Monte Schulz’s new book is Undercity is one of those books I would love to dismiss as extremely thoughtful escapism. But at the risk of sounding excessively sanctimonious, I must not tell lies. No matter one’s political persuasion, one need only be an informed citizen to find chilling relevancy in Schulz’s somewhat anthological work focusing on sixteen, interconnected vignettes taking place against the backdrop of recognizably despotic regimes. Schulz writes with this lyrical prose, but he never becomes out-and-out precious.
URL: https://monteschulzauthor.com/
The result is something that is the literary equivalent of the George Miller film Furiosa. Something vivid and alive, with a good sense of dark humor and absurdism, but at the same time totally straightforward and earnest with each of the scenarios it depicts. What Undercity may not have in terms of out-and-out originality, it more than makes up for in terms of style. You know you’re in good hands when you’re being shown as a reader, not told.
Even masters of genre can fall into this trap, where the need to communicate the necessity of complex and nuanced ideas can make an organically unfolding narrative take a backseat. Add to that a sense of genuine emotional resonance. Schulz manages to avoid this, through a lack of focal dichotomies. Each story is given maximalist attention, forming an interconnected web of thought the reader can come to their own understanding of. Another cinematic parallel to the structuring of Undercity is Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia. Like Undercity, that film is able to juggle a series of interconnecting stories, giving each its due because of how all the narratives interlock into a singular whole. It’s commendable that Schulz is able to do what even some of the great literary masters cannot. To juggle each and every element seamlessly in the air, but never distracting from the greater points at play.
On the promotional site, Schulz is described dynamically as a man who “inherited his father’s appreciation for the power of the written word.” It states, “Schulz’s passion for accuracy and nuanced detail inspire tales colored by history’s treasure trove of world events, transcendent descriptions of scenery, and the ability to capture the human condition authentically. Each of (his) eight novels, reflective of Monte’s unique writing style and methods, have been inspired by a pursuit of meticulously documented facts, gathered to layer color and depth, create powerful visual sagas…Most recently published is Undercity, a companion to the award-wining novel Metropolis, which dives deeper into the upside-down dystopian underground labyrinth of cast-outs, misanthropes and the disenfranchised masses.
BUY THE BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Undercity-Monte-Schulz/dp/B0FDFF7Q6W
In a world of hopelessness and despair, unfettered greed and unchecked power – who will emerge victorious? While conceived in the last decade, Undercity can be interpreted as prophetic in describing our contemporary moment. This engrossing work of fiction feels all too real at times and seemingly draws eerie parallels to today’s political and social landscape – a prediction of what may come in the future if we choose to deny our past.”
Claire Uebelacker