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Pam Bachorz (born 1973) is an author of speculative fiction from the United States.

Biography

Bachorz was born in 1973 in Salem, Massachusetts. She has written two speculative fiction novels for young adults: Candor, published in 2009, and Drought, published in 2011. Candor, set in the near future, uses a trope common to horror in speculative fiction, that of a small town "malevolently under some kind of mesmeric or unholy control". A review in Wired magazine described the book's fictional setting as one that would produce "Stepford children", children brainwashed into conformity via subliminal messages. Its protagonist is Oscar Banks, whose father founded the town, and operates its system of indoctrination. Banks pretends to be a conformist, while covertly helping residents escape. Banks encounters a new girl in town, Nia, who has a strikingly different personality, forcing him to decide whether to keep her in town to alleviate his boredom, or help her also leave.

A review of the volume by Publishers Weekly called some aspects of the premise "difficult to swallow", but was positive overall, calling it a compelling story. The Wired review similarly praised Bachorz's ability to keep the plot moving and build suspense, though it described the book as "not terribly deep", and with a larger quotient of romance than expected. An essay in The ALAN Review commented on the varying motivations of the adults in the town; for Oscar Banks's father, brainwashing the children represents an opportunity for wealth, while for the parents, it is the idea of a "perfect family". The book references several works of fiction that feature propaganda or psychological control, including Nineteen Eighty-Four and The Clockwork Orange, while its ending was described as resembling that of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which also explores psychological control. Bachorz's second novel, Drought, is also set in a small and coercive community, which the protagonist seeks to escape.

Awards and honors

Publications

• Candor (2009, EgmontUSA, ISBN 978-1-6068-4012-2)
• Drought (2011, EgmontUSA, ISBN 978-1-6068-4016-0)

References

1. ^ Clute, John (August 11, 2018). "Bachorz, Pam". In Nicholls, Peter; Clute, John; Sleight, Graham (eds.). The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Gollancz. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
2. ^ Ceceri, Kathy (14 December 2009). "Candor is Stepford for Kids- But Is That So Bad?". Wired. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
3. ^ Jones, Patrick (Winter 2012). "Mind Games: Mind Control in YA literature". ALAN. 39 (2). doi:10.21061/alan.v39i2.a.2.
4. ^ "Candor". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
5. "Best Books for Young Adults Nominations". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2006-09-29. Archived from the original on 2020-06-13. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
6. "2009 Cybils Finalists". Archived from the original on 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2023-03-22.
7. "Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. Archived from the original on 2023-04-05. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
8. "2011 Teens' Top Ten Nominations" (PDF). American Library Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2023-04-05.

External links

• Author's website

• 1973 births
• Living people
• American speculative fiction artists
• American women science fiction and fantasy writers