Unintended Consequences (novel)

For the "Law of unintended consequences", see Unintended consequence

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Unintended Consequences by John Ross, 1996

Unintended Consequences is a novel by author John Ross, first published in 1996 by Accurate Press. The lengthy (863 pages) story chronicles the history of the gun culture, gun rights and gun control in the United States from the early 1900s through the late 1990s. Although clearly a work of fiction, the story is heavily laced with accurate historical information, including real-life figures who play minor supporting roles. The novel also features unusually detailed and intricate facts, figures and explanations of many firearms-related topics.

Background

The story hinges upon the enactment and subsequent unintended consequences of several important pieces of U.S. gun control legislation: the National Firearms Act of 1934, the Gun Control Act of 1968, the Firearms Owners Protection Act of 1986, and the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994. The Assault Weapons Importation Ban enacted by Presidential executive order in 1989 also figures prominently in the story.

Its thesis, as discussed in the Author's Note - A Warning and Disclaimer in the beginning of the book, pp. 9-10, is that enough bullying by what, rightly or wrongly, is widely perceived as a hostile outside occupation government will inevitably end in revolt if the area involved is large enough and has a separate enough culture and that this revolt will be undefeatable if the rebels use very-low-tech "leaderless resistance."

Major characters

Henry Bowman is the principal character, although the story begins in 1906, long before Bowman's birth on January 10, 1953. The story is told primarily from his perspective. Bowman grows up in the St. Louis, Missouri area, where much of the story takes place. He is a trained geologist; a self-taught expert marksman' and a firearms, ammunition, self-defense authority; and a pilot.

Walter Bowman is Henry's father. A skilled pilot and U.S. Navy officer, who trained naval aviators during World War II, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant. He represents the studious, responsible and thoughtful side of young Bowman. The author has stated that the elder Bowman is based on his own father.

Max Collins is Bowman's uncle. He is portrayed as a larger-than life character who is an expert marksman, professional gambler and accomplished ladies' man. He represents the adventurous, spontaneous and aggressive side of Bowman. The author has stated that Collins is based on his own uncle.

Irwin Mann is a survivor of The Holocaust and the Warsaw Ghetto, and a key participant in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. His inclusion in the story permits a study of the use of firearms by average citizens to repel an oppressive government, and connects Nazi gun control measures to US gun control efforts.

Ray Johnson is a New York attorney, originally from Aspen Colorado, who moves to Africa in 1963 and becomes a big-game safari guide. His return to the U.S. in 1994 serves to illustrate how much U.S. gun owners' freedoms have been eroded, due to legislation and an executive order enacted during his absence. At the airport, the customs officials attempt to confiscate an English double rifle worth some $40,000 USD, a Belgian FN FAL semi-automatic rifle, a Smith & Wesson 2" Chief's Special revolver, and his hat which wears a Leopard skin hat band.

Allen Kane is a major machine gun dealer who is Henry's life long friend. A major shift in the novel's plot occurs when Henry finds corrupt BATF agents framing Allen. Allen aides and accompanies Henry in much of the novel.

Cindy Caswell is a victim of childhood abuse and organized crime who becomes important in the freedom struggle as it develops. The author has been criticized for creating an "adolescent fantasy" with this character. Ten years after wring the novel, Ross met Tammy Chapman, whose life and personality traits bore eerie resemblances to the fictional Cindy Caswell. Ross and Chapman now live together in St. Louis.[1]

Fictionalized accounts of historical events

The story contains several partially-fictionalized accounts of real-life historical events. The author inserts fictional characters, dialog and the unspoken thoughts of real and fictional characters into these events. Although the additions seem plausible for the most part, they are clearly fictional. These events are not merely used as settings or backdrops for the action in the novel; instead, detailed treatments of some of these events occupy dozens of pages. In particular, the following events are featured prominently:

• Bonus Army March on Washington, DC (1932)
• Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943)
• Ken Ballew raid (1971)
• MOVE raid in Philadelphia (1985)
• FBI shootout in Miami (1986)
• John Lawmaster raid in Tulsa (BATF) (1991)
• Ruby Ridge incident in Idaho (1992)
• Branch Davidian raid near Waco, Texas (1993)
• Oklahoma City bombing (1995)

Controversy

With its primarily critical perspective on government activities and personnel, detailed accounts of violent real-life historical events, vivid depictions of the main character's violent encounters with federal law enforcement agents, and explicit descriptions of sometimes-deviant and violent sexual acts, Unintended Consequences is a controversial work.

