Pandora Dylan Gorman: Stories That Are Messages
By Michael Heath / selfpublishingUS.com
The book world has recently seen the arrival of a new category of fiction called New Adult. Borne from the surging popularity of Young Adult fiction, the target audience is readers in the 18-to-30 age bracket. Protagonists are usually in their early 20s and typically have story lines surrounding topics such as leaving home, career and education choices, and even romance.
With the hunger for New Adult books, author Pandora Dylan Gorman’s book The Paris Match appears to be right on time. Gorman’s work is a collection of six stories all which center around a woman in her early 20s venturing out into the big, bad world. The writing is heavily influenced by past picaresque authors who use a main character that is a bit roguish but at the same time likeable. Picaresque characters are always on the low end of the social spectrum and require the use of their own street smarts to make it in life experiences that are far from ideal. Gorman peels away the glamorous veils of the fashion industry and sex trade to expose the harsh realities. Each story she tells is a warning to young females that the occupations there can be exploitive to the point of outright danger.
Pandora Gorman claims that her stories are not autobiographical; however, coming from a diplomatic family, she lived around the world and freely admits that some of those life experiences show up in her stories. Early years were spent in Europe where she began to write, sometimes jotting down ideas on the back of a napkin. She spent her teenage years in Argentina where she was exposed to the writings of novelist Luisa Valenzuela whose books examine the hierarchal social structure from a female perspective. This style of writing is a constant influence in Gorman’s work.
The author is fluent in five languages, allowing her to make a living as both an interpreter and translator. She worked in high-tech industries but always knew that writing was her passion. The Paris Match can be purchased on the author’s website: pandoradylangorman.com. With the popularity of New Adult fiction, let us hope that Pandora Dylan Gorman has more stories to tell.
Comments