Sales of Orwell’s 1984 Up After Spy Program Revelations
By Gilbert Falso :: 10:16 PM
Sales of George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 have skyrocketed in the wake of the revelation last week that the United States government has been overseeing a number of broad and invasive spy programs that tap into telephone and web-based communication systems in the country.
This evening, the book moved up 125% on Amazon’s “Movers and Shakers” list.
1984 coincidentally celebrated its 60th birthday last week, right as the news of Verizon’s involvement in an NSA wiretap program that allows the government to access metadata from all telephone calls originating or passing through the U.S.
The fact that the book has gained in popularity is likely not only because of the events that took place last week, but also the fact that the edition that has peaked in popularity is the special 60th anniversary version of the book.