Challenging Authority

In this Collection, we've gathered together a selection of fictional and real-life narratives that share the theme of Challenging Authority. These selections feature protagonists and real-world figures who stand up to both powerful individuals and oppressive systems in an array of cultural and historical settings.

American Gods

by Neil Gaiman

Publication year 2001

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Immigration, Religion & Spirituality, Power & Greed, Death

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Science Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Modern Classic Fiction

American Gods is a 2001 fantasy novel by English author Neil Gaiman. Blending folklore, mythology, religion, and American culture, the novel brings together gods from disparate cultures and times as they reckon with an existential threat. The novel has been adapted for television, and Gaiman has expanded the American Gods universe with indirect sequels such as Anansi Boys. The book won critical acclaim and many awards, including the 2002 Nebula and Hugo awards, two of... Read American Gods Summary

American Prison

by Shane Bauer

Publication year 2018

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Race, Power & Greed, Justice

Tags Incarceration, Social Justice, Journalism, Race & Racism, American Literature, Post-War Era, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Sociology, World History, Politics & Government

... Read American Prison Summary

Among the Bros

by Max Marshall

Publication year 2023

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Masculinity, Race, Community, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags Crime & Law, Horror & Suspense, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Journalism, Sociology, World History

... Read Among the Bros Summary

Among the Hidden

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Power & Greed, Justice

Tags Science Fiction, Children`s Literature, Education, Education, Fantasy, Action & Adventure

Margaret Peterson Haddix’s Among the Hidden is a young adult dystopian novel that follows the story of Luke Garner, a child whose existence is illegal due to a population law that prohibits people from having more than two children. He meets a fellow third child for the first time and learns about the history and structure of his country’s dystopian society. Among the Hidden was first published in 1998 and is Haddix’s fourth full-length novel... Read Among the Hidden Summary

Amsterdam

by Ian McEwan

Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Good & Evil, Friendship, Revenge, Art, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Horror & Suspense

Ian McEwan’s Amsterdam, a satirical novel published in 1998, won the prestigious Booker Prize. McEwan is a highly regarded British author, known for acclaimed works such as Atonement, The Children Act, and Saturday. Set in London during the late 1990s, Amsterdam captures the cynical atmosphere of post-Thatcherite Britain, particularly the codependent relationship between politics and the press. The novel follows two successful middle-aged friends, a composer and a newspaper editor, who make a fateful euthanasia... Read Amsterdam Summary

An American Tragedy

by Theodore Dreiser

Publication year 1925

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Social Class, Justice, Appearance & Reality, Power & Greed, Marriage

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Dramatic Literature, American Literature, World History, Classic Fiction

Published in 1925, Theodore Dreiser’s realist novel An American Tragedy is one of the author’s most critically acclaimed works. Set in the 1920s in Kansas City, Chicago, and small-town New York state, the historical fiction novel is the story of how Clyde Griffiths, the son of poor, itinerant preachers, kills Roberta Alden during a boat trip in the Adirondack Mountains.This guide is based on the Kindle edition published by Rosetta Books.Content Warning: This novel contains... Read An American Tragedy Summary

Anathema

by Keri Lake

Publication year 2024

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Shame & Pride, Social Class, Power & Greed

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror & Suspense, Gothic Literature

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An Echo in the Bone

by Diana Gabaldon

Publication year 2009

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Loyalty & Betrayal, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Wins & Losses, Power & Greed, Love, Perseverance, Conflict

Tags Historical Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction, World History

An Echo in the Bone (2009) is the seventh novel in the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Combining elements of the historical fiction, adventure, fantasy, magical realism, and romance genres, the series follows the adventures of Claire Randall, a WWII battle nurse who accidentally time travels to 18th-century Scotland and falls in love with Jamie Fraser, a Highland warrior. Over the course of 10 planned novels, Gabaldon follows Claire, Jamie, and their family as they... Read An Echo in the Bone Summary

An Ember in the Ashes

by Sabaa Tahir

Publication year 2015

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Friendship, Power & Greed, Loyalty & Betrayal, Good & Evil, War

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction

Book DetailAn Ember in the Ashes, published by Razorbill in 2015, is the first in Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes series. The novel debuted at number two on the young adult New York Times best seller list and was also a USA Today and international bestselling book. In addition, TIME magazine named it one of the 100 Best Fantasy Books of all Time. It won the People’s Choice Award for favorite fantasy in... Read An Ember in the Ashes Summary

Angel Of Greenwood

by Randi Pink

Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Love, Race, Family, Friendship, Community, Equality, Good & Evil, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger

Tags Race & Racism, Social Justice, World History, Historical Fiction, Romance

... Read Angel Of Greenwood Summary

An Ideal Husband

by Oscar Wilde

Publication year 1895

Genre Play, Fiction

Themes Marriage, Power & Greed, Politics & Government, Social Class, Art

Tags Comedy & Satire, World History, Dramatic Literature, Romance, Victorian Era, Humor, Classic Fiction

An Ideal Husband is a satirical play about blackmail, politics, morality, and marriage by Victorian writer Oscar Wilde. It was first performed at the Theatre Royal in Haymarket, London, on January 3, 1895. Wilde was an acclaimed playwright in London at the time, though his imprisonment in late 1895 marked his fall from public grace. The play has since been adapted for both film and theater across the world, as have many of Wilde’s other... Read An Ideal Husband Summary

Animal Farm

by George Orwell

Publication year 1945

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Equality, Power & Greed, Community

Tags Satirical Literature, European History, Politics & Government, Philosophy, Animals, Post-War Era, Symbolic Narrative, British Literature, Science Fiction, Education, Education, Fantasy, Classic Fiction

Published in 1945, Animal Farm by George Orwell (1903-1950) achieved immediate success and remains one of Orwell’s most popular works. A political satire in the guise of a moving and whimsical animal fable, the novella is about a group of farm animals who overthrow their owner, Mr. Jones, and establish animal rule. Although the animals start with high hopes for Animal Farm as a harmonious and just utopia where “all animals are equal” (19), it... Read Animal Farm Summary

Anima Rising

by Christopher Moore

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Loneliness, Memory, Gender Identity, Mental Health, Sexual Identity, Death, The Past, Animals, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Social Class, Art, Beauty, Power & Greed

Tags Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Arts & Culture

... Read Anima Rising Summary

An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States

by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Nation, Politics & Government, Power & Greed, War, Equality, Education, Race, The Past, Future, Community, Place, Colonialism

Tags US History, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Politics & Government, Education, Military & War, Anthropology, Colonial America, Social Class, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, World History

... Read An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States Summary