Kickstarting “The Bezzle” audiobook, sequel to Red Team Blues
I'm heading to Berlin! On January 29, I'll be delivering Transmediale's Marshall McLuhan Lecture, and on January 30, I'll be at Otherland Books (tickets are limited! They'll have exclusive early access to the English edition of The Bezzle and the German edition of Red Team Blues!).
I'm kickstarting the audiobook for The Bezzle, the sequel to last year's Red Team Blues, featuring Marty Hench, a hard-charging, two-fisted forensic accountant who spent 40 years in Silicon Valley, busting every finance scam hatched by tech bros' feverish imaginations:
http://thebezzle.org
Marty Hench is a great character to write. His career in high-tech scambusting starts in the early 1980s with the first PCs and stretches all the way to the cryptocurrency era, the most target-rich environment for scamhunting tech has ever seen. Hench is the Zelig of tech scams, and I'm having so much fun using him to probe the seamy underbelly of the tech economy.
Enter The Bezzle, which will be published by Tor Books and Head of Zeus on Feb 20: this adventure finds Marty in the company of Scott Warms, one of the many bright technologists whose great startup was bought and destroyed by Yahoo! (yes, they really used that asinine exclamation mark). Scott is shackled to the Punctuation Factory by golden handcuffs, and he's determined to get fired without cause, so he can collect his shares and move onto the next thing.
That's how Scott and Marty find themselves on Catalina island, the redoubt of the Wrigley family, where bison roam the hills, yachts bob in the habor and fast food is banned. Scott invites Marty on a series of luxury vacations on Catalina, which end abruptly when they discover – and implode – a hamburger-related Ponzi scheme run by a real-estate millionaire who is destroying the personal finances of the Island's working-class townies out of sheer sadism.
Scott's victory is bittersweet: sure, he blew up the Ponzi scheme, but he's also made powerful enemies – the kinds of enemies who can pull strings with the notoriously corrupt LA County Sheriff's Deputies who are the only law on Catalina, and after taking a pair of felony plea deals, Scott gets the message and never visits Catalina Island again.
That could have been the end of it, but California's three-strikes law – since rescinded – means that when Scott picks up one more felony conviction for some drugs discovered during a traffic stop, he's facing life in prison.
That's where The Bezzle really gets into gear.
At its core, The Bezzle is a novel about the "shitty technology adoption curve": the idea that our worst technological schemes are sanded smooth on the bodies of prisoners, mental patients, kids and refugees before they work their way up the privilege gradient and are inflicted on all of us:
America's prisons are vicious, brutal places, and technology has only made them worse. When Scott's prison swaps out in-person visits, the prison library, and phone calls for a "free" tablet that offers all these services as janky apps that cost ten times more than they would on the outside, the cruelty finds a business model.
Working inside and outside the prison Marty Hench and Scott Warms figure out the full nature of the scam that the captive audience of prisoners are involuntary beta-testers for, and they discover a sprawling web of real-estate fraud, tech scams, and offshore finance that is extracting fortunes from the hides of America's prisoners and their families. The criminals who run that kind of enterprise aren't shy about fighting for what they've got, and they're more than happy to cut some of LA County's notorious deputy gangs in for a cut in exchange for providing some kinetic support for the project.
The Bezzle is exactly the kind of book I was hoping I'd get to write when I kicked off the Hench series – one that decodes the scam economy, from music royalties to prison videoconferencing, real estate investment trusts to Big Four accounting firm bogus audits. It's both a fast-moving, two-fisted crime novel and a masterclass on how the rich and powerful get away with both literal and figurative murder.
It's getting a big push from both my publishers and I'll be touring western Canada and the US with it. The early reviews are spectacular. But despite all of this, I had to make my own audiobook for it, which I'm pre-selling on Kickstarter:
http://thebezzle.org
Why? Because Audible – Amazon's monopoly gatekeeper to the audiobook world, with more than 90% of the market – refuses to carry my work.
Audible uses Digital Rights Management to lock every audiobook they sell to their platform. Legally, only an Audible-authorized app can decrypt and play the audiobooks they sell you. Distributing a tool that removes Audible DRM is a felony under Section 1201 of the 1998 DMCA.
That means that if you break up with Audible – delete your Audible apps – you will lose your entire audiobook library. And the fact that you're Audible's hostage makes the writers you love into their hostages, too. Writers understand that if they leave the Audible platform, their audience will have to choose between following them, or losing all their audiobooks.
