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Red Lakes
No greatness was ever borne without pain... A nuclear holocaust has devastated humanity. Out of the ashes rises a new totalitarian Soviet state that bears a chilling resemblance to a major fast food chain. Everyone eats burgers and the savior of the state-approved religion has red hair, white skin, and enormous feet. Sergei, a meat farmer in the Ukraine, learns that he is actually a clone of the State's founder and destined to become its Premier. The secret police whisk him away to Moscow where he is prepared for absolute power. Sergei is kidnapped by a group of terrorists who are bent on overthrowing the State. They open Sergei's eyes to the atrocities meted out by the State on its people: torture, human cloning, and dietary oppression. Sergei escapes his captors and returns to Moscow but to what end? Does he assume the Premiership or follow the terrorists in their desperate struggle?
382 pages, Paperback
Published January 16, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 23, 2016
Red Lakes reminds me of today's world, but opposite in many ways. Russia blames us, the U.S. for the Terrorists. We push fruits and vegetables and stay away from burgers and fries, but yet we are just like this story with the burgers and fries, to much at once.
As Sergei thinks back to his childhood at the doctors, he remembers being bullied for being skinny. Made fun of, called names, excluded from activities. There is so much of that in today's world. Even back in the 60's and 70's when I was in school, I was put through that as I was like the people in the story, fat, extra tall and supper curly frizzy hair.
In part of the story, Sergei is with MigKorsakov at a steak plant, where they harvest steak from pools of blood. MigKigkorsakov is telling Sergei about America. He says "Their so-called Congress was no different than a Royal Court. They broke the backs of the proletariat with outrageous taxes. Yet the American people didn't see it, because they believed in their Congressmen and Senators were Freedom-Loving too. But the U.S. deteriorated; it crumbled under the weight of the fraud it had become." Sounds like what may happen after Trump or Clinton is in office. No different.
In this story Russia still thinks it is the strongest most powerful Country in the world and they have NUK warheads with the Untied States name on it. Trump and Putin
Chapter 15 really had my attention. For they are at Church and it is the same as a Catholic Mass, but with the worship of food. The people were not allowed to follow the christian ways, they had to follow the Russian way. I have attended many different Churches/Realigns over the years, but this is really something else. A must read chapter if you are religious.
Sergei learns a lot about himself, his country, his family and his friends along the way. He has many many choices to make in his life. He had to decide if he is to follow his destiny, or make his own future. As the story unfolds, and you as the reader start to put two and two together, Sergei starts to show just how grown up he has become. How much of a leader he can be. The ending was heartwarming. Sergei learned to forgive and turn the other cheek. He learned how to be all he can be from all the different influence's in his life. Good ending!
The author covers so much in the story. Obesity, bullying, secrets, love, sorrow, religion, cloning , government, betrail, family and so much more. I really like the author's work and his style of writing. I also like how he made everything with burgers and fries and cola, that blew me away. All in all, I really liked the book and look forward to reading more of his work in the future.
As Sergei thinks back to his childhood at the doctors, he remembers being bullied for being skinny. Made fun of, called names, excluded from activities. There is so much of that in today's world. Even back in the 60's and 70's when I was in school, I was put through that as I was like the people in the story, fat, extra tall and supper curly frizzy hair.
In part of the story, Sergei is with MigKorsakov at a steak plant, where they harvest steak from pools of blood. MigKigkorsakov is telling Sergei about America. He says "Their so-called Congress was no different than a Royal Court. They broke the backs of the proletariat with outrageous taxes. Yet the American people didn't see it, because they believed in their Congressmen and Senators were Freedom-Loving too. But the U.S. deteriorated; it crumbled under the weight of the fraud it had become." Sounds like what may happen after Trump or Clinton is in office. No different.
In this story Russia still thinks it is the strongest most powerful Country in the world and they have NUK warheads with the Untied States name on it. Trump and Putin
Chapter 15 really had my attention. For they are at Church and it is the same as a Catholic Mass, but with the worship of food. The people were not allowed to follow the christian ways, they had to follow the Russian way. I have attended many different Churches/Realigns over the years, but this is really something else. A must read chapter if you are religious.
Sergei learns a lot about himself, his country, his family and his friends along the way. He has many many choices to make in his life. He had to decide if he is to follow his destiny, or make his own future. As the story unfolds, and you as the reader start to put two and two together, Sergei starts to show just how grown up he has become. How much of a leader he can be. The ending was heartwarming. Sergei learned to forgive and turn the other cheek. He learned how to be all he can be from all the different influence's in his life. Good ending!
The author covers so much in the story. Obesity, bullying, secrets, love, sorrow, religion, cloning , government, betrail, family and so much more. I really like the author's work and his style of writing. I also like how he made everything with burgers and fries and cola, that blew me away. All in all, I really liked the book and look forward to reading more of his work in the future.
August 17, 2024
Absolute Masterpiece - On A Par With Orwell Satire
Red Lakes is a book of its time - that time being now, and uncannily so, because when it was published in 2016 it was merely prophetic.
This rich and biting satire powerfully pulls apart the treachery, duplicity, and lies perpetrated by Governments and Religion.
