This post will likely turn away a few potential readers, but I’m doing it anyway. Frankly, the readers that won’t like it are ones the would hate the book anyway due to its theme. I wrote Canine Plague with more than the thought of spinning a tall tale. I had some messages I wanted to communicate and I used my literary license to do it. First, understand that I would NEVER compare myself to any of the great novelists who do this much better than I ever could. I am in fact a total noob when it comes to writing fiction. But thanks to the amazing world of independent publishing, made possible primarily by Amazon, I was able to do it. So, what are the messages embedded into this tale? Some of it is direct and some of it is symbolic, almost metaphoric in its messaging, but really more of a commentary on the state of American culture. I realize I’m breaking all the rules of fictional writing, but hey, I can do whatever I want, right? So here goes.
- Junk Science. I detest how science is so often used as a tool by activists and politicians, more often than not to move forward an agenda that is unrelated to the the topic at hand. The novel illustrates how quickly a substantial portion of the public can be swayed to believe nearly anything, as long as it’s backed up by “science.” It doesn’t matter if the science is junk, you’ll still be labeled as a denier by those with an agenda. One of the central characters in Canine Plague is a blogger who has pledged to expose the dangers of junk science. It just so happens the blog is a real one called Bad Science Debunked. I encourage others to follow it.
- Logical Fallacies. Most social justice movements are rife with hypocrisy. Pick one and I’ll be happy to point out the hypocritical side of it. Bandwagon appeals are one of the best examples of logical fallacies. The notion that because something is popular and that everyone is doing it, so should you. Logical fallacies are the source of more misinformation than any other construct in language.
- Charity and Altruism. Charity is a matter of personal choice, but peer pressure should never be the catalyst. The book In Defense of Selfishness: Why the Code of Self Sacrifice is Unjust and Destructive, by Peter Schwartz, is a fascinating read and it will likely challenge your notion of the virtue of altruism. I’m not suggesting that helping others is bad, but there are times when it can actually be destructive. See an excerpt from the book here: HELPING OTHERS, which demonstrats this inconvenient truth.
- Political Conscience. Because our government has it’s lowest ratings in terms of trustworthiness, many of have lost faith in those who are career politicians. We believe their only interest is in themselves. But on rare occasions, some will surface to do the right thing, even at the expense of causing damage to their cause or their political livelihood. Read this excerpt, CHAINS OF DECEIT, and see how one such political operative finally does the right thing and at the same time, frees herself from a lifetime of deceit.
Canine Plague is full of critical social commentary. Give it a read and see if you can find it. There’s a 50/50 chance you won’t agree with me, but hey, that’s okay, I’m a socially tolerant kind of guy [irony intended].