In the Dust of This Planet

Horror of Philosophy, Volume 1

By: Eugene Thacker

Narrated by: Robert Slade

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's Summary

The world is increasingly unthinkable, a world of planetary disasters, emerging pandemics, and the looming threat of extinction. In this book, Eugene Thacker suggests that we look to the genre of horror as offering a way of thinking about the unthinkable world. 

To confront this idea is to confront the limit of our ability to understand the world in which we live - a central motif of the horror genre. In the Dust of This Planet explores these relationships between philosophy and horror. 

In Thacker's hands, philosophy is not academic logic-chopping; instead, it is the thought of the limit of all thought, especially as it dovetails into occultism, demonology, and mysticism. Likewise, Thacker takes horror to mean something beyond the focus on gore and scare tactics, but as the underappreciated genre of supernatural horror in fiction, film, comics, and music.

"Thacker's discourse on the intersection of horror and philosophy is utterly original and utterly captivating..." (Thomas Ligotti, author of The Conspiracy Against the Human Race)

©2010 Eugene Thacker (P)2019 Watkins Publishing

Interesting jumble, ending on a hopeful note

This book is mostly a mash-up of promissory notes that remain unpaid. The author is apparently trying to explain the unhuman. He brings in the horror genre, which to my mind is not unhuman at all. He talks about western mysticism, which to my mind is not unhuman at all. He talks about Bataille, and I am afraid I can make no sense of that, except that Bataille was interested in Buddhism and Hinduism, thus foreshadowing the final pages of this book. He talks about climatological and geologic phenomena, which are clearly non-human, but are of great human import, Finally, at the very end, he refers briefly to the Kyoto school of philosophy, and the concept of sunyata, usually translated as 'emptiness.' Here the author has finally landed on a tradition that does take into consideration the unhuman (if we grant that emptiness is in some sense unhuman). But after little more than the bare mention of emptiness, the book ends. If the reader is interested in the Buddhist notion of emptiness, time might be better spent reading about it directly, say through the works of Nishida or Nishitani. In fact, I would recommend reading (on Google) the author's short 2016 review in the Japan Times entitled Black Illumination: the Abyss of Keiji Nishitani of the philosophy of Nishitani. Then you don't have to read this book.

ZZZZZ

I stupidly kept waiting for it to get better. I should have cut bait sooner, because it Does Not get better.

There's a lot here

It can be a fun listen, especially the first time through. After repeating a bit here or there I decided on another listen, all the way through. There's still more here and I feel like this will be one of those audiobooks that gets replayed from time to time.

Have a Dictionary handy

I was sent here from Radiolab and I was initially very excited about it, as I am generally very agreeable to and interested in nihilism. I was very happy about the references to extremely esoteric black metal bands that I was somewhat familiar with. About half way through, the specific terminology started to get extremely dense and confusing. I thought going into this my bachelor's in physics would help, but sadly I feel like only philosophy majors will truly enjoy this piece. I am somewhat sad finishing this knowing some great ideas were very lost on me and I wish I could appreciate them. Sadly I listen to audio books while driving for work, so I couldn't look up the numerous terms that would elucidate the conclusions made by the author.

Hooked

I loved it. I was hooked from the start. But then I am a little weird.
If you are of a philosophical bent the spell may work on you as well.

Not for me

Maybe spend less time on silly accents and more time learning to pronounce foreign words (this has nothing to do with my rating, which is based solely on the book)

Please . . .

. . . don't pronounce Goethe like it's a condition caused by an iodine deficiency.

Fabulous study of Philosophy as Horror

Well written, beautifully read, full of thoroughly relatable insights which are SO very relevant in our current days of modern plague.

In-depth philosophical analysis of life and nothingness

Thacker’s deconstruction of the relationship of the human species and its environment adds dimensions of understanding and genesis of perspective to the journey down the rabbit hole.

Excellent for anybody interested in culture and pessimism

Everything about this was outstanding, well-written, and translated into a understandable language. Can’t wait to read more from author.