The Fringe Candidate, by Brad Swift, is inspired by Marianne Williamson, a candidate in the 2020 elections against Donald Trump for the Presidency. While this is a fictional story, it is 100% on the mark with regards to the state of America’s political system, showing without apology or pulling any punches, that it has clearly been hijacked by those with money and power, and that the system of governance is no longer represented by people who truly represent the people of America, but a self-serving entity that empowers itself, first and foremost.
In this story, Angeline Tarkington, someone that no one is taking seriously, launches herself on the campaign trail against the extant President, who is clearly, a Donald Trump in disguise. Her platform is transparency, honesty, a message of peace and that America has never ceased to be great, it just needs more tolerance and love and not division and hatred.
It’s a fascinating read because it walks you through what could be an actual campaign trail, as seen from the perspective of Tarkington and those around her, and how the “Twitter-crazy” and arrogant President attempts at all costs, to character assassinate her at every turn.
No spoilers, but if you want see the vision of an actual government that represents the true democratic principles espoused by the Constitution it is supposed to follow, and not the mediocrity and imposter it has become over the years, then read this book. I rated it 5 stars both for the quality of the story and the message it imparts.
About Brad Swift
Dr. Brad Swift is best known for his visionary fiction and nonfiction that “entertain while also enlightening and encouraging the reader to expand their sense of what is possible, and then applying that expanded awareness to their life.” He is a graduate of Clarion West in Seattle, WA – a residential workshop for writers of science fiction and fantasy.
The Fringe Candidate is his 25th book and his most visionary fiction novel to date. His other speculative fiction written under the pen name of Orrin Jason Bradford includes the six-book FreeForm mega-series, Babble, two volumes of Fantastic Fables of Foster Flat, and others. Swift lives in the “Paradise Found” of the North Carolina mountains with his wife and a menagerie of four-legged family members.
