Adam Bender is an award-winning journalist and author of speculative fiction that explores modern-day societal fears with a mix of action, romance and humor.
Bender's latest novel is Utopia PR, a speculative satire about a public-relations specialist who struggles to find work-life balance while managing crisis after crisis for a dystopian American president. It won the 2021 IndieReader Discovery Award for Humor.
Previously, Bender wrote The Wanderer and the New West, a near-future western about a rogue vigilante who seeks redemption in a lawless America that fully protects the rights of armed citizens to stand their ground. Named to Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2018, the novel also won gold for Dystopia in the 2018 Readers’ Favorite Awards and best Western Fiction in the 2018 National Indie Excellence Awards.
Bender authored We, The Watched and Divided We Fall in a dystopian series about an amnesiac who struggles to conform in a surveillance society where the government keeps a Watched list of its own citizens. Also, Bender has published several short stories.
In his day job as a journalist, Bender covers telecom and internet regulation for Communications Daily. He has won awards for his reporting from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Specialized Information Publishers Association, and the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.
Bender lives in Philadelphia with his wife Mallika and son Rishi. He’s usually a rather modest and amiable fellow.
Learn more about the author at WatchAdam.blog and join The Underground email newsletter for news and info on Adam Bender's latest projects. Follow him on Facebook (wethewatched) and @WatchAdam on Instagram.
I gave away free signed copies of The Wanderer and the New West to librarians and educators from around the country. The good folks at the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) hosted me and were a big help bringing in the crowds. My wife Mallika lent a hand getting me set up and taking photos as dystopian fans arrived to learn more about my novel.
Must … sign books … faster …
The conference itself took place in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and was widely attended. Mallika and I saw great keynotes by Frank Miller and Hoda Kotb.
Look at the size of that floor!
I brought a suitcase full of books — 25 copies in all — and I have to admit that I was a little scared going in that I’d have to bring most of them home. In actuality, I gave out all the books before my 20 minutes was up at the stand! I even gave out a few eBook and audiobook editions to visitors who didn’t get a paperback.
I’m all out of bullets … er, books!
The event left me on a pretty big high! I hope to get out to another big event like this soon. It was great to meet everyone who stopped by!
Want to hear the Wanderer’s gravelly twang deliver an acerbic sendoff before he dispenses with another Red Stripe gangster? Do you yearn to listen to clever Kid Hunter’s bold attempts at flirtation?
Now you can! The audiobook edition of The Wanderer and the New West by Adam Bender has arrived on your favorite digital platform!
James Sasser provides the stellar narration — just listen to a sample by clicking one of the store links above to hear for yourself!
James Sasser
Many thanks to Findaway Voices for producing and distributing the audiobook. Findaway connects indie authors with professional voice actors and gives them access to a wide network of audiobook retailers.
A rogue vigilante seeks redemption in a lawless, near-future America that fully protects the rights of armed citizens to stand their ground. When a marksman known as the Wanderer opens war against injustice in the state of Arizona, his violent actions attract the attention of journalist Rosa Veras, writer of a subversive blog about America’s return to the Wild West.
Prefer a stare down with the written word?The Wanderer and the New West is also available as a paperback and eBook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and many other popular retailers.
I dedicated The Wanderer and the New West to my friend Gary Zingher. Known to some as the Daffodil Kid, this great writer, school librarian and camp counselor passed away last month. My family and his many friends celebrated his life on May 26 in Callicoon, NY.
I said a few words:
When Gary would visit my family during summer breaks, we would hang out at home during the long days while my parents were at work. We’d play cards or board games most of the day, with epic tournaments of Yahtzee, Crazy Eights and Scrabble. Even though I was a kid, I don’t think he ever let me win.
We usually would order a meatball pizza for lunch. Gary claimed our local pizza place was as good as anything in New York City. That was a pretty high compliment coming from him.
