Crash Override

How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate

By: Zoë Quinn

Narrated by: Zoë Quinn

You've heard the stories about the dark side of the internet -- hackers, #gamergate, anonymous mobs attacking an unlucky victim, and revenge porn -- but they remain just that: stories. Surely these things would never happen to you.

Zoe Quinn used to feel the same way. She is a video game developer whose ex-boyfriend published a crazed blog post cobbled together from private information, half-truths, and outright fictions, along with a rallying cry to the online hordes to go after her. They answered in the form of a so-called movement known as #gamergate--they hacked her accounts; stole nude photos of her; harassed her family, friends, and colleagues; and threatened to rape and murder her. But instead of shrinking into silence as the online mobs wanted her to, she raised her voice and spoke out against this vicious online culture and for making the internet a safer place for everyone.

In the years since #gamergate, Quinn has helped thousands of people with her advocacy and online-abuse crisis resource Crash Override Network. From locking down victims' personal accounts to working with tech companies and lawmakers to inform policy, she has firsthand knowledge about every angle of online abuse, what powerful institutions are (and aren't) doing about it, and how we can protect our digital spaces and selves.

Crash Override offers an up-close look inside the controversy, threats, and social and cultural battles that started in the far corners of the internet and have since permeated our online lives. Through her story -- as target and as activist -- Quinn provides a human look at the ways the internet impacts our lives and culture, along with practical advice for keeping yourself and others safe online.

Critic reviews

"A worthwhile read for anyone interested in taking action against the realities-and devastating effects-of extreme internet trolling...an informative and inspiring book."—Kirkus Reviews

"I tore through this book. Zoe Quinn doesn't just present a clear-eyed examination of the internet's endemic sickness (though she does that beautifully), she contextualizes her personal nightmare within our current national one. It's a gripping read with historical merit."—Lindy West, author of Shrill

"We finally have a chance to hear what we've been eagerly awaiting: Zoe's real story in her own words. If you've been harassed, depressed, lonely, or lost, her story will inspire and empower you. After all of it, she still finds a way to be optimistic and a force for positive change. She gives me hope for humanity and the future of technology."—Ellen Pao, former CEO of Reddit, co-founder of Project Include

"At every turn, Zoe Quinn was utterly failed by the law enforcement agencies she counted on to protect her, and the social media companies that enabled her attackers. But she never gave up, refused to be a victim, and has used her experience to help countless victims of online stalking and harassment protect themselves. And she does it all with disarming humor and bracing honesty."—Wil Wheaton, actor, producer, author

"Zoe Quinn captures the irrational contours of the #gamergate experience in vivid detail and offers a compelling personal history of the woman with a bullseye on her back."—Anita Sarkeesian, founder of Feminist Frequency

"As the first target of the so-called #gamergate movement, and someone who fought it and won, Zoe Quinn is uniquely qualified to write this story. Think of this as Jon Ronson's So You've Been Publicly Shamed written from inside the eye of the storm."—Graham Linehan, writer and director of The IT Crowd

"Part memoir, part social movement manifesto, this engrossing journey by game designer Quinn takes readers into the darkest realms of social media and the Internet.... An important purchase that will interest social media users and enlighten them about the extent of online hate in some social platforms and the limits on personal and social protections available in society today."—Library Journal

"Quinn uses her personal experiences to advocate practical steps toward creating a safe and open internet culture.... For Quinn, winning the 'cultural battle for the web' starts with reframing the issue as not a matter of good vs. bad people fueling hate culture on the internet, but rather 'acceptable and unacceptable ways to treat each other.' It's a remarkably clear-eyed view that's all the more powerful in light of Quinn's backstory."—Publisher's Weekly, starred review

Essential reading for understanding abuse

This book is essential if you wish to understand the spread of abuse and hatred on the internet, and what you can do to help. (And sometimes, what we can't or shouldn't do.) Is tough, and sometimes depressing, but not without hope.

Incredibly human

A human account of fallibility, accountability, and healing. It details the real and tangible abuse of people and systems by humans who often act with good intentions. Quinn takes the hard approach of looking past the real fallible people and pointing fingers at the systems and the rotten few who enable the kinds of internet harassment that Quinn and so many others have had to endure. She takes the time to give voice to marginalized groups as well. Finally, she lays the groundwork for a real and effective human-centric response to a problem that can seem insurmountable. Very cool.

Informative and great listen

Took me awhile to get through, but I'm didn't start this being into audiobooks. Along with all the knowledge provided, makes me want to learn even more. Also, jealous of those with physical copies now...

Zoë is a Modern Day Heroine

As a fellow GamerGate victim, this book expertly weaves through the questlines and boss battles that accompanied many GamerGate victims from its inception to the current day. While Zoë may have been victim zero, there are unfortunately many women who were forced to follow those treacherous paths set by misogynists throughout the world. May they find the light they need to battle their own darkness in this book. I know I did. Thank you a million times, Zoë.

Just what I wanted

At last we get Zoe Quinn's own story in full without any distractions, paired with very good and important advice on how to fight back online abuse, and how we can help heal the damage it has caused. Good stuff.