Rick Riordan Q&A: Complete Percy Jackson and the Olympians
“Monty Python was a huge influence on me but I’m hardly the first to modernise Greek myths.”
Rick Riordan, a former high-school English teacher from Texas, created the Percy Jackson stories when his son Haley was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. Jackson, a young American boy, also had those conditions—in his case, because he was a demigod who was the son of Poseidon. The books in the series feature Riordan bending mythology into something new.
“Move over Harry Potter,” noted Fantasy Book Review, “because Percy Jackson could kick your butt.”
Below are several books related to the original Percy Jackson series. Also, we have questions and answers from interviews with the author.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Kane Chronicles, and the Heroes of Olympus. He is also the author of the multi-award-winning Tres Navarre mystery series for adults.
For fifteen years, Rick taught English and history at public and private middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Texas. While teaching full time, Riordan began writing mystery novels for grownups. His Tres Navarre series went on to win the top three national awards in the mystery genre—the Edgar, the Anthony and the Shamus.
Riordan turned to children’s fiction when he started The Lightning Thief as a bedtime story for his oldest son. Now a full-time author, Riordan has sold more than 35 million copies of his books. Rick is also the author of The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones, another #1 New York Times bestseller.
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Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)
Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is on the most dangerous quest of his life. With the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction—Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, he must face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. Most of all, he must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.
Buy The Lightning Thief from Amazon.
“An absolutely fantastic tale marvelously woven by the author Rick Riordan. I often fear reading young adult books because the main characters can be whiny and immature (as their audience) which can get on the nerves of any adult. Amazingly Percy seems to be mostly free of self pity and angst while still staying young and believable. A fantastic book for sure that has me thanking the gods I bought the series. Definitely worth the read!”—Fantasy Book Review
The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2)
After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson finds his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson—a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any “normal” friends. But things don’t stay quiet for long...
Buy The Sea of Monsters from Amazon.
“I love this second book in the Percy Jackson series—not only does it expand the scope of adventure (and it’s AT SEA! HOORAY!), but it also takes a closer look at the implications of having Gods as parents, the weight of expectation on the children of those Gods, youth’s irrepressible and ever-constant questioning of the status quo, and the age-old question of Fate versus Free Will. Oh, yeah, and the scope of action, the powers revealed, and secret family lineages come to fruition, too. There’s so much good stuff here that I can’t help but get caught up in the adventure all over again. I cannot wait to dive into the next book.”—The Book Smugglers
The Titan’s Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3)
When Percy Jackson gets an urgent distress call from his friend Grover, he immediately prepares for battle. He knows he will need his powerful demigod allies at his side, his trusty bronze sword Riptide, and… a ride from his mom.
The demigods rush to the rescue to find that Grover has made an important discovery: two powerful half-bloods whose parentage is unknown. But that’s not all that awaits them. The titan lord Kronos has devised his most treacherous plot yet, and the young heroes have just fallen prey.
They’re not the only ones in danger. An ancient monster has arisen—one rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus —and Artemis, the only goddess who might know how to track it, is missing. Now Percy and his friends, along with the Hunters of Artemis, have only a week to find the kidnapped goddess and solve the mystery of the monster she was hunting. Along the way, they must face their most dangerous challenge yet: the chilling prophecy of the titan’s curse.
Buy The Titan’s Curse from Amazon.
“A number of gods, stories, and elements of mythology are cleverly worked into The Titan’s Curse, and part of the fun is picking them out from the main narrative. Despite its mad speed and breathless action, the Percy Jackson series offers some strong plotting and some memorable and likeable characters, and it's all but impossible to put the books down after cracking them open.”—Read in a Single Sitting
The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4)
Percy Jackson isn’t expecting freshman orientation to be any fun, but when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears, pursued by demon cheerleaders, things quickly go from bad to worse.
Time is running out for Percy. War between the gods and the Titans is drawing near. Even Camp Half-Blood isn’t safe, as Kronos’ army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth—a sprawling underground world with surprises and danger at every turn.
