Fahrenheit Zero – The Freeze on Conservative Novels

“A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man’s mind. Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?”

— Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

I despise what the Left has done to art. Subverted the highest expression of the human psyche into propaganda for a delusional and dangerous ideology. It would be one thing if their philosophy could exist in the free market of ideas, but it can only survive by quashing truth, beauty, and provocative thought — in a word, art. Which is what they have done to traditional storytelling in cinema and literature in the 21st century, and in the latter case to me.

Last week, the publisher of my political thriller series canceled the latest book for, ah, political reasons. That’s not my interpretation. It’s a direct quote from the publisher’s email regarding book two in the series, the sequel to The Washington Trail:

This is not an easy email to write, but a necessary one. In reviewing the book, our editors have found that Camelot (The Camelot Trail) goes in some very political directions both in story and dialogue throughout. Far beyond where book 1 went. We have determined that we cannot publish this title in its current state and can’t editorially approve it.

To be clear, the publisher, Aethon Books, behaved honorably if uncourageously. They offered me a choice — revise the book by eliminating the political “sore points” or take the reversion of all rights to the characters and series, including book one. After a short deliberation, having written a recent article on how the tragic drop in book reading is hurting publishers, I chose the second option. So, now I have my DC private-eye heroes, Mark Slade and Neil Cork, and their multi-book storyline but no publisher — in a genre dependent on timing and relevance (see The Impeccable Timing of a Political Thriller). The Camelot Trail had been slated for a pre-Christmas publication.

Thank God (whoops, Christian Nationalism) for too-big-to-cancel conservative authors like Andrew Klavan.

The novel deals with a potential war between the freedom-guarding USA and the Islamicized UK, as British operatives in Washington try to bring down the majority party ahead of the midterm election. Slade and Cork safeguard the English expat leader of a return-to-chivalry movement that’s inspiring young men and traditional girls, and infuriating the Left. Their natural discussions range from transgenderism (I’m on Team J.K. Rowling) to the Muslim invasion of Britain (I’m on Team John Cleese).

When I wrote The Washington Trail two years ago, about a Deep State and Chinese conspiracy against a conservative ex-President seeking reelection, I knew I wouldn’t be dealing with the Big Five publishing houses (Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Macmillan). The feminist gargoyles at their gates would melt down just pressing the download button on the document.

But I also knew it would make a unique story about two detectives on what first appears the simple case of a jilted co-ed that escalates to a national security threat. I wrote the novel, and it paid off. And then it didn’t. Not only will Aethon not publish The Camelot Trail, it removed The Washington Trail e-book from its inventory, leaving only the already printed copies. Unless and until another publisher picks up the series, the book will cease to exist — like the incinerated tomes in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.

Moments after my amicable divorce from Aethon Books, I contacted another independent publisher, explaining the situation. The head man asked to read the manuscript. Last weekend, he passed on it, despite what he called the “solid writing.” “I don’t have the wheels to promote this,” he said, citing the controversial politics. “It would screw up our company’s Amazon algorithm.” “Just publish it and I’ll promote it,” I said, knowing little about the “algorithm.” “I have a bigger media footprint than you guys.” The publisher declined.

Now, neither Aethon Books nor the other publisher is in any way political. But they don’t have to be to balk at my new book. Because progressives have moved the zeitgeist so far to the left in art, any view to the right of it becomes inflammatory.

I didn’t make my book political. The Left made everything political, even normal sexuality. My hardboiled hero admiring a pretty girl — Toxic Maleness. Describing her looks — the Male Gaze. Rescuing a beautiful woman — Benevolent Sexism. Lusting after his hot female partner — Objectification. Throw in saving a “trans-child” from a life-ruining operation — transphobia — and blasting Great Britain for inviting a Muslim invasion — Islamophobia — and I’ve somehow produced a politically-incorrect powder keg.

It doesn’t matter that most people agree with its sensibilities and would likely make the book a profitable investment (unlike the movie business, it costs about the same to publish The Camelot Trail as the hundredth Hunger Games sequel). The hecklers’ veto takes precedence. They won’t read the book, but they’ll condemn the publisher for printing it. “I’m too close to a heart attack to take this on,” the second publisher admitted to me.

Thank God (whoops, Christian Nationalism) for too-big-to-cancel conservative authors like Andrew Klavan (of the new Cameron Winter mystery thriller Find Me Nowhere). “Your world is not under attack just because you disagree with an artist,” Klavan said in his latest podcast. “I want there to be leftwing artists. I want there to be rightwing artists. I want all the visions of mankind to be represented in the arts…. The problem is that a cabal of powerful monied people are declaring by fiat that a certain point of view is required and all others are banned.”

Welcome to my world.

READ MORE from Lou Aguilar:

Only Real Men Can Save America, and Hollywood

Hollywoke’s War on Heroes

The Anti-Communist Counterattack Begins on Screen