THE LIBERAL ZONE

A collection of a half-dozen short stories illustrates a conservative perspective on headline-grabbing topics.

Provocative and clearly right-leaning, Paulson’s Twilight Zone–toned volume cunningly and satirically skewers the contentious contemporary social issues politicians most frequently lock horns over. Using indirect sarcasm as his modus operandi, the author creates storylines that cleverly manipulate popular social concerns to best suit conservative, moralistic viewpoints. The author’s preoccupation with gender identity dominates several tales, beginning with the opener, “Changing Him for the Better,” which imagines a Stepford Wives–esque world where wars were eliminated once men became mandated to transition to women to rid the globe of “toxic masculinity.” One boy enthusiastically encourages his undecided best friend to switch genders because “transitioning to a girl is the best part of turning thirteen.” Another story finds a desperate father giving away his only son in exchange for a debt-free life after attempts by the boy to make extra money are thwarted by bureaucratic red tape. Other tales conflate gender equality or environmentalism activism with the demonization and martyrdom of people who openly contradict the status quo. A new female high schooler receives strict punishments after mislabeling a student a “boy in a skirt.” Paulson favors the anti-science, anti-vaccination revolution in “The Masks,” in which a child struggles to breathe after being forced to wear a mask. Her mother, a defiant physician, has her medical license revoked after administrators discover her online videos vocalizing an alternative opinion in the war on a deadly virus. The collection closes with a history-flipping, Civil War–era yarn pitting the past with a riotous present. With each story just a few pages in length, the scenarios, while clearly inspired by the author’s opinions, feel rushed and incomplete. Though the volume seeks to inform and educate, readers on both sides of the arguments it broaches may wish the tales had more substance. Instead, they amount to sarcastic sketches devoid of character or plot development and seem crafted not to entertain but as a vehicle to exclusively deliver a conservative or anti-science viewpoint about a social or environmental issue. But while the book is front-loaded with provocative themes, open-minded readers will appreciate the opposing perspectives on the political spectrum and find inspiration for lively group debates and discussions.

Intriguing but uneven tales that tackle a wide variety of significant issues.