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Techno-Negative: A Long History of Refusing the Machine
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Expected 24 Mar 26240 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 24, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
A fairly extensive history of techno-negativity and the various philosophical and religious influences on various techno-negative communities, this book introduced the relationship between the human and the machine from a different angle than what I have previously seen, showing that it is not a history of "progress" from no technology to more technology to even more technology, and that there have at all times been communities resisting the machine for various reasons.
While there is a chapter dedicated to anticolonialist perspectives, and while the history of the machine as a tool of colonisation and ontological murder is detailed, this book does rely heavily on Western philosophy and history in its recounting and analysis of the history of techno-negativity, which is one point I would criticise, though I am not sure if this might simply be due to a lack of available sources (in English?). However, I would have been very interested in the history of techno-negativity in China, Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and various others empires which are frequently praised as "technologically advanced".
Also, I'm sorry but the author lost some Serious Points whenever he went into psychoanalysis. I simply cannot take you seriously when you completely calmly discuss how fire is a penis, and how people are phobic of the machine because of sexual neuroses. I simply cannot take it seriously. That did not affect my rating though - the above-mentioned point on the very Western perspectives shared in this book is what cost it its final star.
A fairly extensive history of techno-negativity and the various philosophical and religious influences on various techno-negative communities, this book introduced the relationship between the human and the machine from a different angle than what I have previously seen, showing that it is not a history of "progress" from no technology to more technology to even more technology, and that there have at all times been communities resisting the machine for various reasons.
While there is a chapter dedicated to anticolonialist perspectives, and while the history of the machine as a tool of colonisation and ontological murder is detailed, this book does rely heavily on Western philosophy and history in its recounting and analysis of the history of techno-negativity, which is one point I would criticise, though I am not sure if this might simply be due to a lack of available sources (in English?). However, I would have been very interested in the history of techno-negativity in China, Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and various others empires which are frequently praised as "technologically advanced".
Also, I'm sorry but the author lost some Serious Points whenever he went into psychoanalysis. I simply cannot take you seriously when you completely calmly discuss how fire is a penis, and how people are phobic of the machine because of sexual neuroses. I simply cannot take it seriously. That did not affect my rating though - the above-mentioned point on the very Western perspectives shared in this book is what cost it its final star.
Displaying 1 of 1 review