The World of Failing Machines: Speculative Realism and Literature

by Grant Hamilton

The World of Failing Machines offers the first full-length discussion of the relationship between speculative realism and literary criticism. In identifying some of the most significant coordinates of speculative-realist thought, this book asks what the implications might be for the study of literature. It is argued that the first casualty might well be the form of the traditional essay.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction

148 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 30, 2016

Reviews

[Barry Shitpeas · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Terence Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grant Hamilton poses an interesting and topical question in his book The World of Failing Machines: “What would a speculative-realist literary criticism look like?”. In order to answer this provocative question, Hamilton begins with a brief sketch of the history of speculative realism and of its main variants, before finally deciding to restrict his discussion to one of these variants, Graham Harman’s object-oriented philosophy. However, Hamilton quickly leaves behind this supposed foundation, in favour of a Deleuze-inspired pluralist ontology of (failing) machines. For full review see: https://hkrbooks.com/2017/06/04/the-w...

[Charlie Kruse · Rating 2 out of 5]

honestly not worth reading. sorry.

[Kit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Explores speculative realism/ object oriented philosophy’s relation to the redemocratization of literary criticism and engagement.

[Garuda Guru · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could be worse, but could be better. Too little daring literary thought, mostly bound by philosophical constraints. If we recall literature is the other of philosophy, that says enough.

[Aaron Schuschu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Speculative realism analysis of horror which makes me want to read a bunch of Merleau-Ponty