READING RECOMMENDATIONS
Fiction
Demian by Hermann Hesse (a generally excellent author)
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Sea Wolf by Jack London
The Matrix
All of the above are relatively short, and focus in various ways on a person who broke with their psychological dependency on other people, social authorities, and widely-believed moral systems. Note that Ayn Rand is not listed. There is plenty of good literature about authenticity in the face of adversity which doesn’t lick the boots of the wealthy.
Philosophy
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
A wonderful poetic, illustrated explanation of evil’s central role in life, and all of its joys.
Various Heraclitus -- check heraclitusfragments.com
Conflict as the root of all progress, things becoming their opposites, change is the only constant. A more concise version of Hegel, a few thousand years earlier. Possibly the best of ancient Greek philosophy.
Skim various Hegel
Describes the interconnectedness of All, more thoroughly than is humane. Read Hegel: A Very Short Introduction by Peter Singer as well.
The Satanic Bible
The basic case for why atheists still need religion, plus some individualist and anti-Christian rants of varying value. Truly not the best book ever, but if you’re going to be in the Satanist scene, you might as well know what everyone else is talking about.
The German Ideology
All ideas, even bad ideas, do not come from nowhere, but are clear or distorted reflections of reality. Consciousness exists, but is a subcategory of the physical, and is heavily influenced by economics.
History and Class-Consciousness by Gyorg Lukacs
This genius explains how clear thinking itself can be a driving force for historical progress and is an attack on the class system. Have a background in basic Marxism before you read this.
The Algebra of Revolution by John Rees
Makes sense of/puts in context some of the above wacky dialectic philosophy. Includes Hegel, Marx, Lukacs, and others.
The Mismeasure of Man by Steven Jay Gould
Rips apart the data which used to justify “scientific racism,” and exposes how the narrow view of intelligence as a quantity reinforces the class system.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Nietzsche’s only work written in the form of a story, rather than directly-stated philosophy (never mind, Nietzsche never directly stated his philosophy). I truly cannot summarize it.
Politics
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
The American reality beneath the American dream. Honesty about working life and our crappy incomes.
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
If you're still toying with fascist or monarchist sympathies.
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Often considered the bible of the American left-wing radical.
The Labor Wars by Sydney Lens
Similar to Zinn’s book but more specifically focused on labor.
On the Origin of Family, Private Property, and the State
Engels, Marx’s cowriter, explaining what economics, class, government, and sexism have to do with each other.
Catechism of a Revolutionist by Sergei Nechaev
This probably also belongs in the psychology section, for perfectly describing the total mental scission a Satanist must make from his or her own culture in order to be authentic. I don't recommend most of the political methodology contained within in the American setting; more of an inspiration piece.
What happened to Russia? This is not a book title but a good question. The evidence points to the fact that the Russia Revolution was a very democratic upsurge by Russia’s working masses, matched by working-class uprisings in other parts of the world. However it’s very clear that something went terribly wrong in Russia; anyone who doesn’t think so needs a reality check. I encourage you to read several sides of the debate yourself.
History
The Bolsheviks In Power by Alexander Rabinovich
Revolution and Counter-Revolution: Class Struggle in a Moscow Metal Factory by Kevin Murphy
Revolution Betrayed by Leon Trotsky
Explanations
The USSR in War by Leon Trotsky
Russia: From Workers’ State to State Capitalism
Anarchists in the Russian Revolution by Paul Avrich
I’m not bothering to list hardcore Stalinist accounts because Stalinism is so very far from the workers’ self-determination envisaged by real socialists that anyone going down that road is just not on the same page as me at all.
Lenin: Building the Party by Tony Cliff
The instruction manual of revolution.
Power and Protest by Jeremy Suri
This book does an excellent job explaining how uprisings in one place inspire uprisings elsewhere, and how social movements are generally interconnected. A half-American, half-global history of the 1960s.
Various Antonio Gramsci
Explains how mass culture and politics are connected. Even the "unthinking masses" still possess a great deal of thought.
Revolutionary Rehearsals
Five revolutionary working-class uprisings in five modern places, from 1968 forward. Read and wonder why you never heard of these described in this way.
Imperialism: the Highest Stage of Capitalism by Lenin
Written about ninety years ago; perfectly describes modern globalization and war.
Fascism: What It Is and What to Do About It by Leon Trotsky
A lovely little pamphlet explaining how all of the passion, distress, energy, and desperation which helps develop the Far Right can and should be utilized by the Far Left – but if we don’t use it, they will.
Economics
Capital, Volume I by Marx
It’s not that you won’t understand economics until you read this – it’s just that you won’t understand it as well as you could.
Any macro-economics textbook
This will teach you the relationships between the different variables in the economy, even if some of the core assumptions are incorrect.
