The Kicker of St. John’s Wood: A Book Review
A rational person in a rational world should be able to say that the premise and storyline of the latest book by author Gary Wolf is silly, ridiculous, and prone to flights of fancy. Unfortunately, in the first decade of the 21st century the subject matter and conjecture found in the pages of The Kicker of St. John’s Wood is not so far-fetched and is indeed instead a remarkably accurate and reflective look at the forces, feelings and mindset of the modern-day Left.
It is a world in the not so distant future where the forces of the Left have saddled professional sports with quadriplegic referees, transgendered concessionaires and stuttering sportscasters. Now the festering forces of radical feminism have decided to launch a direct assault upon the blatantly oppressive, misogynist and patriarchal world of “maleness” that is professional football.
The 2020 Super Bowl is chosen as the stage to debut the first female professional football player and to announce a major revision in American politics. Both end in dramatic failure and set the stage for place-kicker Jayesh Blackstone, born in London of Indian heritage, to be involved in a high stakes game of intrigue as he discovers the courage to fight to be a free American. Blackstone is selected to be used and manipulated by the administration as a symbol to attack European imperialism and to establish a National Electoral Fairness Commission. Monitored by the United Nations Special Advisory Institute on National Expropriation, it is the final blow against “religious fanatics, stolen elections, the last vestiges of sexist domination, the exploiters of developing nations, and all those whose goal has been to exclude women, minorities, and newly-arrived Americans.” All steps are taken to ensure the most progressive norms of political conduct in the world today.
In addition to the political conspiracy and intrigue, the character of Jayesh Blackstone is taken on an internal journey to discover the draw of his own heritage and native country. He also experiences the love of two women, the struggle to choose between them, and the sacrifices and dedication that embodies true friendship along the way.
The Kicker of St. John’s Wood is definitely one of Gary Wolf’s best novels to date, and a frightening reminder of the fast track of idiocy this country has decided to follow that increasingly defines humanity exclusively in terms of race and gender. I found it to be a page- turner filled with twists, turns, and unexpected surprises throughout the story. It is also an eye -opening book that helps to remind that each and every one of us will eventually have to decide if we have the personal fortitude, character and courage to choose to do the right thing and oppose the whirling forces of Progressivism, Multiculturalism, Diversity, Political Correctness and “Tolerance” that increasingly dominates every aspect of education, business and even your daily life. Will you be like Jayesh Blackstone and be willing to risk professional and personal attacks, slander, and even worse for what is right and true?
This book is the story of one man’s struggle with that question and the series of choices he must face as he discovers the difference between being a serf to the system and a free citizen. Not all know the difference but the choice is one that all will soon have to face. The end result of the agenda and catalogue of “isms” of the modern-day Left is lunacy and few do as fine a job as Gary Wolf at pointing that out through the medium of speculative fiction.
The Kicker of St. John’s Wood is available for sale at Amazon and all other major online publishers. You may also visit the author’s website at http://awolcivilization.com/ for direct links to the book’s page at the various online stores and the opportunity to read the first chapter online. Gary Wolf was formerly an analyst and commentator on international and strategic affairs. He was raised in New York and London, lived for six years in Paris, and currently resides in the state of New Mexico. Wolf is also the author of The Embracer, Shaya, Alternating Worlds and Workshop of the Second Self.
Posted on June 28, 2009, in Feminists, Liberal Fascism, Liberals, Political Correctness. Bookmark the permalink. 16 Comments.
The Sage
Steve
E the Wise
DFV the Scribe
hairybeast
Mo K.
Sting the Away
Rudy
Voice of Reason
Anthony Rogers
Vérité
Isaiah's Cry
danagall
Hal Jordan
The Rat
Aquinas Shrugged
jackcurtis
a west texas view
pino
Cultural Limits
Regalo Di Spine
Tokyo Tengu
Short Little Rebel
AWOL Civilization
SeePamBlog
rogueoperator
provider4many
jimmullen1
thomaspaine2nd
badoracle
ljponders
weeicemon
Daniella Nicole
plainansimple
Sounds like a poor-man’s Fountainhead
Unfortunately, in the first decade of the 21st century the subject matter and conjecture found in the pages of The Kicker of St. John’s Wood is not so far-fetched and is indeed instead a remarkably accurate and reflective look at the forces, feelings and mindset of the modern-day Left. It is a world in the not so distant future where the forces of the Left have saddled professional sports with quadriplegic referees, transgendered concessionaires and stuttering sportscasters.