That's how Audible gets away with abusing its performers and writers, up to and including the $100m Audiblegate wage-theft scandal:
https://www.audiblegate.com/
Audible can steal $100m from its writers…and the writers still continue to sell on the platform, because leaving will cost them their audience.
This is canonical enshittification: lock in users, then screw suppliers. Lots of companies abuse DRM to do this, but none can hold a candle to Amazon, who understand that the DMCA is a copyright law that protects corporations at the expense of creators.
Under DMCA 1201 commercial distribution of a "circumvention device" carries a five-year prison sentence and a $500,000 fine. That means that if I write a book, pay to have it recorded, and then sell it to you through Audible, I am criminally prohibited from giving you the tool to take it from Audible to another platform. Even though I hold the copyright to that work, I would face a harsher sentence than you would if you simply pirated the audiobook from some darknet site. Not only that: if you shoplifted the audiobook in CD form, you'd get a lighter sentence than I, the copyright holder, would receive for giving you a tool to unlock it from Amazon's platform! Hell, if you hijacked the truck that delivered the CD, you'd get off lighter than I would. This is a scam straight out of a Marty Hench novel.
This is batshit. I won't allow it. My books are licensed on the condition that they must not be sold with DRM. Which means that Audible won't sell my books, which means that my publishers are thoroughly disinterested in paying thousands of dollars to produce audiobooks of my titles. A book that isn't sold in the one store than accounts for 90% of all sales is unlikely to do well.
That's where you come in. Since 2020, I've used Kickstarter to pre-sell five of my audiobooks (I wrote nine books during lockdown!). All told, I've raised over $750,000 (gross! but still!) on these crowdfunders. More than 20,000 backers have pitched in! The last two of these books – The Internet Con and The Lost Cause – were national bestsellers.
This isn't just a way for me to pay off a lot of bills and put away something for retirement – it's proof that readers care about supporting writers and don't want to be locked in by a giant monopolist that depends on its drivers pissing in bottles to make quota.
It's a powerful message about the desire for something better than Amazon. It's part of the current that is driving the FTC to haul Amazon into court for being a monopolist, and also part of the inspiration for other authors to try treating Amazon as damage and routing around it, with spectacular results:
And I'm doing it again. Last December, I went into Skyboat Media's studios where Gabrielle De Cuir directed @wilwheaton, who reprised his role as Marty Hench for the audiobook of The Bezzle. It came out amazing:
https://archive.org/details/bezzle-sample
Now I'm pre-selling this audiobook, as well as the ebook and hardcover for The Bezzle. I'm also offering bundles with the ebook and audiobook for Red Team Blues (naturally these are all DRM-free). You can get your books signed and personalized and shipped anywhere in the world, courtesy of Book Soup, and I've partnered with Libro.fm to deliver DRM-free audiobooks with an app for people who don't want to mess around with sideloading.
I've also got some spendy options for high rollers. There's three chances to name a character in the next Hench novel (Picks and Shovels, Feb 2025). There's also five chances to commission a Hench short story about your favorite tech scam, and get credited when the story is published.
The Kickstarter runs for the next three weeks, which should give me time to get the hardcopy books signed and shipped to arrive around the on-sale date. What's more, I've finally worked out all the post-Brexit kinks with shipping my UK publisher's books to EU backers. I'm working with Otherland Books to fulfill those EU orders, and it looks like I'm going to be able to sign a giant stack of those when I'm in Berlin later this month to give the annual Marshall McLuhan lecture at the Canadian embassy:
Red Team Blues and its sequels are some of the most fun – and informative – work I've done in my quarter-century career. I love how they blend technical explanations of the scam economy with high-intensity technothrillers. That's the the same mix as my bestselling YA series Little Brother series – but these are firmly adult novels.
The Bezzle came out great. I hope you'll give it a try – and that you'll come out to see me in late February when I hit the road with the book! Here's that Kickstarter link again:
http://thebezzle.org
If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
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Aunties, can you tell us about REITs and the messed up housing market? I feel like something has to give or change with companies buying up all the homes, and I'd like to diversify my investments but do REITs just make it worse?
HOOOOOO BOY do we have THOUGHTS.
First off, here's our explainer on the housing market (and we worked really hard on it so we hope you like it):
The Rent Is Too Damn High: The Affordable Housing Crisis, Explained
Now, on to REITs (real estate investment trust). These bad boys are sort of like the ETFs or index funds of real estate investing. It's a way for people without a ton of capital to invest in real estate when they can't afford to, say, buy a whole-ass building. You are correct that they are 1) a good way to diversify your personal investments, and 2) contributing to the housing market fuckery.
BUT...