Workers’ Councils by Anton Pannekoek
A direct description and explanation of democratically-run workplaces and what it would mean for society as a whole.
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
This book teaches you how to think of things in terms of cause and effect. Also a great argument against racism, explaining how civilization started in certain places because of various climate and geographical factors rather than race.
The Communist Manifesto by Marx
Covers too much ground to describe, but it’s short, so just read it. The Manifesto is actually not an emotional rant, but lays out many complex core ideas of Marxist theory in brief, easy-to-understand form.
Psychology
Getting Past No by William Ury
Besides helping you get what you want, this book simply makes you grow up. It helps you think in terms of the fact that if you want to get anything from anyone, you are going to have to offer something in return.
The Gendered Society by Michael Kimmel
For many people, the opposite sex is the ultimate “Other.” Even many Satanists still think in terms of a strict male/female dichotomy, as if the “Other” has a permanent, opposing essence which is either hostile or necessary for your self-completion. Be ready to have your mind blown.
The Tyranny of Structurelessness by Jo Freeman
When people complain about the obnoxiousness of “groupthink,” “the stupid mob,” or “democracy,” it is probably because they haven’t taken simple steps to ensure real democracy.
Human, All-Too-Human
One of Nietzsche’s earlier works, in which much of his subsequent rambling is actually already covered. Sections 6 and 9 are wonderful.
Beyond Good and Evil
A more direct, succinct explanation of Nietzsche’s philosophy.
The Prince, Machiavelli
Reflections on a cut-throat world. This has been more useful to me personally than politically, since it makes the reactionary assumption of the nation-state as the basis of all politics. Read this keeping in mind that the world has moved more towards psychological manipulation. You just can’t get away with cutting throats as much anymore.
Recommended Web Sites
You might as well start with the two giants who popularized Satanism, the web sites of the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set.
SatanicInternationalNetwork.com (SIN)
One of the better Satanist forums in terms of accessibility, friendliness, etc. Of course there will always be assholes on the Internet but this seems to be the Satanist Internet hangout with the largest concentration of people who would rather discuss something than turn up their noses at you or troll you.
Theisticsatanism.com
Diane Vera is one of the best on the Satanic Internet. Her clarity, professionalism, and groundedness is unrivaled anywhere. I disagree with Vera’s theistic tendencies but I am aware that for some Satanists, Vera is probably a representative voice that they cannot find anywhere else. Examine, compare, make up your mind for yourself.
CultofCthulhu.net
Run by an interesting fellow who calls himself Venger Satanis, the Cult of Cthulhu is exactly what it says it is, a micro-religion based on H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu series. Mainly I recommend his written books, such as Liber A:O, which can be found through his website or by the contact info he has listed there. Its relationship with Satanism is strange but still basically there. I seldom encounter anything that brings an addition of wisdom or a new flavor to Satanism enough to be worth mention, other than Nietzsche.
Who Rules America? by Professor G. William Domhoff
http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html
Teenage Satanism as Oppositional Youth Subculture, a research paper by sociologist Kathleen S. Lowney
This paper chronicles a teenage Satanist scene in a restrictive, oppressive Southern town. To some, this paper probably contains what people think of as the worst incarnations of Satanism, but religion is not just what is written; it is the behaviors practiced by the people who embrace the label. Like it or not, teenage Satanists are Satanists. I totally identify with the counter-culture that these kids created. I wish I was half as successful as them at pulling together a scene.
o9a.org
The Order of the Nine Angles, if it ever truly existed, is a Satanist group which advocates human sacrifice, fascism, and an underground existence (which makes me wonder why they published web sites). I disagree with most of what they say, but some of it is actually right on target. The quest for freedom must boil over from our individual lives into the realm of political power. I also am attracted to their “Sinister Dialectic” in which all conflicting parts of the universe are in a process of building towards larger and greater forms, though this was already well-covered by Heraclitus, Hegel, and Marx. In many ways the ONA is my right-wing mirror opposite, except I suppose I’m not interested in murder for the sake of it. While we’re on the topic of murdering psychos…
MURDERCHURCH
A good Internet joke.
Recommended Periodicals
Huffington Post
Alternet
Prole.info
Socialistworker.org
Commondreams.org
Read Wikileaks documents
Watch Democracy Now!
The Guardian (British)
Juan Cole’s Informed Comment for the Middle East
Al-Jazeera and Russia Today are shockingly progressive for the political situations in their hosting nations
Watch MSNBC if you want a loyal Democrat perspective. I bang my fist on nearby furniture when watching MSNBC almost as much as I do when watching FOX, because they are so good at pointing out the flaws of the Right wing, but utterly fail to acknowledge that the Democrats essentially embody the exact same capitalist regressive policies, if not in what they say, then in the laws and budgets which they actually pass.
