The release of Cold Zero marks a significant moment for thriller fans: the first-ever collaboration between Brad Thor and Ward Larsen. In a recent live discussion at The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, the two authors shared the stage to pull back the curtain on their new project, the future of their respective franchises, and the real-world threats that keep them up at night.

The Genesis of Cold Zero

The idea for Cold Zero sparked from Thor’s fascination with polar airline routes. “I thought, we’ve never lost a commercial airliner up there,” Thor explained. “What would it be like if we did? And what if there was something incredibly important on that airplane?”

The resulting plot follows a downed airliner on a flight from Hong Kong to New York, stranded on a floating sea of ice near the North Pole. Because of the extreme location, over a thousand miles from the nearest airfield, rescue is impossible for days. This turns the story into a brutal man versus nature survival tale, complicated by a race between the United States, Russia, and China to recover a mysterious piece of technology.

Larsen, a trained aircraft accident investigator and professional pilot, brought the technical precision needed to make the cockpit scenes and the Arctic environment feel visceral. “It’s a unique environment because there’s no land mass up there,” Larsen noted. “It’s just a floating sea of ice circling with the currents.”

A Collaboration of Pure Chaos

Writing a book with another person was a first for both authors. Thor described the initial process as “pure chaos,” but the duo quickly found a rhythm. They would plan out blocks of five to seven chapters, with one author writing the draft and the other acting as the primary editor.

This back-and-forth approach resulted in a remarkably clean manuscript. By the time it reached their professional editors, it had already undergone twelve iterations. The goal was a seamless voice, so seamless, in fact, that readers couldn’t distinguish which author wrote which section.

From the Page to Netflix

The buzz around Cold Zero isn’t limited to the bookstore. Netflix has already picked up the film rights, with a powerhouse creative team attached. Peter Berg (Lone Survivor) is set to produce and direct, with a screenplay by Nic Pizzolatto (True Detective).

Thor shared that Pizzolatto’s vision for the film is to put the book on the screen exactly as it was written, describing it as a “bigger, bolder, more badass, smarter Hunt for Red October.”

Fans of Thor’s iconic character, Scot Harvath, also have much to look forward to. Thor confirmed that a TV series is in active development. While the original plan was an origin story based on The Lions of Lucerne, the studio has pivoted to featuring Harvath at the midpoint of his career. The team includes John Wick director Chad Stahelski and 24 executive producer Howard Gordon.

Real-World Threats and the Future of Thrillers

Beyond the mechanics of plot, the authors discussed the real-world issues that inform their writing. Both expressed deep concern over information warfare and the vulnerability of social media. Thor recounted a story about Russian influence operations in Nashville, highlighting how foreign adversaries use cultural fault lines to manipulate public opinion.

The conversation also touched on the rise of AI. While Larsen and Thor are part of a lawsuit regarding the unauthorized use of books to train AI models, they remain skeptical of AI’s ability to replace human writers. “AI does not have a soul,” Thor said. “It doesn’t have the human spark. It gives you the average.”

Advice for the Next Generation

When asked what they wish they had known earlier in their careers, Thor emphasized the importance of sensory details, specifically smell. After writing 25 books, he realized that “olfactory senses go right to memory.” He now makes a conscious effort to describe the scent of a room, whether it’s stale cigarettes or specific cleaning solutions, to ground the reader in the story.

Beyond Cold Zero

As for what’s next, the partnership is far from over. Thor and Larsen confirmed they are already planning another collaboration for 2027 and Thor’s 25th Harvath novel, Chokepoint, arrives this June.

Larsen discussed his upcoming entry into the Ryanverse. The book, titled Rules of Engagement, is the 27th installment in the Jack Ryan series and is scheduled for release on May 19th. Larsen stepped in to write this volume after the previous writing team, Andrews & Wilson, faced scheduling challenges. Brad Thor encouraged the move, telling Larsen to take the opportunity without hesitation.

The novel finds Jack Ryan still serving as President of the United States. While the plot involves the Ryan children, the focus shifts more heavily toward John Clark. As a big fan of John Clark, this excites me. Although I was hoping to see more of the next generation continuing to come through in order to continue building the future of the series. And I really hope Clark isn’t going to be at the tip of the spear in his seventies.

Larsen, drawing on his background as a pilot, noted that readers can expect more aviation and flight sequences compared to the naval surface warfare themes found in recent Clancy titles. To maintain the series’ continuity, Larsen purchased the entire Ryanverse series on Kindle, to verify minute details like character eye colors. However, he did admit to not having read all the books in the series. Hearing this leaves me nervous about Rules of Engagement. I’m about to get started on the ARC, so we will find out soon enough. Watch out for the review, coming soon.