We chat with author Riley James about The Wreck, which is a gripping survivalist thriller about researchers marooned on a remote island in the Bass Strait while searching for the wreckage of a plane that disappeared under mysterious circumstances twenty years earlier.
Hi, Riley! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I am the author of survivalist thrillers The Chilling and The Wreck. I was born and raised in north-west Tasmania, I am now a full-time academic, and I love deadlines—I love the whooshing noise they make as I tick off my unrealistic to-do list.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My floreat—the absolute peak of my writing career—was Grade 6, when (in my memory) we were allowed to do nothing but write stories all day, and chase each other in the playground. I produced my first book that year when I was 12. It was called A Decent Murder, about a high-society dinner that ends in a shocking, horrific killing. I like to think it was inspired by Agatha Christie, but I think it was influenced by Murder She Wrote, because I watched a lot of TV. A lot of TV.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Hm, it was a board book with a bunny saying “Want to know a secret? Promise not to tell?” The memory is so vague and so strange, I’m pretty sure I’m making it up. I was five years old.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien. Dark, menacing, and apocalyptic—the perfect “thriller awakening” for a 12-year-old brought up on bunny books.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids. Love that opening scene of waking in an abandoned hospital and finding the world has gone to ruin.
Your latest novel, The Wreck, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Better. Than. Murder. She. Wrote.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a gripping mystery with oodles of intrigue and suspense. The main narrative of The Wreck takes place in 1997, when a group of adventurers sets sail to a remote island in Bass Strait, in search of a plane wreck. They are hoping to discover what happened to fictional pilot, Donovan “Van” Spector, whose aircraft vanished in mysterious circumstances twenty years earlier. When the characters become stranded, they confront a terrifying reality: the island is wild and inhospitable, no one is coming to their rescue, and there is a sinister presence in the shadows. As they try to unravel the Spector mystery, they go missing one by one … It’s Lost meets The X Files. (Did I mention I watch a lot of TV?)
Where did the inspiration for The Wreck come from?
In October 1978, a young pilot called Frederick Valentich disappeared over Bass Strait after reporting being chased by a strange aircraft that was “not an aircraft”. This tragic tale has been part of my family lore for decades, because our flight to Wynyard that same night was delayed due to Frederick’s disappearance. My book isn’t about Valentich, so much as what happens to the characters who investigate Spector’s fictional plane wreck. It’s about what happens to good people in a hostile environment: in the vicious struggle to survive, how do people maintain selflessness and kindness toward others? It’s a UFO mystery and a survivalist thriller, but also a tale about how people cope with adversity … and with each other.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
There’s a character called Malin, who is deeply passive aggressive. She was disturbingly easy to write, probably because she’s an expression of my own worst nature.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
An editor suggested that I cut a male character out of the book. I completely agreed with the suggestion, because the character was superfluous. But something terrible happened to this character that was pivotal for the unfolding of the plot. So I had to think of a way of seamlessly bringing in that terrible thing, by inflicting it on someone else. To meet the challenge, I did what I usually do: I went to bed and let my unconscious solve the problem. I’ve found this is a great trick for writing: sleep on it, baby! That’s why I get up and write in the mornings. Sadly, in academic life that usually means writing a tedious and difficult email.
What’s next for you?
I am currently doing edits on another thriller in the “Tasmanian gothic” genre. I would love to write a dystopian thriller one day (a la John Wyndham), and maybe dust off A Decent Murder … an early-80s whodunnit anyone?
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
Next on my list is Cold River by Margaret Hickey, a master of the thriller genre. I’ll be forever grateful to Margaret for writing a lovely endorsement for The Chilling—I still feel really stoked about that.
So far this year, I’ve absolutely loved The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan—it’s rich, mesmerising, and (unexpectedly) dry and funny.
I am currently enjoying Ghost Cities by Siang Lu—it’s rich, mesmerising, and (not unexpectedly) dry and funny.
