James Fox and his expanding universe

REVELATION

By Angelique Fawns

James Fox is on a mission to make the world a better place and brings his visions to life through writing and film. The founder of the media company Dawnrunner Inc, this native Californian released the third novel in his Sol Saga trilogy this spring. Revelation features the stunning conclusion of the sci-fi drama which began with Revolution and continued with Retaliation.

I met James Fox at the Superstars 2024 Writing Seminar and was blown away by his passion and talent. I’m also thrilled to chat with him about his latest book and future projects.   

AF: What was your inspiration for your Sol Saga trilogy?

JF: The inspiration for The Sol Saga was a pretty interesting ride. I was on the set of my first feature film as a Director, a sci-fi film, naturally. While we were hanging out between shots, I got into a discussion with a former member of the military as they were sharing harrowing stories from Operation Desert Storm. During the course of the story I found myself totally appalled at how involved politicians were in the boots-on-the-ground decision making happening during an armed conflict. It was so wild! I asked a lot of questions, and found myself building a story, not based on what was talked about, but about the idea that politicians and even corporations being so heavily involved in war and what their actions and motives could be. Before the feature wrapped it’s five week shoot, I had an outline for a television pilot and had started writing it.

AF: Which readers are most likely to love your work?

JF: If you love character-based stories, you’ll really love The Sol Saga. It’s sci-fi in setting only, what the characters are going through are timeless struggles. There’s a little something for everyone, as the characters face their own demons and deal with the wicked web of politics and corruption that have been woven for decades unbeknownst to them. There’s even a splash of romance to be had. Fans of The Expanse, or Game of Thrones, and even some fans from works like A Court of Thrones and Roses–although don’t expect that much romance.

AF: Is Revelation your final book in this world, or is there more to come? 

JF: I announced at LibertyCon that I have begun work on the second trilogy, books four, five, and six. These will focus on the aftermath and continuation of the struggle, with some additional twists and turns, some of which will be quite unexpected I’m hoping! I’m very excited about this, as The Sol Saga Universe expands it’ll be fun to explore more in depth on certain characters, and introduce some new ones perhaps.

AF: I’ve heard hints there maybe a feature film in the making?

JF: Hah! Where did you hear this? Who’s the leak? In all seriousness, there has been talk about developing The Sol Saga into a series, not necessarily a feature film (although I wouldn’t be opposed to a series of films, either). There are some big players with their hands on it, who are huge fans, and wer’e in the process of making it work on paper. There’s even some talk about filming some “tests” since it’s such a dark and gritty world, set in a sci-fi genre, so we can more easily describe what we’re looking to accomplish. Super fun, I’ll spill details in my newsletter as it becomes available–otherwise, it’ll be hush-hush until a proper network announcement.

AF: You’ve had a unique life path, can you share a bit with us and how it influences your work?

JF: You can’t have as many brushes with death as I have, like real close to lights-out, and not have it effect your day to day functioning. I’m grateful for every breath I take, for starters. There was a very real possibility that I not even get to exist in this world, being born three months premature back in a time where that dramatically reduced your chances of survival. The only thing that gave me the chance, was a steadfast doctor and his team, and parents who sacrificed everything to let me live. Because of that, I’ve been instilled with a profound sense of duty to the world, and my responsibility to make all that hard work and sacrifice something worthwhile. I endeavor to try to make the world a better place, one instance, on person, one place at a time.

AF: What advice do you have for other creators wanting to tackle the author/film-making world?

JF: The best advice I can give is this: you have to be a little nuts to make it in this world. You have to enjoy being told no, and challenged to do more/better/faster/longer by it instead of crushed. This is not an easy path. Making a career out of being a creative is something that you quite honestly cannot live without. If you can imagine yourself doing anything else, and being even remotely happy–do that instead. I have tried to 

AF: What’s in the future for James Fox?

JF: Fame, fortune, and adventure! No, but seriously! I’ve got two feature films coming up that I’ll be directing overseas, that’s going to be super fun. I’m excited to see The Sol Saga turned into a series, and have been asked if I would be comfortable being a second chair showrunner–which is a career bucket list item for me, so of course I said yes! I’m collaborating on a sci-fi western series right now that is an absolute JOY to work on, so thrilled that is coming close to releasing, and should have updates soon. Then, I’m working on fifteen other film/tv properties, and six other book series in various genres. I’m always working on several projects at once. Anticipate some announcements soon!