Uh-huh.
Sounds like a poor-man’s Fountainhead
Sounds like a self-published vanity project from a loon.
Let’s see – from Amazon – “Publisher: iUniverse.com (February 20, 2009)”.
And whattya know…
The Kicker of St. John’s Wood is definitely one of Gary Wolf’s best novels to date,
If it’s so good, Dave, why can’t he find a commercial publisher to take it on?…
You mean like this?
Yes, PG, like that.
However, (most) bloggers don’t pretend to be authors. If you pay a publisher rather than a publisher paying you, you ain’t an author.
Well, Phooey may have a point. May.
But it was good to learn a little more about Phooey. . . mainly that he is a she. So Mo K isn’t our only regular female.
Somehow I feel so violated by the way Phooey cloaked her identity with all of that masculine verbatim. I feel betrayed that she has yet to demonstrate a shred of compassion or community spirit on here. I feel like Rene Gallimard.
But it was good to learn a little more about Phooey. . . mainly that he is a she.
[Raises eyebrow]
How do you get that Phoenician’s a she? I went to his or her site and read a lot of entries and comments and I couldn’t discern much more than I can from the comments posted on our site. I even went to the most highly recommended other sites. It’s quite an eclectic and interesting collection.
Phooey is a he. He does flirt with Lesbians at times.
Well, errr, okay.
oops. I completely misread Phooeys Masterton lotto link. When he said he wasn’t a “Masterton woman” my mind heard that spoken differently. Ignore my nonsense. Carry on.
Actually many bloggers are using self-publishing to put out books. Noted blogger and historian Fjordman has done it and so has Eric at Tygrrrr Express. As will “The Conservative Citizen” (aka your loyal Sage) before the year is out.
Actually many bloggers are using self-publishing to put out books. Noted blogger and historian Fjordman has done it and so has Eric at Tygrrrr Express. As will “The Conservative Citizen” (aka your loyal Sage) before the year is out.
And the difference between self-publishing to “put out books” and actually being an author is like the difference between hiring a hooker and actually having a girlfriend.
Well, errr, I guess you could use those words – possibly. I can think of a few more too. If I were Eric I would object to being placed in company with Fjordman. But thats just me.
More like hiring a hooker and being a hooker.
The Beast is reminded of Vonnegut’s story “Harrison Bergeron” in which a future dystopia becomes so obsessed with “equality” that they hobble their dancers with weights, force their intellectuals to wear headphones blaring distracting noise and make their beauties wear rubber noses and black caps on their teeth to uglify them.
Great story – one has to wonder if it would ever have been published in today’s industry.
Nice review, too Dave.
The Beast is reminded of Vonnegut’s story “Harrison Bergeron” in which a future dystopia becomes so obsessed with “equality” that they hobble their dancers with weights, force their intellectuals to wear headphones blaring distracting noise and make their beauties wear rubber noses and black caps on their teeth to uglify them.
Nah – self-publishing artists were *born* like that…
Phooey your instant denunciation of an unread work does you little credit. Dave is a talented writer and the Beast trusts his judgment. Perhaps the book is trash, but how can you know that without reading it?
Then again, internet trolls and bully-boys don’t care about merit – only sneering mockery and rigid enforcement of their ideological orthodoxy.
Phooey your instant denunciation of an unread work does you little credit. Dave is a talented writer and the Beast trusts his judgment. Perhaps the book is trash, but how can you know that without reading it?
The fact that no publisher is willing to risk money on it is a BIG BIG CLUE.
You have authors. And you have people who type words on paper. The distinguishing mark of the former is that they are sufficiently talented as to make it worthwhile for a company to risk its own money turning their books into a commodity.
And I’m a librarian who knows several published authors.