| Author: | Erin Berry | ISBN: | 9781466119970 |
| Publisher: | Erin Berry | Publication: | September 11, 2011 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition | Language: | English |
| Author: | Erin Berry |
| ISBN: | 9781466119970 |
| Publisher: | Erin Berry |
| Publication: | September 11, 2011 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition |
| Language: | English |
You are correct, there is a government conspiracy. But, what if the conspiracy is that the government had a bureau to encourage other types of conspiracies, as well as distract people from the government's actions. In this satire, "The Chronicles of IDIOT", the story of the bureau is told in two intertwined narratives.
The IDIOT (Interdepartmental Distraction and Innovation of Obsequiousness Team) was started by Ernst Rheinholdt, an archeologist who has more fun with fooling people than with academics. His journal chronicles of the rise, fall and re-rise of IDIOT. Each Rheinholdt chapter gives us a glimpse of everything IDIOT has been up to since the Truman administration.
Alex Griffin, a graduate student, accidentally finds one of IDIOT's distractions, and while learning about the bureau, tries to become a team member by sampling employment at all of the IDIOT departments. These departments cover communication, entertainment, UFO/extraterrestrial, biomedical, and travel distractions. Communications are covered by a “Lobbying” firm called 'Integratives' and are primarily an internet driven part of the bureau giving us such gems as viral videos and email rumors. Entertainment distraction is brought to you by a PR firm called 'Introducing...' where the love lives of celebrities are manipulated and suggestions for the stupidest of TV shows and movies are all in a days work. 'Deterent Technologies' may look like a security firm on the outside but on the inside it fakes UFOs for all those “the truth is out there” believers. 'Oppintron' is a biomedical company to the world but it's IDIOT purpose is to promote recreational use of legal drugs (think Viagra) and encourage cryptozoology myths such as the Chupacabra and Bigfoot. If you have ever gotten into a traffic jam that seemed to come from nowhere, 'Travelot' may be to blame, to the public they are a high end Travel Agency, on the inside, they give us all distracting travel headaches.
Such is the world of this novella, "The Chronicles of IDIOT", giving Americans much needed distractions from whatever their dear government may be up to at the time. Who wants to think of such depressing stuff as lies which get us into war, when we could watch American Idol, instead.
You are correct, there is a government conspiracy. But, what if the conspiracy is that the government had a bureau to encourage other types of conspiracies, as well as distract people from the government's actions. In this satire, "The Chronicles of IDIOT", the story of the bureau is told in two intertwined narratives.
The IDIOT (Interdepartmental Distraction and Innovation of Obsequiousness Team) was started by Ernst Rheinholdt, an archeologist who has more fun with fooling people than with academics. His journal chronicles of the rise, fall and re-rise of IDIOT. Each Rheinholdt chapter gives us a glimpse of everything IDIOT has been up to since the Truman administration.
Alex Griffin, a graduate student, accidentally finds one of IDIOT's distractions, and while learning about the bureau, tries to become a team member by sampling employment at all of the IDIOT departments. These departments cover communication, entertainment, UFO/extraterrestrial, biomedical, and travel distractions. Communications are covered by a “Lobbying” firm called 'Integratives' and are primarily an internet driven part of the bureau giving us such gems as viral videos and email rumors. Entertainment distraction is brought to you by a PR firm called 'Introducing...' where the love lives of celebrities are manipulated and suggestions for the stupidest of TV shows and movies are all in a days work. 'Deterent Technologies' may look like a security firm on the outside but on the inside it fakes UFOs for all those “the truth is out there” believers. 'Oppintron' is a biomedical company to the world but it's IDIOT purpose is to promote recreational use of legal drugs (think Viagra) and encourage cryptozoology myths such as the Chupacabra and Bigfoot. If you have ever gotten into a traffic jam that seemed to come from nowhere, 'Travelot' may be to blame, to the public they are a high end Travel Agency, on the inside, they give us all distracting travel headaches.
Such is the world of this novella, "The Chronicles of IDIOT", giving Americans much needed distractions from whatever their dear government may be up to at the time. Who wants to think of such depressing stuff as lies which get us into war, when we could watch American Idol, instead.
