Samantha Shannon – Fantasy and Dystopia within Fiction

The beginning of her career

Samantha Shannon made her debut at just 20 years old in 2013 with The Bone Season, the first in a planned seven-book series. It’s rare these days for a debut author to be given such a long commitment, which made it especially exciting.

Because of her age, the media latched onto her story, and she was suddenly on magazine covers and doing endless interviews. She admitted it was overwhelming at times but said she has always felt grateful and lucky to have been published so young.

Why re-write an already successful book series?

When the 10th anniversary of The Bone Season came around, instead of releasing a special edition, Shannon made the bold decision to re-write the series. Not just the first book, but the entire thing — which is still ongoing.

She explained that when she originally wrote the book, she was still completing her degree and felt the writing showed her inexperience. Over the years she grew tired of seeing reviews that said, “If you get through the first book, it gets better.” That pushed her to approach her publishers about revisiting it. They agreed, likely expecting some light edits, but instead she delivered extensive changes — while keeping the voice of the story intact.

Shannon is much prouder of the results and recommends that new readers start with the newer editions, which she pointed out have the lovely floral covers.

Keeping track of a seven-book series

The discussion also touched on the challenge of managing such a long series. With multiple plots, characters, and timelines, how does she keep it all straight?

Shannon explained that she does a lot of careful plotting and planning before she starts writing but always leaves room for flexibility. Surprisingly, she finds it quite easy to keep track of everything in her head — almost like putting on a different pair of glasses for each book.

The Priory of the Orange Tree

When The Priory of the Orange Tree was released, Shannon’s career shifted almost overnight. She has always loved fantasy, especially dragons, ever since she was little. A key spark came from the film Dragonheart, which she treasured growing up.

Raised in the Church of England, she was also surrounded by the story of Saint George and the Dragon — St George’s Cross being such a strong symbol of English identity. But when she researched the myth more closely, she realised how much was missing or inconsistent. That gap inspired her to create her own retelling: feminist, queer, and very different from the well-known version popularised by Richard Johnson’s The Famous History of the Seven Champions of Christendom (1596), which portrayed women poorly.

One detail that inspired her deeply was the idea of George fighting the dragon under an orange tree. She also wanted to challenge the way St George’s Cross has been used in England today, sometimes as a symbol of hate.

Shannon spoke honestly about leaving the church, saying her decision came from personal experiences of hypocrisy and snobbery (while making clear she knows this isn’t true of all Christianity and all churches). She hated seeing how religion has been weaponised when it shouldn’t be, and through Priory, she wanted to show how faith could instead be used as a force for good.

If you’d like to read more about her research for The Priory of the Orange Tree and the story of St George, check out her blog post on her website named Damsels Undistressed – http://www.samanthashannon.co.uk/more/damsels-undistressed

Spearheading queer fantasy

When Priory was first published, Shannon admitted she worried it was a risky move. She expected her publishers might push back because it was “such a gay book,” or that it would only be marketed to queer readers rather than as a mainstream fantasy. But instead, her publishers supported her fully.

Some of the queer inspiration came from her research into Queen Elizabeth I and her Ladies of the Bedchamber, exploring the closeness and intimacy of those relationships.

Interestingly, Priory wasn’t an instant bestseller. Its huge success came later, when it unexpectedly went viral on TikTok. Shannon said she had no idea what BookTok even was at the time, but suddenly sales exploded as new readers discovered her work there.

She now finds herself recognised as a leading voice in queer fantasy — something she feels privileged by, and she’s just as excited to see where the genre grows next.

Among the Burning Flowers

Shannon’s most recent release is Among the Burning Flowers, part of the Roots of Chaos series (Priory of the Orange Tree). She originally intended it to be a novella but it grew too long, so she calls it “novella-adjacent.” It’s still shorter than her other books though, and she deliberately designed it as a more accessible entry point for readers who might find epic fantasy intimidating.

The story focuses on smaller, more intimate parts of the world hinted at in Priory, and has already become a bestseller.

Worldbuilding across different series

Shannon also spoke about the differences in her worldbuilding. Although The Bone Season was her debut, she said the Roots of Chaos series feels closer to the kind of stories she always wanted to write — traditional high fantasy inspired by myths, legends, and dragons. She even joked that sometimes it feels like her series were written by different authors, which she enjoys because it keeps her writing fresh.

The Bone Season is a dystopian story rooted in a recognisable version of England, blending an alternate history with clairvoyance, secret orders, and oppressive governments. In contrast, Priory and the Roots of Chaos are built completely from scratch: an invented world with its own religions, histories, and magical systems.

Shannon described her process as one of constant layering. She starts with broad strokes — maps, histories, political structures — then adds depth draft after draft, asking herself how these societies function, what they believe in, and how myths evolve within them. That’s why her books often include glossaries, timelines, and appendices: she wants readers to feel immersed in something that feels lived-in and complete.

Writing across such different styles also helps her keep them distinct. Switching between dystopia and high fantasy almost feels like switching voices, or putting on different hats, which keeps the two worlds from blurring together.

If she could write another genre…

If she ever branched into another genre, Shannon said it would definitely be historical fiction. She is fascinated by history and wants to focus especially on women’s stories. One idea she hinted at was a retelling of Troy done as accurately as possible, while another passion project would be a novel about Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow and swift messenger of the gods.

Still, she admitted that however much she might dabble in other genres, she will always come back to fantasy — that’s where her heart lies.

Would she visit her own worlds?

When asked if she’d want to live in one of her own books, Shannon laughed: “I think I would die. I wouldn’t survive the worlds I’ve created.”

If she could visit as an immortal, she said she’d choose The Bone Season, so she could spend time with Paige and, despite being gay, go on a date with Arcturus, her own ideal male character.

In the Priory world, she would love to tame one of the dragons — specifically a water dragon, as they are the calmest and kindest.

What’s next?

Right now, Shannon is busy touring the UK for Among the Burning Flowers. She also revealed that she’s currently working on The Bone Season 6 and already has the ending of book 7 written.

After that, she plans to bring her vision of Iris to life in a new book, and then move on to the next Roots of Chaos novel.

There’s clearly a lot more to come from this still-young and hugely successful author. Personally, I can’t wait to read Iris — it sounds like the perfect story for me.