A bibliographic archeology of game-like conspiracy narratives: examining the Ong’s Hat <i>Incunabula</i> catalog

Purpose This paper aims to reframe contemporary research on conspiracy narratives by examining a formative document in online conspiracy culture using bibliographic archeology and focusing on its use of intertextuality. Design/methodology/approach The study’s methodology is bibliographic archeology. After identifying a document that is particularly notable in the genealogy of contemporary conspiracy cultures, instances of intertextuality are counted and classified. Next, patterns in the data are identified and compared against the interpretive frameworks proposed in existing literature. Findings Although the Ong’s Hat narrative is constructed using a combination of authentic and fictional sources, both are subjected to the same interpretive techniques. These interpretive techniques include antagonistic framing and other features that are consistent with Walter Ong’s concept of “secondary orality.” Originality/value This paper establishes genealogical connections between recent game-like conspiracy movements and one of their early antecedents. By focusing on intertextuality’s role in constructing such narratives, the paper also demonstrates bibliographic methodologies’ utility in explaining the narrative cohesion of conspiracy narratives.