Demian by Hermann Hesse (a generally excellent author)
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Sea Wolf by Jack London
The Matrix
All of the above are relatively short, and focus in various ways on a person who broke with their psychological dependency on other people, social authorities, and widely-believed moral systems. Note that Ayn Rand is not listed. There is plenty of good literature about authenticity in the face of adversity which doesn’t lick the boots of the wealthy.
Philosophy
The Marriage of Heaven and Hell by William Blake
A wonderful poetic, illustrated explanation of evil’s central role in life, and all of its joys.
Various Heraclitus -- check heraclitusfragments.com
Conflict as the root of all progress, things becoming their opposites, change is the only constant. A more concise version of Hegel, a few thousand years earlier. Possibly the best of ancient Greek philosophy.
Skim various Hegel
Describes the interconnectedness of All, more thoroughly than is humane. Read Hegel: A Very Short Introduction by Peter Singer as well.
The Satanic Bible
The basic case for why atheists still need religion, plus some individualist and anti-Christian rants of varying value. Truly not the best book ever, but if you’re going to be in the Satanist scene, you might as well know what everyone else is talking about.
The German Ideology
All ideas, even bad ideas, do not come from nowhere, but are clear or distorted reflections of reality. Consciousness exists, but is a subcategory of the physical, and is heavily influenced by economics.
History and Class-Consciousness by Gyorg Lukacs
This genius explains how clear thinking itself can be a driving force for historical progress and is an attack on the class system. Have a background in basic Marxism before you read this.
The Algebra of Revolution by John Rees
Makes sense of/puts in context some of the above wacky dialectic philosophy. Includes Hegel, Marx, Lukacs, and others.
The Mismeasure of Man by Steven Jay Gould
Rips apart the data which used to justify “scientific racism,” and exposes how the narrow view of intelligence as a quantity reinforces the class system.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Nietzsche’s only work written in the form of a story, rather than directly-stated philosophy (never mind, Nietzsche never directly stated his philosophy). I truly cannot summarize it.
Politics
Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
The American reality beneath the American dream. Honesty about working life and our crappy incomes.
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
If you're still toying with fascist or monarchist sympathies.
A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
Often considered the bible of the American left-wing radical.
The Labor Wars by Sydney Lens
Similar to Zinn’s book but more specifically focused on labor.
On the Origin of Family, Private Property, and the State
Engels, Marx’s cowriter, explaining what economics, class, government, and sexism have to do with each other.
Catechism of a Revolutionist by Sergei Nechaev
This probably also belongs in the psychology section, for perfectly describing the total mental scission a Satanist must make from his or her own culture in order to be authentic. I don't recommend most of the political methodology contained within in the American setting; more of an inspiration piece.
What happened to Russia? This is not a book title but a good question. The evidence points to the fact that the Russia Revolution was a very democratic upsurge by Russia’s working masses, matched by working-class uprisings in other parts of the world. However it’s very clear that something went terribly wrong in Russia; anyone who doesn’t think so needs a reality check. I encourage you to read several sides of the debate yourself.
History
The Bolsheviks In Power by Alexander Rabinovich
Revolution and Counter-Revolution: Class Struggle in a Moscow Metal Factory by Kevin Murphy
Revolution Betrayed by Leon Trotsky
Explanations
The USSR in War by Leon Trotsky
Russia: From Workers’ State to State Capitalism
Anarchists in the Russian Revolution by Paul Avrich
I’m not bothering to list hardcore Stalinist accounts because Stalinism is so very far from the workers’ self-determination envisaged by real socialists that anyone going down that road is just not on the same page as me at all.
Lenin: Building the Party by Tony Cliff
The instruction manual of revolution.
Power and Protest by Jeremy Suri
This book does an excellent job explaining how uprisings in one place inspire uprisings elsewhere, and how social movements are generally interconnected. A half-American, half-global history of the 1960s.
Various Antonio Gramsci
Explains how mass culture and politics are connected. Even the "unthinking masses" still possess a great deal of thought.
Revolutionary Rehearsals
Five revolutionary working-class uprisings in five modern places, from 1968 forward. Read and wonder why you never heard of these described in this way.
Imperialism: the Highest Stage of Capitalism by Lenin
Written about ninety years ago; perfectly describes modern globalization and war.
Fascism: What It Is and What to Do About It by Leon Trotsky
A lovely little pamphlet explaining how all of the passion, distress, energy, and desperation which helps develop the Far Right can and should be utilized by the Far Left – but if we don’t use it, they will.
Economics
Capital, Volume I by Marx
It’s not that you won’t understand economics until you read this – it’s just that you won’t understand it as well as you could.
Any macro-economics textbook
This will teach you the relationships between the different variables in the economy, even if some of the core assumptions are incorrect.
