INTRODUCTION

In the early 1970s, the legendary oral historian Louis "Studs" Terkel set out to discover how regular Americans felt about their jobs.

Terkel traveled the country speaking with bank clerks, spot-welders, washroom attendants, receptionists, high-fashion models, waitresses, and migrant workers, among others. Terkel wanted to capture the earnest, plainspoken language used by regular people like these, and his signature oral history format lent itself to long digressions punctuated by sudden, jarring insights into things more profound. "Most of us, like the assembly line worker, have jobs that are too small for our spirit," one young woman told Terkel. "Jobs are not big enough for people."

The 1974 book that resulted from Terkel's tour of America had a title that was as long-winded and earnest as its interview subjects: "Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do." The sheer length of the title is excessive, at best. But it evinced a sense of aesthetics that was intentional and, in some ways, revolutionary. Terkel possessed a deep antipathy for the highfalutin talk and hoity toity attitude common among the traditional "voices of authority" of his time. Politicians, journalists, religious leaders… These people had enough opportunities to share their perspective without Terkel's help. "I was interested in other counties not often heard from," he wrote.

Put simply, Terkel's books gave a voice to the voiceless. In "The Good Crash," I've attempted to do the same.

After all, the spread of replicators across America—and the resultant remaking of the nation's economic order—would have been impossible if not for the efforts of regular men and women. When the dust has settled and the definitive histories have been written, I believe it will be found that "working class" Americans like janitors, factory workers, and migrant laborers are the people who spread reps with the greatest fervor. Until now, the story of how they did it has been poorly understood. Here, for the first time, the story of the largest economic collapse in history is being told by the people who caused it, as well as by those who tried to prevent it.

Many who agreed to be interviewed for this book did so only upon agreement that I maintain their anonymity, a condition which I readily agreed to, given the risks to reputation and personal safety inherent in speaking out about the events of 2027. There are forces within this country that would like to exact punishment on those who unleashed the reps. For although many have taken to calling this collapse "The Good Crash," the consequences of the collapse have not been so good for everyone, especially for many old-moneyed elites who once held a tight grip on America's economic system.

In this book you'll hear from a few of these former elites, as well as from many others who attempted to stop the spread of the reps. Some of these are heroes, too, in their own ways. Some acted out of a sense of patriotic duty to their country. Others, less heroic—but no doubt laudable for their honesty—admit to less-than-noble justifications for their actions. These people have good reason to fear retaliation, if not from their established enemies, then from their neighbors. Thus, I have granted anonymity to these interview subjects as well.

I have attempted to minimize my own presence throughout this book. As an oral historian, I believe it's my job to ask questions that help my subjects tell their stories, and I've done my best to leave any commentary to the critics. Questions which I asked my interview subjects are rendered in the text in a bold font. As you read the following stories, you may be struck by the irony of that editorial choice, for many of the people at the center of this story are incredibly daring—striking for their fearlessness.

At any rate, these people are much bolder than me.

– R. Vondersnitch, April 2028