Product Description

The American people fall under the control of a brutal religious dictatorship, forcing people to do more than they ever thought they were capable of.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4222948 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-10
• Released on: 2007-01-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

About the Author
J Alan Erwine was born in Akron, Ohio,but escaped to the majesty of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. He currently lives outside Denver with a crazed cat, and a million ideas in his head, just screaming to get out.

Customer Reviews

politics vs. religion...
"The Opium of the People" is a realistic albeit horrifying example of what the world would be like if the government were overthrown, and authority were assumed by religious zealots. The book itself is an incredible story, yet left me feeling disgusted and mortified, similar to the way I felt after reading Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaids Tale." While the stories really don't have much in common, they evoked similar feelings from me.

"The Opium of the People" also reminded me of the "Left Behind" series...If you've never read any of those books, they are marketed (and rightly so) as Christian Literature, and detail the Apolcolypse, and the world of aftermath. This story reminded me of the series in that it detailed an equally unforgiving and cruel world, left in the hands of the faithfully religious who were carrying out the work of God. "The Opium of the People" though, is much less preachy, and focuses much less on the religion aspect than it does on the characters who are trying to survive.

The story alternates perspectives; from members of an underground revolutionist movement, to former literary scholars who have a hard time accepting this new way of life, to the actual religious leaders in charge. Through the alternating perspectives the reader is given the opportunity to understand the story from multiple angles, which leaves little hope of not getting drawn in.

It's a fairly quick read, not much over a hundred pages, but its a hundred intense pages that really will make you ponder the what ifs. My only complaint was the ending, which seemed abrupt and somewhat rushed; without giving it away, I wasn't satisfied with the resolution of two of the characters...though in the author's defense, he did the right thing...going into anymore detail really would have been wandering from the focus of the story.

If you're looking for something different to read or if you like politics vs. religion, snag yourself a copy of this book...you'll enjoy it.

The Opium Of The People
The Opium Of The People is the third edition of the novel to be printed. Along with corrections made to the two prior editions there was a change to the cover art, the cover is a piece from the artist Laura Givens entitled "Come to Jesus".

The Opium Of The People's basic premise of the novel was intriguing. This is a story of how the world as we know it could very well change. What if the American government was overthrown, what would we or could we do? The author tells a story of the American people falling under the control of what he calls "a radical right-wing fundamentalist christian government". This new government is ruled by the Grand Patriarchs who take away freedom and enforces a law that we would never have imagined possible. He tells of a world full of gloom, torture and one filled with danger for all. He also tells of how the best of people must resort to extreme measures in an effort to regain control of their futures before its too late. Or is it too late? You will have to pick up a copy and read this one for yourself, as mentioned at the beginning of the review this is the third printing of the title and was originally written and published before the current crisis we face now happened.

J Alan Erwine as a plot line that is creative, and he exhibits excellent writing skills and can effectively tell a story. The characters are multidimensional and realistic. Although the book still has a few errors and typos, it is very well written.

J Alan Erwine currently resides in Colorado. He has published more than three dozen short stories and has published 2 short story collections.

A novel that speaks to our time
Erwine paints a bleak picture of our future, filled with gloom and torture, and Christianity run wild, but the book is not anti-Christian. Instead, he takes fundamentalism and shows how dangerous that can be. The most ironic thing about the book is that the heroes are forced to resort to terrorism as an effort to try to regain control. It's an interesting twist, given the current state of the world. As I understand it, this book was written long before the current world crisis hit.

A must read for anyone that likes cautionary tales, but if you're looking for a fun sf romp, this is most certainly not the book for you.