Where can you find a floating city, growing rocks and flying boats? You will have to travel to The Edge. The fantastic realm is the creation of writer Paul Stewart and illustrator Chris Riddell. This month, the British team transports readers to the land of goblins, trolls and pirates once more, in the Clash of the Sky Galleons, the ninth book in their series The Edge Chronicles.
Like the first eight books, Clash of the Sky Galleons is filled with detailed drawings of The Edge and its inhabitants. Many author-illustrator teams work separately--a book is written first, then illustrated. But Stewart and Riddell work as a team from start to finish. "We sit down and plan the whole thing," says Stewart. "It really is a complete collaboration."
"The story develops as we talk to each other," adds Riddell. "We spend a lot of time working on the little details of this unreal world."
The collaboration began more than 15 years ago, when the men's children were in nursery school together. Riddell drew a map of The Edge and handed it to Stewart, who recalls his saying, "Here's the world. Now, what happens in it?"
Fans of the series know that almost anything can happen. Stewart and Riddell promise that there are even more adventures in book 10 of the series, currently in the works. "It will take place in the future," says Riddell. That alone should keep the duo's readers on the edge of their seats.