While every single attempt at socialism in human history has failed, usually leading to the murder of millions of people, it is being revived by those who think they can “do it right this time.” I’ve been writing about American principles and American values for newspapers and magazines for years. The threat to the exceptional American experiment that has led so many people of all backgrounds to success and happiness, led me to write this novel. I hope that it is fun enough and interesting enough that many readers will enjoy it, and more importantly learn from it. And take action to preserve the values and principles of America that have uplifted and inspired so many for over two centuries.
I wrote...
Animal Lab
By
Bob Zeidman
What is my book about?
One day, the animals at a research lab wake up with the abilities of rational thought and communication. And the humans are gone. They realize they must organize into a society with rules, rights, and responsibilities. They heard about a farm in England where the animals created a socialist society that eventually failed. They are determined to succeed, so they create a democratic republic. But can they keep it?
Animal Lab is an allegorical novel by Bob Zeidman. It is a warning about the possible coming collapse of American society and along with it, American principles, values, and freedoms—torches that have lit the path for the advancement of the human condition for over two centuries and that must not be allowed to be extinguished.
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The Books I Picked & Why
Animal Farm
By
George Orwell
Why this book?
This book had an incredible impact on me. I read it in a single afternoon when I was a teenager, and it still resonates with me often, today. It simply yet emotionally and intellectually makes the argument against socialism in terms that anyone can understand. The characters are endearing. The story starts out with such optimism but ends on a desperately sad note—just like every experiment in socialism. That’s why I chose to write a sequel to it, updated for our modern society.
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Brainwave: The Greatest Masterpiece by the Science Fiction Grandmaster
By
Poul Anderson
Why this book?
This is another book that stuck with me for many years. What happened if animals suddenly had increased intelligence and the power of speech? They would need to start a society from scratch. How would they accomplish this? This unique premise just fascinated me, and I think it is a very underrated classic science fiction novel.
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Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus
By
Orson Scott Card
Why this book?
This is one of the least-known books by science fiction writer Orson Scott Card, but it’s my favorite. In a dying future, scientists are sent back to the past to initially transcribe history and later to change it when they discover that possibility. Time travel books can either be an interesting intellectual exercise or a jumble of logical impossibilities. This is the former, but it is also a great historical description of the discovery of the New World including all of the wonders and atrocities. It confronts the disturbing roots of European and American slavery as well as the barbarism of native American cultures. It is a well-written, exciting, emotional experience full of fascinating personalities, high adventure, historical narratives, and serious questions about morality.
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Atlas Shrugged
By
Ayn Rand
Why this book?
This book is a large, difficult, preachy novel. Its characters are not very complex—most are either very good (and handsome) or very evil (and ugly). It moves slowly, with long, repetitive speeches intertwined with the story that slow it down further. Yet I recommend it because the concepts are so important, and the story and characters have come to symbolize the beautiful progress of capitalism and the ugly regression of crony capitalism. This is not an easy or necessarily enjoyable read, but it is an important one.
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Planet of the Apes
By
Pierre Boulle
Why this book?
The book and the original 1968 movie are worthwhile experiences that examine our society, our treatment of animals, and our treatment of each other by creating a planet in which the roles of humans and apes are swapped. The screenplay was written by Oscar-winner Michael Wilson and Emmy-winner Rod Serling and adds a legendary ending that was the talk of the neighborhood kids when I was growing up. It created a powerful symbol of mankind’s possible eventual destruction that stayed with me over the years.
The 2001 remake of the movie stayed fairly true to the original movie but was a bit slow because of its many side stories. The second remake in 2011 had amazing special effects but made the disturbing point that humans have become a destructive society that must be abolished by the apes. While the original message was to treat animals and each other better, the later remake has audiences cheering the deaths of humans, which further reflects how our society’s values are deteriorating.
