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Utopia PR Audiobook Coming July 1! ARC Out Now

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Utopia PR Audiobook Coming July 1! ARC Out Now

Published by Adam on April 16, 2022

I am excited to announce that the Utopia PR audiobook will be released July 1, 2022, on most popular retail sites, including Audible and Barnes & Noble (click to pre-order).

Want to read the book early? If you’re happy to write a review, you can listen to the Utopia PR audiobook from now until June 12 on NetGalley! Thank you in advance for your help creating buzz and spreading the word. I’m an indie author so this is really the biggest way you can help me, even more than paying for my books (though that is also appreciated, of course)!

I recently had to approve the audio recordings of each chapter to make sure they were just right. Let me tell you, it was an absoltue blast listening to narrator Tristan Wright bring my book to life. I know I might be biased, but I daresay the book is even funnier read aloud. Wright brings out all the individual wackiness of Blake “The Hammer” Hamner (the n is silent), Our Leader and the rest of the cast. Sitting alone in my home office, I seriously LOLed at his reading of the speech in which Our Leader ticks off every crazy idea in Blake’s Grand List of Distractions.

This was my second time working with Findaway Voices to create an audiobook (The Wanderer and the New West audiobook is also now available and 50% off until April 30 on B&N!). As before, it was a seamless process. Based on my requirements, they provided a list of suggested narrators, and then I asked a few of them to send audition tapes. It was a tough choice, but I’m really happy with what Tristan Wright has done with the book. I can’t wait for you to hear it!

Of course, if you’re not keen on audiobooks, you can get the book in eBook and paperback formats from major online retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop.org (or ask your indie book store to order it!). Check out the official website for Utopia PR for more information on the book and where you can buy it.

Just in case you haven’t heard my elevator pitch before, Utopia PR is a sci-fi satire about a public relations rep seeking work-life balance while managing crisis after crisis for a dystopian president. PR extraordinaire Blake Hamner (the n is silent) put off his honeymoon for his big break: joining a major political campaign for president. Now, the “Hammer” struggles to make time for his marriage as Crisis Communications Manager for Our Leader, who since taking power has become increasingly mad and totalitarian.

So yeah, mark July 1 on your calendars for the audiobook’s release date. Or better yet, pre-order it. Or better yet, get the free advance review copy (ARC) on NetGalley and write a review! I’m looking forward to hearing what you think of it!

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Utopia PR Audiobook Coming Soon!

Published by Adam on February 20, 2022

Maybe you hate the droning sound of your own voice in your head. Maybe the part of storytelling you like the most is the telling. Maybe you don’t like the look of the printed word on paper (gross). Maybe you want to keep your eyes on the road when you’re driving.

Whatever the reason you love audiobooks, you’ll be excited to know I have started production on an aural version of my dystopian satire Utopia PR.

I for one cannot wait to hear the voices of Blake “The Hammer” Hamner and his presidential PR comrades come to life in glorious stereo sound. I wrote the novel in a style that I think is a great match for the spoken word. Narrator Tristan Wright has signed on for the project through Findaway Voices. Utopia PR designer Bailey McGinn will square-ify the cover per audiobook convention.

I had a great experience with Findaway on The Wanderer and the New West and am looking forward to hearing Utopia PR. I’m not yet ready to announce a release date, but please keep your eye on my blog–and subscribe to my newsletter–for updates on this exciting project.

In the meantime, if you do like printed words (delicious!), you can buy Utopia PR in eBook or paperback today!

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Maybe the Present is Dystopian Enough

Published by Adam on October 10, 2021

People keep asking me if I’m going to write about the pandemic — I guess because I write dystopian fiction? The short answer is … no.

First and foremost, I don’t think I’m ready to process all that just yet. Things are better than last fall, though it still feels like we’ve got a long way to go. And, like, what is there to add at this point?

It was a huge relief, actually, writing a silly comedy like Utopia PR. Things have been been dark enough the past few years, and I just wanted to have a little fun! I was thrilled to learn recently that my novel was accepted into Wool author Hugh Howey’s sci-fi contest, the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC). Book review blog Fantasy-Faction has Utopia PR in round one. I’m feeling cautiously optimistic, but I also know my little comedy is going up against a bunch of hard sci-fi books and the competition will be stiff. It’s been nice getting a little buzz around the book just from being accepted into the contest. Honestly, I’m just hoping to get a review or two before it’s all over.

