The Anti-Con Mission

When they lie, distort and provoke to turn the public against vulnerable people, they say their freedom of speech is sacrosanct. When we expose their tricks and manipulation, they attack us for daring to mislead the public with our ‘biased’ interpretation of their shameless deceit.

But that of course is the way of the Con. From falsely invoking ‘God’ as their backer, committing crimes behind the cloak of the national flag, to extorting compliance in the name of a groundless neoliberal economic model, Con advocates have banked on retaining control through systemic misdirection.

We all have a duty to expose the Con whenever we can. Novels can reach many who would not read books on political criticism or follow documentary reports on the harm of demagoguery. They can stimulate reflections on what the real threats are to society, and facilitate wider group discussions about what ought to be done to counter the Con.

For any novel to engage, an intriguing and entertaining read is a prerequisite. Beyond that, as the story opens the mind to new perspectives and as yet unexplored possibilities, there is the opportunity to unmask the motives and techniques of diverse exponents of the Con. With the help of allegories, satires, and epic adventures, we can promote greater interest and understanding of what we must resist and overcome.

That is our Anti-Con mission.

Resist Dystopia: Expose the Con

The Con works through lies and misdirection, tricking people into supporting charlatans who only care about themselves. Unless the Con is exposed, a bleak dystopian future edges ever closer. But logic and evidence are not enough to unmask the deceivers, who play on people's emotions. To counter their trickery, we should encourage people to engage with stories that will transport them to new perspectives, and see for themselves why resistance to the Con is essential and urgent.

The Anti-Con novels – Kuan's Wonderland; Whitehall through the Looking Glass; and The Hunting of the Gods – reveal the insidious essence of Con politics that turns those with little power against those with no power at all. Each novel brings into sharp relief the real threats posed by ‘populist’ manipulators, and explores through contrasting scenarios how their domination can be overcome.

Theses thought-provoking tales have been praised in diverse quarters: “An unmissable page-turner” (President, the Independent Publishers Guild); “An important reminder of the risks of crude neoliberal ideology” (General Secretary, TUC); “Simply a tour de force” (Director for Education, WEA); “Original and very engaging” (Fantasy Book Review); “The ending is tense, unexpected and powerful” (Economics Editor, The Independent newspaper); “Beautifully, deftly written” (Dame Jane Roberts, NLGN); "It's a cautionary tale and a call to action, but also a gripping read" (Director, Speakers’ Corner Trust).

• Kuan’s Wonderland is an allegorical story about a young boy, Kuan, who is taken against his will to the mysterious realm of Shiyan, where nothing is as it appears. Held back by quite unexpected threats and diversions, he hopes his father will come to his rescue, not suspecting that they may both be the target of a dark conspiracy.

• Whitehall through the Looking Glass is a satirical tale about how a group of corporations known as the Consortium, with George VIII as a figurehead, has come to rule over both the UK and the US. They possess the Super Utility Network, the most advanced opinion manipulation technology in the world, but someone has a plan to dismantle it.

• The Hunting of the Gods is a saga set on an unrecognisable Earth under the control of immortal ‘gods’, whose subjects accept that all life on the planet was created by their rulers just 500 years ago. The masses routinely spend their time starving or fighting wars until a resurrected man heralds the end of the gods’ reign.

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You can get the Kindle versions of all three novels for just £5.97 (readable on all electronic devices).
Or get them individually in paperback.
Click on the links below and select either the Kindle edition or the paperback option:
Kuan's Wonderland: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kuans-Wonderland-ebook/dp/B008144G9I/
Whitehall through the Looking Glass: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whitehall-through-Looking-Glass-Novel-ebook/dp/B00J3VRGEU/
The Hunting of the Gods: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hunting-Gods-Henry-Tam-ebook/dp/B01FKF212O/

Whitehall through the Looking Glass: a quick guide

In the not-too-distant future, the Consortium has brought America, which it practically owns through its corporate subsidiaries, back under the British Crown. In return, all it asks for is unfettered control over policy decisions in Whitehall.

In this timid new world, nobody dares question the Consortium, and everybody is expected to carry out orders. But while many of his civil service colleagues jostle to be of the greatest service to their new political masters, Philip K. Rainsborough decides that enough is enough. He sets out to expose the Consortium’s dark secrets. Unfortunately, the Consortium has on its side the Super Utility Network, the most advanced opinion manipulation technology in the world. And as life for most people sinks into chaos and misery, the Consortium remains as popular as ever by serving up gimmicks and endless scapegoats.

Caught between the Consortium and subversives who want to overthrow the government, Rainsborough is desperate to find a way for a peaceful regime change. He is given a chance when Chief Supt Carrie Edel seeks his help in a murder case that may bring down the Prime Minister. But what is actually asked of him amounts to treason. In any event, even if he can pull it off, he suspects he won’t live to tell the tale.

