ABSTRACT
The introduction sets out the issues at stake with the proliferation of conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 pandemic and provides an overview of the book’s themes. It addresses some of the common assumptions that have been made about the spread of conspiracism, such as the question of whether the pandemic has produced the conditions for a perfect storm of conspiracy theories and other misinformation as a world-changing event that has happened in the historical moment when social media has become so central to our lives. Drawing on the research of the chapters in the volume, it then makes the case that, while conspiracy theories are widespread, they cannot be understood as always meaning and functioning in the same way in all locations. Instead, the introduction emphasizes the comparative approach the book takes to viewing conspiracy theories about the pandemic in a global perspective.
