Rabbletown: Life in These United Christian States of Holy America

by Randy Attwood

What kind of life would it be if the Religious Right ruled America. This future history set circa 2084 in Topeka, Kansas, shows what happens when ultimate power resides in the hand of the Evangels. Potential redemption comes in the form of a boy with an amazing memory for Bible verses.

Genres: Fiction, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic

134 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 17, 2011

About the author

I grew up on the grounds of a Kansas insane asylum where my father was a dentist. I attended the University of Kansas during the troubled 1960s getting a degree in art history. After stints writing and teaching in Italy and Japan I had a 16-year career in newspapers as reporter, editor and column writer winning major awards in all categories. I turned to health care public relations serving as director of University Relations at KU Medical Center. I finished my career as media relations officer of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Now retired, I am marketing the fiction I've written over all those years. And creating more.

Reviews

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please note, I originally read this book 9/2/2011 from a copy provided by the author for review; I provided editing for the author later, prior to publishing this book in paperback format.

Additional note: I now have an audio file of myself reading this review aloud, which can be found on Soundcloud by following this link. So, if you've been curious to hear my voice, here is your chance!

Book info Genre: Dystopian Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: EVERYONE

My reading experience: I expected a few things when I started reading this book. I expected to maybe be amused by a satirical take on the Fundamentalists that are doing their utmost to take over this country – sadly, the concept is difficult to make amusing, because the idea of Fundamentalists taking over this country and turning it into an Evangelical theocracy is absolutely terrifying to anyone who wants to live in love and Light. I expected to be outraged by the excesses of Fundamentalist leaders who grow fat and rich off the tithing of their flock, while the common people live in poverty and squalor. I expected to be terrified by the idea of an Evangelical theocracy in general. What I did not expect was to be profoundly moved. I did not expect the overwhelming desire to make this book required reading for everyone. I did not expect goose bumps or a profound feeling of “rightness” to come over me while I read this book. I did not expect to want to take to the streets to preach the word of Bobby – to propose that the world would be a better place if we all became … Bobbites.

Synopsis: You see, 12-year-old Bobby Crowley – the son of stone-mason Bob Crowley, who is working to build a cathedral in Topeka, KS that will be larger and more glorious than any other cathedral in the world – is special. He has an amazing memory for Bible verses, and a strangely wise way of saying just the right thing at just the right time. And he has been carefully watching the formation of a significant alignment of stars in the sky, including a new star that just appeared three months ago, which are coming into a cross-like shape. And on a Friday like any other Friday – a Stoning Friday that would see the stoning to death of a “heathen, a whore, a pair of adulterers and a pair of faggots” - Bobby takes his place among the great religious leaders of the world when he steps forward and speaks the words, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,” and in the process saves the life of a beatific young woman: he gains a following and begins performing miracles, and providing proverbs of hope, peace and love. Many people believe he is the second coming of Christ.

Caught in his wake are a prostitute, his teacher (himself gay and who has been forcing himself upon the weaker boys in his classes), the young woman who had been accused of being a whore and set to be stoned, a seller of banned books, a Catholic friar and many more; they go into Rabbletown, the slums of Topeka, where Bobby spreads the true way – the way of peace, love, acceptance and kindness, rather than the hate and manipulations used by those in power. And in a world where the leaders all revere and emulate the practices and beliefs of that disgusting scumbag Fred Phelps, those sorts of teachings are threatening to the power structure. Bobby and all who believe in him and his miracles are declared anathema and the Inquisition is sent after them.

My Thoughts: This book does two things: it exposes the horror of a theocratic, fascist Evangelical Fundamentalist power structure, and it provides hope for redemption for anyone who chooses to live a truly good life, and follow the basic teachings that so many modern-day dogmatics seem to forget are the only two rules laid down by Christ – you know, the one Christians are supposed to emulate? Yeshua Christos told his followers to follow two simple rules:

1) love each other and treat others like you would like them to treat you and;
2) love the Higher Power of Creation, in whatever form you choose to comprehend It.

It doesn’t matter what religion, creed, belief structure, or lack thereof you choose to affiliate yourself with, these simple rules are common across almost every single one, and are the only rules that are really necessary to create a world in which everyone would like to live. This book – reading this book – will cause a profound shift in perception and I believe, honestly, that the world would be a better place if everyone followed the example set by Bobby. We all need to become Bobbites. Read this book and see if you don’t find these truths to be as profound as I did.

[Samantha Davenport · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. Intriguing premise and a favorable comparison to Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale were enough for me to buy it. However I found it far too heavy-handed. The word "offensive" came to mind more than once. I'm not a fan of Evangelical Fundamentalist Christianity but the version in this book was so completely one-sided that I wondered if there weren't some personal axe being ground. I had problems with the story line too: seemed as if things were being added to make a point rather than to advance the plot. I struggled to finish because I could sympathize with where the author was trying to go but it was a tough ride.

