Comrades: A Story of Social Adventure in California is a 1909 novel by Thomas Dixon, Jr. It deals with the establishment of a socialist commune on a Californian island and its subsequent unraveling. Widely reviewed, it was later adapted as a play and as a film.

Colonel Worth, a Confederate veteran, lives in San Francisco, California with his guardian Elena and his son Norman.^[2] At the outset of the novel, Col. Worth talks about the Battle of Manila of the Spanish–American War in the Philippines, especially Admiral George Dewey's damage done to the Spanish fleet.^[2] Meanwhile, his guardian and son go to a socialist meeting.^[2] Indeed, his son Norman becomes infatuated with Barbara Bozenta, a socialist figure, and hosts a socialist meeting at Col. Worth's country house near Berkeley on July 4, American Independence Day.^[2] The meeting is canceled when Norman attempts to put up the Red Flag as opposed to the American flag.^[2]

Worth buys the island of Ventura for his son Norman.^[2] Located off the coast of Santa Barbara, it is meant for Norman to establish a socialist commune there.^[2] When his socialist friends fail to work, law and order needs to be restored.^[2] However, Comrades Herman and Catherine Wolf take over as heads of the commune, and sentence Norman to work in the stables, under the threat of the lash.^[2] Productivity falls as workers know they must work nine hours a day, and thus work slowly.^[2] When Norman finds a way to find gold on the beach, the device is stolen by Wolf.^[2] Wolf's wife Catherine then leaves for Santa Barbara, deeming family life to be too capitalistic.^[2]

Eventually, Norman reaches out to his father and to the Governor of California, who liberate the island.^[2] The Red flag is replaced with the American flag.^[2]

The book deals with the Bolshevik threat to the United States.^[3] It has been described as 'a treatise against communism' by biographer Anthony Slide.^[2]

A review published in The New York Times on February 6, 1909, suggested the characters were badly portrayed.^[2] In April 1909, critic H.L. Mencken criticized the novel, describing it as 'intolerably amateurish' and a 'stupid quasi-novel.'^[4] He added, 'towards the end the very badness of the book began to exercise a nefarious fascination.'^[4] He concluded that the novel was a reflection of 'every weakness, fault, misdemeanor known to prose fiction, from incredible characterization to careless proofreading, and from preposterous dialogue to trashy illustrations.'^[4]

Reviewer R. E. Bisbee in the July 1909 issue of Arena suggested the caricature of socialism made Dixon come across as an 'irrational teller of tales.'^[2] More recently, biographer Anthony Slide criticized the novel, saying 'the writing appears as rushed as the novel's conclusions.'^[2] He went on to add that the character were 'not sufficiently drawn out.'^[2]

The novel has been compared to 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell in its ability to show the ineptitude of socialism.^[2] However, Slide suggests it is a parody of the socialist novels of Upton Sinclair.^[2] Moreover, it has been suggested that the character of Barbara Bozenta was based on anarchist Emma Goldman.^[5]

The novel was adapted as a play entitled The Red Dawn.^[2] However, the characters have different names and the plot varies slightly.^[2] Its first performance took place on August 6, 1919, at the 39th Street Theatre in New York City.^[2]

Furthermore, the novel was adapted into a film in 1919.^[3] It was entitled Bolshevism on Trial.^[2] The film strayed from the plot of the novel, as it was set in Palm Beach, Florida as opposed to San Francisco.^[2]