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The People's Republic of Me - Novelist Nick Mamatas declares his independence
I met Nick Mamatas in 1999 when he edited my first book, "Saving Private
Power." Nick was (and is) brutally honest and opinionated. He also wields
his wit like a weapon and is just about the smartest guy I know. Author of
six books (including two novels) and contributor to several more, Mamatas is
an original and creative writer with palpable subtlety, nuance, and social
conscience. His latest novel, "Under My Roof" (Soft Skull), is a suburban
fable about a family that declares independence thanks to a homemade nuclear
device stored inside a garden gnome. Having just finished reading this
remarkable book, I decided to ask Nick a few questions via e-mail.
Mickey Z.: How would you feel if I said your new book reminded me of Kurt
Vonnegut...and I meant that as a major compliment?
Nick Mamatas: That would feel great. Vonnegut is definitely an influence. I
was handed "Slapstick" by an indulgent uncle at a young age ‹ I was probably
eight years-old ‹ never looked back. Lots of kids read science fiction, of
course, but they generally start with Asimov or Andre Norton or somesuch.
My "skipping ahead" really did help define my aesthetic.
MZ: The roof your protagonist is living under just happens to be located on
suburban Long Island. You misspent your youth there, right?
NM: Some of it. We traveled back and forth between Brooklyn and Suffolk
County, and then my father built a home there. We actually moved in when I
was a junior in high school, into the basement which was then just four
walls and a dirt floor. I built my own room over the next couple of years.
MZ: Any repressed lawn gnome memories to share (radioactive or otherwise)?
NM: We never had a lawn gnome, but since finishing the book I have to say
that I've started seeing gnomes EVERYWHERE. I think they're making a
comeback as a kitschy cultural signifier of something or other.
MZ: After "Fight Club" came out, there were plenty of stories about men
meeting furtively to bash each other's faces. Do you think "Under My Roof"
will spawn micro-states from sea to shining sea?
NM: I doubt it. It was the "Fight Club" movie, not the book, after all, that
sparked the sparring contests. "Under My Roof" isn't headed for Hollywood
any time soon, though at least one editor who ultimately rejected the book
suggested that we make it more like a movie. "Instead of a nuclear bomb,"
she said, "why can't the kid have a girlfriend, like in 'Napoleon
Dynamite'."
MZ: Prince Herbert of Weinbergia may not have a girlfriend but he can read
minds. Is that a superpower you'd like to possess?
NM: Absolutely, especially given the scope of Herbie's power in the book,
which includes the ability to read minds regardless of distance. Well,
I suppose if I had to choose, I'd prefer teleportation, but telepathy
is a close second.
MZ: This book skewers much of what passes for normal these days:
consumerism, military propaganda, reality TV, junk food, and so on. If you
hate America so much, why don't you go live in Russia?
NM: What, Russia doesn't have consumerism, military propaganda, reality TV,
or junk food? If one dislikes imperialism, the best place to live is in the
US, after all, as on can work to apply political pressure better within the
country's borders than without. Of course, the book, as it deals with the
foundation of microstates that ultimately recapitulate the problems of the
US, shows that the political question isn't just a matter of individual
lifestyle, or of choosing one nation over another. We're in a world system,
after all.
MZ: If you had your very own micro-state, what would it be called?
NM: The People's Republic of Me, and my life wouldn't change a bit, except
I wouldn't have to pay a ridiculous percentage of my low freelance
income in taxes.
Writings 
I met Nick Mamatas in 1999 when he edited my first book, "Saving Private
Power." Nick was (and is) brutally honest and opinionated. He also wields
his wit like a weapon and is just about the smartest guy I know. Author of
six books (including two novels) and contributor to several more, Mamatas is
an original and creative writer with palpable subtlety, nuance, and social
conscience. His latest novel, "Under My Roof" (Soft Skull), is a suburban
fable about a family that declares independence thanks to a homemade nuclear
device stored inside a garden gnome. Having just finished reading this
remarkable book, I decided to ask Nick a few questions via e-mail.
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