[Nancy Griffis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall: 4 out of 5 bookmarks

I’m of two minds about this novel. On the one hand, it’s an intriguing (if somewhat familiar) premise with unique characters and an unapologetic tone. On the other hand, it was a story in search of a plot that never quite materialized and, because there were so many characters, there wasn’t a heck of a lot of individual character development. Under normal circumstances, I’d be giving a novel sans in-depth character and plot development a pass, but in this particular case it gels in a way that leaves you thinking and wanting more which is, of course, what a good book does.

I’m not going to go into any real detail about the novel itself because I do recommend reading it. Randy Attwood has a deft touch with his characters and following them through their lives in a corrupt theocracy is definitely a worthwhile read. To be contradictory, I couldn’t read Rabbletown for long periods of time; I had to keep stopping to come up for air. Not because the story was bad, but because it got intense after a while; more the slow burn of combined spices than the instant fire of jalapenos. I kept reaching a saturation point where I had to stop and do something else but it kept drawing me back.

The overview of the story is that the major governments of the world wiped each other out with a nuclear strike after 9/11, but that even before that, the Religious Right took control of the US Gov’t in a major way. After the fallout, the US transformed into a theocracy from the revivalist/evangelist sects and wiped out (i.e.: massacred) all other religions except the Catholics, who were allowed on sufferance due to their technical learnings. Books were burned. History was destroyed. Freedom was wiped out. Gays are unapologetically called faggots and stoned to death, along with adulterers and ‘heathens,’ generally anyone against the status quo. Into this world, the poor stay poor and the rich stay rich, divided by deep lines of religious power and the lack thereof. At first glance, it seems like a “stereotypical” post-apocalyptic tale of zealotry gone wrong, but it’s not.

The majority of the book takes place in Topeka, KS, which has a ghetto area called Rabbletown where the fringe of society ekes out an existence that barely qualifies as one. We start out with a simple bricklayer, Bob Crowley, working on the largest religious edifice built since the nuclear strike. We meet his family: his devout wife, his odd son, and a daughter that hates him, along with a passel of other children who don’t get named. We then travel up the ranks, so to speak, and view the world from a succession of more powerful levels until reaching the “Pastor President” and then coming back to the Crowley family where, it turns out, God speaks through the eldest son, Bobby.

From there it’s a drive of religious fervor and hatred to stamp out the ‘devil possessed’ boy as well as the renewal to teach the ‘correct’ interpretation of Jesus (the way of love and forgiveness, etc.) by those who live in Rabbletown and follow Bobby as Christ reborn. My main complaint at this point is, as I said, that by having so many characters, we don’t really delve into any of them. We also don’t know anything from Bobby’s point of view, which in my opinion is one of the few downsides to this book, although I’m sure it’s a deliberate move on the author’s part. And here, having thought on it, I’ll have to say that it’s not so much lacking a plot, per se, but more that we meander through the lives/storylines of a lot of characters all converging on the same events. There’s no A to B to C and back to A like most novels, but this isn’t a bad thing. It suits Rabbletown well and certainly keeps things interesting.

Now, I’m an agnostic so I’ll freely admit it took me a solid month to even crack this book open. I knew it was going to be heavy on religion and that’s not even close to being my cuppa. It was only because my editor, Katy Sozaeva, pimped it on her blog that I broke down and started reading. And I’m glad I did, because even with its minor “flaws,” Rabbletown is a well-written, cautionary tale that’s half-allegory and half-character study. If you’re easily offended by derogatory terms and the matter-of-fact, Handmaiden-esque sexual slavery of women, then this isn’t the book for you. If you’re looking for something different to read, something weighty and thoughtful, then this is definitely the book to buy.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what else Randy Attwood comes up with. And I’m kinda jealous I didn’t write this one myself. I think that’s the best praise another writer could give.

Note: I haven’t been paid by anyone to review this book.

[Matthew Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intro: The story takes place in a dystopian future, circa 2084, where the US has become a fundamentalist state (as the name clearly implies). The how and why of this are explained in the preamble, where ongoing tension between the US and Middle East eventually turn nuclear and result in the full scale devastation of both. Whereas the United States bombs Iran and environs into oblivion using its ICBM’s, the various nation-states and terrorist organizations strike back using backpack nukes and dirty bombs until most US major cities are ruined. What emerges is, predictably, a renewed Dark Ages where civil authorities are replaced by religious ones, the Evangelical movement becomes the dominant political force in America, and Jews, Muslims and Catholics are either suppressed or eradicated. The president of the US is known as the Pastor President, and all offices (governor, mayor, etc) are also required to take on the title of pastor before their rank. Each president is named in honor of famous Evangelists; the current president is Jerry Falwell V, his VP is Pat Robertson.

