San Antonio native and author of the “Percy Jackson” series Rick Riordan has released a new story that highlights a relatable teen hero’s emotional journey.
SAN ANTONIO — If you’re a fan of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians universe, get ready for some new teenaged hero action.
Did you know the best-selling author Rick Riordan was born right here in San Antonio?
For the past 20 years, Percy Jackson and the Olympians have captured the imaginations of young readers around the world.
Beginning with “The Lightning Thief,” the five book series is now a hit show on Disney+, taking teens on a journey of adventure with gods and monsters.
Its heroes have also tackled real world issues and while their journeys take place in mythical realms, the stories are rooted closer to home.
Riordan just released his latest novel, “The Court of the Dead: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure” co-authored by Mark Oshiro. It’s their second time teaming-up to create a character today’s teens can relate to.
“Nico is not only the son of hades, he’s got all these incredible powers, but he’s also a young man who is gay, who is learning how he identifies and struggling with all that goes along with that,” Riordan said.
“I didn’t feel like I really understood his character to the extent I would need to, to write an entire novel from his point of view,” said Oshiro. “I was just drawn to his character. There were some very uncanny similarities between some of, you know, his upbringing and some experiences that I had. I like that this book is grounded in this emotional journey for Nico. So I am hoping that the kids who read this feels some sort of validation for whatever feelings they happen to be, having, you know, growing up in this world.”
The book of Rick Riordan’s life is almost as adventurous as that of his characters.
After spending a few years in San Francisco, he moved his wife and kids back to his hometown of San Antonio. He taught for seven years at Saint Mary’s Hall, becoming a mythological figure himself, memorable for his creative teaching style.
“He was known for coming in costume to different classes,” said former co-worker Ann Overton. “I remember he would dress as George Washington when he was teaching about the constitution, and then he would finish his classes and go right back to his writing.”
While he had already authored a series of mystery novels, it was his experience with children that gave birth to the world of Percy Jackson.
“Percy Jackson was born in San Antonio, you know, that story was told as a bedtime story to my own son while I was teaching in San Antonio, ” said Riordan. “My students would always ask me, ‘Mr. Riordan, you know, you’re writing books and you’re teaching, why don’t you write something for us?'”
The legend of Rick Riordan lives on at Saint Mary’s Hall but the inspiration he got from the people he met there lives on in his books. As a matter of fact, many of his former co-workers and students ended up as characters in his novels.
“Mrs. Dodds was, in fact, the pre-algebra teacher and my colleague at the school,” said Riordan. “I had to go to Mrs. Dodds for instance, say, oh, Mrs. Dodds, by the way, I turned you into a monster and had you killed.”
“I’ve had a lot of mileage off that character,” said Deborah Dodds. “I’ve really enjoyed it. Honestly, he, made me very mean, so i was very strict. I didn’t think I was mean.”
While he now enjoys international success, Riordan says it didn’t come over night.
“When I was growing up in San Antonio, I didn’t think that, you know, published authors came from places like San Antonio,” Riordan said. “I didn’t think that was possible for me. But what I discovered is that writers are just real people, and they can come from anywhere.”