In the foreword, the author describes how he was advised by a friend in law enforcement not to publish the book under his own name. In 2000, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms allegedly attempted to enlist the author's ex-wife as an informant.

Soon after the book was published a Colorado maker of big-bore rifles named Clayton Nelson sued John Ross seeking $200,000 in damages claiming his use of his name for a character — who also was a maker of big-bore rifles — who talks of his pleasure in seeing agents of the BATF being killed. From the second printing on, Clayton Nelson's name was changed to Bishcoff and his rhetoric reportedly was toned down also. First editions are highly sought after for the lack of change. The author has stated that he has seen first editions sell for $200 or more in auctions.

Customs officials in Canada have reportedly seized copies of the book being imported, and the author has stated that the publisher no longer ships copies of the books to Canada.

According to statements made in 1996 by a representative of the publisher, major book review journals refused to review the book. He also stated that many libraries and distributors would not buy it. However, major online distributor Amazon sells it and it ranks among their better-selling titles consistently despite its lack of promotion and being by a little-known author.

News

The book is not available in paperback form as of 2006, nearly 11 years after the first printing. The author has stated that the hardcover edition continues to sell well, with more than 60,000 copies sold. His web site states that he is working on a sequel originally scheduled for publication in 2006, and that it will be shorter than Unintended Consequences. However, no sequel has appeared as of December 2007. [2]

Anecdotal information seems to indicate that the book still sells well at gun shows, with dealers occasionally selling out their inventories. As of December 2005, online bookstore Amazon.com reported that the title ranks at #5,386 in overall book sales. By comparison, other formerly best-selling books also released in 1996 sell at much lower rates currently, even in mass-market paperback form: Out of Sight (Elmore Leonard), #125,567, Absolute Power (David Baldacci), #17,244, and The Green Mile (Stephen King), #17,918 (Source: Amazon.com, 12/26/05).

Reviews

"Magnificent...will terrify and appall jackbooted stormtroopers everywhere, and even more so the whimpering media geeks who squat to lick those boots." - Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph

"This is the most disturbing book I have ever read. That said, it ranks only below Holy Scripture as required reading...the most frightening novel ever written about a federal bureaucracy spun totally out of control." - Peter Kokalis, editor of Fighting Firearms

"That rarest of thrillers: a dynamic story with overwhelming national significance which requires no suspension of disbelief... you will not be able to put it down." - The Special Forces Resister

"What Harriet Beecher Stowe did in 1853 (showing the horrors of slavery in Uncle Tom's Cabin) John Ross has done for today's struggle for individual freedom...Read it!" - Aaron Zelman, Executive Director, Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership

"Finally, a modern novel of liberty to rival Rand's Atlas Shrugged...a masterwork." - Vin Suprynowicz, Las Vegas Review-Journal

"The most important work of fiction I have read in over a decade." - Dr. Edgar Suter, Chairman of Doctors for Integrity in Policy Research

"Describes the scenario I've been worrying about for ten years...that damn Ross wrote my book!" -- Col. James Jeffries III, the federal prosecutor responsible for convicting Spiro T. Agnew.

ISBN

• ISBN 1-888118-04-0 (hardcover, 1996)

Sources

• Author's web site
• Interview with author
• Another Interview with the author
• Article on lawsuit from Clayton Nelson with the author John Ross

External links

• Author's FAQ on the book
• Letter to the BATF written by author's attorney
• Publisher's page on the book