I think you can still invest in REITs ethically. You just need to choose industrial REITs, rather than residential.
For example, you can invest in REITs that represent warehouses, cell phone towers, industrial space, and office buildings (though we don't recommend that last one just now because... well, have you BEEN downtown recently?). Personally, I invest in Prologis, which is an industrial REIT that I'm comfortably certain isn't contributing to the housing crisis.
As with all investments, we recommend you research thoroughly before diving in! It's super hard to invest ethically under capitalism, but if you care, you can get pretty close to at least reducing harm. Here's more on ethical investing:
Season 4, Episode 1: “Index Funds Include Unethical Companies. Can I Still Invest in Them, or Does That Make Me a Monster?”
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The Rise of Premium Workspaces Across India's Business Hubs
India's commercial real estate market has changed significantly over the last decade. Businesses today are no longer looking for basic office spaces. They want modern, well-connected, sustainable, and employee-friendly workplaces that support productivity and business growth. This shift has led to the rapid rise of premium workspaces across major business hubs in the country. One of the organizations contributing to this transformation is Knowledge Realty Trust, which owns and manages one of India's largest portfolios of Grade A office assets.
Why Premium Workspaces Are Becoming More Important
Modern businesses understand that office space is more than just a place to work. It plays an important role in attracting talent, improving employee experience, and creating a strong brand image. Companies now prefer offices that offer excellent infrastructure, easy connectivity, sustainability features, and access to business ecosystems.
As a result, premium office developments have become the preferred choice for multinational corporations, global capability centers, technology firms, financial institutions, and growing enterprises across India. This demand continues to drive the expansion of high-quality commercial spaces in key cities.
Growth of India's Major Business Hubs
Cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Gurugram, and GIFT City have emerged as leading commercial destinations. These locations offer strong infrastructure, access to skilled talent, and thriving business environments that attract both domestic and international companies.
Knowledge Realty Trust has established a strong presence across these important markets with a portfolio spanning multiple cities. The portfolio includes city-center offices and large business parks that support the growing needs of businesses operating in India.
The Growing Demand for Grade A Office Spaces
Grade A office developments have become the benchmark for modern workplaces. These properties typically offer superior building quality, advanced technology infrastructure, professional property management, and premium amenities.
Knowledge Realty Trust's portfolio comprises 29 Grade A office assets with a total area of approximately 46 million square feet, making it one of the largest office portfolios in the country. The scale and quality of these developments reflect the increasing demand for premium commercial real estate among leading businesses.
Sustainability Is Shaping the Future of Workspaces
Sustainability has become a major factor in office selection decisions. Businesses today prefer workspaces that support environmental goals and provide healthier environments for employees.
Knowledge Realty Trust has integrated sustainability into its portfolio through environmental certifications, renewable energy initiatives, and green building practices. A significant portion of its portfolio has achieved certifications such as WELL Gold and LEED Gold or Platinum standards. The company has also invested in renewable energy solutions to support long-term sustainability objectives.
Business Parks Are Creating Complete Ecosystems
The concept of office space has evolved from standalone buildings to integrated business ecosystems. Large business parks now offer a combination of office space, retail facilities, food courts, recreational areas, and other employee-focused amenities.
These integrated developments help companies create better workplace experiences while improving convenience for employees. Business parks also encourage collaboration among organizations operating within the same ecosystem, making them highly attractive to modern enterprises. Knowledge Realty Trust's portfolio includes several business parks and business centers across India's leading commercial markets.
Strong Occupancy Reflects Market Confidence
The continued demand for premium office spaces demonstrates the confidence businesses have in India's commercial real estate sector. Companies continue to invest in quality workplaces that support long-term growth strategies and employee engagement.
Knowledge Realty Trust serves a large and diverse tenant base across its portfolio and maintains strong occupancy levels across its office assets. This highlights the ongoing preference for premium, professionally managed commercial properties in India's major business destinations.
The Future of Premium Workspaces in India
The future of commercial real estate in India looks promising. As businesses continue to expand, demand for premium office spaces is expected to remain strong. The growth of global capability centers, technology companies, financial services firms, and multinational corporations will further drive demand for high-quality work environments.
Developers and real estate investment platforms are focusing on creating sustainable, technology-enabled, and employee-centric workplaces that meet the evolving needs of modern businesses. Premium office developments will continue to play a key role in shaping India's economic growth and strengthening its position as a global business destination.
