Deconstruction Machines: Writing in the Age of Cyberwar

A new theory of cyberwar suggests that militarized hacking is best understood as a form of deconstruction, with constantly shifting connections shaping its possibilities. Justin Joque's book "Deconstruction Machines" explores this idea, addressing hot-button subjects such as technological social control and cyber-resistance entities like Anonymous and Wikileaks. It provides a necessary new interpretation of deconstruction and timely analysis of media, war, and technology.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 27 February 2018
Publisher: University of Minnesota Press

Cyberwar has been a vital part of statecraft for nearly thirty years, from shadowy attempts to steal state secrets to the explosive destruction of Iranian centrifuges. However, it has changed dramatically since its emergence in the 1990s, and the pace of change is accelerating. In his book, Deconstruction Machines, Justin Joque investigates the fundamental nature of cyberwar through a detailed investigation of what happens at the crisis points when cybersecurity systems break down and reveal their internal contradictions. He concludes that cyberwar is best envisioned as a series of networks whose constantly shifting connections shape its very possibilities. He ultimately envisions cyberwar as a form of writing, advancing the innovative thesis that cyber attacks should be seen as a militarized form of deconstruction in which computer programs are systems that operate within the broader world of texts.

Throughout the book, Joque addresses hot-button subjects such as technological social control and cyber-resistance entities like Anonymous and Wikileaks while also providing a rich, detailed history of cyberwar. Deconstruction Machines provides a necessary new interpretation of deconstruction and timely analysis of media, war, and technology.

Weight: 356g
Dimension: 140 x 216 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781517902520