Richard A. Allen’s Provocative Novel Explores Humanity, Identity, and the Struggle for Autonomy in an Alien World

A Speculative Tale of Power, Language, and the Fight for Freedom

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, July 15, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In his bold literary debut, Kobo, Richard A. Allen—respected attorney, constitutional scholar, and former U.S. Supreme Court advocate—delivers a gripping work of speculative fiction that examines what it truly means to be human. With the imagination of a seasoned storyteller, Allen invites readers into a universe where humanity is stripped of language, culture, and autonomy—and forced to rediscover itself.

Kobo follows the journey of a 14-year-old boy raised

as a pampered pet by alien beings on the distant planet Pavin. Bereft of human connection, identity, or voice, Kobo’s existence is upended when he meets Ra, a fellow captive. When their children are sold, the pair is sent to a brutal mining colony—an act that becomes the catalyst for rebellion, rediscovery, and the reawakening of the human spirit. Together, they learn to speak, to resist, and ultimately, to reclaim their humanity.

Far more than a sci-fi narrative, Kobo is a penetrating allegory that touches on law, freedom, culture, and identity—concepts that Allen has spent his life examining in the courtroom and the classroom.

With a career that includes arguing ten cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and teaching courses on the Constitution and criminal justice, Allen brings a unique perspective to fiction. His novel challenges readers to consider the primal roots of justice, autonomy, and moral development.

A Message for Readers:

Through Kobo, Allen invites reflection: if we were raised without language, law, or community—like our pets—how human would we be? The novel suggests that while we may mirror our pets in many ways, we also possess something profoundly distinct: the will to build, to organize, and to fight for freedom.
Kobo is the first in a planned series, followed by the forthcoming Kobo’s Children.