Conclusion
Premium workspaces have become an essential part of India's evolving business landscape. Companies are increasingly prioritizing quality, sustainability, connectivity, and employee experience when choosing office locations. With a diversified portfolio of Grade A office assets across major business hubs, Knowledge Realty Trust represents the growing importance of premium commercial real estate in supporting the future of work in India. As demand continues to rise, premium office developments will remain at the center of India's commercial growth story.
What Makes Grade-A Offices Attractive to Global Companies?
As businesses expand across international markets, the demand for high-quality office spaces continues to grow. Global companies are increasingly choosing Grade-A office developments that offer modern infrastructure, strategic locations, sustainability features, and a superior workplace experience. In India, organizations such as Knowledge Realty Trust are helping meet this demand through a large portfolio of Grade-A office assets across major business hubs. Knowledge Realty Trust owns and manages 29 Grade-A office assets spread across key commercial cities, making it one of India's largest office real estate platforms.
Understanding Grade-A Office Spaces
Grade-A offices represent the highest standard of commercial real estate. These properties are designed to meet the needs of modern businesses by offering premium construction quality, advanced technology infrastructure, efficient layouts, professional property management, and world-class amenities.
Global companies often prefer Grade-A developments because they provide an environment that supports business growth, operational efficiency, and employee satisfaction. These properties also help organizations maintain a professional image while creating a productive workplace for their teams.
Prime Locations That Support Business Growth
Location is one of the most important factors when companies choose office space. Global businesses look for offices in established commercial districts that offer excellent connectivity, access to talent, and proximity to clients and business partners.
Knowledge Realty Trust has a presence across major office markets including Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Gurugram, and GIFT City, Ahmedabad. These cities account for a significant share of India's office demand and continue to attract multinational corporations and Global Capability Centers (GCCs).
Modern Infrastructure and Technology
International companies require office spaces that can support evolving business needs. Grade-A offices are built with advanced infrastructure that includes high-speed connectivity, modern building management systems, reliable power supply, enhanced security, and flexible workspace configurations.
Such infrastructure allows businesses to operate efficiently while supporting hybrid work models, digital operations, and future expansion plans. Premium office developments are designed to adapt to changing workplace requirements, making them attractive to global occupiers.
Access to Skilled Talent
One of the main reasons global companies invest in India is access to a highly skilled workforce. Grade-A office developments are typically located in major business hubs where companies can attract and retain top talent.
Employees today expect more from their workplace than just desks and meeting rooms. Modern offices offer better commuting options, comfortable work environments, recreational facilities, dining options, and wellness-focused amenities. These factors help organizations improve employee satisfaction and productivity.
Sustainability Matters More Than Ever
Environmental responsibility has become a key priority for multinational companies. Many global organizations have sustainability goals that influence their real estate decisions.
Grade-A office developments with green building certifications are increasingly preferred because they help companies reduce their environmental footprint. According to Knowledge Realty Trust, a large portion of its portfolio has achieved certifications such as WELL Gold, GRESB 5-Star, and LEED Gold or Platinum. The company also utilizes renewable energy initiatives to support long-term sustainability goals.
Business Parks Create Complete Work Ecosystems
Today's global companies are looking beyond traditional office buildings. They prefer integrated business parks that provide a complete ecosystem for employees and businesses.
Knowledge Realty Trust's portfolio includes city-center offices as well as large business parks and business centers. These developments offer a combination of office space, food courts, recreational facilities, healthcare services, and other conveniences that improve the overall workplace experience. Such ecosystems make it easier for businesses to attract talent and create a positive work culture.
Flexibility for Expansion
As companies grow, they need office solutions that can expand with them. Grade-A office portfolios often provide opportunities for businesses to lease additional space within the same development or across multiple locations.
The scale of Knowledge Realty Trust's portfolio allows tenants to access office space across several cities while benefiting from consistent quality standards and professional management. This flexibility is particularly valuable for multinational corporations planning long-term growth in India.
Strong Demand from Global Companies
The continued demand for Grade-A office space demonstrates its importance in the modern business environment. Knowledge Realty Trust's portfolio serves a diverse mix of multinational companies, Fortune 500 organizations, GCCs, and leading domestic businesses. Recent leasing activity across its portfolio reflects strong demand for premium office infrastructure from both global and domestic occupiers.
Conclusion
Grade-A offices have become the preferred choice for global companies because they offer the perfect combination of location, infrastructure, sustainability, flexibility, and employee-focused amenities. As businesses continue to expand and evolve, the need for premium office environments will remain strong. With a diversified portfolio across India's leading commercial markets, Knowledge Realty Trust highlights how high-quality office developments are helping global companies establish and grow their presence in the country.
