David Barker is the author of the ‘London Falling’ series of dystopian, sci-fi, middle-grade novels. Pax and the Forgotten Pincher is the second book in the series. A direct sequel to Pax and the Missing Head, this latest novel sees Pax and his friends slightly older and with a little more experience, but thrown into the wider world of New London and the trouble that brings.
We talked to David about his writing process, how it felt to write for characters that were growing up, the influences on his world-building, and how Star Wars helped shape Pax as a character.
Pax and the Forgotten Pincher is publishing on October 10th. Pre-order today!
Pax and the Forgotten Pincher is publishing on October 10th, but just how soon after the release of Pax and the Missing Head was this one completed?
I finished an early draft before Pax & The Missing Head was even published. But I was able to put that in a draw for several weeks and come back to it after the first book came out. And then worked on edits with James during the winter of 2023/24. So I think it was finalised back in February.
Can you give us an elevator pitch for the sequel?
Pax’s second year at Scholastic Parliament begins with a shocking discovery, a painful betrayal and a new boy muscling in on his friendships. As New London comes under attack in suspicious circumstances, whom can he trust?
Pax and the Forgotten Pincher focuses on Pax’s second year at Scholastic Parliament. How have you raised the stakes for Pax and his friends?
As the pitch above mentions, there are new characters involved in book two and changes in friendships that alter the dynamics for Pax. The external threat becomes clearer and impacts the lives of Pax and his friends more directly. And when Pax discovers the truth about what’s going on, the risks he has to take are much more dangerous than in book one.
There’s a real air of suspense and mystery in Pax and the Forgotten Pincher: There are lots of secrets and big revelations. Has that allowed you to have fun with the characters (and the readers), and how does it influence the decisions of Pax and his friends?
For sure. Everybody knows that making decisions with perfect hindsight is easy. But it’s hard to know what’s the right thing to do in real time when you don’t have all the facts. Pax and his friends are fumbling around in the dark at times in this story and not always making the best decisions. It tests their mettle even more and hopefully earns the readers’ respect when they do get it right.
Speaking of his friends and friendships, they too are a big part of this story. How do Pax’s relationships with his friends and ideas around trust impact Pax in this book?
I can’t say too much about this, for fear of giving away spoilers, but it’s definitely a crucial element of the plot. For early teenagers, I think some friendships become deeper than ever while others shrivel on the vine. And these days we’re surrounded by fake news. Don’t trust everything you hear or read!
On Pax himself, he’s grown up a bit, experienced a lot, and has a lot to contend with in book two. How did you find writing him for the second book?
It was fun to see an older Pax take on more challenges, stand up for himself more and try to understand some of his feelings for those around him. He is stretched by the plot more in book two, but he’s also capable of withstanding that extra pressure now.
Pax and the Forgotten Pincher has really allowed you to showcase New London a lot more, with the characters themselves discovering things for the first time. Did you enjoy being able to flesh out more of this world?
Indeed. It was always my intention that book one would focus on life inside Scholastic Parliament while book two spends more time in the city, allowing the reader to discover more of the world these books are set in. And it was fun adding details to the daily lives of New Londoners that I hadn’t necessarily envisaged when I started writing book one.
New London is depicted as a city on the edge in Forgotten Pincher — even more so than in the first book. There are cyber-attacks, drone raids, all fuelled by the mayor’s increasing paranoia. How did you develop the political and social landscape of the city for this book?
I used some of my economics training to think about how socio-political pressures, if taken to the extreme, could impact our daily lives. Deeply divided political differences across class and generations could lead to a radical separation of the country. And demographic trends might need radical solutions too, hence the Seedlings…
You’ve previously discussed how you took inspiration from real-world events when writing Missing Head. Have you done the same with the sequel?
Unfortunately, we have lots of real-world examples of civil wars, dictators clinging to power, drones being used in warfare to attack the enemy etc. So although the original inspiration for a divided country was the Brexit vote, I feel that some elements of my worldbuilding and some characters within it strike a remarkable similarity to our current state of affairs.
The resistance and general themes of rebelliousness are central to the story. What inspired this element, and how does it reflect the larger message of the book?
I’ve always been a competitive sportsman. I don’t mind losing to a better player but HATE it when the odds are stacked against you from the off, or you’re playing on an uneven surface. I would always fight super-hard if I thought an injustice was being done, just like Pax does. And, of course, as a Star Wars fan, I couldn’t help putting a bit of Luke Skywalker in Pax.
Finally, what can readers expect from the future of the London Falling series?
In the next book, Pax and his friends will face their final year at Scholastic Parliament. There will be pressure to claim a respectable place in New London society including Pax’s aspiration to finally become an engineer. But when an external threat to the peaceful life Pax craves rears its ugly head, school work gets put on the back burner. And the gang might just have to venture beyond the Wall to get to the bottom of this threat…
Pax and the Forgotten Pincher is published on October 10th 2024. Order your copy here!