Roderick Gordon

Roderick Gordon is a British author primarily known for the Tunnels series, a collection of children's books co-written with Brian Williams. The first book in the series, Tunnels, became an international bestseller and was published in forty countries. Gordon developed his writing interests early, publishing his first short story in his school magazine at age twelve while attending the Hall School in Hampstead. After studying biology at University College London, he met his future writing partner Brian Williams at the Slade School of Fine Art in 1980. Before becoming an author, Gordon worked in corporate finance in London's financial district. Following redundancy from his banking position in 2001, he began collaborating with Williams on writing projects, leading to their successful partnership on the Tunnels series. The Tunnels series, which began publication in 2007, follows the story of a fourteen-year-old boy who discovers a hidden underground world. The books combine elements of fantasy and adventure, drawing from Gordon's childhood experiences growing up in North London.

Readers describe Gordon's Tunnels series as fast-paced with detailed world-building, particularly praising the subterranean environments and sense of claustrophobia. Many note the series draws younger readers who enjoyed Artemis Fowl and Alex Rider. Readers highlighted: - Unique underground settings - Engaging sibling relationships - Dark tone without being too scary - Detailed illustrations Common criticisms: - Pacing issues in later books - Some plot threads left unresolved - Overuse of character deaths - Needed tighter editing Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: Tunnels (Book 1) - 3.7/5 from 15,000+ ratings Deeper (Book 2) - 3.9/5 from 8,000+ ratings Freefall (Book 3) - 4.0/5 from 5,000+ ratings Amazon: Series average - 4.2/5 from 900+ reviews One frequent reader comment notes: "The first book hooks you but the series gets progressively darker and more complex - which some kids love and others find overwhelming."

Tunnels (2007) A fourteen-year-old boy and his archaeologist father discover a secret underground world beneath London, leading to a series of dangerous adventures involving an ancient civilization.

Deeper (2008) Will Burrows ventures further into the Earth's depths to find his missing father, encountering more sinister forces and uncovering darker secrets of the subterranean world.

Freefall (2009) Will and his friends descend into the deepest layers of the Earth, where they face new threats and discover the truth about an ancient conspiracy.

Closer (2010) The adventure continues as Will battles against the sinister Styx organization while trying to prevent them from implementing their plans for humanity.

Spiral (2011) Will and his allies race against time to stop the Styx's invasion of the surface world while dealing with betrayals and new alliances.

Terminal (2013) In the final installment, Will faces his ultimate challenge as the conflict between the surface and underground worlds reaches its climactic conclusion.

Kenneth Oppel writes underground adventure stories including the Silverwing series and Darkwing, featuring complex tunnel networks and subterranean civilizations. His work shares similar themes of discovery and hidden worlds with Gordon's Tunnels series.

Suzanne Collins created The Underland Chronicles about a boy who falls through his laundry room into a vast underground realm with giant creatures. The series mirrors Gordon's focus on underground exploration and coming-of-age adventures.

Garth Nix developed the Keys to the Kingdom series featuring a protagonist who must navigate through mysterious realms and face supernatural threats. His work contains comparable elements of fantasy mixed with adventure and young characters discovering hidden worlds.

Jonathan Stroud writes the Bartimaeus series about secret societies and supernatural forces operating beneath modern London. His books share Gordon's blend of contemporary settings with fantasy elements and hidden underground spaces.

Catherine Fisher authored the Incarceron series about a vast underground prison world and those trying to escape it. Her work parallels Gordon's themes of underground societies and characters trying to survive in concealed worlds.