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Future Remains: A Cabinet of Curiosities for the Anthropocene

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What can a pesticide pump, a jar full of sand, or an old calico print tell us about the Anthropocene—the age of humans? Just as paleontologists look to fossil remains to infer past conditions of life on earth, so might past and present-day objects offer clues to intertwined human and natural histories that shape our planetary futures. In this era of aggressive hydrocarbon extraction, extreme weather, and severe economic disparity, how might certain objects make visible the uneven interplay of economic, material, and social forces that shape relationships among human and nonhuman beings?

Future Remains is a thoughtful and creative meditation on these questions. The fifteen objects gathered in this book resemble more the tarots of a fortuneteller than the archaeological finds of an expedition—they speak of planetary futures. Marco Armiero, Robert S. Emmett, and Gregg Mitman have assembled a cabinet of curiosities for the Anthropocene, bringing together a mix of lively essays, creatively chosen objects, and stunning photographs by acclaimed photographer Tim Flach. The result is a book that interrogates the origins, implications, and potential dangers of the Anthropocene and makes us wonder anew about what exactly human history is made of.

224 pages, Paperback

Published April 20, 2018

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Gregg Mitman

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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Profile Image for Andrew.
207 reviews18 followers
December 31, 2020
Fuck it, I'm adding books that I read for class that I didn't read fully. This is basically a series of pretty insightful essays on the Anthropocene as told through a series of objects.
Profile Image for Ana.
13 reviews
December 9, 2024
Read the piece “Racism and the Anthropocene” which calls environmental and climate scholarship to consider the violent and deadly contribution of racism in climate change and climate related policy globally. The author of this essay is critical of other essays within the container volume therefore my rating, but this essay itself would be 5/5 stars
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