In 2040 The First Dog President Of The US The New Book From Ken Ballen The Better Animal

Former prosecutor Ken Ballen and Wu Ming make their speculative fiction debut with an incredible dog story and tender LGBTQ+ romance offering unexpected hope for our political future. Imagine a not-too-distant, post-Trump America still rife with corruption and hate. Technology has continued to advance, even beyond AI. Thanks to a “Thought-to-Speech” translation marvel, humans can at last know what their proverbial best friends are thinking. When dogs start speaking our language, perhaps people will listen and come to embrace canine sanity and love as humanity’s only hope. Or perhaps powerful men in leadership will find a way to keep them muzzled. That’s the scenario authors Ken Ballen and Wu Ming explore in THE BETTER ANIMAL (Montague Books; November 10, 2026). Set primarily in Washington, DC, between 2033 and 2040, the novel centers on Kit, the first dog to run for President of the United States (and one of only three females in US history to win the Democratic nomination), and the two men she loves, Jake and Wing, who love her back and are also passionately in love with each other. Jacob Stern, an American Jew, has devoted his life to public service and never fully let go of the fear, beaten into him by bullies, including his father, of being gay. Ying “Wing” Chen, born in the USA to Chinese immigrants turned born-again Christians, grew up as an only child, shunned for his brilliance, social awkwardness, and boy crushes. When they meet, thanks to Kit, Jake is 58 and a top aide to a rising star Democratic senator; Wing, 24, is an MIT scientist behind the breakthrough “talking-dog” technology. Despite their differences, Jake and Wing are soulmates. They become partners and, with Kit, a family. But their happiness is soon threatened.

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