We are so excited to return to the world of Scythe with your new book Rising Thunder! Can you tell us a bit about this book and how it fits into your Arc of a Scythe series?
RISING THUNDER is the beginning of a prequel trilogy to the Arc of a Scythe series. While you don’t need to have read SCYTHE to enjoy RISING THUNDER, I hope fans of the original books are excited to dive back into the Scythedom. This story follows the founding Scythes and the nascent Thunderhead as well as the Thunderhead’s rival (yes, rival!), Securis.
What made you want to return to this world, and why now?
Well, I did not want to push the story beyond the end of THE TOLL. In GLEANINGS, I did some teasing as to where some characters might be, but by and large, the Toll concludes the story — however that didn’t stop me from being fascinated by how that world came to be. When world-building you create a basic mythology of how the world is. In this case, it’s extrapolating forward from our world. I wanted to paint that transition as realistically as I could.
There were two ideas that I really wanted to explore. First was how our current AIs evolved into the Thunderhead. Secondly, I had set up the idea of founding scythes. Who were they? How did they go from being ordinary people to these larger-than-life figures? Then I realized that they were all probably teenagers who met on social media. I wanted to witness that, and see how it happened! The more I explored it, the more I realized I had a story that I wouldn’t be able to get out of my head until it was on the page. Additionally, since writing SCYTHE, a lot has changed in the world of AI. While the Thunderhead was born from the hope of what AI could be, Securis is a warning of what it shouldn’t.
How has the writing experience been for you compared to the other books in the series?
It was complicated! Returning to a world that I thought I’d closed out meant that there were existing timelines and history that I didn’t want to undo or contradict. I hinted at a lot of lore in the original trilogy. In RISING THUNDER, I got to take that lore and really fill it out. I’m curious to see how many reader theories will match with what I’ve developed.
How different do you think the series would have been if you had started writing Scythe now in 2026?
AI has advanced much faster than even the speediest trajectory that experts were predicting when I wrote SCYTHE. AI is on the threshold of super-intelligence–and human acceptance of AI integration came with less friction than anyone could have expected. I think I’d be a lot more informed about the nuances of how it might additionally shift culture in the early days.
What can we expect from Rising Thunder, and the books to come?
RISING THUNDER has a really fun cast of characters with unique voices that I hope readers will identify with. They are grappling with many of the questions that we are facing today as the burgeoning age of AI races on and affects our art, media, families, livelihoods, and–really–every aspect of a rapidly shifting world. The Thunderhead plays a pretty big role in the action, but is still flawed and learning. Its nemesis, Securis, is an intimidating force to reckon with.
What do you hope for readers to take away from Rising Thunder?
I hope they leave with questions instead of answers. We’ve reached a milestone in history where curious minds will either save us or doom us. We will either get the Thunderhead or Securis, depending on what path we decide to tread. AI has gone past the point of being avoidable, but we may shape in which ways it affects our future. It all has to do with alignment. If we’re careful and slow down enough to make sure that AI is aligned with human values, then we’re good… but if we rush headlong without taking precautions, anything could happen, because in a few short years, AI will be out of our control.
Describe Rising Thunder in 5 words:
Uh. Isn’t. This. Happening. Now?
Rising Thunder is out in December 2026!
