Our pick of the best novels that poke fun at the establishment.

What is satire for? Nothing in satire says it must lampoon the abuse of power. And plenty of fine satire skewers, instead, the foibles of human society in general, especially its moral hypocrisy. The questionable exercise of power (sometimes known as politics) is among satire’s tastiest targets, which, at its best, mixes comedy with criticism. Perhaps it’s because writers want to prove that optimistic credo regarding pens and swords. Such efforts raise a troubling question: does satire do any good? The author Mr Malcolm Gladwell threw doubt on this recently in his excellent podcast, Revisionist History, during which he asked whether some of the much flattered political comedy on TV has made any difference. He’s right, when you think of it. Satire rarely topples a tyrant. However much Mr Donald Trump was ridiculed by satirists during his election campaign, he was still elected. Yet satire has another value. It offers blips of relief to those who feel stomped on by big-footed fools. These days, such relief is worth plenty. Discover it yourself with these five classics of the genre.

The great satire on how power corrupts

The genius of Mr George Orwell is that he wrote about his time, yet has remained so vividly piercing in all the decades since. This allegorical novella about pigs turning from victims on a farm into rulers is a brief masterpiece that was intended to critique how Soviet communism became twisted into something barbaric. It remains a must-read today.

The great satire on journalism

As a former journo myself, I (along with all others in that inky trade) have a soft spot for this joy of a novel in which a totally incompetent young freelancer finds himself obliged to become a foreign correspondent. He responds by improvising. Even then, there was fake news. Never before or since has it been this funny.

The great satire on war

If war is politics by other methods, then this is war by dimwittedness. Even if you haven’t served in the military (as I haven’t), you can relate. All it requires is having held any of the myriad jobs where rules are assigned from on high, filtered down and drained of sense as they go, until they plop senselessly onto the low-status sucker compelled to carry them out. It’s bad enough if you’re making French fries, and horrifying if you’re making war.

The great satire on US politics

The best living satirical novelist, Mr Christopher Buckley is an American successor to Mr Waugh, weaving this darkly witty tale about a big tobacco lobbyist and his miscreant peers, who merrily corrupt America. The novel is pure pleasure, and the reader is only sobered by the fact that, since its first publication in 1994, big bucks have poisoned American democracy even further.

The great satire on bureaucracy

This is a satire without much to laugh at. You could as easily class it as horror. The protagonist, Josef K, is arrested and tried, and never knows the reason. The system just crushes people, step by step. Scary but unforgettable.

Mr Tom Rachman is the author of The Imperfestionists and The Rise And Fall Of Great Power_s. His newest political satire,_ Basket Of Deplorables_, is available now at audible.co.uk_