Welcome to SFFWorld, many thanks for giving us some time here. In your own words, who is Todd Berger?
Todd Berger is a filmmaker living in Los Angeles. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and has always dreamed of writing his first novel, which now he’s done and needs to move on to the next item of his bucket list – skydiving. He finds talking about himself in the 3rd person fairly awkward.
How would you describe Showdown City? What do you feel is unique about your story?
Showdown City is a modern-day Western about a group of Nevadians that get stranded in the desert and come upon a long-lost Old West town that’s been living in isolation for 135 years – and the place has gone gotten a bit strange in all that time alone. It also may or may not be a satire of certain political issues facing the world today. What I feel is unique is probably the sardonic tone I tried to give to a story that in a lot of hands would probably have been treated fairly grim.
What goals might you have set for yourself when writing Showdown City and how do you feel about the end result?
First I wanted to do something wholly original, both in subject matter and execution. Second I wanted to write something that I myself would really want to read. I feel really good about both goals, since I read over the novel again the other day and was a big fan. I can’t wait to read more from me!
How did you get the idea in the first place and have it evolved much since the first draft?
I read an article about how 85% of Nevada is owned by the federal government and there are HUGE portions where you’re not legally allowed to visit. This got me thinking about what might be out there in the mountains, still sitting untouched since the pioneer days. Then it occurred to me – what if it was some pioneers? I’d say the plot has remained pretty intact since my first draft, but many of the storytelling devices I used organically changes as I was writing. Which character perspectives we’re seeing the plot from, etc.
What are your hopes and expectations now that your first novel is being released?
I of course want as many people to read it as possible and hopefully get something out of it. But honestly I’m just glad it’s out there in the world. I enjoy knowing that if I were to get hit by a bus tomorrow, the novel would still exist forever and anyone at any point could pick it up and read it.
Can you tell us a bit about the process that led up to Showdown City being published?
My day job is a screenwriter but I’ve always been wanting to write a novel since I was young. I finally started working on Showdown City in my free time and after a year or so had a manuscript I was pretty happy with. I showed it to my screenwriting agent, and he dug it enough to send it over to a book agent in New York that he knew. The book agent liked and agreed to send it around – and the rest is history. I consider myself very lucky, but then as Hollywood producer Robert Evans always says “Luck is when opportunity meets preparation.”
How did you start writing? Was there a particular book or moment in your life that spurred you on?
I loved Encyclopedia Brown books as a kid. The way you could flip to the back of the book to learn the solution to mystery, but were encouraged to try and figure it out yourself. I tried to write a few short mysteries like that myself, and that spurred me to start writing short stories and some longer stuff.
What books inspired your career as an author, and what authors do you enjoy now?
Jurassic Park (the book) came out when I was eleven years old and blew my mind. It was an awesome mix of science and adventure and suspense. I then, like most pre-teens at the time, went on a Michael Crichton kick and gobbled up all his other books, including being wildly confused by Sphere. (You’ll actually see tinges of Westworld and Jurassic Park within Showdown City.) I then went on a huge Elmore Leonard kick, loving his dialogue and no-nonsense writing style, and actually reading his book of Western short stories a few years ago is what got me interested in there whole Western genre. Now I love authors who mix in intriguing plots with pop culture sensibility like Ernest Kline and Chuck Klosterman.
What’s next? Do you have more new and exciting projects you’re working on?
I’ve always got film stuff in the works, but novel-wise I’m working on another book now that’s sort of a satire of both celebrity and the geopolitical intelligence community (it’s complicated.) I also have another idea I want to get started soon that’s inspired by those Encyclopedia Brown books I read as a kid.
Once again, thank you very much for your time
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Interview by Dag Rambraut – SFFWorld.com © 2016
