In Meritropolis everyone is assigned a numerical Score that decides their worth to society and whether they live or die. After a young boy is killed because of a low Score, his brother plots to take down the System.
Sounds good, right? Well, this exciting YA Dystopia is on sale for just 99 cents Thursday, November 27 through Monday, December 1. You can pick up your copy on Amazon.
To celebrate, we are offering a giveaway for an autographed copy and a $100 Amazon gift card—hooray!
Meritropolis by Joel Ohman
Publication Date: September 8, 2014
The
year is AE3, 3 years after the Event. Within the walls of Meritropolis,
50,000 inhabitants live in fear, ruled by the brutal System that
assigns each citizen a merit score that dictates whether they live or
die. Those with the highest scores thrive, while those with the lowest
are subject to the most unforgiving punishment—to be thrust outside the
city gates, thrown to the terrifying hybrid creatures that exist beyond.
But
for one High Score, conforming to the System just isn’t an option.
Seventeen-year-old Charley has a brother to avenge. And nothing—not even
a totalitarian military or dangerous science—is going to stop him.
Where
humankind has pushed nature and morals to the extreme, Charley is
amongst the chosen few tasked with exploring the boundaries, forcing him
to look deep into his very being to discern right from wrong. But as he
and his friends learn more about the frightening forces that threaten
destruction both without and within the gates, Meritropolis reveals
complexities they couldn’t possibly have bargained for…
BONUS Original Artwork - 17 original chapter illustrations that
precede each of the 17 chapters: Bion (Bull-Lion), Scorpicon
(Scorpion-Falcon), Chimpanzelle (Chimp-Gazelle), and more!
Check out this interview with Joel Ohman, the author of the book critics
are calling, “The Hunger Games meets The Village with a young Jack
Reacher as a protagonist”, then scroll to the end of this post to learn
more about the giveaway. Happy reading, and good luck!
Reader Interview with Joel Ohman
Who or what was your inspiration to write about post-apocalyptic, dystopian sci-fi?
I've
read a lot in this genre, so I would say it’s a mix of a lot of
different things. I really just wanted to explore this question of,
"What gives a person worth?" Is it their usefulness to society? Is it
because someone loves them? Is it because of how they look? Is it
because of their health or ability? As a Christian, I believe that all
people have worth, because they are made in the image of God. I wanted
to explore some different takes on this question. I think that the
post-apocalyptic/dystopian/sci-fi genre was the best vehicle to tackle
some of those deep philosophical questions in a fun and interesting way.
Why do you write? Is it for fun, or because you have something you need to say in your writing?
Some
writers are loath to say their writing has a message, because maybe
they think doing so diminishes their art (not true, in my opinion), but I
think that everyone has a message in their writing, even if they aren't
as consciously focused on it—and that's a good thing. My message is in
my epigraph: "Because everyone matters - Psalm 139".
Why the title Meritropolis?
I wanted a short one word title
that was a clever—or at least semi-clever—play on two different words. I
like "Meritropolis" because it combines "Merit" and "Metropolis," two
words that are great for describing a city where each resident's worth
is measured by a score given to them.
In Meritropolis how were the animal combinations decided upon? For
example, I know you chose to write about a bion (bull-lion), as well as
many other freaks of nature. So what I want to know is how did you
decided which animals to meld together and why.
I have a big list
of animal combinations that I came up with before I began writing the
book, and I tried to work in as many as I could. Sometimes the only
criteria was that I liked the way the name sounded. Look for many more
in the following books!
Can you tell us about your characters and who/what inspired them?
I
am a big believer in John Truby’s approach to building a “character
web”, because this deepens the relationships between characters and
helps to make each of the characters more complex. Absent building a
good character web, it can be all too easy to fall into the
not-very-true-to-real-life good-person/bad-person false dichotomy where
your protagonist devolves into this I-can-do-no-wrong character and your
antagonist is just pure evil. I was very much aiming to show the
imperfections and brokenness in each of the characters. My thinking as a
Christian influences this to some degree, given that the Bible teaches
that we are all essentially the same; we are all sinners—only God is
perfect.
Do you have a favorite genre that you like to read?
I read
pretty much everything! Fiction, non-fiction, you name it! I am of the
opinion that, as an author, I can learn something from almost every kind
of writing. Sometimes, it most definitely is a matter of learning what
not to do—but, on the whole, I love to read a wide variety of writing
styles, genres, etc.
Are there any books that have inspired your own writing?
I
read A LOT so there are many different things that have shaped my
writing over the years, but I wouldn't say there was any particular
book, or books, that I was consciously looking to for inspiration while
writing Meritropolis. Looking back though I can definitely see different
threads of influence in almost everything I have read over the years
that contribute toward making Meritropolis what it is: the strong
protagonist of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series, the philosophical bent
of C.S. Lewis’ fiction, the dystopian setting of Hugh
Howey’s WOOL series, and many more.
Are there any authors that have emerged in the last three years that have caught your interest?
Hugh Howey is an author that I really like that has caught my attention lately. I would highly recommend his WOOL series!
Joel Ohman
is
the author of Meritropolis—“The Hunger Games meets The Village with a
young Jack Reacher as a protagonist”. He lives in Tampa, FL with his
wife Angela and their three kids. His writing companion is Caesar, a
slightly overweight Bull Mastiff who loves to eat the tops off of strawberries
Don’t forget!
Meritropolis is marked down from its regular price of $5.99, but only for a limited time. Feed your Kindle by picking up a discounted copy for just 99 cents, but make sure you do it before December 2!
Now enter the Giveaway!
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Visit www.novelpublicity.com/meritropolis.
is the author of over 20 published works, including The Legend of the Archangel Series and The Garden of Eden. She has studied everything from veterinary nursing, forensic science, and dramatic arts, but has always known her true calling was to be an author.
She has been writing since her teens - everything from fan fiction, to song lyrics, to plays and musicals. When not working on her next paranormal romance, she can be found at home in Australia, reading somewhere comfortable with one or both of her “fur babies.” Follow her on Facebook, Twitter @llhunterbooks, and her blog.
