Ecomafia--the book, not the Website

Ecomafia

This site and its owner do not promote or condone "monkeywrenching", vandalism, or any other illegal activities, such as those engaged in by extreme groups such as the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) or Earth First!. These types of activities, while entertaining to read about or fantasize about in a fictional context (see below), are not productive in the real world. Litigation and public education are much more effective tools against the legalized destruction that drives exasperated people to the groups mentioned above.

The idea of "Ecomafia" sprouted on the Negit Islands during summer 1999 California Gull research. I think it was Justin's idea, but he, Nat, Santiago, and I enjoyed discussing it. The idea was for a gangster movie, but instead of using violence to get rich and protect their friends and family, these eco-gangsters would use violence to protect the planet. I figured it would be a memorable domain name. It is also the name of the novel I'm writing...very slowly.

I first started thinking of and writing the book in September 1999. You are supposed to write about what you know, right? Well, I know about California geography, backcountry travel, and the constant push of development that is destroying California's natural heritage. But how do you make an exciting novel out of that?

It has already been done. Edward Abbey wrote "The Monkey Wrench Gang." If you've read this book, you know it is sometimes riveting, and you can't put it down when Hayduke is evading his pursuers in Canyonlands. My idea, basically, is to bring the Monkey Wrench Gang to California!

In California, there is a whole different landscape to run around in, and a whole different set of environmental villains and monkeywrenching targets. I decided it would be fun to write (great way to get my aggressions out about some things I'd love to blow up if I was a criminal), and hopefully fun to read.

Okay, now to address your concerns. No, it won't encourage monkeywrenching any more than murder mystery novels encourage murders. Yes, I'll change names to protect the guilty, in some cases. An example of an exception: Public agencies, for example, are almost a part of the landscape, and coming up with bogus names for the BLM or USFS would be just plain annoying. If I use them as a target (which I will), it isn't meant to reflect real situations, but fictional constructs consistent with the fictional plot, and isn't meant to reflect badly upon any agency. They can already make themselves look bad without my help.

So why the name Ecomafia? Well, I needed a title, and I was thinking of several possibilities when I remembered the ecomafia idea from the islands. It is catchy, and I thought of a way to incorporate the idea into the book and use it as the title. And in December 1999 I thought of it as a catchy domain name for my already existing Website.

The book will take years to write, so I'm not even thinking of how to get it published. It will just be lots of fun to write.

Sneak Previews:
(Caution - contains some explicit language)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

These are first drafts. I'm revising these, which is why most are unlinked.