Conspiracy Theories in Fiction
Humans are peculiar creatures who sometimes fail to accept an apparent situation. There are many reasons behind this conceptual brick wall, including bias, paranoia, and lack of knowledge.
A significant reason for not buying the obvious is that the simple answer cannot be correct. Instead, we insist that our world must contain only complexities. To resolve the disconnect, we sometimes believe that an unseen group of people manipulates the situation. We refer to this activity as a conspiracy, and unless it is definitively proven, the unlikely connection is referred to as a conspiracy theory.
A notable example is the alleged moon landing hoax. Since 1969, die-hard people have become convinced the entire moon landing did not take place. And they have even uncovered some scant evidence to support the theory, including inconsistent photographs and missing records. Yet, if this conspiracy had taken place, thousands of people would have had to be involved and keep the secret all these years.
There are also silly conspiracy theories. All pigeons are high-tech government drones. People believe the Earth is flat, hollow, or a computer program. Elvis and Michael Jackson faked their deaths. Prince Charles is a vampire. The list goes on.
That is interesting, but my articles are generally about writing. So, what is the connection? I propose that conspiracy theories in fictional stories pose challenges for both authors and readers.
Let’s pretend the year is 1950, and I want to write a book about a future moon landing that includes a conspiracy theory. Our adventure begins with a space organization called NASA. They developed many rockets, and by 1969, they had made enough progress to send astronauts to the moon.
The landing is a great success, but many people are skeptical. It turns out everybody at NASA faked everything because going to the moon was too complicated and expensive.
Umm… Too expensive? This is supposed to be an exciting plot. Readers want rockets and bold astronauts. Now, if the author wrote about a successful mission, that would be a great read.
The problem with writing a conspiracy theory is that they do not suddenly happen. In real life, they begin when one (or more) person develops a theory and shares it with a friend or posts it on the internet. Over the years, more people have learned about the theory, altered it, and eventually, many have come to believe it is possible.
Even though a book may have many chapters or even a series of books, it will always be challenging to build the reader’s trust. Meaning that a sudden “they faked the moon landing” forces the reader to take a giant leap into a radical way of thinking. (It is radical because hundreds of people would need to be involved, which would require a powerful motivation for each one.)
What if the plot had a conspiracy theory from the beginning? How about a NASA director who planned a fake moon landing to save money? That is not quite a conspiracy theory, because the reader is aware of what is happening from an early part of the story. This kind of plot is similar to a bank heist. The point of a conspiracy theory is that the conclusive “evidence” has yet to be discovered.
And I will tell you something from reading bad reviews of my books and articles. Readers strongly dislike being misled, tricked, or manipulated. Instead, they want a straightforward plot with no loose ends or random bits.
I have never encountered a fictional book with a proper conspiracy theory, yet they seem to be everywhere in society. Hmm. This sounds like a real-life conspiracy theory.
You’re the best -Bill
March 10, 2021 Updated September 06, 2025
A significant reason for not buying the obvious is that the simple answer cannot be correct. Instead, we insist that our world must contain only complexities. To resolve the disconnect, we sometimes believe that an unseen group of people manipulates the situation. We refer to this activity as a conspiracy, and unless it is definitively proven, the unlikely connection is referred to as a conspiracy theory.
A notable example is the alleged moon landing hoax. Since 1969, die-hard people have become convinced the entire moon landing did not take place. And they have even uncovered some scant evidence to support the theory, including inconsistent photographs and missing records. Yet, if this conspiracy had taken place, thousands of people would have had to be involved and keep the secret all these years.
There are also silly conspiracy theories. All pigeons are high-tech government drones. People believe the Earth is flat, hollow, or a computer program. Elvis and Michael Jackson faked their deaths. Prince Charles is a vampire. The list goes on.
That is interesting, but my articles are generally about writing. So, what is the connection? I propose that conspiracy theories in fictional stories pose challenges for both authors and readers.
Let’s pretend the year is 1950, and I want to write a book about a future moon landing that includes a conspiracy theory. Our adventure begins with a space organization called NASA. They developed many rockets, and by 1969, they had made enough progress to send astronauts to the moon.
The landing is a great success, but many people are skeptical. It turns out everybody at NASA faked everything because going to the moon was too complicated and expensive.
Umm… Too expensive? This is supposed to be an exciting plot. Readers want rockets and bold astronauts. Now, if the author wrote about a successful mission, that would be a great read.
The problem with writing a conspiracy theory is that they do not suddenly happen. In real life, they begin when one (or more) person develops a theory and shares it with a friend or posts it on the internet. Over the years, more people have learned about the theory, altered it, and eventually, many have come to believe it is possible.
Even though a book may have many chapters or even a series of books, it will always be challenging to build the reader’s trust. Meaning that a sudden “they faked the moon landing” forces the reader to take a giant leap into a radical way of thinking. (It is radical because hundreds of people would need to be involved, which would require a powerful motivation for each one.)
What if the plot had a conspiracy theory from the beginning? How about a NASA director who planned a fake moon landing to save money? That is not quite a conspiracy theory, because the reader is aware of what is happening from an early part of the story. This kind of plot is similar to a bank heist. The point of a conspiracy theory is that the conclusive “evidence” has yet to be discovered.
And I will tell you something from reading bad reviews of my books and articles. Readers strongly dislike being misled, tricked, or manipulated. Instead, they want a straightforward plot with no loose ends or random bits.
I have never encountered a fictional book with a proper conspiracy theory, yet they seem to be everywhere in society. Hmm. This sounds like a real-life conspiracy theory.
You’re the best -Bill
March 10, 2021 Updated September 06, 2025
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