Exoriare

Douglas Rushkoff is generally described as a media theorist. What that doesn’t tell you is that he was heavily involved at the start of the real-world cyberpunk movement in the 90s, along with people like Robert Anton Wilson, Mark Pesce and Grant Morrison. The cyberpunks, inspired by Gibson’s work, were interested in the places where tech, society and culture met, and they brought a strong vein of open-source humanism with them. He’s always been passionately interested in helping people to look at the media and information they consume, so that they can see the implications and hidden subtexts.

Exoriare — it’s Latin for ‘Rise up’ — is a graphic novel written by Rushkoff that is being put out on line in meaty chunks. The art is fascinating, and the story is dense with enigmas and hints. It seems as if it might be part of a teaser campaign for a computer game (slated for 2011?)… But it is more than just another webcomic. It is, quite literally, a gateway.

Exoriare

The Exoriare graphic novel makes it clear that something strange is going on at NASA and in the US military. A grass-roots movement is trying to investigate, and organise itself into a covert communications network, the Darknet. Mystical powers may possibly be stirring, too.

There is also a link hidden within the graphic novel. Follow it, and it will take you straight into a net-based Alternate Reality Game. The first challenge will be on familiar footing if you played computer games in the 80s, but find your way through, and you gain access to the Darknet itself…

Go explore Exoriare. Even if you just read the graphic novel, it’s still well worth it. But if you find your way in deeper, be prepared for one hell of a ride.