Welcome to this Track of Words Author Interview, which (I think) is a first as I’m chatting to not just one but two authors – James Swallow and Josh Reynolds about their new novel Day Zero. It’s a tie-in to the new Watchdogs: Legion game from Ubisoft, and is out now from Aconyte Books as an ebook, with the US paperback due on the 3rd November and the UK paperback on the 12th November. Whether you’re a fan of the game or not, if you fancy a pacy, high-tech modern thriller set on the streets of London then this collaboration between two fantastic authors sounds like one to look out for!
Without further ado, let’s get straight on with the interview – over to James and Josh!
Track of Words: How would you describe your new novel Day Zero?
Josh Reynolds: I think the blurb describes it best, honestly. A secretive resistance movement struggles against both an increasingly authoritarian government and an unknown foe who threatens to throw the city of London into chaos.
ToW: Can you tell us a little about Watch Dogs: Legion and the world in which this story is set? What are the key things that readers need to know about it?
JR: Watch Dogs: Legion is the third entry in the Watch Dogs franchise, set in a near-future London where surveillance software has become ubiquitous and everyone is carrying a cutting-edge artificial intelligence in their pocket. The game – and the novel – center on DedSec, a secretive resistance movement composed of hackers, anarchists and the like, as they struggle against government crackdowns, a shady private military contractor, and other assorted enemies.
ToW: Without spoiling anything, who are the main characters in the book and what do we need to know about them?
James Swallow: Our central cast are four very different Londoners living in and around Tower Hamlets. First we have Olly Soames, a bike messenger turned troublemaker who has just been recruited into DedSec, a hacktivist group working against the factions trying to control the city. Olly is our “n00b” character, thrown into the deep end when he witnesses a murder that drags him into Day Zero’s unfolding conspiracy.
Then we have the brother and sister combo of Danny and Rosemary “Ro” Hayes, whose sibling rivalry is tested when they find themselves on the same side of the same problem. Danny is an ex-Squaddie who has taken the only job he could get with the nefarious Albion private military contractor, and Ro is a failed MMA fighter who has drifted into being a leg-breaker for the Kelley’s, a brutal criminal firm.
And last but by no means least is Sara Lincoln, an ambitious young Member of Parliament from an immigrant family out to make a name for herself. Sara’s the most morally grey of our characters, and as the story unfolds, she has to make some difficult choices about where her allegiances lie.
ToW: What appeals to you about this world to write in, and were you already fans of the Watch Dogs games before writing this?
JS: I was very familiar with the world of Watch Dogs, having played the original game set in Chicago and I read John Shirley’s tie-in novella Dark Clouds back when it first came out. I remember when the first Watch Dogs teaser debuted and gamers went crazy for this new kind of hacker-attacker action-RPG. When Ubisoft announced that Watch Dogs: Legion was going to be set in my home city of London, I was immediately interested – and when the chance came along to write a story to connect up with that, I really wanted to be involved.
JR: I had very little knowledge of the franchise, beyond the superficial. That changed pretty quickly, though. I’ve since played the original game and the sequel (badly, and with an excess of swearing, like I play all video games). Mostly what appealed to me about it was the chance to stretch my writing muscles and write something utterly unlike anything I’d written before.
ToW: It sounds as though this is a really topical story, dealing with AI, cryptocurrencies, surveillance and the loss of personal liberties. How did you find working on this sort of near-future story, what with all the looming dangers of the real world around us?
JS: If anything, I wish we could have gone deeper into that kind of thing. It’s tough to stay one step ahead of the pace of reality – and in fact, most of the hardware that fills the Watch Dogs world is either already in existence or close to it. We’re living in a chaotic, challenging time right now, and technology is the proverbial double-edged sword in our hands. Near-future, day-after-tomorrow science fiction like this can ring the warning bell for the real world alongside telling a pacy adventure story.
JR: As Jim said, I wish we could have gone a bit deeper with the more real-world aspects of the setting. I spent more time than I care to admit researching actual hacking methods (as opposed to Hollywood hacking) and UK governmental procedures, and then not using most of it in the manuscript. I will say it was a bit surreal at times, running across something I thought was an invention of the game designers and having it turn out to be a real thing.