Along the way Percy will confront powerful enemies, find out the truth about the lost god Pan, and face the Titan lord Kronos’ most terrible secret. The final war begins… with the Battle of the Labyrinth.
Buy The Battle of the Labyrinth from Amazon.
“This book is just amazing. I loved the balance between action, humor, ( I even had to stop reading at some points, to show my family the excellent jokes) suspense, and mystery. The book, being based on Greek mythology, has lots and lots of references to the Greek gods and goddesses, myths, and some of the heroes. And yet, it manages to have a unique plot, despite all of the other stories inside it. Rick Riordan did an excellent job of this, and the book is just amazing. However, I would recommend reading the first books in the series before this one, as it is a continuation of that story. It was great, and an especially good read for people who are bored out of their minds, because it was long and filled with great writing.”—Pikes Peak Library District
The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5)
All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Kronos’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time…
Buy The Last Olympian from Amazon.
“Every element from the previous four books—and every learning that was given to the demigods—was brought back in this final book. I really liked how the characters didn’t like or agree with each other. This caused conflict which kept me on the damn edge of my seat.”—Jasper & Spice
Q&A with Rick Riordan
Q: You have been criticized in some quarters for your ironic Monty Python-ish take on the classical world. Does that bother you?
“Monty Python was a huge influence on me but I’m hardly the first to modernize Greek myths. We live in a self-reflective age. It doesn’t seem enough any more to say ‘Zeus turned into a swan so he could seduce a woman.’ I can hear my former students asking, ‘Why a swan?’ I try to anticipate that skepticism and answer it with humor.”—Rick Riordan: ‘I’m hardly the first to modernise Greek myths’ (The Guardian)
Q: I do wonder if you could comment on the challenges of writing books for kids vs. books for adults. Which is harder? Which is more fun? Is it difficult to shift gears to switch between one and the other?
“I enjoy writing for adults and kids, though over the last few years I have discovered I’m better at writing for kids. I suppose that’s because of my background as a school teacher. I know the young audience much better than I know adult readers. Or perhaps it’s because I never grew up myself. My wife would be the first to tell you that!
“As for switching gears, yes it can be tough sometimes remembering what world I’m inhabiting, but the skill set for creating an adult mystery and a YA fantasy is pretty much the same for me. I tend to write in simple compact sentences with punchy dialogue and lots of action. I tend to use first person. I like humor and quirky characters. That's true of all my work—for adults or kids.”—WBBT: Rick Riordan Interview (Jen Robinson’s Book Page)
Q: Who would win in a battle between Percy Jackson and Harry Potter?
“Oh, no bets on that one. It would depend on who got the first shot. Greek heroes don’t get to use magic most of the time, sadly. It’s always the bad guy or the gods who have the magic in Greek mythology.”—Talking with Rick Riordan (Amercan Library Association)
Q: What were lessons you learned from earlier books?
“Well I like to hope that I’m learning lessons. We all hope we’re getting better at what we do. I cut my teeth writing private eye novels for adults. That taught me a lot about the wisecracking first-person narrator. It taught me a lot about plotting and clues and the mystery elements. Percy Jackson came from my experience being a middle school teacher. That taught me what kids like, what they relate to, what they find funny. I think as the books go along, I hope that I’m fine-tuning my style, my narrative format that works best for the readers.”—Rick Riordan ‘Magnus Chase’ Interview: how to translate Norse myths for kids (Entertainment Weekly)
Q: How aware of the writings of Joseph Campbell are you when you’re working on a book?
“I don’t think about it, that’s a Campbellian thing to say, I’m not conscious of Campbell’s writings and theories when I’m writing. Of course I’m aware of Campbell and sort of the archetypes of mythology. It’s not something I really think of day to day. It’s fascinating stuff. I don’t try to write to that, if that makes any sense. Certainly I’m aware of the hero’s journey, and as a teacher I’ve talked about that a lot with my kids.”—An Interview with Rick Riordan (SF Site)
