''Hunter'' is a 1989 novel written by
William Luther Pierce
William Luther Pierce III (September 11, 1933 – July 23, 2002) was an American neo-Nazi, white supremacist, and far-right political activist. For more than 30 years, he was one of the highest-profile individuals of the white nationalist movem ...
, a Neo-Nazi and the founder and chairman of
National Alliance, a
white nationalist group, under the pseudonym Andrew Macdonald. Pierce also used this pseudonym to write the better-known ''
The Turner Diaries
''The Turner Diaries'' is a 1978 novel by William Luther Pierce, published under the pseudonym Andrew Macdonald. It depicts a violent revolution in the United States which leads to the overthrow of the federal government, a nuclear war, and, ult ...
'', a 1978 novel with similar themes. Some consider ''Hunter'' a
prequel
A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work.
The term " ...
to the ''Turner Diaries'', detailing the rise of the
racist
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
paramilitary group termed 'The Organization', which would play a dominant role in the book.
''Hunter'' portrays the actions of Oscar Yeager (
anglicization
Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by Culture of England, English culture or Culture of the United Kingdom, British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English ...
of ''Jäger'',
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
for ''hunter''), a
Vietnam veteran F-4 Phantom pilot and
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
-area
Defense Department consultant who embarks on a plan to
assassinate
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...
interracial couples and public figures advocating
civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...
in the D.C. area. Yeager's crimes quickly lead to broad national repercussions and draw him into the plans of both a white nationalist group and an ambitious
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
official eager to take advantage of the turmoil he has helped to start.
''Hunter'' shares with ''The Turner Diaries'' Pierce's depiction of the United States as overrun by
liberalism
Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on the rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality before the law."political rationalism, hostility to autocracy, cultural distaste for c ...
and
covertly dominated by Jews. His depictions of and attitudes of the protagonists towards
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
,
African-Americans,
Latinos, and
Asians
Asian people (or Asians, sometimes referred to as Asiatic people)United States National Library of Medicine. Medical Subject Headings. 2004. November 17, 200Nlm.nih.gov: ''Asian Continental Ancestry Group'' is also used for categorical purpos ...
mirror the ideology of Pierce and National Alliance. ''Hunter'' reveals this ideology more didactically and directly than did ''The Turner Diaries''. At the novel's beginning, the protagonist is a nonideological racist unattached to
antisemitism
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
. He gradually develops his ideology and perspectives during his campaign and through contact with the allies that he meets. Much of the story's dialogue consists of discussion and debate on the "
Jewish question."
Pierce's rationale
In contrast to ''The Turner Diaries'', Pierce decided to write a "more realistic novel, ''Hunter'', which shifted away from the idea of an organized group to what an exceptional individual can do. ''Hunter'' serves a real educational process."
[''Gardell'' 2003, p. 360.]
Pierce dedicated ''Hunter'' to
Joseph Paul Franklin who, the notice says, "saw his duty as a White man."
Franklin was a white supremacist serial killer who murdered up to 22 people in sniper-style attacks.
Plot summary
The story is set in the United States, presumably during the late 1980s or early 1990s. It begins with Yeager driving around Washington D.C with a rifle. In his personal campaign of assassination, he initially shoots racially mixed couples in parking lots. Over 22 days, his campaign leads to 12 victims in 6 shootings. In the narrative, Yeager is depicted as the
hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...
.
His campaign escalates to more sophisticated methods against higher-profile targets, including prominent journalists and politicians whom Yeager sees as promoting
racial mixing
Miscegenation ( ) is the interbreeding of people who are considered to be members of different races. The word, now usually considered pejorative, is derived from a combination of the Latin terms ''miscere'' ("to mix") and ''genus'' ("race") ...
. At the same time, Yeager and his girlfriend are developing connections with a
white nationalist group.
After several successful and increasingly ambitious attacks, Yeager is found and confronted by a senior agent of the
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
who himself is disgusted with Jewish control of the FBI and the American social situation. This agent blackmails Yeager into assisting him with his career by assassinating several Jewish FBI agents and targeting
Mossad
Mossad ( , ), ; ar, الموساد, al-Mōsād, ; , short for ( he, המוסד למודיעין ולתפקידים מיוחדים, links=no), meaning 'Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations'. is the national intelligence agency ...
agents in the United States so that the agent can be appointed as the head of a newly formed
antiterrorist secret police
Secret police (or political police) are intelligence, security or police agencies that engage in covert operations against a government's political, religious, or social opponents and dissidents. Secret police organizations are characteristic of a ...
agency, assume increasing control of the United States and use his power to challenge and remove Jewish control of the government and media.
At the same time, Yeager's white nationalist group achieves growing prominence through the insertion of one of their members into a
Christian evangelist
In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are i ...
television broadcasting ministry, from which he is broadcasting increasingly racist and antisemitic messages. Yeager's campaign of assassination and terrorism, the actions of copycats and imitators, the white nationalist broadcasting effort, the efforts of the antiterrorist official, and a rapid decline of the US economy all work to push the United States towards increasing racial and social violence and fragmentation.
Eventually, Yeager is faced with a dilemma when the government official for whom he has been working finally orders him to kill the undercover evangelist minister, whose efforts oppose the agent's intent to establish order and strike a temporary bargain with the Jews. Yeager attempts to avoid the assignment and then deliberately appears to bungle the assassination. At this point, Yeager is caught between the intentions of his government confederate (who intends to consolidate his own power and control over the government and reform the system from the top down after suppressing upcoming
black nationalist riots) and the white-nationalist group who wishes to stir up the chaos even further, draw white Americans into battle, and eventually overthrow the government. Ultimately, Yeager kills the government agent.
Following this, the Jewish-controlled media side with the black rioters, revealing that the government official would have been double-crossed had he attempted to strike his deal. Yeager and the other members of the group, now under increasing government scrutiny, resolve to continue their efforts and to go "underground" to continue the fight against the system.
References
Bibliography
*
Gardell, Mattias. (2003) ''
Gods of the Blood: The Pagan Revival and White Separatism'', Duke University Press. pp. 91, 93, 134; reviewed 360 n.31.
*Griffin, Robert S. (2001) ''The Fame of a Dead Man's Deeds: An Up-Close Portrait of White Nationalist William Pierce'', 1st Book Library. pp. 223–243.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunter (Pierce Novel)
1989 American novels
American political novels
Antisemitic novels
Conspiracist media
Novels about terrorism
Novels by William Luther Pierce
Neo-Nazism in the United States
Works published under a pseudonym
Neo-Nazi propaganda