THE EDITORS
A Novel

AIM FOR NEUTRALITY.
WE NEED BETTER SOURCES.
ANONYMITY IS FUNDAMENTAL.
KEEP DEVELOPING.

The editors know these principles. The editors follow them—or subvert them—every day. The editors aren’t recognized on the street, but they craft the information that is seen on nearly every internet search. Through Infopendium, the ubiquitous, crowd-sourced internet encyclopedia, the editors influence the world.

Freelance journalist Morgan Wentworth, recently laid off from PopFeed News, attends the Global Infopendium Conference in New York expecting a straightforward story to help pay the rent. But the so-called “‘pendium people” are full of surprises. PhDs rub shoulders with high school students, all quoting the project’s rules and regulations like a second language. Sure, millions of people see the facts curated by these editors, but who really cares about the free encyclopedia?

When a hacker attacks the conference and posts a cryptic message, it becomes clear that somebody does. And Morgan decides to find out who. But the path through an online information war is far from clear. Foreign governments, billionaires, and a global virus threaten to sway the truth on Infopendium.

And far from Morgan’s sight, in places as different as Beijing and Kansas, some of the editors have plans of their own . . . 

Praise For The Editors

“A strikingly relevant and compelling suspense novel. With the pace of a thriller and the heart of a drama, Harrison exposes the unseen battles fought in the digital trenches of today's information war." - Taylor Lorenz, Technology Columnist, The Washington Post

“The Editors is an enthralling, ambitious and sharply observed contemporary thriller - no citation needed. Already one of the best reporters of the digital age, Stephen Harrison shows he’s just as adept at fiction. Every page draws the threads of a (world wide) web of intrigue, made taught by relevance, energy, and the author’s formidable understanding.” —Richard Cooke, Contributing Editor, The Monthly

"Harrison has written the great HTML novel we've all been waiting for. The high-stakes online battles between users bring information warfare to life with verve. The Editors is essential reading for anyone interested in the nature of truth in the digital age." - Omer Benjakob, Disinformation and Cyber Reporter, Haaretz

“The Editors is refreshingly modern and instantly familiar to anyone who has worked, played, or lived online this decade. When perception is everything, the stakes for who determines our collective narrative are higher than ever. A sentiment eloquently and amusingly captured by this engaging novel.” —Jeremy Burge, founder of Emojipedia

“Beneath the visible surface of Infopendium.org is a drama of conflicting interests and conflicted motives. Can such a global project survive when well-meaning volunteers become corrupted by their own dogmatism, fear, and greed? Harrison portrays the heretofore stranger-than-fiction world of a crowd-sourced encyclopedia in a gripping tale of global intrigue." —Joseph Reagle, Co-editor of Wikipedia @ 20 (MIT Press).

“A timely and entertaining thriller that confronts the perils of misinformation on the eve of a pandemic. Harrison’s writing chops are on full display, and effectively capture a moment in our recent collective history.” —The BookLife Prize

“The great Wikipedia novel. There’s a new adventure on almost every page, and it’s hard to stop reading as you fall down the rabbit hole.” —The Signpost

“Terrific fun.” —Steven Pruitt, #1 Wikipedia Editor by Edit Count