Thy King Dumb Come

by Stephen Tryon

Overview

In this prescient and creative parody, a tired
student dreams his way into a series of
confrontations with President-Who-Would-Be-King
Donnie Dumb and his evil minions. Fortunately, a
host of great thinkers appear as a menagerie of
friendly animals to help our hero along. Through
them, Stephen finds Jesus, a black man running
a food bank and homeless shelter. With Jesus as
guide, we experience an abortion clinic, a Black
Lives Matter protest, and a rally for President Dumb.
At last, Stephen finds himself in court, accompanied
by Socrates, and with Jesus as defense counsel.
What could possibly go wrong?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781734304725
Publisher:	accountabilitycitizenship.org
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Pages:	188
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Stephen Tryon is the youngest of eight children from a military family. He joined the Army after high school
and served on five continents. From a desperate firefight over a defector to a near-fatal parachute
accident to teaching military ethics to cadets and preparing the Army's senior general for congressional
hearings, Stephen's military experience gives him a unique perspective on how our government works,
and how it could work better. Upon leaving the Army, he turned to business. In this arena, his adventures
included managing enormous warehouses, overseeing technical implementations and chasing business
deals from Sligo to Shanghai. Stephen lives in Utah. He loves cooking, traveling, and time with family.

Editorial Reviews

"The perfect read for those who enjoy satire, humor and political fiction, especially in the wake of the 2016 election and more recently the 2020 election in the United States."

"A hilarious, creative and fairly quick read..."

Pacific Book Review - Tony Espinoza

2020-11-17
Tryon’s satirical novel tells the story of a scholar navigating a dream world while skewering contemporary American politics.

Stephen, who’s pursuing a master’s degree, falls asleep while researching “the latest machine models used to crunch and analyze massive data sets.” He finds himself in a dream in which he takes the form of a moth flying around the Oval Office, occupied by President Donnie Dumb. He witnesses a conversation between the president and his chief of staff in which Dumb asks: “Could I sign an executive order making myself king?” Stephen then finds himself conversing with the philosopher Socrates, who’s taken the form of a dog. An “ICE Raven” overhears their discussion and writes Stephen a citation for undermining the customs of the locality. Guided by Socrates through the city of Green Valley, Stephen encounters Plato, Albert Einstein, Jesus Christ, and others who help him prepare for his trial and, in doing so, highlight the massive deficiencies in Dumb’s approach to government. Tryon’s wildly imaginative story provides thought-provoking commentary on contemporary politics from a distinctly liberal perspective: “The foxes have started a network….They tell stories that either misrepresent the facts or create a false impression of the truth by carefully omitting key facts.” Tryon also has Jesus state that “People who truly care about living a Christian life are called to support Black Lives Matter.” The author’s discomforting comedy sometimes makes for jaw-dropping moments, though, as when Dumb bounces his daughter, Ibetya, on his knee and she recalls a visit with “Jeremy Creepstein”: “He was such a nice man. Remember when you sent me to his house for a play date?” It’s fair to say that the author’s unflinching views on race, abortion, religion, and citizenship won’t sit well with all readers. However, the writing is bold, merciless, and pitted with vitriolic humor. (The novel also includes a series of simple, uncredited character illustrations that add little to the narrative.)

A daring lampoon guaranteed to ruffle feathers.

Kirkus Reviews