I’ve already had some good luck in competitions. Utopia PR recently got an honorable mention from IndieReader for its cool cover design by Bailey McGinn! That’s after the words won a humor award in IndieReader’s annual Discovery Awards. That cover definitely makes the book stand out at Barnes & Noble:

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When I said it was nice to write a comedy for a change, I didn’t mean to imply I’m done with drama. In fact, lately my brain has been buzzing with ideas for another book set in the New West. It’s very early days — basically, I’m writing down a bunch of notes, rereading the first novel, and outlining character arcs at this point. But what I have so far does feel promising.

One thing that’s helped get the creative juices flowing (so to speak) again is taking a writing course by Batman writer Scott Snyder. His technical knowledge and obvious enthusiasm for writing and teaching has been inspiring. I’m not writing a comic book (though I certainly would if I could find the right artist!), but a lot of the lessons apply to any type of story. And superhero storytelling has always been a big influence on my non-graphic work. It’s not too late to join the course, by the way! Look for me in the course’s official Discord.

By the way, what do you think of the new design for my website? Don’t forget to visit the homepage for adambenderwrites.com before you say. If you want to skip straight to the blog, you can also use the address watchadam.blog for a nifty shortcut.

Nifty? How old am I?

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Adam Bender reads… Dystopian and Horror

Published by Adam on May 17, 2021

When I’m not writing, I’m reading … or doing other stuff. But let’s go with reading.

It seems like I’ve been reading a lot of dark, surreal takes on the world lately, which maybe speaks to the times. Please see my recent Goodreads reviews below, and let me know in the comments if you’ve read any of these books or recommend others (Maybe something lighter, like Utopia PR)

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Ballad of Black Tom is an engaging Lovecraftian tribute with a refreshing Black perspective. While running errands for purveyors of the dark arts, protagonist Charles Thomas Tester shows us the unfair prejudices and dangers he experiences in everyday life just because of the color of his skin. This novella by Victor LaValle may contain a demonic Sleeping King, but its true horror comes from police who shoot first and justify their violence after the fact. It was a quick read but not a story that will be forgotten fast. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A beautifully bleak and surreal dystopian novel. The concept of people unwillingly forgetting objects, animals and more everyday things is compelling, and the disappearances become more horrifying as the book goes on. I enjoyed the natural and small village imagery — it was a nice contrast to the typical futuristic city in the genre.

The book reminded me a little of Kafka in the way that the people of this world seem frustratingly helpless to fix their situation. A novel within the novel similarly follows an utterly trapped character.

The conclusion left me with more questions than answers. Luckily, I read this with a discussion group — there’s certainly a lot to discuss here! It’s not exactly a book to lighten one’s spirits, but it’s a haunting story that will keep you thinking about it long after you finish.

Lakewood by Megan Giddings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the way that The Handmaid’s Tale used the dystopian genre to address women’s issues, Lakewood taps the horror genre to probe a lesser known history of medical experimentation on African Americans.

In an impressive debut, Megan Giddings shows how poor-paying job options and high medical bills can combine to leave people vulnerable to exploitation. Giddings writes in an approachable style with likable characters that pulled me into the story and kept me excited to read more.

Fans of socially aware scary movies like Get Out will certainly dig Lakewood. I’m excited to see what Giddings writes next.

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fun summer read if you’re into monster stories. Follows the classic horror trope of people getting trapped somewhere with a monster, but the sasquatch mythology and found-journal / non-fiction approach makes it a lot of fun. It also feels pretty relevant to current events that are happening now after Max Brooks wrote the thing. Prescient!

I’d read it at the beach if I felt comfortable going during a pandemic! (Note: I wrote this review in September 2020. Feeling better about the beach now!)

Check out my Goodreads page for more views and visit my bookshop to buy these and other books I recommend. Happy reading!

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Utopia PR author dishes about Dystopian Comedy on Car Con Carne

Published by Adam on April 8, 2021

Well, that was fun. This week I had the pleasure of going on the Car Con Carne podcast to talk about my new novel, Utopia PR!

Car Con Carne is so called because, in better times, host James VanOsdol would interview folks from the Chicago area in his car and eat meat. Alas, we ate nothing succulent. On the bright side, the pandemic Zoom-style format made it a lot simpler for a Philly guy like me to join the show!

We had a fun conversation about where I got the ideas for my critically acclaimed political satire, what I like about the dystopian genre, why social media is overwhelming yet inescapable, and how I’m a really just a big comic book nerd.

You can watch the podcast recording in its full webcam glory below, or listen to the radio-style podcast wherever podcasts are podcast. (See below the video for a selection of links.)