The blurb states: "A nuclear holocaust has devastated humanity. Out of the ashes rises a new totalitarian Soviet state that bears a chilling resemblance to a major fast food chain. Everyone eats burgers and the saviour of the state-approved religion has red hair, white skin, and enormous feet. Sergei, a meat farmer in the Ukraine, learns that he is actually a clone of the State's founder and destined to become its Premier."
With that fast food structure in mind, you'll find yourself giggling at Rahnuld MigDahnuld, the Rayakroc Party, and the State security operatives the Main Authoritative Komitet, known as MAKs.
Beautifully evocative writing takes us to the bleak landscapes of the Ukraine steppe, and the different bleakness of post-apocalyptic Moscow and the Kremlin, while showing the achingly realistic parallels in the real world of how one Government leader is very much the same as their predecessor.
Red Lakes' origins of Government and the deliberate fabrication of a religion seem far too believable as the real world mirrors similar outcomes in structure and belief from possibilities stretching way back into the mists of time. And some, much closer to modern times.
While the finger points strongly at Governments and religion, another item on the satire menu, is its meat versus vegans, depicting vegetables as the new drugs, with illicit trade on the streets, and vegeterrorists striking fear into the hearts of the people and State alike. Then there are the Government cover-ups, and "a whole organ of the State exists to provide people with misinformation."
The human story races along as we become entwined in Sergei's life, but all the while that dark humour explores how a Government rides roughshod over its people, and, again, with the fast food analogy, how Governments constantly feed s**t to the proletariat.
Skillful story-building writing takes us seamlessly into Sergei's mind as he wrestles with his personal demons and world-changing decisions until we reach the shattering James Bond-style climax.
Maybe the seeds of what's happening on all these fronts were being sown when Joshua Harding published Red Lakes in 2016, and at that time it was just satire - albeit on an absolute par with George Orwell's Animal Farm, and 1984. But what's happened in the real world since then, has elevated the overall message of this book to be accurate prophecy, poking fun at, and pulling apart, everything the proletariat are told and indoctrinated with from birth. In other words, how the structure of humanity, through corrupt Governments and Religion, holds the masses in check.
It's this aspect that elevates Red Lakes to the pinnacle as an absolute masterpiece. While side-splittingly funny at times, events also take a rather dark turn at others, but overall, the underlying theme of arrow-like satire homing in relentlessly on its targets, is present throughout the strong, almost mesmerising, story.
My conclusion is that the overwhelming message to take away, is that Governments feed us s**t and misinformation. Red Lakes tells us this in a uniquely humourous way.
Red Lakes is a book of its time - that time being now, and uncannily so, because when it was published in 2016 it was merely prophetic.
This rich and biting satire powerfully pulls apart the treachery, duplicity, and lies perpetrated by Governments and Religion.
The blurb states: "A nuclear holocaust has devastated humanity. Out of the ashes rises a new totalitarian Soviet state that bears a chilling resemblance to a major fast food chain. Everyone eats burgers and the saviour of the state-approved religion has red hair, white skin, and enormous feet. Sergei, a meat farmer in the Ukraine, learns that he is actually a clone of the State's founder and destined to become its Premier."
With that fast food structure in mind, you'll find yourself giggling at Rahnuld MigDahnuld, the Rayakroc Party, and the State security operatives the Main Authoritative Komitet, known as MAKs.
Beautifully evocative writing takes us to the bleak landscapes of the Ukraine steppe, and the different bleakness of post-apocalyptic Moscow and the Kremlin, while showing the achingly realistic parallels in the real world of how one Government leader is very much the same as their predecessor.
Red Lakes' origins of Government and the deliberate fabrication of a religion seem far too believable as the real world mirrors similar outcomes in structure and belief from possibilities stretching way back into the mists of time. And some, much closer to modern times.
While the finger points strongly at Governments and religion, another item on the satire menu, is its meat versus vegans, depicting vegetables as the new drugs, with illicit trade on the streets, and vegeterrorists striking fear into the hearts of the people and State alike. Then there are the Government cover-ups, and "a whole organ of the State exists to provide people with misinformation."
The human story races along as we become entwined in Sergei's life, but all the while that dark humour explores how a Government rides roughshod over its people, and, again, with the fast food analogy, how Governments constantly feed s**t to the proletariat.
Skillful story-building writing takes us seamlessly into Sergei's mind as he wrestles with his personal demons and world-changing decisions until we reach the shattering James Bond-style climax.
Maybe the seeds of what's happening on all these fronts were being sown when Joshua Harding published Red Lakes in 2016, and at that time it was just satire - albeit on an absolute par with George Orwell's Animal Farm, and 1984. But what's happened in the real world since then, has elevated the overall message of this book to be accurate prophecy, poking fun at, and pulling apart, everything the proletariat are told and indoctrinated with from birth. In other words, how the structure of humanity, through corrupt Governments and Religion, holds the masses in check.
It's this aspect that elevates Red Lakes to the pinnacle as an absolute masterpiece. While side-splittingly funny at times, events also take a rather dark turn at others, but overall, the underlying theme of arrow-like satire homing in relentlessly on its targets, is present throughout the strong, almost mesmerising, story.
My conclusion is that the overwhelming message to take away, is that Governments feed us s**t and misinformation. Red Lakes tells us this in a uniquely humourous way.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews