The connections and similarities between Bloch and Benjamin are still, I think, under-appreciated -- reflecting the wider lack of interest in Bloch’s work. The two were contemporaries, knew one another and had a deep appreciation for one another’s work and methods. Just on the surface there are some interesting polarities -- Bloch, the exegete; loquacious, … Continue reading Now Time and the Not Yet
From a situation in which nothing is possible, suddenly anything is possible againMark Fisher, Capitalist Realism, Is There No Alternative Today marks the publication of my new book, A Primer on Utopian Philosophy: An Introduction to the Work of Ernst Bloch, out with Zer0 Books. The book -- more of a pamphlet really -- is … Continue reading Feeling Bloched
Some Notes on 2666 And after it there came so long a train Of people, that I ne’er would have believed That ever Death so many had undone. Over on Twitter, Erik Hane asked why everyone seems to be reading Bolano’s final novel, 2666, and this seemed like a good chance to try and offer … Continue reading 2666 Again
How often we ask for genuine experience when all we really want is emotion. Over on Twitter, there was some discussion on the role of Catholicism in horror, and whether or not there is such a thing as Protestant horror. Catholicism, with it's sacrements, rites of exorcism and coherent iconography offer a compelling cinematic language. … Continue reading Towards A Theory of Protestant Horror
“Denken heißt überschreiten” -- to think is to transgress,-- Ernst Bloch Prompted by this post about the intersections of Goethe and Marx, I can think of no better thinker than Ernst Bloch who fits the bill. Like many German intellectuals of his day, Bloch was enormously influenced by Goethe, particularly Faust but was also a … Continue reading Provisional & Early Thoughts On Go(e)thic Marxism
Over on twitter the other day Nate Holdren asked that one of “the smart literary marxists should write as simple of a book as they can for the rest of us about what we should think of when we watch cop shows or read crime books.” Happily there are quite a lot of smart literary … Continue reading Case Notes on Blochian Detection
Capitalism A Horror Story will be published in July of this year. Thinking back, I think I can spot the very first seeds of the book in my mind as far back as around 2015 when, as a lonely and somewhat intellectually insecure Ph.D. student (how little has changed) I stumbled across China Mieville's talk … Continue reading And Next?
https://twitter.com/TheLitCritGuy/status/1323972170784100352 Habent sua fata libelli - books have their destiny, even if it's just twitter. Thanks to COVID-19, I've been self-isolating for the last ten days or so - happily, my symptoms haven’t been too serious beyond some fatigue, headaches and a mild cough. So, I’ve been trying to fill the time by reading more, … Continue reading Building A Library
Observe the conduct of these people closelyFind it estranging even if not very strange Hard to explain even if it is the customHard to understand even if it is the rule Observe the smallest action, seeming simple, With mistrust...Let nothing be called natural In an age of bloody confusionOrdered disorder, planned caprice,And dehumanised humanity, lest … Continue reading Back To Normal
It’s easy enough to talk about the political nature of horror. At this point, the challenge is ignoring the political semiotics of horror, especially in film, thanks to a whole host of work that has emerged in the past decade or so. A more complicated problem, and maybe a more interesting one, is working out the direct … Continue reading Towards A Gothic Marxism III: First Sketches
