Excerpt from William S. Burroughs' Nova Express

The basic nova mechanism is very simple: Always create as many insoluble conflicts as possible and always aggravate existing conflicts--This is done by dumping life forms with incompatible conditions of existence on the same planet--There is of course nothing "wrong" about any given life form since "wrong" only has reference to conflicts with other life forms--The point is these forms should not be on the same planet--Their conditions of life are basically incompatible in present time form and it is precisely the work of the Nova Mob to see that they remain in present time form, to create and aggravate the conflicts that lead to the explosion of a planet that is to nova--At any given time recording devices fix the nature of absolute need and dictate the use of total weapons--Like this: Take two opposed pressure groups--Record the most violent and threatening statements of group one with regard to group two and play back to group two--Record the answer and take to back to group one--Back and forth between opposed pressure groups--This process is known as "feed back"--You can see it operating in any bar room quarrel--In any quarrel for that matter--Manipulated on a global scale feeds back nuclear war and nova--These conflicts are deliberately created and aggravated by nova criminals--The Nova Mob: "Sammy The Butcher," "Green Tony," "Iron Claws," "The Brown Artist," "Jacky Blue Note," "Limestone John," "Izzy The Push," "Hamburger Mary," "Paddy The Sting," "The Subliminal Kid," "The Blue Dinosaur," and "Mr. & Mrs. D," also known as "Mr. Bradly Mr. Martin" also known as "The Ugly Spirit" thought to be the leader of the mob--The Nova Mob--In all my experience as a police officer I have never seen such total fear and degradation on any planet--We intend to arrest these criminals and turn them over to the biological department for the indicated alterations--