Kingdom of Fear (book)
| Company type | Nonfiction book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Hunter S. Thompson |
Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child In the Final Days of the American Century is a 2003 nonfiction work authored by American journalist Hunter S. Thompson. This collection of writings highlights Thompson's defiant opposition to authority, set against the backdrop of the post-September 11 attacks era and its influence on law enforcement and military activities.
Plot summary
The book opens with memoir-style reflections but soon transitions into disjointed narratives typical of Gonzo biography, loosely adhering to a timeline. Interspersed throughout are recurring "Witness" segments that focus on Gail Palmer's sexual assault lawsuit against Thompson, providing a thread of continuity. Other chapters remain largely unconnected except through shared characters or settings.
Significant moments include:
- An early episode recounting how the FBI purportedly attempted to detain a nine-year-old Thompson for damaging a federal mailbox.
- The persistent "Witness" lawsuit sections.
- Thompson’s experiences at the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre in San Francisco, a well-known adult entertainment venue where he asserts he was employed during the mid-1980s.
- A potentially fictionalized story about meeting his assistant and eventual spouse, Anita.
Major themes
The writing style and punctuation in Kingdom of Fear are more distinct than in many of Thompson’s previous publications. Prominent stylistic elements comprise:
- The inclusion of numerals in parentheses immediately following spelled-out numbers, for example, "two (2) full-grown FBI agents..."
- The substitution of the ampersand (&) for 'and' when linking descriptive adjectives, such as deranged & insane
- The abbreviation of 'your' to 'yr.'
- Capitalizing nouns that hold significance for Thompson: "...an eerie sense of Panic in the air, a silent Fear and Uncertainty..."
- Frequent alterations in font style throughout the text.
Thompson applied comparable stylistic devices in Hey Rube: Blood Sport, the Bush Doctrine, and the Downward Spiral of Dumbness.