Published in 1927, 'Oil!' by Upton Sinclair is a novel that delves into the early days of the California oil industry. The story follows Bunny Ross, the son of oil magnate J. Arnold Ross, as he navigates his father's business and grapples with his own ethical and intellectual conflicts. The novel critiques the unregulated capitalist system, highlighting issues of corporate corruption, government collusion, and the exploitation of workers. It also features a rich portrayal of California culture in the 1920s, including the oil boom, Hollywood, and the broader social landscape of the time.
Black gold. Liquid sunlight. Texas tea. Oil remains the ur-commodity of our global era, having been distilled from ancient algae and marine life to turn modernity's wheels. Wars are fought over it. Some communities are displaced by its extraction, so that others may reap its benefits. But despite its heated history, few will ever see oil on the ground. Shrouded within a labyrinth of oil fields, pipelines, and manufacturies, it tends to be known only through its magical effects: the thrill of the road, the euphoria of flight, and the metamorphic allure of everything from vinyl records to celluloid film and synthetic clothing.
In Oil (Bloomsbury, 2024), Dr. Michael Tondre shows how hydrocarbon became today's pre-eminent power. How did oil come to structure selfhood and social relations? And to what extent is oil not only a commercial product but a cultural one-something shaped by widely imagined dreams and desires? Amid a warming world unleashed by fossil fuels, oil appears as a rich resource for thinking about histories of globalization and technology no less than the energetic underpinnings of literature, film, and art.
This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars.
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