroundings. It's kind of part of the territory when you're dyslexic and have ADHD besides. Then there's the fact that Percy isn't just any twelve-year-old. He's a trouble magnet--which might be how he wound up a private boarding school for troubled kids (his sixth school in as many years).

So, really, it probably isn't that surprising when his evil math teacher blames Percy for a fight he didn't even start.

What is surprising is when she sprouts wings and tries to kill him on a trip to the Metropolitan Museum to look at Greek and Roman artifacts. And his accidentally vaporizing her with a pen that turned into a sword is a bit of a shock as well.

Things only get worse from there.

It turns out all of the Greek and Roman myths Percy has been learning about aren't so much myths as real. And kind of angry. And maybe ready to start a war over a suspicious theft.

With the help of some unlikely friends, Percy has ten days to find the stolen property, return it, save the world from the wrath of the gods, and figure out where he fits in this whole crazy mess in The Lightning Thief (2005) by Rick Riordan.

This book is the first in Riordan's series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians." With its episodic chapters, snappy narrative voice (courtesy of Percy), and non-stop action, The Lightning Thief is an obvious choice for reluctant readers. Although the story is slow to get to the core of the story (or the Olympians of the series title), the plot does move along at a steady pace that will work for readers of any ilk. The plot's twists and turns (and a surprise ending that fooled this reviewer) are also nice additions to a fun story.

On the other hand, readers might wonder how a twelve-year-old who is not a big reader himself or a fan of school will know words like "debunct" and "mournfully" and choose to use them in his narration.

While some of the mythological figures come across more as caricatures than characters, Riordan does present figures and facts from the ancient Greek (and Roman) mythology in an original way. This might be a New Yorker's point of view, but there is something very fitting about New York City being the portal to Mount Olympus and Los Angeles leading . . . well, elsewhere. Nitpicks aside, The Lightning Thief is an interesting blend of mythology and a fun, exciting story with a lot of humor and heart. A promising start to a clever series.

Possible Pairings: Temping Fate by Esther Friesner, A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin, The New Policeman by Kate Thompson, Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy, The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud