George Mann of Solaris Books rang me up and asked if I’d like to do an alternate-history novel for them. Naturally I said yes, not least because I’d been hearing nothing but good reports about Solaris since the imprint’s inception (and you won’t hear anything but good reports from me either). So I sent in three story proposals. The one George liked the most was the one I also, happily, liked the most: a novel set in a world where the Ancient Egyptian gods have battled and defeated all the other pantheons and then divided the world up between them. I’ve always found the Egyptian pantheon entertaining – their characters and interfamilial interactions are completely, wonderfully bonkers – and they seemed, therefore, ripe for fictional exploitation.
The research, not normally my favourite thing, was fun, reading up on the copious myths related to Ra, Set, Osiris, Isis, Horus et al. Working which of them would rule over which portion of the earth was also enjoyable, matching national traits to each deity’s personality and divine domain.
More of a challenge was working out how this world would function, and also reconciling and streamlining the mythological backstory, because the Egyptian theology arises from a number of different sources and much of it is self-contradictory. Most challenging of all was figuring out a plot that would work on two levels, the human and the godly, each coexisting and interleaving with the other.
I made a conscious effort to write a book that was light and fast-paced and yet dealt with serious, heavy issues. My principal inspiration was Alan Furst, whose World War II spy novels I have expressed my admiration for before (I’ve even reviewed one of them for the Financial Times). Neil Gaiman’s Sandman and American Gods also played a part.
The Age Of Ra is about factional infighting (of course) and family (again of course) and the distancing, corrupting effects of wealth (I really must find some new themes). Over all, my feeling is that as a weird fusion of military thriller with fantasy elements it’s unique and works well. But then I would say that, wouldn’t I?
Amazon UK:
- The Age Of Ra [Solaris pbk, August 2009] – ISBN 978-1844167463
Reviews:
- “Ancient Egyptian gods have defeated other gods (including Jehovah, Allah, Odin and Zeus), and now specific dieties control various earthly power blocs in Lovegrove’s thought-provoking futuristic adventure. The gods gain strength from their followers’ worship, so each nation lives according to its god’s demands, up to and including warring with other countries. When British Lt. David Westwynter leads his paratroopers into a desert reconnaissance mission, arming them with god-powered light weapons, medieval flails and ancient maces, they encounter mummies and annihilating duel-cell fusion bombs. In Freegypt, the only country not controlled by religion and a specific deity, David meets the enigmatic masked Lightbringer, who challenges the gods for control of the earth. Lovegrove deftly weaves social commentary on religion, family, love and war into the contest between theocracy and humanism.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
- “What elevates Lovegrove’s eighth novel above much recent military SF – quite apart from the honed precision of his prose and his concern for characterisation – is the unique world he’s created: the Egyptian gods have divided Earth into warring factions, each of which pay homage to a different deity. [...] Impeccably researched, intricately plotted, this is the first in a series which will explore the impact of ancient gods on the modern world.” Guardian
- “An intriguing mix of military action adventure and mythic fantasy… manages to be a ripping Boy’s Own adventure that knows the right moment for a massive battle sequence or an attack from marauding mummies. Intelligent and provocative, it’s yet more proof that Lovegrove is one of the UK SF scene’s most interesting, challenging and adventurous authors.” SFX
- “Looking at the author’s style of writing, his plotting, the pace of the novel, twists and turns – you can’t ask for more. The human characters, David, the Lightbringer and David’s (eventual love interest) Zafirah (a fierce female warrior who leads a company of men in the name of the Lightbringer) are well wrought and believable. As are their actions throughout the novel. The world building is excellent and the glimpses into Ra’s quest for peace gives a clear perspective of the First Family and their squabbles.”The ending of the novel is satisfying, tying up the loose ends, but yet, but yet… there are two more books in the offing from the author in this series with each book focussing on another pantheon; Greek and Norse, respectively. The series has started with a bang and if James Lovegrove’s writing is anything to go by in The Age of Ra, we are all in for a very big treat.” sfrevu.com
- “The author just shines with larger than life and memorable characters in all the major Gods above and their doings. While there are some hints about their powers and reach, Mr. Lovegrove – wisely in my opinion – does not try to explain everything and bring the novel within pure rationalism with alien super-beings, so in that sense the book is partly a fantasy too. Not that it matters since however you label it, it is still great stuff.Mr. Lovegrove is one of the best writers out there as style goes and he could easily write literary stuff, though maybe that’s why his genre novels are quirky and not that well known, but I hope The Age of Ra and the planned related novels will remedy that and bring him well deserved acclaim.Highly, highly recommended, The Age of Ra has been a big positive surprise for ’09 with the caveat above not to expect a straight mil-sf with valiant rebels going to fight against dastardly opressors, though it has some of that too, but something subtler and more complex which does not allow an easy one-line description.” fantasybookcritic
- “For anybody who enjoys a mix of Egyptology and Action, I thoroughly recommend this book. Indeed, for anybody who doesn’t like Egyptology and Action, still check it out. In this day and age, huge dollops of originality are hard to come by, but Lovegrove has managed a feat of stunning creativity that will leave you hungering for more. Read The Age of Ra. It’s an experience you won’t regret!!” andy remic on his website
63 Responses to “The Age Of Ra”
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• Filed under Books • 08/08/2009 •
I absolutely loved this novel!
Can’t wait to Read Age of Zeus and Age of Odin.
Take care,
Troy
Thanks for taking the time to let me know, Troy. Hope you like the next two as much!
The ‘Age of Zeus’ is an excellent read. Going for ‘The Age of RA’ next.
Thanks so much,
Clement
I absolutely loved the Age of Ra and have started Age of Zeus and soon after Age of Odin. I love how you took the Egyptian pantheon’s quarrels with each other and actually changed them around and made it all the more interesting.
I’ve often said the Egyptian pantheon are wonderfully mad, like the most dysfunctional family ever. It was a treat to be able to riff on the old myths and apply them in a science fiction context. Glad you’re enjoying the books.
I am about half way through The Age of Ra and am loving it. I actually bought it because The Age of Odin piqued my love of norse mythology and I decided to read the other two first. Excellent decision on my part otherwise I probably would have just read The Age of Odin.
Thanks, TJ. I had a blast with the Norse mythology. Such great stories, and all that ice and darkness and thunder in them. But I appreciate you reading the others too and dropping me a line to let me know you liked them.
Amazing book!! It kept me up in the late A.M. hours reading becuase I was so hooked. I’m hopeing to get a hold of the other two soon!
Apologies for the lost sleep!
Age of Ra is one of my favorite military thriller. I couldn’t put it down from the moment I started reading it. Now that I’m done I can’t wait to start Age of Zues and Age of Odin.
Glad you enjoyed it, Mathew. Thanks for letting me know. I hope you enjoy the other two just as much.
I found this book while searching thur Amazon science fiction section. It sounds like it would be a great book, going to give a try.
Please do. Hope you like it.
This book is one of the best books that i have read in the past few years.
Thanks for saying so, Craig. Delighted you enjoyed it so much.
I liked all 3 books.Especially the twist in Age of Zeus,that the gods were genetically enhanced humans(never would’ve guessed that one
)
Anyway i was disappointed that the latest one in the Pantheon series would be of Aztecs.I was kinda hoping that you would write on Indian Mythology.
Keep writing and i look forward to knowing more about the Aztecs through your next release
Raghav, I’m seriously considering the Hindu pantheon for the sixth novel in the series, after Voodoo, or at the very least for a novella. There’s a great deal of mileage there, I think. I have to say that I don’t know much about the gods, but what I do know points to a dynamic set of stories with larger-than-life characters, almost superhero-like in their abilities. It could be great fun to work up a story around them. Keep watching this space.
Will be looking forward to it
when will age of voodoo come out
Mike, I’m writing it right now, and it’s due out next spring, March/April 2013. Hope you can hang on till then!
im on age of zeus.. still have odin and aztec to read… will you be doing an age of roman based of the roman gods
Hi, Mike. I’ll probably be leaving the Roman pantheon alone since it’s so similar in many ways to the Greek pantheon. There’s a lot of crossover between the two, not only in terms of the gods’ powers and familial interaction, but in the mythology as well. Since the mythology determines in each case what the novel is going to be like, I think I would find it hard to come up with something new for The Age Of Jupiter and avoid making it a retread of The Age Of Zeus. More and more I’m thinking the next Pantheon novel, after Voodoo, is going to Age Of Shiva.
Im only a few pages from finishing zues. Cant wait to read Odin sitting on my bedside table. I didnt know there were so many. Voodoo? Really psyched for that one. I really appreciate the effort you’ve gone to to research the mythology. I’ve always been a huge fan of Greek and Norse mythology, so the effort you make with keeping that gods true is very gratifying. Im a bit of a landsmen at heart lol.
Thanks for saying that, Gage. I do my best to be faithful to the original myths, although I do take liberties here and there! Then again, the bards of old did much the same, varying the stories to suit the audience, so in that sense I’m part of a noble tradition!
Hey Mr.Lovegrove,
I just finished reading Age of Zeus for the second time this year.It’s really one of my all time favorites and believe me I’ve read a lot.Still can’t help remembering all the good parts.
By the way i couldn’t help but notice that every novel alternates between a male and female protagonist.
Age of Ra-David Westwynter
Age of Zeus-Samantha Akhehurst
Age of Odin-Gideon Coxall
Age of Aztec-Mal Vaughn
Conscious effort ? or mere coincidence ?
Hey James. I doubt you’d remember me, but we chatted a long time ago about the age of zeus’ cover art. I’m currently reading age of ra (again), and have age of aztec waiting patiently on the side. I guess the aztec pantheon idea came to fruition after all, minus the long loopy names. For the most part, at least. Anyways, just wanted to let you know that as long as these pantheon books keep coming, I will keep reading them. Definitely one of, if not hands down my favorite series out there. Also, on a side note, what if as a climax for the series, you took all of the pantheons you’ve written about and pitted them against each other? I for one could not think of a cooler book. Let me know what you think!
Coincidence, I have to say. I like to switch things around a bit, to keep me enthused and amused. For instance, I deliberately did Age Of Odin from a first-person perspective because I’d never done a novel that way before. (It was also immense fun. Gid all but wrote the story for me.)
Having said that, the next Pantheon book has a male protagonist, so who knows, maybe #6 (Age Of Shiva, possibly) will have a female lead.
That’s not a bad idea, Simon. Kind of an Avengers Assemble, but with pantheons. I imagine there wouldn’t be much of the planet left after a divine free-for-all like that.
I’ve two more Age Of… novellas and one more novel definitely planned. The three novellas are e-book only at the moment but will be published in physical form, in an omnibus edition, late in 2013. After that, who knows? I could easily carry, but there’s also a couple of Sherlock Holmes novels to do, and Solaris and I are talking about doing a space-opera series. Oh, and there’s Redlaw as well. I’m not ruling out the idea of more Pantheon books. I did that once already, and swiftly changed my mind. But when, exactly, I can fit them into my schedule… Hmmm.
One more book you say? Which Pantheon will it be this time? Chinese could be cool. Or maybe the big three… the gods of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam turn out to be separate entities and it’s a Ra style free for all for control. Also, what are the names of the novellas?
It’s almost certainly going to be Age Of Shiva, with the premise of the Indian gods incarnating as superheroes. But a three-way contest between the bigwigs of the monotheistic religions is a cool idea. Guaranteed to result in death threats and a life spent in hiding for several years.
The e-novellas are Age Of Anansi (already out), Age Of Satan (not yet written, out next spring) and a third still to be decided on. The omnibus is likely to be called Age Of Godpunk or possibly The Godpunk Trilogy.
Oh, I simply can not say how much I liked this book, I find it in my local book store and the cover art convinced me to give it a chance and wow! It’s awesome! I barely can wait to start with Zeus!
These books are a breeze of fresh air in the middle of so much boring and unoriginality stories that is out there.
Well, thank you for saying so, Savanah. Part of my motivation in writing the books has been to try and make them as different as possible from anything else out there, but at the same time intelligent, accessible and enjoyable. And I’m not surprised the cover attracted you. Marek does a spectacular job each and every time.
Hey Mr. Lovegrove,
First I just want to start by saying I am a huge fan of your books, I am reading Age Of Ra for the second time now and it still is definitely one of the best books I ever read (along with all the other Pantheon books). I just wanted to know if it has ever been a dream of yours to see one of these books become the next Hollywood blockbuster. If you had the oppurtunity of one of the four Pantheon novels to be made into a movie, which would you want and why. I personally think age of Zeus would make a great movie.
I, too, think Zeus would make the best movie, out of all of the books so far. You’ve got heroes in power armour squaring off against gods and monsters. The gods’ powers and the monsters themselves could easily be rendered with CGI, and the action could be pretty relentless. Who would you like to see cast in the main roles?
I can’t think of red haired, british actress that would suit the role of Sam but personally, I think Terry Crews would make a great rick Ramsay. for Regis I think Jeff Goldblum and for his son Xander, Matt Damon. This is just my list of which actors I think would suit the roles though.
I suppose any young British actress could dye her hair red for the part, Emily Blunt, say, or Keira Knightley, although both of those are too skinny for the Sam I have in my mind. Terry Crews is a good call for Ramsay. Basically, if Samuel L. Jackson were twenty years younger, the part would be his. For Regis, how about Gary Oldman? And Ewan MacGregor could be Xander, since he could pull off being venerable and prematurely aged, as Obi-Wan, sorry, I mean Zeus.
Has anyone ever said lol on a blog before, oh well i’ll do it anyways. Lol. The thought of Samuel L. Jackson did cross my mind but for the same reason I decided maybe not. I also didn’t consider Gary Oldman and Ewan Macgregor for those two roles. You can’t go wrong with a jedi to Greek god conversion, they just go hand in hand together.
Maybe Liam Neeson could play Regis, making the whole thing a complete Phantom Menace reunion geek-out. Why is Phantom Menace called Phantom Menace anyway? It’s always puzzled me.
Ok if Liam Neeson was in the movie that would be fantastic. I’m sure they would appreciate being in a movie together again. I think Two ex-jedi’s and their group of cohorts fighting each other on Mount Olympus would make for an interesting battle. As to why they called the movie Phantom Menace, my only guess is it probably has something to do with the sith, maybe Darth Maul or Sith Lord Darth Sidious (honestly I dont remember if Darth Sidious was even in the Phantom Menace).
Hi James,
Big fan of your books! I’ve read through Age of Ra and Age of Zeus, and I’m closing in on the end of Age of Odin. I’ll probably pick up Age of Aztec once I’m done. I look forward to more pantheon books from you – any chance of an “Age of Cthulhu” in the works? I’m not too familiar with the Lovecraftian mythos, but I know other authors have contributed to it over the years and I’m fully confident you would do that particular pantheon justice as well.
PS – just to add my 2 cents to your’s and Jordan’s conversation – I read Age of Zeus with Kate Beckinsale as Sam and Idris Elba as Rick.
Do your “Age of” books come in a certain order?
Which one should I read first and so on. I plan to read them all.
Hi, Dan. They aren’t in any order. Each book is a standalone tale, with no connection to any of the others, at least as far as plot and characters are concerned; the themes, about gods, men and their relationships, are constant. Which you read first depends on which you fancy the look of the most. Hope you like them all!
There have been quite a lot of Cthulhu-related books over the years, Adam, some of them excellent, and I’m not sure I could bring anything new to the table. It would be amusing, interesting, to put the mythology on a par with that of the Greek gods, say, or the Aztec religious traditions; but Lovecraft’s mythos is also a tricky one to pin down and doesn’t come with a bunch of great legends attached to it for me to plunder and re-use. It’s not a bad idea at all but I can’t yet see a way of making an Age Of… out of it.
I am, however, doing an Age Of Satan novella shortly, which might at least satisfy your craving for netherworldly creatures and demons from beyond.
Those are both great Zeus movie casting choices. I didn’t think of Elba, but of course he is a big star now. And Kate Beckinsale can always pop an auburn wig on.
Idris Elba would make a good Rick, thanks for contributing Adam.
Hello again James
I just finished reading Age of Anansi and it was a great novella all the way through and I can’t wait for Age of Satan. My question for you is. If your willing to share. What is the third novella is the godpunk trilogy. Age of GOdpunk
Sorry about that last message its what I get for trying to do this on my phone. What I meant to ask was what the third novella in the Godpunk trilogy/Age of Godpunk is going to be called.
The message seemed to come through fine, Jordan. And my answer to your question is, I don’t know yet. There are the Celtic gods to consider, and the Chinese ones too. The novellas are a chance for me to move slightly away from the military/deities format of the novels and do something a bit different. I’m going to keep racking my brains to figure out who the third one could be about, who would complement Anansi and Satan. All suggestions welcome!
Well the idea of the Celtic gods could make for a very intersesting novella. That pantheon has my support 100% of the way.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions James, I really appreciate it. Keep up the good work.
James:
Love the Pantheon series and Redlaw. (Please pardon the cheek in giving you an idea) Any interest in Hindu deities. Can do a bit about reincarnation and atomic power.
Looking forward to your future books.
You’re welcome, Jordan. Breaking news: the third novella may well be Age Of Gaia. The Solaris publicist spitballed a wonderful idea to me, and I think I’m going to run with it.
Ray, I’ve been batting ideas for Age Of Shiva back and forth with the editorial fellows at Solaris, and you’ll be pleased to know that there is likely to be both reincarnation and an exchange of atomic weapons in the novel. I still need to do some more background research on the pantheon before all the ideas for the book can crystallise fully, but you definitely seem to be on the same track as me.