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NOVEL SENDS UP CLIMATE ACTION
Animal Farm 2 is a fiction story by Martin Knox, a sequel to Animal Farm by George Orwell (1945). It updates up to modern times: energy geopolitics, climate change and animal liberation. The animals live on an island, Caruba, near the Democratic Union, but are enslaved by pigs who rule with ruthless autocratic leaders, parodying presidents of the Social Republic, culminating in Dimitri, who wants to restore their empire. When climate concerns stop the animals mining coal, their only income, they learn climate science in night classes, gaining a new and different understanding of the issues. Will the animals accept the shutting down of Caruba’s coal-fired power station and cessation of coal export? Will they challenge the pigs’ leadership? This is a humorous book that showcases the author’s technical understanding of the basic climate science issues, which he presents with engineering accuracy and a teacher’s clarity. It is a satirical novel story that is always entertaining.
Available on Amazon. Reviews: martinknox.com
Information didn’t reach anyone
Today my post on the WordPress platform has not brought any hits on my website nor interest in my novel Presumed Dead, a political crime fiction thriller. The book is set in a hung parliament. The title of my post was Must Parliament be Hung? It was inoffensive, apolitical and informative. I have received no complaint about the content of my post. I am disappointed that my information didn’t reach anyone..
I assume reach to my 130 followers was suppressed by a WordPress algorithm sensitive to political issues. I am alarmed that my post offering analysis and alternatives for Australia’s democracy has been taken out at a time when discussion is wanted. In the opinion of most people, a healthy democracy allows its political processes to be discussed respectfully.
Guy Debord, a French philosopher, wrote in The Society of the Spectacle (1967) that the people are exploited by the leaders for profit, with images created by the media and others. The spectacle is totalitarian. This theory would explain the suppression of my post, because discussion of a hung parliament could increase or decrease profits and leader interests.
If the algorithms would stop my post earlier today reaching anyone, then the spectacle could stop this one, because it exposes the monetisation intent of WordPress in allowing reach. Our future could be bleak.
martinknox.com
Review of Animal Farm 2
ONLINE BOOK CLUB by Tony Official » 03 May 2022
Animal Farm 2 by Martin Knox is a political satire that was also written as a fable, just like George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Written as a follow-up to Orwell’s masterpiece, this novel talks about the continuance of the revolution of the animals. It is a jump from frying pan to fire, judging from the fact that the animals that were hoping for a better life after the revolution found themselves in the totalitarian hands of the pigs.
After the revolution spearheaded by Old Major and Napoleon many years ago led to the deposition and banishment of Farmer Jones from his establishment, the animals sat back, hoping to enjoy the fruits of freedom that took every drop of their blood, sweat, and tears only to find themselves in the hands of a terrible government where votes didn’t count and voices were not heard. But then, the animals realized what they had to do; they invested a lot of time, risk, and resources in educating themselves in science and learning. After a very long while, their quest for freedom from the pigs began with the rise of Arnold the bull.
As a follow-up to the great Animal Farm, I would say that the book really made its mark, considering the big shoe it had to fill. The description and imagination of the author to create scenes depicting animals going about their daily activities like humans were amazing. At some point, it felt like a science textbook because the author tried to drive home his points with his knowledge of chemical engineering, a course he studied at the university. This made the book more appealing, especially since the author has a lot of knowledge about science. Pain and freedom were predominant themes in the novel, and the way he was able to balance both is commendable. As a child, I had always hoped that the book Animal Farm would have a sequel. This book by Martin Knox fulfilled that fantasy.
The book had very few grammatical errors, a testament to good professional editing. However, the only negative thing about the book is that at some point, it turned into a textbook on climate change. With all of these very well-considered, I’ll rate this book four out of four stars. I couldn’t convince myself to give it any other rating other than this.
I strongly recommend this work of art to lovers of politics. People who enjoy reading historical-fiction novels and lovers of literature would be best suited for this book. This book is also recommended to science students.
Available on Amazon martinknox.com
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RUSSIAN REVOLUTION SATIRISED
In the novel Animal Farm 2 by Martin Knox, George Orwell’s 1945 satire is brought up to date with recent events, after the revolution replaced the farmer with a series of autocratic pig presidents parodying Stalin to Yeltsin. When President Dimitri perpetuates his presidency, will the animals tolerate his campaign to restore an empire which crumbled in 1989? Or will they revolt again, to achieve the liberation the animals have wanted for so long?
Available on Amazon. Reviews: martinknox.com
