During the seventies in Philadelphia which hosts a very volatile political system, MFN paints a picture of a bunch of anarchists who want to create new societies, a commune of sorts. As the story unravels, it echoes the spirit of two major historical counter-culture movements: the Diggers and the Merry Pranksters. These radical groups, which emerged in the setting of the cultural revolution of the 1960s, were the first to construct the counter-reality that will free social and political structure—a leadership example of the Commune in Mystery Commune.
The Diggers, one of the most important groups in the context of the sixties’ counterculture based in San Francisco, was at the vanguard of a process through which people did not only want to change society, but to free themselves from the oppressive mechanisms of capitalist society. Reflecting their 17th-century English agrarian revolutionary inspiration behind the very name ‘diggers’, they wanted to ‘dig’ up all traditional lifestyles and sow new ideas for a new world. They attempted to do this through the provision of commons to feed the population, putting on ‘plays,’ and appropriating and making spaces for the population that were free from this commodification of life. Their mission was clear: to devise a new social model laying the foundations of communities where people need not battle for profit.
In some respect, one can identify the impact of the Diggers in how Mystery Commune treats the battle of the group for cultural and political transformation. The Commune’s grocery storefront is a perfect metaphor for the Diggers’ vision: giving something of real value to others; giving it without any profit or commercial interest involved. These processes of world creation – through protest, ritual, and creation of performing communities are the backbone of the Diggers’ philosophy but dipped in mysticism. The same can be said about such artists as the Merry Pranksters with their legendary leader Ken Kesey who followed the principles of radical freedom and joyous rebellion. The novel Mystery Commune takes you on a roller coaster ride offering you the thrilling experience that you are looking for!