The Storm Is upon Us

How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything

By: Mike Rothschild

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Its messaging can seem cryptic, even nonsensical, yet for tens of thousands of people, it explains everything: What is QAnon, where did it come from, and is the Capitol insurgency a sign of where it’s going next?

On October 5, 2017, President Trump made a cryptic remark in the State Dining Room at a gathering of military officials. He said it felt like “the calm before the storm” - then refused to elaborate as puzzled journalists asked him to explain. But on the infamous message boards of 4chan, a mysterious poster going by “Q Clearance Patriot”, who claimed to be in “military intelligence”, began the elaboration on their own.

In the days that followed, Q’s wild yarn explaining Trump’s remarks began to rival the sinister intricacies of a Tom Clancy novel, while satisfying the deepest desires of MAGA-America. But did any of what Q predicted come to pass? No. Did that stop people from clinging to every word they were reading, expanding its mythology, and promoting it wider and wider? No.

Why not? Who were these rapt listeners? How do they reconcile their world view with the America they see around them? Why do their numbers keep growing?

Mike Rothschild, a journalist specializing in conspiracy theories, has been collecting their stories for years, and through interviews with QAnon converts, apostates, and victims, as well as psychologists, sociologists, and academics, he is uniquely equipped to explain the movement and its followers.

In The Storm Is upon Us, he takes listeners from the background conspiracies and cults that fed the Q phenomenon, to its embrace by right-wing media and Donald Trump, through the rending of families as loved ones became addicted to Q’s increasingly violent rhetoric, to the storming of the Capitol, and on.

And as the phenomenon shows no sign of calming, despite Trump’s loss of the presidency - with everyone from Baby Boomers to Millennial moms proving susceptible to its messaging - and politicians starting to openly espouse its ideology, Rothschild makes a compelling case that mocking the seeming madness of QAnon will get us nowhere. Rather, his impassioned reportage makes clear that it’s time to figure out what QAnon really is - because QAnon and its relentlessly dark theory of everything isn’t done yet.

©2021 Mike Rothschild (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Knowledgeable and entertaining

I couldn’t stop listening. I really enjoyed the way Mike lays out Q and really dives into the origin. Good for those who are very aware of Q related lunacy and those who’ve no idea what they’re in for.

Check it out!

One of those books that makes you think while keeping you engaged the whole time.

A must read to better understand the Q craze

Mike Rothschild brilliantly and logically unpacks the convoluted Q movement from its inception in a way that helps outsiders understand it's relationship to white nationalism, evangelism, militarism, conspiracy theory obsession, and the need to be relevant / make an impact, and "be special" in a world that increasingly isolates, alienates, and makes us paranoid against one another.

In addition he offers strategizes to reach loved ones who seem "lost" to this fervor, using empathy and love rather than judgement and labels.

Last, he challenges listeners and readers to reframe the idea of the cult, by examining the extent to which the Q movement fits and challenges the cult label.

As someone on the outer limits of the outside, I learned a lot about this movement as well as this community.

Extremely comprehensive, offers more resources for further info

Absolutely loved this book. I also appreciate that he provided resources to further reading. Additionally, I like the approach he takes regarding mocking/attacking people with bad ideas: you’ll never help them escape if they feel attacked.

See also Qanon & on By Van Badham. Important work!

A quick concise narrative of the anonymous poster calling themselves q, includes not just the historical chronology of the posts themselves but a lot of the groupthink psychology that has led up to the myriad bizarre dangerous events directly stemming from it's flame fanned cyber-hysteria. Listener friendly narrator as well. The author offers fair insight that's sometimes humorous without being insulting to those who've often been swept up in it while also offering up not just frank but helpful information for anyone who's been affected by it or has had loved ones affected by it. I highly recommend it as we can't afford to disregard how disruptive and dangerous the cyber super conspiracy cult has been.
See also the book "Qanon and on" by Van Badham, an excellent thorough work covering the online cultic phenomenon as well.

Great book, lousy narrator

Good book but unfortunate choice for narrator. Joe Barrett doesn't even sound like his other books, his voice is both higher and more raspy. He sounds like an old character actor cold-reading a script that he's never seen before. The real shame is that I've heard the actual author on podcasts and he has a great voice, he would have done a much better job himself. Still, excellent book if you want to understand the weirdest and scariest social movement around.

Demystifies QANON with Empathy and Reason

Loved the book and reader's performance was easy to get used to. Excellently written. Offers an introduction to intermediate level understanding of Q and qanon, the "deep state," nesara/gesara, Iraqi Dinar scam, and other similar grifts. Thank you Mike Rothschild!

for the uninitiated

Thorough and entertaining, given the 6th, everyone should understand more what this movement/cult/ideology is...

great job! lays it all out.

should have been read by the author

I just heard an interview with the author on a podcast (cognitive dissonance) and he was so interesting and so well spoken that it made me come buy the audiobook. The book is great but I don't love the narrator, I definitely would have preferred this to be read by the author, or at least by someone with a voice that better reflects the author.

Actual Patriots should read this book

Make no mistake, Q is not a patriot, and he doesn't care about America. We're in jeopardy of losing our republic, either to breakup or authoritarian barbarians.