by Jesse James
First published 2019
Jesse James adopts the name of America's notorious 19th-century outlaw as he enters the Dark Web in 2011. Starting as a vendor on Silk Road Anonymous Marketplace, he earns one million euros in eighteen months selling illegal goods. When Bitcoin's value multiplies tenfold, his fortune doubles to two million euros. James then launches a fake assassination service, collecting payments from over fifty clients for murders he never commits. He secures a moderator position at AlphaBay, the largest illegal marketplace ever created, witnessing disturbing events from the inside. His ventures expand into cyberattacks with online accomplices and insider trading through an exclusive financial forum. In recent years, boredom drives him to credit card fraud and operating a specialty shop on Empire Market. Throughout eight years of criminal evolution, James navigates drug trafficking networks and human trafficking operations while developing theories about how governments could eliminate Dark Web crime for minimal cost. His story captures the contradiction of a space celebrated as a haven for free thought when ninety-five percent of its activities remain purely illegal.
Genres: crime, non-fiction, 21st-century, cyberpunk, dark
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: AlphaBay, Empire Market, Silk Road Anonymous Marketplace
Period: 2011
111 pages · Paperback · Independently published
Content warnings: drug-use, graphic-violence, trafficking