Book Information: Orange City by Lee
Matthew Goldberg
About Orange City
Imagine a secret, hidden City that gives a second chance at life for
those selected to come: felons, deformed outcasts, those on the fringe of the
Outside World. Everyone gets a job, a place to live; but you are bound to the
City forever. You can never leave.
Its citizens are ruled by a monstrous figure called the “Man” who
resembles a giant demented spider from the lifelike robotic limbs attached to
his body. Everyone follows the Man blindly, working hard to make their Promised
Land stronger, too scared to defy him and be discarded to the Empty Zones.
After ten years as an advertising executive, Graham Weatherend receives
an order to test a new client, Pow! Sodas. After one sip of the orange flavor,
he becomes addicted, the sodas causing wild mood swings that finally wake him
up to the prison he calls reality.
A dynamic mash-up of 1984 meets LOST, Orange City is a lurid, dystopian
first book in a series that will continue with the explosive sequel
Lemonworld.
Praise for ORANGE CITY:
“In his compelling novel, ORANGE CITY, novelist LEE MATTHEW GOLDBERG, has
crafted a unique dystopian thriller that manages to reveal our greatest fears
about emerging technology and our anxieties at what the future holds.” –
Raymond A. Villareal, Author of A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising.
My Review
Orange City is a very odd book. And I mean that in the best possible way. As a huge fan of dystopian fiction, the TV show LOST, and a few of the author's previous books, I was intrigued by this story's premise and knew I wanted to read it. And it didn't disappoint.
In The City, people are granted a second chance. But it's not all it's cracked up to be, as Graham, our main character, finds out. Run by The Man, a mysterious, deformed figure (he's seriously creepy), The City gives anyone and everyone a new identity and the chance to start over, so long as they stay loyal and conform. Can we say nightmare?
But with the help of POW! Soda, things start to change for Graham.
With some interesting twists and turns, and a dark, brutal overall storyline, Orange City will definitely grab readers by the hair and slam them face-first into a hellish dystopia that is eerily familiar.
While I did struggle a little with the pacing in a few spots, I was definitely captivated by the story and was eager to see how the craziness would play out.
Highly recommend to fans of dystopian fiction. Can't wait for the sequel!
4.5 stars!
Author Interview
1.
What would you consider to be your Kryptonite as
an author?
-I use
the word “but” too much in my sentences, it’s a bad habit. BUT, I’m trying to
be better.
2. If you
could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
-Just to
stick to it and not give up on your dream. It’s not an easy career path being
an author, but to know that hard work and dedication pay off. And not to let
early rejection get you down.
3. What
book do you feel is under-appreciated? How about overrated?
-It’s
hard to say this. Fiction is so subjective. I love the Dave Egger’s novel You
Shall Know Our Velocity, which isn’t as well known as his others.
4.
Favorite childhood memory involving books?
-I used
to love the Encyclopedia Brown and The Choose Your Own Adventure Series. I
would go to library and take out as many as possible and burn through them.
5. If you
could dine with any literary character, who would it be and why?
-F. Scott
Fitzgerald has always been my favorite so if I could reanimate him and dine
with him, I’d love to tell him what a classic The Great Gatsby has become, but
during his lifetime it was considered a flop. I’d also want to know what he
thinks of my own work.
6. Did
you want to be an author when you grew up?
-Yes,
it’s always been my dream career. I used to write stories about my dog getting
into trouble when I was a kid.
7. If you
had to describe yourself in three words, what would they be?
-Funny,
creative, laid-back
8. What
is your most unusual writing quirk?
-When the
weather is nice, I write everyday under the same tree in Central Park. Being
surrounded by nature helps my creativity.
9.
What’s one movie you like recommending to others?
-Heathers,
it’s just perfect.
10. If
you could own any animal as a pet, what would it be?
-A horgi,
it’s a mixture of a corgi and a husky dog.
11. Have
you ever met anyone famous?
-Yup, a
bunch. I grew up in NYC. I was friends with Billy Crystal’s daughter when I was
little so went to his house a few times.
11. What is the first book that
made you cry?
-The Road, Cormac McCarthy
12. How long, on average,
does it take you to write a book?
-About 6 months, and then
another 6 for editing
13. How do you select the
names of your characters?
-Haha, usually a baby name
generator
14. What creature do you
consider your "spirit animal" to be?
-DOG
15. What are your top 5
favorite movies?
Terminator 2, Heathers, Wall
Street, Days of Heaven, Mulholland Drive
16. Do you have any advice
for aspiring writers?
-Keep at it, don’t let
rejection get to you. Every writer has had rejection.
17. What book do you wish you
had written?
-Great Gatsby
18. What is your favorite
genre to read?
Thriller
19. When did
you write your first book?
-23, but
it took a decade to get that published
20. What
sparks your creativity/how do you get your ideas?
-Music,
movies, art, plays, nature, everything.
21. What
do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Travel, I
really miss traveling right now
22. What’s
a typical writing day like for you?
-Edit in
the mornings, write in the afternoons
23. Do you
listen to music when writing?
-Sometimes
24. Would
you ever write under a pseudonym?
-I would,
I’ve thought about it for a different genre
25. How
do you choose your book covers?
-Usually
it’s the publisher, but I give some input
26.
What’s one thing you’d like to say to your readers?
-Hope you
enjoy my books!
About the Author:
Lee Matthew Goldberg is the author of the novels THE ANCESTOR, THE MENTOR, THE
DESIRE CARD and SLOW DOWN. He has been published in multiple languages and
nominated for the Prix du Polar.
As well
as the sci-fi novel, ORANGE City, his first YA series RUNAWAY TRAIN is
forthcoming in 2021.
After
graduating with an MFA from the New School, his writing has also appeared in
The Millions, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, LitReactor, Monkeybicycle, Fiction Writers Review,
Cagibi, Necessary Fiction, the anthology Dirty Boulevard, The Montreal Review,
The Adirondack Review, The New Plains Review, Underwood Press and others.
He is the editor-in-chief and
co-founder of Fringe, dedicated to publishing fiction that’s
outside-of-the-box.
His
pilots and screenplays have been finalists in Script Pipeline, Book Pipeline,
Stage 32, We Screenplay, the New York Screenplay, Screencraft, and the
Hollywood Screenplay contests.
He is the
co-curator of The Guerrilla Lit Reading Series and lives in New York City.
Follow him at LeeMatthewGoldberg.com
Media links:
Website:
http://www.leematthewgoldberg.com/bio/
Twitter https://twitter.com/LeeMatthewG/
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