Digital books and the far right

Books are a recognized but insufficiently researched means for dissemination of ideologies, including by far-right violent extremists. Considering that the far-right are early and effective adopters of new communication technology, this article explores how digital publication and circulation of books can both enable and direct a known potential pathway to radicalization to extremism: the 'intellectual quest'. This article explores the publication history and commercial circulation of novels by self-identified American neo-Nazis William L. Pierce and Harold A. Covington, which have been linked to planning and acts of violence both in the U.S.A. and elsewhere, and how commercial algorithms direct potential purchasers to ideologically adjacent material. We argue that digital book publishing and circulation have particular affordances for articulating, amplifying and normalizing violent extremist ideologies.

Automated summary

This article explores how digital publication and circulation of books can enable and direct a known potential pathway to radicalization to extremism, particularly for far-right violent extremists. By analyzing the publication history and commercial circulation of novels by self-identified American neo-Nazis William L. Pierce and Harold A. Covington, the article argues that digital book publishing and circulation have specific affordances for articulating, amplifying, and normalizing violent extremist ideologies.