Lundskow and MacMillen have have written a timely and provocative book about the dangers of QAnon and other extremist conspiracy theories circulating in contemporary American society. In recent decades, the US has undergone vast social and economic changes. It is becoming less white demographically, and opportunities are becoming more equal. Many middle-class white Americans, particularly males, view these changes as a loss of status and privilege for themselves. In their resulting anger, some of them turn to conspiracy theories like the great replacement to explain their plight. QAnon functions for them as a pseudo-religion to explain their grievances, but it offers no real plan to fix things other than nihilist violence to tear down the existing system. Supporters exhibit either right-wing authoritarian impulses or a social dominance orientation governed by hate and fear. This book is well researched and draws from recent social science scholarship. The authors advocate for combating extremism by promoting the true religious values of tolerance, inclusiveness, and love. They may face some politically correct criticism for using the terms conspiracy and cult with negative connotations. Still, based on the evidence, it is hard to reject their conclusions. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty.

Choice Reviews

In Q-Anon and Other Replacement Realities,George Lundskow and Sarah Louise MacMillen make an important contribution to the study of conspiracy theories and offer new and novel hypotheses about why people believe conspiracies. The connection the authors make between conspiratorial beliefs and violence is one that should concern us all as we move inexorably toward elections that could very well erupt in violence as trust in our institutions is at an all-time low.

Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine and author of Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational

“In an amazing, well-researched, well-documented, and lucid analysis, Lundskow and MacMillen have provided one of the best analyses of paranoid thought since Hofstadter. Today, cultural changes in values and identities challenge traditional, privileged, hierarchical identities of race, gender, gender orientation, etc. The authors show how certain character types, authoritarians, and social dominators feel anger, rage, and hostility, which leads them to embrace paranoid fantasies that 'explain' their discontents and victimization and justify violence against these seemingly threatening, 'evil' minorities. For those interested in the alt right and conspiracy theories, this book is a must-read."

Lauren Langman, Loyola University of Chicago