Consequence
Winner -- Best General Fiction -- 2017 Green Book Festival
San Francisco activist Christopher Kalman has little to show for years spent organizing non-violent marches, speak-outs, blockades, and shutdowns for social and environmental justice. When a shadowy eco-saboteur proposes an attack on genetically engineered agriculture, Christopher is ripe to be drawn into a more dangerous game. His certainty that humankind stands on the brink of ecological ruin drives Christopher to reckless acts and rash alliances, pitting grave personal risk against conscientious passion.
A thirty-something, underemployed layout artist, Christopher lives in a ramshackle activist collective-the Triangle-named for its Duboce Triangle neighborhood in the heart of San Francisco. Christopher and his chosen family are determined to carry on the good fight; yet the raging war in Iraq, begun in the face of peaceful protests by millions across the globe, has shaken the Triangle's faith in the value of nonviolent dissent.
Chagall, an eco-saboteur practiced in the art of demolition, partners with an anonymous hacker who proposes an online media blitz he can detonate "at thermonuclear scale" to augment Chagall's brick-and-mortar spectacle. Chagall invites Christopher into their developing plot to deal genetically-engineered Frankenfood a serious blow. Assured that no one will be hurt, and lured by the promise of a vast audience, Christopher contemplates writing the mother of all political manifestos.
Allison Rayle leads the Triangle's preparations to blockade the Bay Bridge on the opening day of an international biotech meeting, to protest the environmental risks of releasing genetically modified organisms into the wild. Their aim: to hang a massive banner from the bridge's westernmost tower at the peak of rush hour.
When the Triangle collides with Chagall's plot to destroy a midwestern research lab, the fallout threatens everything and everyone Christopher has ever loved.
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"Masover's engaging, timely debut novel is about the line between activism and extremism. A member of a politically engaged collective living in San Francisco, Christopher Kalman is approached online by a mysterious figure he calls Chagall to write a manifesto to be released following an unknown eco-sabotage action against genetically modified foods. Eager to contribute more to the cause but suspicious, Chris begins work while helping the collective with a local civil disobedience stunt protesting GMOs. He also juggles a love interest as well as his father and brother, who disapprove of Chris's political stances. Meanwhile, Chagall, with the assistance of another radical, begins work on his planned assault, which will have major repercussions for Chris and his group. The novel captures the world of radical protestors, with details on encryption, computer hacking, and infiltrating targets, as well as the more mundane tasks of traditional activism, such as working out logistics and managing the media; descriptions of both feel authentic. Chris and his friends thoughtfully consider their work, discussing the philosophy of protest movements, even as they wonder if they make a difference. Several absorbing subplots revolve around the struggles of other group members, including one released from a Mexican prison. This is a fast-paced and well-plotted literary thriller, examining the unforeseen ramifications of well-intentioned actions." - Publisher's Weekly - BookLife "I couldn't put Consequence down! Masover vividly evokes San Francisco's radical sub-culture in this tautly authentic and finely-crafted novel. Consequence asks thorny, essential questions about personal responsibility and the role of violence in movements for social change." - Sam Green, Academy Award-nominated director of "The Weather Underground" "Here is a carefully crafted book about the necessity, and danger, of taking personal action in the 21st century. ... Steve Masover's characters ooze humanity. ... The villain of Consequence happens to be genetic engineering but it could have been any current social or environmental issue. The premise, absolutely believable today, is that life on the planet is threatened and that battle waged by this novel's characters will make a difference. ... This is a human story shot in the ass with ideas." - Doug Peacock, author of In the Shadow of the Sabertooth and real-life model for Edward Abbey's George Washington Hayduke in The Monkey Wrench Gang "Consequence is a great read, full of building tension and excitement, written by someone who really knows the activist scene, with its moral dilemmas and its ideals. But this isn't just a book about activists-Masover writes about conflicts central to the human situation." - Starhawk, author of The Spiral Dance and The Fifth Sacred Thing ..". exciting ... a great read ... reminiscent of The Monkey Wrench Gang." - Scoop Nisker, author of If You Don't Like the News, Go Out and Make Some of Your Own
