Daniel Rigby's Novel Approach to Sci-Fi

Written by: Si Hawkins
Published: Thursday 28th October 2021

It's a noteworthy few weeks for sci-fi novels boldly going in new directions. Denis Villeneuve's acclaimed version of Frank Herbert's Dune has just hit cinemas, the big bestseller The Swarm is getting an intriguing German TV adaptation - it's in English - and now here's an out-of-the-blue debut from Daniel Rigby.

The BAFTA-winning star of Flowers, Black Mirror, Eric & Ernie, those BT ads and lots of bravura stage work has now written his first sci-fi novel, Isaac Steele And The Forever Man. He's cut out the middle-man too, and headed straight for the Audible audiobook, with an acclaimed actor narrating it: Daniel Rigby, naturally.

But would he fancy starring in a screen adaptation, or - with his writer head on - might a shiny Hollywood A-lister be the dream? It's a conundrum. And why did the original version of Isaac get "binned"? All will be revealed. Rigby is in a major new series later this year, too, Landscapers, where he'll reteam with Olivia Colman and their Flowers director Will Sharpe: we'll touch on that later.

But first, let's talk futuristic fiction.

How long has Isaac Steele been hovering in your head? And is this a project that lockdown helped you get on with?

Isaac Steele has been living in my head for a very long time. Probably over a decade. It started as a kind of direct parody of Blade Runner / Bond / Sherlock Holmes that I would noodle with in notebooks in a Sam Spade-style monologue. It became something a few years ago that I thought might be worth trying to flesh out properly with a full story and big ludicrous universe.

The first draft had to be binned completely as it was a mess story-wise and the character of Isaac himself was even more of an arse than he ended up being, so was impossible to sympathise with.

The first lockdown happened just as I had to re-write the entire thing, so it meant there was time to do it. Though it didn't completely distract from the existential abysses that opened up with everything that was going on.

Tell us a bit about Isaac - do we sense a bit of satirical subtext there?

Isaac is a hot mess who works for the Department of Clarification, a division of the government of Greatest Britain, in the year 2842. As an agent of Clarification he's charged with clearing up situations in an infinitely complicated universe full of aliens, mutants, robots and humans all trying to co-exist.

He has mysterious technology that means language is no barrier for him, so is one of the best Clarifiers in the cosmos. He's as hard-boiled a detective can be without being dead. He runs on liquor and heroin and has some very maladaptive coping strategies.

His robot partner Dr Timothy Stephens tries to keep him on the straight and narrow but Dr Stephens has issues of his own and isn't always successful.

It's a ridiculous universe that Isaac occupies that probably reflects how baffled I am in general by the world.

I presume you had an interest in the genre beforehand? Any favourite authors - or sci-fi stuff that influenced you generally?

As much as Isaac Steele... is a mickey-take of science fiction in a lot of ways, it does come from a place of love for the genre. Obviously Douglas Adams is a favourite. My favourite writer of all time is George Saunders, he's hilarious and moving and weird. His collections of short stories, many of which take place in a dystopian near-future, were a big inspiration.

There's some very serious noir sci-fi that I read in the lead up to writing it: China Mieville's The City and the City, and Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan. It's a real mash-up though of lots of different things I love: Blade Runner, Rick And Morty, Alice In Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes...

As an actor, would you see yourself as Isaac, in an adaptation? Or as a writer, would you have someone else in mind entirely? It's a dilemma...

It absolutely isn't a dilemma. Sorry to be shameless, but I would do that please thank you please.

Your Black Mirror episode got an interesting reception, but feels increasingly relevant - am I right in thinking it was referenced in several real elections afterwards?

I wasn't really aware of the reception as I don't generally seek that stuff out, but I was aware it got talked about around the time of the 2016 US election. I think people saw parallels. My memory may be fuzzy here, but I think after the episode came out a mayoral election in Italy was won by a man dressed as a penguin, or something.

You'll soon be in Will Sharpe's new show, Landscapers - has that been an enjoyable reunion, with Olivia Colman too? And have you seen the finished show yet?

Flowers was such a special job. It wasn't just that we all believed in the show, I met a bunch of amazing people I genuinely love, so yes it was wonderful to work with them again. I haven't seen the finished show yet, but Will has remarkable vision and Ed Sinclair wrote fantastic scripts, so I have every hope that it won't be rubbish.

Two of your Flowers colleagues have just joined the Marvel Universe - Sophia di Martino and Olivia soon too - is there an MCU part you'd fancy?

I reckon a villain would be an awful lot of fun. Something evil, with a snarling British accent (which seems to be unusually common in the multiverse).

Isaac Steele and the Forever Man by Daniel Rigby is available exclusively on Audible now