With Jack Bauer’s latest day having come to an end you can read about what happen to Jack before his troubled day in London in the new novel DEADLINE, and I spoke with it’s author James Swallow.
The time is 5:00 PM. One hour ago, federal agent Jack Bauer was declared a fugitive. If he wants to survive, he must get out of the country, and he doesn’t have much time. With his former colleagues in the Counter Terrorist Unit now dead, under arrest, or shut down, Jack has no resources to call upon, no back-up, and nowhere to go — only his determination can drive him on. One thing remains clear to him: the promise he made to his daughter Kim. Jack vows that he will see Kim one last time to tell her he loves her… before he drops off the radar forever. Meanwhile, a hastily-assembled FBI task force set out to track down and capture Jack, even as a covert operations unit of Russia’s SVR set out to do the same — only the remit of the Russians is to kill on sight. As the clock runs down, Jack must face old friends and past enemies in a desperate race to stay one step ahead of the hunters, leaving them with a grim warning… ‘Stay out of my way, and I’ll be gone within 24 hours. You’ll never see me again. Come after me… and you’ll regret it.’
James Swallow is the prolific, New York Times best-selling British author and BAFTA nominee, who has written a large amount of tie-in fiction, including fiction from the worlds of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and more, as well as original novels. James is currently living and working in London, writing his latest original novel.
What made you want to write a book about 24?
I’ve always been a fan of the show, since the very first “bad day” of Jack Bauer’s life, and as a writer you can’t help but look at characters you enjoy and wonder how you would write an adventure for them. When my publisher came to me and asked if I’d like to author a story set in the world of 24, I jumped at the chance. It’s been a great experience and I’m really pleased with how Deadline turned out.
The book is set between the last series and Live Another Day – what prompted you to write in that period?
The decision to put the new 24 novels in that four year time period between the end of Day 8 and the start of Live Another Day was made before I came on board. That was the choice of 20th Century Fox, for us to fill in the “missing years” of Jack Bauer’s turbulent life. It makes sense, too – many fans want to know what he was doing during that time, and it also means we don’t get in the way of any future 24 TV shows.
Was it hard writing a book “in real time”?
Every book I write is written “in real time”! Although I did have a very narrow delivery window for this one, so the work was pretty intense… I guess having to write against the clock helped me understand Jack Bauer a little better!
What guidance and support did you get from the 24 team?
Everything in the novel was approved by Fox and the 24 production team. Manny Coto and Evan Katz, both writer-producers on 24: Live Another Day, helped out with some story questions and provided guidelines for what kind of novel they wanted to see.
Was there anything you wanted to do but couldn’t in the book?
Oddly enough, I always wanted to tell a story about Jack Bauer in London – but the TV show beat me to that!
Is the book considered canon?
I certainly think so, and the production team gave it their seal of approval. But I never feel that kind of thing is something people should get hung up on. At the end of the day, all that counts is if you have a good story you can enjoy featuring characters you like.
Would you write another 24 book?
Absolutely! There’s a couple more 24 novels coming out after mine, written by other writers (both of whom are big 24 fans and will doubtless do terrific work!) but if the books continue past that, I’d love to come back and do another one.
What are you working on now?
I’ve just completed an original action thriller novel of my own, and I’m splitting my time between work on the script for to-be-announced videogame project and a science fiction tie-in based on the Star Trek franchise.
24: Live Another Day – Deadline is available now priced £7.99.
