Anti-Computing: Dissent and the Machine

Anti-Computing explores the cultural and material logics of anti-computing, its forms, and its operations, focusing on forgotten histories of dissent and how it revives. It is an engaging read for scholars in digital media, literary, cultural history, digital humanities, and associated fields.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 22 February 2022
Publisher: Manchester University Press

In the present era, we are grappling with a profound sense of anxiety surrounding the transformative impact of digital technologies. Computers have come under scrutiny for their alleged contribution to the cultivation of harmful cultural norms and lifestyles. Once envisioned as harbingers of optimistic or even utopian futures, the reality has deviated significantly from these earlier imaginaries. A widespread sentiment of anti-computing has emerged.

This book aims to delve into the cultural and material underpinnings of anti-computing, exploring its various forms and operations. By critically examining forgotten histories of dissent, it seeks to understand why these moments of questioning, dispute, and refusal have been overlooked and how they can be revived under specific circumstances.

Drawing upon media archaeology/medium theory, this book offers a compelling engagement with scholars across digital media, literary, cultural history, digital humanities, and related fields. Through a series of case studies, it provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of anti-computing and its implications for our understanding of the digital age.

Weight: 446g
Dimension: 147 x 222 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780719083785