Twenty Years After Dumas comes out on the side of the monarchy in general, or at least the text often praises the "idea" of benevolent royalty. His musketeers are valiant and just in their efforts to protect young Louis XIV and the doomed Charles I from their attackers. The action begins during the regency of Queen Anne of Austria (term 1643–1651), with Cardinal Mazarin as First Minister. D'Artagnan, who seemed to have a promising career ahead of him at the end of "The Three Musketeers", has for twenty years remained a lieutenant, and seems unlikely to progress despite his ambition and the debt
After 12,000 Years respects, and "Nineteen Eighty-Four" in others," its stylistic weakness makes it unsuccessful social satire, and that the novel therefore "fails to provoke either laughter or horror--or at least would fail to do so for any sophisticated reader." Bleiler described it as "essentially an attack on Western culture, militarism, and war hysteria," noting that "the description of the anthill society and many little touches describing sadistic exploitation are stronger than the plotline." After 12,000 Years After 12,000 Years is a science fiction novel by Stanton A. Coblentz. It was first published in book form in 1950 by Fantasy Publishing Company, Inc.