Roderick Gordon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roderick Gordon
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| Born | November 1960 London, England |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | British |
| Genre | Fantasy Science fiction Subterranean fiction Lost world Adventure Children's literature |
| Notable works | Tunnels Series |
Roderick Gordon (born in November 1960) is a British writer. He is famous for his exciting book series called Tunnels. This series became a huge hit with young readers all over the world.
About Roderick Gordon
Roderick Gordon was born in November 1960 and grew up in Highgate, North London. When he was a kid, he was quite shy. He loved to draw and write stories. When he was just twelve years old, his first short story was printed in his school magazine!
He went to University College London to study biology, focusing on genetics. This is where he met Brian Williams, who would later help him write the Tunnels books. Brian was studying art at the Slade School of Fine Art. They became friends in 1980 and stayed in touch for many years.
How the Tunnels Series Began
After university, Roderick tried different jobs. He even worked briefly for George Harrison's film company, Handmade Films. Later, he worked in finance. In 2001, he lost his job, which he later said was a good thing! It gave him more time to meet with his old friend, Brian Williams.
In 2003, Roderick and Brian decided to work together. Their first idea was a movie script. They enjoyed working together so much that they decided to write a book for younger readers. Roderick's wife, Sophie, first suggested this idea.
Roderick had always been very interested in archaeology (studying old things) and palaeontology (studying fossils). One of his ancestors, William Buckland, was a famous geology expert. In 1824, Professor Buckland gave the first scientific talk about a dinosaur jawbone!
Roderick was fascinated by "what lies beneath" the ground. When he bought an old house, he heard a rumor about a secret passage underneath it. This made him think about a character who would become "Will Burrows" in the Tunnels books.
Through 2003 and 2004, Roderick and Brian worked hard on their story. In 2005, Roderick first published the book himself. It was called The Highfield Mole. It sold out quickly and caught the eye of Barry Cunningham, who was J. K. Rowling's first publisher. Barry Cunningham decided to publish the book, renaming it Tunnels.
Success of Tunnels
When Tunnels was released in July 2007, it became a huge success! It has been published in forty countries and sold over a million copies worldwide. Both Tunnels and its sequel, Deeper, made it onto The New York Times Best Seller List.
The book was also a finalist on a TV show called "Richard & Judy's Best Kids Book's Ever." Soon after the book came out, a US film company bought the rights to make it into a movie. A three-part manga (Japanese comic) version of the book was also released in Japan.
Roderick Gordon has continued the Tunnels series with more exciting books:
- Deeper (2008)
- Freefall (2009)
- Closer (2010)
- Spiral (2011)
- The final book, Terminal, was published in 2013.
Roderick lives in North Norfolk with his wife and two sons.
The Tunnels Books
Here are the books in the Tunnels series:
- Tunnels (2007)
- This book was first published by Roderick himself in 2005 as The Highfield Mole.
- Deeper (2008)
- Freefall (2009)
- Closer (2010)
- Spiral (2011)
- Terminal (2013)