What do commentators say about it

“Forget ‘Yes, Minister’ and ‘The Thick of It’; if you want a sharp satirical look at life inside the corridors of power, read Whitehall through the Looking Glass, written by a true insider. Apart from the humour and a storyline full of remarkable twists, Tam’s novel also has a serious message about the dire consequences when corporations take over the running of a government. It should be read by anyone interested in the state of our democracy.”
- Sonny Leong, Chief Executive, Civil Service College

"Tam strips back the veil on a world dominated and decimated by a ruthless consortium. But, chillingly, its relentless pursuit of profit and power is legitimised by a hollowed-out democracy in which citizens, manipulated by the technologies of surveillance and suggestion, submit meekly to their thralldom. The narrative is all the more compelling because Tam's world is often as familiar as it is fantastical. This is not so much a lesson from history as a warning from the here and now. It's a cautionary tale and a call to action, but also a gripping read."
- Peter Bradley, Director, Speakers’ Corner Trust

“This is a timely reminder of the dangers of the rapidly-accelerating corporatisation of our political and economic life. With private firms increasingly running our NHS and administering welfare, so many of the services we cherish are at risk from the profit motive. From utilities to railways, we’ve already seen how the interests of shareholders and bosses trump those of workers, service users and taxpayers. As the general election approaches, Tam’s book is an important reminder of the risks of crude neoliberal ideology”.
- Frances O'Grady, General Secretary, TUC (Trades Union Congress)

“Beautifully, deftly written, Whitehall through the Looking Glass is dark and compelling reading. A deeply sobering wake up call to us all against the political complacency of our times.”
- Dame Jane Roberts, Chair, NLGN (New Local Government Network)

“Henry Tam knows how government works, and how fragile democracy is. With his insider knowledge and surreal imagination, he has given us an extraordinary dystopian tale about corporate greed and political collusion. It kept me hooked to the very end.”
- Baroness Kay Andrews, former Government Minister

“The bleak, but believable, picture of corporatism gone crazy combines with a witty and insightful portrayal of the civil service to make for a novel that is both funny and scary in equal measure.”
- Toby Blume, Founder, the Archer Academy

“Although set in the future, the civil service lampooned in Whitehall through the Looking Glass is instantly recognisable to anyone who's been part of it. Tam’s novel paints a superb picture of how people can be governed, or rather manipulated, by unscrupulous politicians. Funny, alarming, and poignant, it’s quite an achievement.”
- Ellie Roy, former Crime Reduction Director, Home Office, UK Government

“[Whitehall through the Looking Glass is] a fascinating and disturbing narrative on where global corporate power and neo-liberal orthodoxy is leading us, though perhaps we are already half-way there.”
- Stuart Weir, Founder, Democratic Audit

Must-Read Political Satire

Readers’ positive comments have included:
“I was sufficiently enthralled by Whitehall through the Looking Glass that I read it cover to cover (pixel to pixel, perhaps) in a single day … What a lot of fun. Science fiction in something of the style of the early Asimov, combined with a biting satire on neoliberal trends in the post Cold War West.” (Con Grano Salis)

“Tam writes with both intelligence and wit, engaging the reader, and forcing them to look past the minutiae of life and into the very mechanisms that control our everyday existence. … Thoroughly recommended!” (Caroline)

“Henry Tam has done something that's very hard to pull-off. He's written a real page-turner, a novel that is easy to read and full of invention, twists and unexpected turns. But he's also provided an insight into modern government … Although the novel is set in the future it can be read as a very exact account of how power really works in modern Britain.” (Dr. J. Duffy)

“I found myself chuckling at the book's events and people … people one had read about or personally come across in work situations - how horribly familiar it all seemed!!! A fascinating read.” (G. Samuel)

“Full of Machiavellian characters and dark humour, with a great twist in the tail. Anyone who's worked in Whitehall will find much to smile at in this sharply observed novel.” (YakinaMac)

“A deliciously funny book which moves at great speed as the government promotes privatisation and begins to hand over to the all-powerful Consortium. … With an Orwellian touch, it is full of vision for what can happen if we stop caring about how to share power fairly.” (freedom22)

(Full versions of readers’ reviews of Whitehall through the Looking Glass can be found here.)

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For a shortened version of the interview with Henry Tam in ‘Shout Out’ magazine on the writing of Whitehall through the Looking Glass, click here.

For Simon J. Duffy’s full review of Whitehall through the Looking Glass for the Centre for Welfare Reform, click here.

Excerpts from ‘What would Whitehall be like in fifty years’ time?’, can be found in ‘Nightmare on Downing Street’.

The Levellers' Connection

The Levellers' quest for democratic inclusion and social justice is a theme that runs through my novels.

In the beginning, the predicament of the central character in 'Kuan's Wonderland', echoes that of Kafka's familiar protagonist, K, who cannot escape from an existential trap that brings total oppression. As we learn later, Kuan is also known as K. And as a hint, 'K' is the letter between 'J' and 'L' - the initials for 'John Lilburne'.

In the second novel, 'Whitehall through the Looking Glass', we learn more about K, whose full name is Philip K. Rainsborough. Like Colonel Rainsborough at the famous Putney Debate, he refuses to accept an unjust system imposed by a dictatorial ruler, and chooses to side with those who are willing to challenge it.

In 'The Hunting of the Gods', we are reacquainted with the character who has now adopted the name 'Overton' to protect his identity. Richard Overton wrote many pamphlets to advance the Levellers' cause, one of which carried the title, 'The Hunting of the Foxes', which attacked Cromwell. He was no friend of the Royalists either, and wanted to see true democracy established.