Thy King Dumb Come

Stephen Tryon delivers a prescient parody of an American President who wants to be a king. The book opens on a late night in the spring of 2020 with a student, whose first name also happens to be Stephen, describing his perceptions the current president and mulling over the final requirements for his masters degree. He decides to take a short break and falls asleep, only to awaken as an insect on the wall of the Oval Office observing a meeting wherein the current president is exploring the idea of staying in power by declaring himself King. Moving to one of the Oval Office windows so he can get a better view of the meeting participants, Stephen attracts the attention of a hungry bird. The bird's collision with the window jolts Stephen out of his first dream world. He "awakens" in the town of Green Valley, only to find himself face to face with a talking dog who claims to be Socrates. Socrates tries to help Stephen by introducing him to some of his philosopher friends. Stephen connects with an African American Jesus who is running the local homeless shelter. The two befriend a homeless young woman who is trying to decide whether to have an abortion. Jesus' words from the New Testament offer a thoughtful and non-judgmental perspective on how Jesus would behave in this situation. Jesus and Socrates, along with a host of other interesting characters, help Stephen survive adventures including a Black Lives Matter protest, a presidential rally, a day in the Senate and encounters with a sinister foreign power. He periodically snaps back into his first dream world, watching the current president and his congressional supporters manipulate events in Washington, D.C. to gain political advantage. As Stephen struggles to find his way home, his two dream worlds collide in a final, climactic court appearance.