Workers’ Councils by Anton Pannekoek
A direct description and explanation of democratically-run workplaces and what it would mean for society as a whole.
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
This book teaches you how to think of things in terms of cause and effect. Also a great argument against racism, explaining how civilization started in certain places because of various climate and geographical factors rather than race.
The Communist Manifesto by Marx
Covers too much ground to describe, but it’s short, so just read it. The Manifesto is actually not an emotional rant, but lays out many complex core ideas of Marxist theory in brief, easy-to-understand form.
Psychology
Getting Past No by William Ury
Besides helping you get what you want, this book simply makes you grow up. It helps you think in terms of the fact that if you want to get anything from anyone, you are going to have to offer something in return.
The Gendered Society by Michael Kimmel
For many people, the opposite sex is the ultimate “Other.” Even many Satanists still think in terms of a strict male/female dichotomy, as if the “Other” has a permanent, opposing essence which is either hostile or necessary for your self-completion. Be ready to have your mind blown.
The Tyranny of Structurelessness by Jo Freeman
When people complain about the obnoxiousness of “groupthink,” “the stupid mob,” or “democracy,” it is probably because they haven’t taken simple steps to ensure real democracy.
Human, All-Too-Human
One of Nietzsche’s earlier works, in which much of his subsequent rambling is actually already covered. Sections 6 and 9 are wonderful.
Beyond Good and Evil
A more direct, succinct explanation of Nietzsche’s philosophy.
The Prince, Machiavelli
Reflections on a cut-throat world. This has been more useful to me personally than politically, since it makes the reactionary assumption of the nation-state as the basis of all politics. Read this keeping in mind that the world has moved more towards psychological manipulation. You just can’t get away with cutting throats as much anymore.
Recommended Web Sites
You might as well start with the two giants who popularized Satanism, the web sites of the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set.
SatanicInternationalNetwork.com (SIN)
One of the better Satanist forums in terms of accessibility, friendliness, etc. Of course there will always be assholes on the Internet but this seems to be the Satanist Internet hangout with the largest concentration of people who would rather discuss something than turn up their noses at you or troll you.
Theisticsatanism.com
Diane Vera is one of the best on the Satanic Internet. Her clarity, professionalism, and groundedness is unrivaled anywhere. I disagree with Vera’s theistic tendencies but I am aware that for some Satanists, Vera is probably a representative voice that they cannot find anywhere else. Examine, compare, make up your mind for yourself.
CultofCthulhu.net
Run by an interesting fellow who calls himself Venger Satanis, the Cult of Cthulhu is exactly what it says it is, a micro-religion based on H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu series. Mainly I recommend his written books, such as Liber A:O, which can be found through his website or by the contact info he has listed there. Its relationship with Satanism is strange but still basically there. I seldom encounter anything that brings an addition of wisdom or a new flavor to Satanism enough to be worth mention, other than Nietzsche.
Who Rules America? by Professor G. William Domhoff
http://sociology.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/wealth.html
Teenage Satanism as Oppositional Youth Subculture, a research paper by sociologist Kathleen S. Lowney
This paper chronicles a teenage Satanist scene in a restrictive, oppressive Southern town. To some, this paper probably contains what people think of as the worst incarnations of Satanism, but religion is not just what is written; it is the behaviors practiced by the people who embrace the label. Like it or not, teenage Satanists are Satanists. I totally identify with the counter-culture that these kids created. I wish I was half as successful as them at pulling together a scene.
o9a.org
The Order of the Nine Angles, if it ever truly existed, is a Satanist group which advocates human sacrifice, fascism, and an underground existence (which makes me wonder why they published web sites). I disagree with most of what they say, but some of it is actually right on target. The quest for freedom must boil over from our individual lives into the realm of political power. I also am attracted to their “Sinister Dialectic” in which all conflicting parts of the universe are in a process of building towards larger and greater forms, though this was already well-covered by Heraclitus, Hegel, and Marx. In many ways the ONA is my right-wing mirror opposite, except I suppose I’m not interested in murder for the sake of it. While we’re on the topic of murdering psychos…
MURDERCHURCH
A good Internet joke.
Recommended Periodicals
Huffington Post
Alternet
Prole.info
Socialistworker.org
Commondreams.org
Read Wikileaks documents
Watch Democracy Now!
The Guardian (British)
Juan Cole’s Informed Comment for the Middle East
Al-Jazeera and Russia Today are shockingly progressive for the political situations in their hosting nations
Watch MSNBC if you want a loyal Democrat perspective. I bang my fist on nearby furniture when watching MSNBC almost as much as I do when watching FOX, because they are so good at pointing out the flaws of the Right wing, but utterly fail to acknowledge that the Democrats essentially embody the exact same capitalist regressive policies, if not in what they say, then in the laws and budgets which they actually pass.
