What Inspired Kenneth Oppel To Write 'Airborn'?

Reading 'Airborn' feels like stepping into Oppel’s childhood dreams. The man has spoken about how he devoured books like 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea' and 'Treasure Island', craving that mix of exploration and danger. His fascination with the golden age of airships came from a documentary about the Hindenburg—not just the tragedy, but the wonder of what those giants represented. Oppel saw them as floating castles, perfect for adventure.

What’s brilliant is how he merges history with fantasy. The Aurora, the novel’s airship, feels authentic because he studied blueprints of real vessels, then added fictional elements like the hydrium gas that keeps it aloft. The cloud cats weren’t just random; he wanted creatures that embodied the mystery of the skies, things early explorers might’ve feared or marveled at. Oppel also admitted the protagonist Matt Cruse was partly inspired by his own youthful longing for adventure—a clever, resourceful kid who gets to live the fantasies Oppel once daydreamed about during boring school days.

The book’s success comes from how deeply personal it is. Oppel didn’t just research airships; he fell in love with their era, the bravery of early aviators, and the what-ifs of undiscovered species lurking above the clouds. That passion seeps into every page, making 'Airborn' feel like a love letter to curiosity itself.

Kenneth Oppel has always been fascinated by aviation history, and that passion clearly fueled 'Airborn'. He grew up reading Jules Verne and other adventure writers, which gave him a love for stories blending science and wonder. The idea of airships particularly captured his imagination—their grandeur, their vulnerability, the romance of floating through uncharted skies. Oppel wanted to create a world where these majestic machines ruled the skies, but with a twist: creatures like the mysterious cloud cats that add fantasy to the mix. He also drew from real historical figures like balloonists and early pilots, imagining what might have been if their discoveries had taken a different path. The result is a story that feels both timeless and fresh, grounded in real-world inspiration but soaring into pure imagination.

Oppel’s inspiration for 'Airborn' is a cocktail of history, nostalgia, and pure what-if speculation. He’s mentioned how childhood visits to aviation museums stuck with him—the creak of old biplanes, the smell of oil and leather. Those details became the backbone of the Aurora’s world. But what really sparked the story was a question: What if the sky wasn’t just empty space? What if it hid ecosystems as rich as the ocean’s?

The cloud cats are key here. Oppel wanted creatures that felt mythical yet plausible, like something Darwin might’ve sketched if he’d explored the atmosphere instead of the Galapagos. The ship’s battles with squalls and pirates mirror real maritime adventures, but transposed to a realm where the rules are unwritten. Even small touches, like the ship’s bartender mixing cocktails with rare fruits from distant ports, show how Oppel wove together his love for seafaring tales and his vision of the sky as a new frontier.

Interestingly, Oppel also drew from his own fears. He admitted hating heights, which made writing about aerial acrobatics thrilling. Matt’s dizzying climbs and near-falls channel that adrenaline. The result isn’t just an adventure—it’s a testament to how inspiration can come from anywhere: a museum plaque, a childhood fear, or the simple question 'What’s up there?'