h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Published in 1945, George Orwell's Animal Farm (A392735) is a satire in fable form on (in the first instance) revolutionary and post-revolutionary Russia. Discontented with their lot, the animals of Mr. Jones' 'Manor Farm' stage a coup d'etat against their human owners, and drive them out.

Initially, at the renamed 'Animal Farm', there is parity between the animals, who chant their maxim "Four legs good, two legs bad". Gradually, the literate pigs assume leadership (in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king), with the ruthless Napoleon at the helm. The pigs, corrupted by their position, replace the human tyranny they initially toppled with another tyranny of their own.

Eventually, the pigs walk on two legs, adopting the evolved maxim "Four legs good, two legs better", and again rename the farm, reverting back to the original 'Manor Farm'.

Superficially, the moral of the tale (explicitly stated in the slogan "All animals are created equal but some are more equal than others") is that pure Marxist society is unattainable, which is why the Russian Revolution had failed in its objectives.

Implicitly, Orwell reminds the reader of Charles Dickens' words, "If men would behave decently, the world would be decent".