We’d watch a lot of movies– videotapes borrowed from the library, or rented 4 for $4 from the local video store. He introduced me to a lot of classic adventure and sci-fi movies, like Kidnapped, Westworldand The Omega Man.
He was always writing notes and drafts in a pad for his next magazine article, and sometimes he’d ask me to help him brainstorm ideas for the theme of his latest piece. He’d also read stories I wrote and encourage me to keep at it.
Then my parents would come home, which usually meant a dinner like Beef Stroganoff or Spaghetti and Meat Sauce, and even more movies!
Those were some pretty fun days!
I write stories now, both as a journalist and as an author. When I was writing my latest novel, a sci-fi Western adventure, I thought back to the movies I watched with Gary, and our shared passion for writing.
So I put this at the beginning:
“Dedicated to Gary Zingher for igniting my fervor for action-adventure stories and for encouraging me to spin exciting tales of my own.”
The London Book Fair, Photo Credit: Combined Book Exhibit
The Wanderer and the New West presents a dystopian view of near-future America, but that doesn’t mean it’s only for readers from the States!
I was excited to display my novel at the London Book Fair in March. The book appeared in the New Title Showcase on a physical shelf and digitally. Actually, my book does have one English connection. Cover artist Ben Mcleod hails from Manchester!
Try to spot my novel in pictures below from the show, courtesy of Combined Book Exhibit.
ManyBooks promo and interview!
In other news, The Wanderer and the New West is featured today on ManyBooks, with a special $2.99 discounted price for the eBook all week long!
ManyBooks featured me as its Author of the Day. Please check out the full interview, where I talk about how I got the idea for my latest novel and whether I think America is going to end up in as dark a place as my book predicts! And I give a sneak preview of my couple next projects, so you don’t want to miss it.
Reviewed by IndieReader
IndieReader gave my novel a great review:
“THE WANDERER AND THE NEW WEST sports smart prose, entertaining dialogue and distinctive characters, and it reads at a breakneck pace,” wrote IndieReader. “Adam Bender’s novel is tight, literate pulp.”
I got the verdict as part of IndieReader’s annual book competition, which will reveal winners later this spring. Wish me luck!
Bid for a signed 3-Book set and support Writers for Hope
Iguana not included.
I’m donating a set of three signed novels to the Writers for Hope auction, supporting RAINN. Click here to bid. This event began in 2014 and is held every April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. 100% of the money raised by this event goes directly to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), the United States’ largest anti-sexual assault organization.
At your local bookshop…
What’s this?The Wanderer and the New West in my local Philly bookstore Shakespeare & Co? It wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t switched paperback distributors to IngramSpark. With more flexible terms for small businesses, the move is making my novel more accessible to libraries and independent bookstores.
If you know a great library or local shop, please ask them to order a copy! You can also benefit local bookstores by buying my book online from IndieBound.
Listen up, partner: I’m excited to announce an upcoming audiobook edition of my award-winning Dystopian Western novel, The Wanderer and the New West. The audio version will be performed by voice actor James Sasser and produced by Findaway Voices.
Yessir, I’ve heard the growl of the Wanderer and can report Mr. Sasser’s take on the voice is dead-on. You’re going to want to hear this!
Recording is now in progress. This modern-day “book on tape” will be digitally available through Audible, Apple, Google Play and many other stores where audiobooks are sold. I can’t give you a set release date just yet, but keep your ears attuned to this blog (or subscribe to my newsletter) for an update in the coming months.
This will be my first audiobook, and I’m thrilled to reach a new audience with my words. There are many who primarily listen to books, so it’s great to be able to make my novel more accessible. For those who have already read the book, I hope the audio version will make a cool complement.
The Wanderer and the New West follows a rogue vigilante who seeks redemption in a lawless, near-future America that fully protects the rights of armed citizens to stand their ground. When a marksman known as the Wanderer opens war against injustice in the state of Arizona, his violent actions attract the attention of journalist Rosa Veras, writer of a subversive blog about America’s return to the Wild West.