Josh’s first book with Aconyte was the Arkham Horror novel Wrath of N’Kai
ToW: Can you tell us a bit about why you chose to work together on this as a collaboration?
JS: Initially, I talked with Aconyte about a few ideas for a Watch Dogs: Legion tie-in – including an anthology of short stories, a ‘mosaic’ novel of parallel plotlines or a straight-up solo narrative – but the timeline we were on meant I couldn’t commit to writing a full novel alone. Our editor Marc Gascoigne suggested making this a collaboration, and I jumped at the opportunity – I’ve never worked this closely with another writer on a book before, so I was excited to team up with someone as talented as Josh. He and I have worked alongside each other before on the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, and I know and enjoy his writing, so it was a great match.
JR: I jumped at the chance, frankly. I’ve collaborated a few times, and I always enjoy the experience. When Marc asked if I were interested in working with Jim on this, I said yes immediately and only asked about the deadline later. I’ve known Jim a good few years now, and I enjoy his writing a good deal. Working with him was a fantastic experience, and one I hope we can repeat at some point.
ToW: What was the writing process like for this book? Did you each take certain characters/scenes/plot arcs, or was it more organic than that?
JS: For me, it felt a lot like working on a TV miniseries – Josh, Marc and I had long Skype calls and email chains where we created our cast of characters, then broke out a main story arc for the events of Day Zero, and finally gave each of the cast their own ‘episodes’ that cross over one another and connect to the core plot. I concentrated on plotting and structure while Josh did the heavy lifting in the writing, and he made the collaboration smooth and easy. He’s got a great sense for character moments that really makes our cast feel truthful and real.
JR: As Jim said. Plot’s always been one of my weak points as an author, and Jim is a master at crafting a tightly-plotted thriller. He also neglected to mention his invaluable aid in making our characters sound as authentically ‘London’ as possible, something I’m fairly rubbish at having only lived in London for about three years. And between Jim and Marc, they managed to whip my rough and ready draft into something a bit more polished.
James’ latest Marc Dane thriller – Rogue – is out now!
ToW: What do you hope readers will get out of this by the time they’ve finished it?
JS: I hope that fans of the Watch Dogs series will get a story that feels like a true part of that saga. I hope Londoners like me will get a novel that feels authentic, and people who don’t know my hometown will get a real sense of it. But mostly, I hope our readers will enjoy an action-packed lead-in to Watch Dogs: Legion’s narrative that will serve as a companion for the game.
JR: What Jim said. Mostly, I just hope they think they got their money’s worth.
ToW: Is this a one-off, or do you think you might revisit these characters for more stories in future?
JS: There’s certainly potential to return to Legion’s London for more adventures, not just with the characters created for Day Zero, but others. It’s a big, bold city and I would love to see more of it showcased in other storylines.
JR: I’d happily revisit these characters, given the opportunity. There’s a lot of potential there, and some great story hooks for future novels and the like.
ToW: Can you tell us anything about what else each of you have got coming out from Aconyte, or what you’re working on at the moment?
JS: Day Zero is my first book with Aconyte, and hopefully the start of a beautiful friendship! We’re already talking about some other future projects, so we’ll see where that goes. As for other stuff, I’ve recently completed a new Star Trek tie-in which should be announced very soon, and I’m currently working on the next novel in my Marc Dane thriller series. The hardcover and eBook of Rogue, the latest release, is out now and the US release of Ghost, the third book in the series, is imminent.
JR: Aconyte-wise, I’ve got a Legend of the Five Rings novel, Poison River, due out in December of this year, and a few other projects on the boil. Far as other stuff goes, there’s a new collection of my Royal Occultist stories, Hochmuller’s Hound, coming out later this year, as well as a handful of new short stories in various anthologies and the like.
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Massive thanks to both James and Josh for taking the time to answer these questions! I had a total blast reading this novel – check out my review here!
See also: all my other reviews and interviews with James and Josh
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