How Pierce Brown's 'Red Rising' trilogy differs from other sci-fi novels

There is arguably no shortage of science-fiction novels. After the success of books such as "The Hunger Games" and "Divergent," American author Pierce Brown received raves for his "Red Rising" trilogy, which earned him a spot on the New York Times' best-seller list.

In an interview with ANC, Brown said his trilogy was mostly influenced by the Greek play "Antigone" by Sophocles. He said he wanted to combine this with the magnificence of the planet Mars and the stars which he saw when he hiked up the mountains of Washington.

“I wanted to combine that ancient Greek element with something futuristic and modern. With the caste system that we see around the world, it’s very easy to see the parallels,” he said.

He also described his work as “1984 mixed with Game of Thrones and Star Wars,” referring to the classic George Orwell novel, George R.R. Martin's popular book series and George Lucas's space franchise.

For Brown, his work differs from other sci-fi novels in terms of the visuals and how he harnesses the relationship of the characters.

The author is currently in the Philippines for the 4th Readers and Writers Festival, which is happening this weekend in Makati.

Watch his full interview here.

- Early Edition, 23 August 2017