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  • Design, Mediation, and the Posthuman ed. by Dennis M. Weiss, Amy D. Propen, and Colbey Emmerson Reid
  • Gavin Rae (bio)
Design, Mediation, and the Posthuman. Edited by Dennis M. Weiss, Amy D. Propen, and Colbey Emmerson Reid. New York: Lexington Books, 2014. Pp. 326. $100/ebook $99.99.

Interest in, and discussions of, the posthuman dominate contemporary thinking across a range of disciplines. By calling into question the nature and structure of the conceptual categories that structure thought in many areas, defenders of posthumanism have argued that “it” liberates us from the repressive thought processes associated with humanism and corrects previous misunderstandings of the structure of reality, including the relationship between humans and their environment. The problem that has arisen, however, is that by occurring across multiple disciplines, being oriented around different problematics, and employing different methodologies, the notion of the posthuman has become blurred to the extent that it is better and more accurate to talk of posthumanisms.

In this spirit, Design, Mediation, and the Posthuman collects thirteen articles from “fourteen authors from twelve institutions, six disciplines, and three continents” (p. vii) to discuss the nature of the posthuman as it relates to or is mediated through contemporary technologies and literary theory. The multidisciplinary and multicultural backgrounds of the contributors create a diverse mix of chapters that highlight the contestation inherent to the concept of the posthuman. The collection starts with an [End Page 283] introduction setting out the problematic to be addressed, namely the complexity of the relationship between “technology, design, and human users” (p. vii). To do so, it suggests that contemporary thinking on the posthuman responds to a debate as to whether minds or material things are to be privileged. This is, of course, an ancient debate, but this book suggests that what is unique about the contemporary one is the crucial role that new technologies, specifically computer technologies, play in human existence.

Placing the debate within a historical context, the introductory essay argues that, while the 1990s saw a plethora of theorists affirm the importance of the mind and virtual reality, the early 2000s entailed a return to materiality (p. x). Posthumanism contributes to this because it offers a new conceptual and historical analysis that (1) breaks with the binary oppositions that previously dominated thought to focus on the interrelational entwinement between minds and things, while doing so (2) with specific reference to new computer technologies to bring to the fore the new relationships and structures that are specific to contemporary existence. The essays are varied, but each focuses on showing the interrelationship of technologies, things, and humans.

The essays are grouped around three themes, with each preceded by a summary section from the editors that not only brings into focus the theme to be discussed, but also provides a helpful summary of what is to come. The articles in the first section by Anthony Miccoli, Amy Propen, Elise Takehana, and John Tinnell examine the notion of mediation by engaging with the different ways in which technology mediates the human–world relationship. Those in the second section, by Jonathan Rey Lee, Emily Mc-Arthur, Colbey Reid, and Yoni Van Den Eede, focus on the “thing” aspect by examining the meaning and influence of LEGO, Siri, the relationship between interior design and disability, and self-tracking technologies for the human–world relation. The final section looks to the impact that the posthuman has on the “users” of technology by examining historical conceptions of the posthuman (Kristie Fleckenstein and Josh Mehler), the relationship between posthumanism and cynicism (Matthew Levy), human–technology relations (Dennis Weiss), and the construction of the self from video games (Brendan Keogh) and Lars von Trier’s 2011 film Melancholia (Nicola Merola). The result is an eclectic mix that brings to the fore the multidimensional and contested nature of the posthuman.

While a concluding section would have tied the book together, as it stands, it is an original contribution that will be of interest to those exploring the human–world relationship and, in particular, the ways that the technological and literary imbue contemporary discussions of the posthuman. [End Page 284]

Gavin Rae

Gavin Rae is Conex Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow...

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