33 MYTHS OF THE SYSTEM
A GUIDE TO THE WORLD
As civilisation reaches endgame and begins to disintegrate, as the illusions of left and right coalesce into a single, spectacular omnimyth, as every rootless mind begins to directly experience the stupefying dystopias of Orwell, Huxley, Kafka and Dick, the time has come to understand the whole system, from root to fruit.
Drawing on the entire history of radical thought, while seeking to plumb their common depths, 33 Myths of the System, presents a synthesis of independent criticism, a straightforward exposure of the justifications of the world-system, along with a new way to perceive and understand the unhappy supermind that directs, penetrates and even lives our lives.
33 Myths of the System confronts the fabrications of both capitalism and socialism, both left and right, both theism and atheism. As such it may be, for some, a challenging read. But if you are willing to face not just the world out there, but the anxieties and desires in here which sustain it, 33 Myths of the System — together with its companion Self & Unself — will be a liberating read.
READ SOME SAMPLES
Here are a few chapters from the book; The Myth of Culture, The Myth of Truth, The Myth of Meaning, The Myth of Education and an introduction to Anarchism at the end of the World; but these are really for disseminating through the world brain. You might as well read…
33 MYTHS OF THE SYSTEM IS AVAILABLE FROM
The old 2018 version of 33 Myths of the System is free as a PDF on Dropbox. here. If you prefer not to use Dropbox, the older version is also available for free download from the Internet Archive
In April I will be releasing an updated second edition as a physical book and epub / mobi. (Lightly updated — a few paragraphs, footnotes and pages added here and there; in order to reflect the changes that have happened in the world over the past three years, and also to make the book ‘fit’ with Self and Unself and The Apocalypedia.) Sign up to my mailing list to hear of this.
If you enjoy or benefit from this book, please consider making a donation on the widget on my front page.
And if you want to leave (or read) a review on Goodreads; here.
ANY OBJECTIONS?
You might find, reading this book, that you have serious doubts, particularly about the sections on professionalism, gender, science and reform. I’ve tried to respond to most objections within the text itself, but if you have any questions or objections that the book doesn’t address, send me an email and I’ll do my best to deal with them. Before you write though, please ask yourself if you’ve got a vested interest in the matter you are defending; I do get a lot of emails saying ‘I love your book, but I hate what you say about x’ — where x = my job, my livelihood, my personal problem, my favourite ideology, etc, etc.
SELF & UNSELF
There are several references in the book to a ‘sister volume.’ As I wrote ‘system’ I planned, outlined and wrote snippets to a book which originally was going to be called 33 Myths of the Ego, but which has become much more ambitious and is now called Self and Unself. This will appear in April. Again, if you want to hear about it when it appears, please sign up to my mailing list. I send emails out rarely.
THE APOCALYPEDIA
If you like ‘system’ you will probably enjoy this.
So provocative… I love[d it]… hit with originality and force. - John Zerzan, author of Future Primitive, Running on Emptiness and A People’s History of Civilisation
It’s all so very clear and with just enough sugar to make the medicine go down so it can truly reach. It makes me laugh and it makes me hungry for revolution. - Chantelle Oliver
Heterodox, true, unflinching and blue-ballsing funny to boot, this book is nothing short of a fucking apocalypse… [An] absolutely superb read… a classic. The book ‘gets inside and lurks’, as all the best books do. - Daniel Thornton
Thank you for articulating so beautifully so many things I've known my whole life (I'm old). It made me feel less alone… - Jeanne Campos
After reading so many books, it’s hard not to feel you’re just reading the same things, said in different ways but I really found this otherwise in your thought and understanding of our current state of affairs and how we got here. Genuinely original, very uncommon! - Ewen Nicholson
Pure genius… Full of insights and mind-blowing thought-puzzles. - David Edwards (Media Lens)
One of the most important, striking and frightening books I have read in some time. - ‘Nelson’
Amazingly excellent… - Joe Balsamo
I cried all the time while I was reading it. It also made me sick. As in actual diarrhea and nausea. - Areli Figueroa
Really enjoying. I am 83 and nosing around so long has led me (let's say I stumble alot) to many of the same conclusions… - Timea Deinhardt
A revelation. This book is a whirlwind: confronting, critical, and upsetting. Pick it up at your peril; it will offend… visceral and compelling… controversial and provocative. - Jussi Pasanen
I'm blown away. Although I’m already familiar with the domain, your comprehensive treatise really lays the subject bare. It’s incredibly well researched, well written, and fearless… - David Bethune
…shifted my thinking in a wonderful direction …I felt insulted, stupid, sad, and scared but the overriding feeling at the end was one of liberation and joy. - Adam Byrne
…incisive and provocative …truly anarchic, paradoxical and honest. - Liz Darcy Jones
This is a fantastic book. - Damien Gayle
A radical and insightful book (Ali Hendrick)… Fascinating analysis of the world we live in (Alastair Creelman)… This may be the most painful and depressing book I've ever read, but the points it makes are some of the most serious and prescient I have ever come across (Sean Tilley)… one of my favourite books of this year, if not the decade… in terms of books that challenge your thinking and point out the water you're swimming in, it's fantastic (Doug Belshaw)… Reading this books is like sawing off a gangrenous arm, agonising but utterly necessary (Dom Turner)… Brilliant!! (Gillian O'Donoghue)… It’s a cracker! (Shirl ‘n‘ Dave Hughes)
- From emails and social media
Edgy, fabulist ranting (Robert Nolan)… The sheer volume of what’s plain wrong and absurd here makes it hard to know where the ignorance ends and the dishonesty begins. (Stephen Morrell)… I don’t think I have ever read a book that alienates so many classes of people. (Chris Keating)… Offensive, nihilist twaddle from someone who clearly holds humanity in contempt (‘labrebigalloise’)… Speculative fantasy nonsense (‘alryr’)… Condescending and peevish throughout (‘ARealRedWagon’)… I doubt the author even believes this tripe (‘Powera’)…
- From emails and social media
