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.
'Van Badham is one of the most lucid, insightful and witty journalists in Australia, and seeing her expose the dark rising madness of conspiracy theories is both a joy and a panic attack all at once.' Johann Hari, New York Times best-selling author
‘Van Badham’s research is rigorous, her argument revealing and her writing absolutely impeccable. A chilling reveal on the world’s newest cult.’ Jamila Rizvi, best-selling author and presenter
'This book will compel you – and indeed all of us – to act to reclaim the internet for the good of humanity.' Ginger Gorman, multi-award winning journalist and author
'As gripping and terrifying as a thriller, but the really chilling twist in the tale is that none of it is fiction.' Jane Caro, Walkley-award winning author
'From Cosplay to QAnon, a terrifying, fascinating look at how an unregulated space of geeks and gamers became fertile ground for deliberate misinformation and political manipulation.' – Dee Madigan, campaigner, author and speaker
'A moving cry for reason in the chaos of a twilight world… a book that deserves - or perhaps, more pointedly, demands - to be widely read.' Ian McFarlane, The Canberra Times