QAnon and On: A Short and Shocking History of Internet Conspiracy Cults
Nov 2021 · Hardie Grant Publishing
4.1star
12 reviewsreport
Ebook
304
Pages
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About this ebook
Shortlisted for the Walkley Book Award 2022
In QAnon and On, Guardian columnist Van Badham delves headfirst into the QAnon conspiracy theory, unpicking the why, how and who behind this century’s most dangerous and far-fetched internet cult.
From Gamergate to Pizzagate and beyond to QAnon, internet manipulation and disinformation campaigns have grown to a geopolitical scale and spilled into real life with devastating consequences, entangling everyone from politicians to Hollywood celebrities.
But what would motivate followers to so forcefully avoid the facts and surrender instead to made-up stories designed to influence and control? It’s a question that has haunted Van, herself a veteran of social media’s relentless trolling wars. In this daring investigation, Van exposes some of the internet’s most extreme communities to understand conspiracy cults from the inside.
QAnon and On is the story of the modern internet, the farscape of political belief and a disinformation pipeline built between the two that poses an ongoing threat to democracy itself. Shocking and mesmerising in equal measure, this book will open our eyes to the dangers of partisan belief.
In QAnon and On, Guardian columnist Van Badham delves headfirst into the QAnon conspiracy theory, unpicking the why, how and who behind this century’s most dangerous and far-fetched internet cult.
From Gamergate to Pizzagate and beyond to QAnon, internet manipulation and disinformation campaigns have grown to a geopolitical scale and spilled into real life with devastating consequences, entangling everyone from politicians to Hollywood celebrities.
But what would motivate followers to so forcefully avoid the facts and surrender instead to made-up stories designed to influence and control? It’s a question that has haunted Van, herself a veteran of social media’s relentless trolling wars. In this daring investigation, Van exposes some of the internet’s most extreme communities to understand conspiracy cults from the inside.
QAnon and On is the story of the modern internet, the farscape of political belief and a disinformation pipeline built between the two that poses an ongoing threat to democracy itself. Shocking and mesmerising in equal measure, this book will open our eyes to the dangers of partisan belief.
Ratings and reviews
4.1
12 reviews
Lachlan Reid
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July 22, 2023
Brilliantly researched, written and insightful. This will go down as one of the greats in Australian literary history. Truly an amazing read!
Scott Reichman
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January 4, 2023
Truly excellent work that has shed light on what has been an unfathomable mystery for me since I first saw these nutbag notions espoused by RWNJs and wondered how anyone can end up so deeply deluded. The book is incredibly well researched, informative and down right entertaining. Just excellent.
Snow White
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June 23, 2022
Cult created chaos to cover up the real issues. I dont understand their presence in Phoenix. Creating paranoia, fear and chaos when we needed to stand together. Storming the capitol, they know how to create a distraction and take over the news.
About the author
Van Badham is an internationally award-winning writer and theatremaker. As a journalist, she’s written for The New York Times, The Telegraph (UK) and The Age, and she maintains a weekly column for The Guardian. Widely published as an essayist and poet, she’s appeared in anthologies for Hardie Grant, Black Inc, MUP and QUP, and wrote the novel, Burnt Snow, for Pan Macmillan. Her plays include Banging Denmark for STC, The Bloody Chamber for Malthouse and The Bull, the Moon and the Coronet of Stars for Griffin Theatre. Van appears regularly on television and radio as a commentator, critic and activist.
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