“His thrilling near-future worlds are both an escape from—and deeply reflective of—our own complex, chaotic reality.”
RICHARD SLATER-JONES isn’t your typical science fiction author.
His journey as a storyteller began when his first film—which he directed, produced, and shot on a shoestring budget—was snapped up by National Geographic. And when they invited Richard to HQ in Washington DC to finish it, it set him on a path that took him to corners of the world few have seen. From an EMMY® nomination, to directing on Darren Aronofsky’s Limitless with Chris Hemsworth for Disney, and collaborating with Breaking Bad’s Giancarlo Esposito for the Smithsonian Channel, Slater-Jones’s projects have reached hundreds of millions.
But despite the acclaim and success he found as a documentary director and showrunner, a nagging frustration followed him. The truths he uncovered often felt constrained, as if the prime-time content he was creating was mere filler—tossed between the commercial breaks of an ever-more fragmented media landscape. As the world seemed to grow more uncertain and frightening year after year, Slater-Jones sought a new path—one where stories could speak directly to the raw truths of power, survival, and human nature.
A search that led him, unexpectedly, to fiction.
In his debut near-future thriller series, New Rome Rising, Slater-Jones delivers exactly what readers crave: pulse-pounding action, gripping characters, and a world teetering on the brink of collapse. But unlike many science fiction novels, the world he creates is closer than most authors dare to imagine—a future just around the corner, where the challenges of today have twisted into something far more dangerous and complex. More than just adrenaline-filled escapism—Slater-Jones’s books explore the power of creative freedom, the tension between truth and control, and the struggle to maintain hope when everything around you falls apart.
He’s an author to watch. With an uncanny ability to weave cinematic detail into gripping narratives— and a relentless curiosity about what lies beneath the surface—Slater-Jones is poised to make waves in the genre.
Because the future he imagines … is one you won’t want to miss.
Do you need a different kind of biography for Richard? You can find other versions on his Media page.
You may also want to read his interview here.
AWARDS
Here’s a small sample of awards that Richard won as a film-maker.