In addition to demonstrating their lineage from these current media figures, this is also a clear and delicious stab at the Christian Right and its political machinations! Other names of note include Cheney – a former member of the regime who is languishing in jail after an attempted coup – thus ensuring that the political right are also included in this indictment. What’s more, the civil authorities are known as Inquisitors, who are naturally the enforcers of religious law, extract confessions through torture and regularly stone those who sin. Foreign policy is similarly medieval in this day and age. Whereas the US has become a Christian Republic, there is talk of the “Caliphate”, presumably a united Arab world, where Christian and Muslim soldiers fight for control of Jerusalem once again. It is hinted in the story that this “Crusade” is not real, merely a political tool that the Pastor Presidents use from time to time to drum up support. Still, the purpose of having it is clear. Whereas politics in the US are now dominated by religion, so to is their view of the world.

In any case, what follows is a story of how one town – Rabbletown, Kansas (a borough of Topeka) – is working to create the country’s greatest Cathedral in preparation for a visit from the Pastor President. The main characters, the Mason Bob Crowley, his wife Cheryl, Pastor Governor Jerry Johnson IV, Healer Elmer, Father Superior Robert, Friar Francis and Pastor Teacher Harold, give us a inside view of life in this future Kansas town, presenting it from various angles and providing exposition of how society works. Their particular POV’s are also important when a seminal development takes place, the appearance of a boy who has a knack for quoting Bible verses and seems somehow… “touched” by the Lord. This boy is none other than Bobby Crowley, the son of Mason Bob.

Spoiler Alert!: The story begins to truly come together after a series of holy events takes place involving Bobby and a routine stoning. Everyone, from the President to the boy’s father, becomes swept up in a frenzy after news of it spreads, the authorities condemning it as the work of Satan while others proclaim the boy to be Christ reborn. Repression and division follow, with the so-called holy authorities becoming very much the enemy of those who appear chosen and righteous. Needless to say, the allegory is clear. In time, the division between the authorities and believers reaches (ahem!) Biblical proportions, in a scene that very much resembles that of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus.

Weaknesses: It is this last part which fell short for me. Given the background and nature of the story, one would get the impression that religion is being cast in a negative light, or at least that it is being mocked for its current excesses and abuses. However, the story also seems to be making the point that religion will be the source of salvation. While this would seem like a keen observation about the duality of faith – the line between salvation and condemnation being so fine – it also makes for an unbelievable ending. Whereas the question of Bobby’s holiness would have seemed best if left vague and metaphorical, there is no doubt about it in the story. Bobby is literally divine, his nature and purpose a force of righteous redemption. There are some other weaknesses, such as the relevant facts being presented in a matter-of-fact way that leaves the reader feeling spoon fed. The dialogue also comes off as expository and forced at times, something you wouldn’t expect to hear from real people no matter how politically conscious they are. And the intro gives us a full dose of the background which leaves the reader feeling less inclined to read and discover for themselves what’s already happened, what has led the characters to their current situation. And the ending, well its a little predictable given all the Biblical allusions. However, these are hardly fatal and don’t really take away from the overall plot. Really, its just the ending that felt like it misfired.

Strengths: Overall, the story has all the elements of good satire: corruption, decay, selfishness and power mongering; with small, shining lights of redemption amidst it all. The bit about people’s daily lives and how they turn to their PPC’s (Personal Pastor Counselor) is also quite ingenious, predicting the emergence of an internet-based personal religious counseling. The mock history, particularly the part about the Catholic Accommodation was also a stroke a fine art (I shan’t describe, read it yourself!). And above all, the mockery of the Evangelical movement and its political ambitions feels quite apt. For what can be said about people who seem to think that its a good idea to combine religion and politics, and have little to no qualms about condemning their “liberal” adversaries and all the “undesirables” of society? If they got their wish, would it really resemble anything other than Taliban-style medievalism?

Hence, I recommend Rabbtletown for those people looking for a dystopian read with a religious twist. It’s clever, fun, and a short read which will inspire thought. And, given some tweaking and a little expansion, it could even be a bestseller someday! Hey, you gotta have faith (ba pa ra pum pum!).

[S. Barckmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Rabbletown” is a short novel set in what was once Topeka Kansas, seventy some years in the future. Nuclear War has wiped out much of the world. A fundamentalist Protestant Christian theology has taken over what is left of the US.

The story is full of passionate energy, and is written with the fury an avenging angel.

“Rabbletown” sets out explaining this new society, starting with the hierarchy of the new leadership class. A kind of hereditary priest class, (or rather Pastor class) is in charge. It is Americana, with Church secretaries who take care of the 'holy stress' of the Pastors, Inquisitors who handle public security, and of course a huge underclass, that is broken, dysfunctional and forced to breed incessantly. Security is handled with torture, stonings and burnings. It is nominally the story of one poor family from the slums, the Crowleys, with Bob, his wife and 13 children, one of whom, Bobby, is holy in a way that doesn't fit into existing Church doctrine. Bob, an abusive drunk, is a master mason, helping to build the great cathedral that is to be the center for the New Fundamentalism.

