Percy Jackson and the Olympians

By: Alison Fortune

The first time I saw Rick Riordan speak, I was 15 years old and he was at my local bookstore to promote his new series, The Kane Chronicles. The gathering was held in the parking lot behind the store, cars cleared to make room for the crowds. I repurposed a tank top for the event and wrote all over it in puffy paint, emblazing the garment with my favorite chapter titles from his previous series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. In the warm May sunshine, he signed my copy of The Last Olympian, personalizing it with my name.  

The most recent public speaking event I had the pleasure to see Mr. Riordan speak was New York Comic-Con in the fall of 2023. After showing the audience preview clips from the yet unreleased Disney+ adaptation of Percy Jackson, the panelists announced there would be a surprise visit from Mr. Riordan and his wife Becky, who were both executive producers on the show. The audience, which was 10 times, perhaps even 15 times, larger than the crowd I was part of 13 years ago, erupted in screams and cheers. Suddenly I was a decade younger, excited beyond belief to be in the presence of the man who created my favorite character. The experience of being in that room felt like the nerdiest possible iteration of Beatlemania–if the Beatles were responsible for crafting a story about pre-teen demigods and their world changing adventures.

The world has changed a great deal since I was a freshman in high school waiting to get my book signed. But the world needs the story and the characters of Percy Jackson more than ever. As GK Chesterson said about the importance of stories, “Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist . . . fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” Both the adults who loved the series as children, who have grown up in a world ravaged by climate change and war, and the young people coming of age now need to be reminded that we can rescue the ones that we love from danger, that we can support and fight for our friends, that the natural world is worth protecting. The care clearly put in by every level of the production team speaks to a marvelous experience both for established fans and newcomers. The new series promises to capture the original magic of the books while utilizing all of the latest technology available. After seeing the clips from the show and hearing from the members of the design team present at the panel, I am deeply excited to tune in to the show when it begins airing; I know the 15 year old in that parking lot so many years ago would be just as overjoyed.