We chat with author Jackson Ford about The Bone Raiders, which is the start of an edge-of-your-seat, action‑packed epic fantasy series, where a wild band known as the Bone Raiders harness the power of gigantic, fire-breathing lizards to defend their homeland.
Hi, Jackson! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
This is like one of those icebreaker questions at team meetings. I write books, obviously, otherwise we wouldn’t be here. Specifically, I’ve just released my first fantasy novel, which is quite a ballsy move because I’ve spent most of my career writing sci-fi, and it turns out that fantasy is way, way harder than I thought it would be. Still, I’m pretty good at what I do, so you should probably read the book. It’s solid.
What else? I’m from South Africa, I’ve visited over 40 countries, and I have no sense of smell.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
It’s literally the only thing I’ve ever been good at. I was the smallest kid in my class, and the youngest, and I had a funny accent thanks to family who came from all over. But writing and telling stories was the one thing nobody could beat me at.
Yes, I am in therapy, no need to bring it up.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: A pulpy adventure story by a long-forgotten writer called Willard Smith.
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Hunger Games. It felt like crack cocaine in book form. I wanted to write something like that.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Illuminae lives in my head rent free. Not just an absolutely incredible story, but a staggering technical achievement. I still have no idea how that book exists but I’m awfully glad it does.
Your latest novel, The Bone Raiders, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Giant lizards? Let’s ride them.
What can readers expect?
A patently misguided attempt by a group of raiders to tame and ride giant fire-breathing lizards, so they can stop themselves being wiped out by a newly-crowned ruler.
Where did the inspiration for The Bone Raiders come from?
Saturday morning cartoons. I’m not joking. Even when I was a kid, I always wondered why the bad guys on cartoons lived in crappy old castles and wore lots of bone-covered spiky armour and generally looked evil as hell. That seemed like a waste of time, if you asked me. But when I became an adult, and became capable of having slightly more sophisticated thoughts, I decided it might be fun to explore that why.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
There’s a particular raider called Khun who has lost her marbles. I mean that literally. She’s completely detached from reality. That makes her both the funniest person in the entire book and also the scariest. She was an absolute delight to write.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
See aforementioned comment about never having written fantasy before. Turns out, building an entire world from scratch is incredibly difficult. I made a lot of mistakes. I overcame them by throwing them all out and starting again.
What’s next for you?
Bone Raiders 2: BONE HARDER. Pretty sure it’ll have a different title, but it’s out next May.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
The Devils by Joe Abercrombie, which was funny as hell. The Wings Upon Her Back by Samantha Mills, which was not only a great story but had the best cover (excluding mine) of any book currently out there.
Right now, I really want to read The End Of The World As We Know It, an anthology set in the world of Stephen King’s The Stand. That looks pretty dope.
