MacKenzie Scott is entering a strange new political universe with her latest book.
The billionaire philanthropist and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos has released her first novel since their 2019 divorce, and it takes readers into a dystopian America populated by feuding leaders, political upheaval and plenty of sexual debauchery.
A Dystopian America Divided in Two
Scott, 56, is serializing Last Days in Two Nations (A History in Eighteen Minds) on Substack, where she began publishing the 320-page novel in daily installments on Aug. 8.
The book is her third published work and follows a fictional conflict between the “Still United” States and a breakaway western territory known as the Dakota Membership.
Through the perspectives of numerous characters, Scott explores a fractured America facing what the book describes as a partial fascist takeover, while weaving in commentary about politics and society.
Meet the Presidents
Among the novel’s characters is Damian Paxton, a womanizing president based in Rapid City who apparently has an appetite for both power and pleasure.
Paxton is described as enjoying “t*ts and Taps, pomp and debauchery” and claims to sleep with 21 women every week.
At one point, the fictional president boasts about his active love life.
© Presley Ann“Last night I had three different women in my bed. And that happens to me every night of the week. You can stop asking me how I am in the morning,” he says.
Paxton, who was raised in South Africa and is portrayed as a high-profile surgeon, is also an avid fish collector who worries about KHV, or koi herpes virus.
Another President Gets a Mention
Paxton isn’t the only head of state whose personal life gets a colorful treatment.
Scott also introduces an unnamed figure known as “President priss,” whose private fantasies are referenced in one particularly bizarre passage involving the White House and her “First Man.”
The scene also touches on her sons, who are described as staying up late and chatting on social media.
A Rat, Land Mines and Sexy Santa Dresses
Elsewhere, the novel follows a character named Jonah as he travels toward the breakaway territory carrying a rat in what is described as a “biodegradable carrier.”
The unusual companion apparently serves a purpose as he attempts to navigate an area threatened by land mines.
© Todd WilliamsonDuring the journey, Jonah receives a call from his nosy sister, whom he compares to both a beagle and the Stasi, the former East German secret police.
The surreal details continue when Jonah watches television from his room and sees a “troupe of dancing nurses in sexy Santa dresses.”
The Book Is Already Finding Readers
Scott began releasing the novel on Substack on Aug. 8, and the serialized project had attracted about 6,000 subscribers after its first five excerpts.
The book’s cover indicates that the complete work will run roughly 80,000 words, suggesting there are plenty more twists — and likely more bizarre moments — still to come.
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