Bedloe: A True Fable

Bedloe: A True Fable

“My name is John Bedloe. I am 48. My 16-year old son James and I are members of the Associate Class living in New York in the year 2040. I am reaching out to you with a warning from a society that is the direct result of the 2016 election of one Ransom B. Conover to the office of president of the United States. ”This is John Bedloe’s sardonic comment on the human condition based on his life experiences. As such, it is an existential reflection on the rise of The State which has now taken Bedloe from enjoying relative free will in 2016, to the tyrannical present in 2040. In this present he lives mostly in the past via recollections of his youth, and of the love between himself and his murdered wife Jane. His son James, who has no factual past thanks to altered history books and FAIR TV, still harbors hopes for a brighter future - even more so when he falls in love with what he and his father agree is the perfect girl. However, the fact is that they, along with ninety percent of the population, exist merely as hopeless slaves of an authoritarian system. His son would not agree with that last statement. "This grim re-imagining of the fallout from the 2016 election will appeal to readers of political satire and apocalyptic fiction... Great for fans of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale." ----PUBLISHERS WEEKLY/BookLife Tony Powers is a first time novelist. His novel "Bedloe" has hit the jackpot. As a dystopian vision of the world it is contemporary and tragic. It is most of the things we have nightmarish inklings of perhaps happening in the near future. As a cautionary, this is an important book. It's paced beautifully and has three great relationships in its pages. Two beautifully wrought friendships between men and women, and a father and son relationship. All with the kind of depth and genuineness that only a master can spin. I can't tell you how enthusiastic I am about this book by first-time novelist Powers. Bedloe makes us face,and understand, what is right and what is wrong about the current state of the human condition. This is a must read. ---Bob Kalich, Author: "David Lazar" and "The Handicapper." "... a very heartbreaking story of a father and the son living in mid 21st century. In some ways it reminded me a lot of DON'T YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS A WAR ON? Because it dealt with everyday life in less than ideal circumstances and of how the two tried to survive. There is nothing dramatic within like zombies or apocalypse or end of the world, but it seemed frighteningly prescient as well as a bit accurate. One wants to say to forget and good riddance to Ransom B. Conover, but it's 2021, and the woods are still looming." 4 out of 5 stars. --- Svetlana's Reads and Views The text is incredibly detailed, covering each character's thoughts,actions, and motives in remarkable depth...The focus oncharacter motivation elevates this beyond a typical thriller — Manny and Rich are well-crafted and original characters.Despite the crime-heavy subject matter, this is a character-drivenstory, and Powers does a successful job of slowly developing each man'sreasoning, desires, and limitations. ---The BookLife Prize Bedloe: A True Fable, by Tony Powers is a dystopian novel set in the year 2040 in a bleak version of New York. The protagonist, John Bedloe, and his son James live under the oppressive rule of a totalitarian regime, a direct result of the 2016 election of Ransom B. Conover as president. While John reflects on his past freedoms and mourns the loss of his wife Jane, his son remains hopeful for a better future. The novel serves as a dark commentary on government control, loss of free will, and the distortion of history. This is a biting and relevant critique of authoritarianism with interesting social and political themes to consider, woven well into the natural storyline of a family drama. Tony Powers' ability to connect a credible historical timeline to fictional dystopia makes the story both chilling and reflective as we see the strong parallels that are drawn between the world we live in and the one that John and James have to endure. I was very touched by the dynamic relationship of father and son, and I enjoyed the close narrative viewpoint that lets us into their history and shows the way their attitudes have been affected by the sociopolitical climate of their world. Powers excels in crafting a bleak dystopian future. It feels disturbingly plausible, packed with immersive descriptions of life under an authoritarian regime. This draws readers into a world where the manipulation of history and media mirrors real-world fears. Overall, Bedloe is a highly recommended read for fans of unsettling dystopian dramas. ---K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite Given what is happening in America today, this may well be our future - and that of the entire world. "My name is John Bedloe. I am 48. My 16 year old son James and I are members of the Associate