As I read the novel I tried to place it as a 'type' of book. Of course I thought of it as a satire of Kansas today, often called Brownbackistan, after the fundamentalist governor who has striped government of the ability to provide basic services, (such as education) and has created a living hell for poor women who find themselves with unwanted pregnancies. I read the book as if it were in the style of WS Burroughs' “Naked Lunch”, or even some of Vonnegut's work. As I continued to read, I saw it in a different light, written with an English like early medieval Latin, a language fallen from the standards of literature of Classical Rome. I imagined the writer as an isolated Frankish Monk, who has access to only a few books, such as Gregory of Tours describing early Merovingian Gaul, trying to tell the story of a society that had fallen very far from where it had once been. But then, toward the end, I saw “Rabbletown” as a new Apocrypha, a book of a new Bible for the coming Dark Age. Perhaps it is all of those. It seems like it was written fast and covers a lot of ground, not wasting time on scene or description beyond the political and social situation. It appears to have been written on the fly, and not edited, with long sentences that lose focus, but that is clearly a stylistic choice, (Attwood is a veteran journalist), to give an added sense of desolation to the story.

Most of all I see it as a battle cry from Attwood, a lifelong Kansan who is clearly furious with the changes that have overtaken his state. I know a bit about it, because I lived in Lawrence Kansas myself for five years in the late sixties, early seventies as a student and a laborer. So I get most of the satire. He has the heirs of Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Jerry Johnstone (a Kansas Megachurch preacher) as the leaders of this new Jerusalem. The Catholics are forced into monasteries and nunneries, where they weren't suppose to breed, (but do anyway). The Jews are no longer around. The descendants of recent Kansas political leaders, such as Brownback and Fritzel (who you wouldn't know if you never lived in Kansas) are also skewered. And of course Fred Phelps, the dead leader of that hideous Topeka Church that preaches, 'God Hates Fags” is memorialized as a saint.

It packs a punch. It is unlike most recent novels, and that makes it interesting and a good read.

[Peggy Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. This book touched my heart in such a way that I can't explain in words. Growing up in a fundamentalist church, understanding, later in life, the damage it did to me, makes this book terrifying in one way but so outrageously funny in another. This book takes place in the future. Everyone has nuked each other and there's not much left in the United States. The United States has turned into dictatorship run by the desendants fo Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. There are many parallels from the Bible, for example, a savior comes in the form of a boy named Bobby, a stone mason's son (instead of a carpender's son, like Jesus). I don't want to give away too much of the plot without ruining it for you. But you have to read this. It's different from anything you've ever read. What a mind this author has. It makes me wonder about his background.

[Lynn Hallbrooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I got because the synopsis sounded interesting.

The best way I can describe this book is Dystopian.

A new world order started after a nuclear event. In this new world order a self-righteous Christian government came into power in what was formerly the United States of America.

To me the story was eerily plausible but as a believer it made me cringe. As I read the story I could see elements of things that are currently going on but not in the same way as the author portrayed them. Was this to give a sarcastic symbolism or how he truly feels about Christians in general? I am not sure.

Warning: Even though this has Christian in the title, much of what occurs could be considered un-Christian like behavior. There is sexual situations, violence, and adult language - including using vile names for races and religions.

[Tabitha Ormiston-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brilliant portrayal of what the red-neck right will do if they ever seize total control of America is almost a parable. It should be required reading for all high school students. Not since 1984 have we had such a chilling warning of what the future could be.

Content and political effect aside, it's beautifully written and presented and a credit to the author.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cautionary tale, a parable-but I will admit that the premise of this book scares me less with Trump running for president instead of Cruz or one of the other Christian right wingers. Definitely a book to make you think.

[Kat Yares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this - a dystopian future that I could see happening if some politicos could get their way.

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I cannot finish this book. The writing is terrible. I just cannot connect with the characters at all.

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author had a great idea but spoiled it by getting all caught up in his philosophy. Could have been so much better.

[Chuck Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scary, but an excellent reminder of what we're fighting against come November.

[Heather Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

(*2.75 stars*). I don’t know what to say about this book. It was disturbing and depressing. I am not someone who is pro evangelical Christians but wow, this takes those beliefs to the extreme and not in a good way. I would imagine a lot of folks would be quite offended by this book. (What is scariest to me is that I can see America heading this direction!). I actually don’t think this is a bad book-the concept was quite interesting. It just needed the characters to be a little deeper-they were very, very shallow and cartoony-I wanted more-I think the story would have been better with more layered characters. I would like to try something else by this author though.