Somebody Told Me: One Man’s Unexpected Journey Down the Rabbit Hole of Lies, Trolls, and Conspiracies
Danny Wallace. Prometheus, $24.95 (320p) ISBN 978-1-4930-9079-2
In this hilarious chronicle of the present-day reign of misinformation, British comedian and broadcaster Wallace (Yes Man) recaps his encounters with people who spread, believe, or are otherwise affected by conspiracy theories. They include a husband distressed at his wife’s QAnon addiction; a man who thinks that a plan to bring walkability back to his town’s center is a plot to imprison the population; and Alex Jones, who once insisted that the U.S. government tried to assassinate him via tornado. Later chapters probe Russia’s Internet Research Agency and its efforts to spread misinformation, AI girlfriends who spout propaganda, and Wallace’s own conspiracy theorizing when he started to speculate that stilted emails sent to his father were part of a Chinese spy op. Wallace spotlights nutty theories on everything from 5G to Princess Kate, dissecting with fine comic irony the hucksterism that underlies many of them. (Paraphrasing comedian-turned-conspiracy guru Russell Brand, he writes: “They want to control you. You should be very worried. They need your data. By the way, use the code BRAND and enter your personal details on this external website.”) At times Wallace is too dismissive of the conspiratorial mindset, ignoring the role real-life government chicanery plays in prompting dark forebodings about cover-ups. Still, it’s an entertaining survey of what’s addling public discourse. (June)
Details
Reviewed on: 04/24/2025
Genre: Nonfiction
Open Ebook - 320 pages - 978-1-4930-9080-8