Books like Jaws of darkness by Harry Turtledove

Harry Turtledove’s Jaws of Darkness imagines a United States where President Herbert Hoover’s failures leave the nation in the grip of the Great Depression. When Franklin D. Roosevelt dies in a mansion fire, the Democratic Party nominates California congressman Joe Steele, a populist with roots in a working‑class background. Steele wins a landslide and immediately pushes through sweeping congressional reforms that place citizens back to work. Those who oppose his strong leadership—whether for fear of increased government power or for other reasons—soon find themselves targeted, even sent to work camps. As Steel’s policies reshape America, the country’s relations with Hitler and Trotsky grow more tense, setting the stage for potential global conflict. The novel explores how rapid political change reshapes society and how delicate the balance between strong governance and civil liberties can be in a nation poised on the brink of war.

First publish date: 2003