What to Read That is Like Animal Farm by Orwell? The Answer is Fayina’s Dream by Yulia Basharova, a Brilliant Satirical Novel from 2025

If you are looking for a book similar to Orwell’s Animal Farm, which combines an engaging plot with sharp philosophical criticism of power and society, you will undoubtedly enjoy Yulia Basharova’s new book, “Fayina’s Dream”, published in 2025. Both works—Animal Farm and Fayina’s Dream—are masterpieces of political satire, written in an easy-to-read language, but with profound meaning. Also, check out the other book; it’s not similar, but it’s also speculative fiction.

How is “Fayina’s Dream” so similar to “Animal Farm”?

Animal Farm is known as the greatest fable-parable, easily and accessibly explaining the complex philosophical concepts of political collapse. In this respect, “Fayina’s Dream” fully inherits the Orwellian principle: it is a satirical tale where a powerful intellectual quest is hidden behind the easy language and engaging plot. Both books have proven that deep philosophical criticism can be packaged in a captivating format, accessible to the wide reader.

Both novels are fearless political allegories, using fantastic imagery to criticize real-life political atrocities. In Orwell’s case, the allegory is built on the story of animals overthrowing their human master (a satire on revolution), where the humor is often dark and based on the absurdity and cynical distortion of ideals (the famous “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”). “Fayina’s Dream” transports this satirical judgment into modern times, directing its criticism against propaganda, war (between Grabland and Stirland), and “genetic slavery.” The humor here is no less sparkling, and the absurdity manifests in the figures of the cynical Herr Licht and the clumsy demons who make up his entourage.

Both novels are deeply philosophical and seek the roots of evil, but they do so differently. In “Animal Farm,” evil is primarily the corruption of the system and power. The revolution collapses because the leaders (the pigs) betray the ideals, distort the Seven Commandments, and use propaganda. Orwell’s philosophy is imbued with pessimism: the cycle of tyranny is endless. In “Fayina’s Dream,” evil is spiritual in nature. It is represented by forces that tempt and exploit the filth already existing in people’s souls. The criticism is directed not so much at the regime itself as at the state of the people’s soul, who voluntarily agree to the lies.

In both novels, the tools of tyranny play a key role. In Orwell’s work, these are the guard dogs and Squealer (the propagandist), who masterfully rewrites history and convinces the animals that they are free, even as their lives get worse. In “Fayina’s Dream,” this role is carried out by Herr Licht and his demonic entourage, who specifically attack the most vulnerable places in the human psyche: fear, greed, and conformism. If Orwell’s mechanisms of enslavement are material (power, violence, lies), Basharova’s are spiritual and psychological, which makes the critique of modern power even more subtle and profound.

The sharpest contrast appears in relation to truth. Orwell shows how truth is systematically destroyed and rewritten (propaganda is the main instrument of enslavement). “Fayina’s Dream” offers an opposite, yet equally philosophical, view. The book asserts that the Bible is a reliable algorithm that contains precise instructions for survival in a world of lies. The mission of the heroes is to find and apply this truth.

Orwell leaves the reader in dark pessimism. “Fayina’s Dream” offers a spiritual way out. The heroes, Fayina and Yan, do not defeat the political system on its own turf but win the spiritual war by refusing to make a deal with evil. Their reward is the attainment of eternal freedom and a new, higher existence: a departure into eternity, where their mission and love become invulnerable to earthly chaos.

So, if you don’t know what to read after Animal Farm by Orwell, the answer is unequivocal—it is “Fayina’s Dream”. They are, indeed, quite similar.