Land of Delusion: Out on the edge with the crackpots and conspiracy-mongers remaking our shared reality

Written by Colin Dickey

Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini

Not so long ago, conspiracy theorists were relegated to the cultural fringes. They were the oddballs in the tinfoil hats, raging to one another about who really shot JFK and whether or not an astronaut walked on the moon. In recent years, however, as everything from stolen-election claims to vaccine disinformation to QAnon has made daily headlines, conspiracists have moved, if not front and center, then awfully close.

As the American right wing retreats further into its political bunker and war rages in Ukraine, two particularly bizarre theories are gaining traction in the United States and Russia. They seem laughably far-fetched, but behind the absurdity lurk radical ideas that are becoming alarmingly commonplace. These ludicrous beliefs offer a road map of where we might be headed and also highlight the lunacy that’s already here.

In Land of Delusion, cultural historian Colin Dickey, author of the acclaimed The Unidentified and Ghostland, introduces us to Tartaria, a great empire that sprang from Russia and spread across the globe, only to be destroyed by evil schemers who erased it from the history books. We also meet the New Chronologists, who claim that history began just eight hundred years ago and that the world was originally dominated by blond, blue-eyed Slavs. Crackpot theories to be sure, but they’re fueled by troubling beliefs that are all too real: that superior societies have been overrun by “others,” that we’ve been corrupted by fake news, and that power and lost glory must be restored. The far-reaching influence of Fox News, Alex Jones, lies generated by the Kremlin are enough to tell us that not only are these beliefs potent, they might soon become dominant.

By turns entertaining and grimly serious, Land of Delusion takes us inside the warped logic of conspiracy theorists and connects the dots between crazy ideas and real-time events. Weird is one thing—weird and dangerous demands our full attention.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Everand Originals
• Release date: Nov 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781094455037

Colin Dickey

Writer, speaker, and professor Colin Dickey has made a career out of collecting unusual objects and hidden histories from all over the country. He’s the author of several books, including Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places and The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters, and Our Obsession with the Unexplained. A regular contributor to The New Republic and Lapham’s Quarterly, he is also the co-editor of The Morbid Anatomy Anthology. He has a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Southern California and is a professor of English at National University, in San Diego. His next book, Under the Eye of Power: How Fear of Secret Societies Shapes American Democracy, will be published in 2023 by Viking Press.

Reviews for Land of Delusion

[G A McKee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an interesting read about a belief system like those that see the earth as flat like a coin and not round round like a ball. The belief in the past existence of a “lost empire” could be compared to the belief by children in some bedtime fairy tale. Should parents shatter their children’s delusions or allow their minds to naturally become more acquainted with reality?

[Garrett Wood · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found the content of the book to be good, and the ideas presented were of good logic. However, the author did repeat himself a lot, which made the audiobook experience hard to follow. Maybe better in a reading format, which is a shame since the reader was great.

[Dave · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is good to have an objective view of the narrative of both sides, so I’ll listen to it intently. The irony is that this was “suggested” to me in counter distinction to what I typically listen to. Sounds like the thought police are alive and well. Hello, thought police, thanks for the recommendation!

[Amy Peterson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I chose to give this a listen solely based on the other reviews that were clearly left by Q-anon weirdos. The way the seemed personally attacked by this book was enough for me to hit play. This book was thought provoking and timely, given the prevalence of conspiracy beliefs seeping into our mainstream culture.

[lee patterson · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Seems even more misguided with what we now know…author must have blinders on

[CIW · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not just an entertaining foray into the mechanisms of conspiracy beliefs and cultures of propagation online that are shifting the balance of accepted political discourse, but a necessary read (listen) in a moment when fringe beliefs are entering the mainstream media and spilling over into real world actions and violence.

[dylan tenner · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

An awful book that just pushes the government's line, it's not even worth reading for free.

[Terry Torres · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fun read, and a great narration. Briefly ties together USA and Russian cultures which is an interesting idea, but it leaves a lot unsaid. Blames Russia’s thirst for imperial reclamation on its post-Soviet national funk, but doesn’t dwell much on the causes of it, which I feel would probably buoy the thesis better.

[EN · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Just mask up and ask for your booster shots ASAP

[ydarrga · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Uh… if You say anything against this book it’s because You’re a delusional: clever. Anyway of course Tartarian theory enthusiast are delusional and lacking of deductive thinking. BUT. Because of that it doesn’t mean you have to lick the a** to the mainstream narration. I have just to say ‘something is rotten in Denmark’.

[Brandon Law · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Oops, your bias is showing. Conspiracy quacks are not the exclusive province of the right, though there are plenty of incurious rubes on that side to be sure. A broader look including the quackery of the left would be a more honest and objective read than this partisan polemical missive.

[mminam · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Mouthpiece for Mainstream Media. Don't waste your time. Not worth.

[Jesse · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Interesting citing JFK when the CIA admitted in late 2022 their own high level of culpability in what can only be described as a coup. The odd part is that the bulk of these conspiracy theories keep turning up accurate what with the slipping mask of the MSM, alphabet agency corruption, and deepening wealth of the Uniparty ... what a solid "journalist"

[Betty Bennett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An honest look at our current political reality. The author identifies the risks we face when falsehood is acceptable and conspiracy theory causes otherwise sensible people to blindly follow lies and half truths

[Rodereck Azir (Rodereck) · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book and reading was brought to you by Pfizer!

[Spencer Allen · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The author is either delusional, cognitively dissonant or corrupt. There can be no other excuse for this indefensible act of treason against the people. We are in the middle of a hostile takeover by an elite who care nothing for human life. Private banks own and run our world generating wars and chaos for money and power, elections are corrupt, science is close minded, education teaches debt slavery, markets are fixed, history is full of holes, healthcare is a scandal with the average American receiving 57 vax shots in their lifetime…a number that correlates perfectly with the rise in major disease, religion is a zero tax business as are charitable foundations set up by corrupt elite bloodsuckers, the media is a government propaganda mouthpiece spouting the same story and script on every station, all of the worlds major corporations in every single sphere of influence are effectively owned by two hedge funds, and politicians somehow get incredibly wealthy on their middle manager salaries. There is literally nothing, nada, zero that is trustworthy within the system of governance created by the establishment…especially our history and our “science”. All of the previous “facts” are bring dispelled through new discoveries that are mind blowing…but only to those with a mind that is open.
Scribd has been such a good app for so long and it’s such a shame that they would promote this kind of blatant garbage propaganda. You would almost think there is an agenda at play.

[Casey · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Uncompelling, thin & rather conspicuously guilty of the same rhetoric it accuses conspiracy theorists of.

Convenient for the seed of contemporary conspiracy theory having dropped from the tree of Russian ideology, since they’re the aggressor in a war that has created economic aftershocks the world over. Not saying Russia has a whistle clean track record, just saying similar such criticism of aggressor cultures is our thing.

We *tend to* smear “axis” forces with our hyperbole, like during Vietnam, Desert Storm, during Iraqi Freedom, regarding Korea, China, England, etc. etc. Or when we’re behaving as a self-righteous “free” nation vanguard of metastasizing central bank interests. It’s patriotic to talk a lot of shit, apparently… …we practice with our sports teams. I’m not exactly sure why this quick little book is supposed to be credible in that light.

[Ra Smith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not too heavy but are well educated slice of information to keep us from getting bogged down with the twists and turns of the Rabbit hole of current day conspiracy theorists

[Terry · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book screams Dunning-Kruger effect from beginning to the end. The author fails to display even a small bit of knowledge on the very topics he's so willing to heavily criticize. Can you at least explain who coined the term "Conspiracy Theorists" and why? The book is in no way objective. The one who said "Honest look..." must be a friend.

[Warren Potter · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The very definition of irony. The author rightfully so knocks down and pokes fun of crazy conspiracy theories, then turns around and promotes equality crazy left wing conspiracies. I had to laugh out loud when in the about the author section it said he was a California professor. That’s about par for the course.

[Andrea · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The author contradicted herself so many times during the first seven minutes, I decided it wasn’t worth my time

[jack6493 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The conspiracy theory devotees giving this book one-star reviews (probably without having opened it) are upset because Dickey gently but convincingly skewers them.

[Rob Fulton · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Scribd - don’t go woke. You’ll go broke. I did listen to this and it’s trash. Missing evidence, horrible bias and TDS. Sheesh.

I guess anyone can write trash and get published?

[Aaron Cobb · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Complete and total garbage. Yes conspiracy exists and is just that. However this book gives nothing to back up its own claims. It actually is a book of conspiracy in itself.

[Morale_Stops_Here · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Far-left, 1984 type propaganda. Numerous "conspiracy theories" have come true over the past few years. If they don't come true then that's all they are, theories. The reason these exist is because conspiracies ACTUALLY do happen and are currently happening. Many are false. Maybe if the media and people in general focused on purely facts instead of trying to spin everything to the left or right, there would be much less of these. This book is pointless and pushes you to accept a narrative.

[Dax · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

More cult programming for obedient followers of the hate cult's brand of groupthink. If they only knew how unselfaware they are... Alas, the holier-than-thou, so-called liberals are apparently addicted to a nonstop diet of predigested propaganda. You would think they would notice who benefits most from these lies. But of course, they always blame some far-right boogeyman. Pathetic but maybe they'll get the horrors they deserve and wish on others. Karma.

[Michael Parker · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is a very interesting listen. The author, take you through a tail of conspiracy theory that you have likely never heard of?!? He opens by making a False claim about the Catholic Church, being only interest in history as it relates to the return of Jesus. This is funny, because the conspiracy theory he talks about rejects accepted history. Historians acknowledge that the majority of the historical documents we currently have, we in fact collected and preserved by the Catholic Church. His assertion ignores the quote of Jesus, (paraphrased) "Only the Father Knows" when the end of time will be.

The purpose of his tell you about this virtually unknown conspiracy theory is to drawl parallels between it in the Republican Party. Of course he offers No Evidence to this claim, but simple asserts it as a fact. Coincidently that's just what conspiracy theorist do also!

I do suggest you read it, though if you are a moderate or conservative at times, you might find it offensive. As an open minded; socially liberal yet fiscally responsible person, I did find it enlightening. I gained new insights, as to why the only party I have a registered as a member of, "the Democratic Party," has abandoned me. I never abandoned it.

[Eric Crim · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"Conspiracy Theories are more a misnomer, more like Conspiracy Beliefs[.]" is what the author inconspicuously mentions; promptly ignores and disregards this as insignificant, but bases the whole underlying point of view depicted with the book with no basis for dispute , but rather a feeling of a essay taken from someone who couldn't get it published elsewhere; also being cherry picked for content due to the author's scant detail of anything he speaks of.

[screenet3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good examples
For anyone so they know to stay calm

[Stephen C · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This is nothing but a partisan hack job. Malignant leftist trash!