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Specter of the Monolith: Nihilism, the Sublime, and Human Destiny in Space-From Apollo and Hubble to 2001, Star Trek, and Interstellar Paperback – July 11, 2017

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

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Inspired by the masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barry Vacker's Specter of the Monolith offers a radically original critique of how humans have confronted the majesty of the vast universe--via art, science, pop culture, space exploration, and the greatest space films. It's the only book to use the ideas of 2001 to develop a new philosophy for the human species. Original and thought-provoking, the book explores questions such as:
  • Why don't we have that sleek space hotel from 2001?
  • What's the meaning of the monolith in 2001 and the tesseract in Interstellar?
  • What's the connection between the Star-Gate in 2001 and contemporary cosmology?
  • Why did we pull the plug on the Apollo program, precisely as NASA provided humanity its first and only chance to unite in celebration of human achievement?
  • What is Michael Jackson the most popular moonwalker on Earth? What does Ziggy Stardust tell us about 50 years of "post-Apollo culture"?
  • What are the new Star Trek and Star Wars films really saying about our future in space? What about Gravity, The Martian, and Planet of the Apes?
  • Should Mars be strip-mined or terraformed, as envisioned by Elon Musk? Or protected as a Celestial Wilderness Area?
  • How do we find human meaning in the vast and majestic universe? Are we meaningless cosmic specks, as suggested by the Hubble Deep Field images? Will we embrace our true place in the universe and become the enlightened space-farers of 2001?
Rather than embrace planetary conquest and colonization, this book presents a space philosophy based in science, aesthetics, ecology, cooperation, and admiration for the sheer majesty of the cosmos. In honor of the 50th anniversary of 2001, Specter of the Monolith offers a hopeful and inspiring alternative vision of human destiny in space.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Like David Bowie's Major Tom, "floating in a most peculiar way", Barry Vacker seems to contemplate Planet Earth through the porthole of a spacecraft. Via critiques of films like 2001 and Interstellar, Barry offers us a unique opportunity to step back and think of the contradictions of space exploration and our contemporary society. Barry shows we live in a "post-Apollo" culture torn between a frenetic race towards ever more scientific-technological progress and a just as powerful fall-back into the cultural ideologies of dark tribal ages of the past. For those who yearn for a shared destiny in a sane planetary civilization, Specter of the Monolith is a wonderful and inspiring work.

Carine and Elisabeth Krecke (renowned installation artists and literary authors)

From the Back Cover

"It's no wonder we don't have the sleek space hotel from 2001 -- we have yet to escape from the Planet of the Apes."

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Center for Media and Destiny (July 11, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 222 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0979840473
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0979840470
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.47 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 11 ratings

About the author

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Barry Vacker
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Barry Vacker is a writer and mixed-media artist. Barry teaches critical media studies at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he is an associate professor in the Klein College of Media and Communication. He received his PhD from The University of Texas at Austin in 1995. Two-time winner of the John Culkin Award, an international award for creative work from the Media Ecology Association. Vacker is an existentialist without the angst, just a stardust tumbleweed in a remote part of the Milky Way.

Barry's recent books include:

-- "Media Environments," 3rd Ed. (Cognella, 2019).

-- "Black Mirror and Critical Media Theory (Lexington 2018)

-- "Specter of the Monolith" (The Center for Media and Destiny, 2017).

-- "The End of the World Again: Why the Apocalypse Meme Replicates in Media, Science, and Culture" (The Center for Media and Destiny, 2012).

-- "Slugging Nothing: Fighting the Future in Fight Club" (Theory Vortex Books, 2009).

-- The text for Peter Granser's art-photography book, "Signs" (Hatje Cantz and the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Photography, 2008).

-- Many of Barry's recent articles can be found online (https://temple.academia.edu/BarryVacker)

When not in Philadelphia, Barry can often be found hanging out in Marfa, Texas, where he owns some desert land with stunning sunsets and enjoys having access to the region's art, nature, and science -- including the concrete sculptures of Donald Judd, the desert vistas of Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park, the telescopes of the McDonald Observatory, and the future sites for the Clock of the Long Now.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
11 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book insightful and engaging. They describe it as a good overview of the relationship between society and space exploration.

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3 customers mention "Insight"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and provoking. They say it makes them question their place in the universe and provides a good overview of society's relationship with space exploration.

"Really insightful, makes you question your place in the universe. It gave a sense of hope for my view of the world." Read more

"A good overview of the relation of society with space exploration..." Read more

"Cosmic sublime..." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and well-written. They appreciate its coverage of modern relationships.

"The book does a great job of covering the relation of modern society with space exploration and how movies (and books) reflect the different..." Read more

"I loved this book! Everyone should read it..." Read more

"Great Read..." Read more

Hopes for a world where humanity lives and works peacefully as a single species
5 out of 5 stars
Hopes for a world where humanity lives and works peacefully as a single species
A breathtaking read, I laughed, I eyes-wet-almost-cried, I violated my copy with underlines and read some passages aloud to close friends, I found out new things I needed to immediately Google more about.His daring and brutally-honest philosophy and reliance on hard fact have made Barry one of my favorite contemporary secular thinkers, with a unique approach to humanity’s `meaning crisis`; a mirror in the face of the issues we face today as a species, one that I wholeheartedly recommend we all look deep into.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2019
    Really insightful, makes you question your place in the universe. It gave a sense of hope for my view of the world.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2018
    The book does a great job of covering the relation of modern society with space exploration and how movies (and books) reflect the different outcomes possible of such relation. He is spot on several aspects of this.

    Where I think the author fails is in making some moral judgement about some outcomes, and fails to see that embracing space exploration "as members of a single world nation" requires a global government or at least global organizations with big countries as members.

    We must overcome the tribal state of our societies, and he's right that we're not making any progress there, quite the contrary, but tribalism won't go away anytime soon because it's in our "nature", the same way that mysticism is. So if we want to become space voyagers a lot of compromises must be taken.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2019
    I loved this book! Everyone should read it...
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2017
    Specter of the Monolith is a well written, fast paced and enjoyable space-age philosophical text. I found the book to be both entertaining and educational. The book is a philosophical continuation of 60’s and 70’s era enthusiasm for space exploration and expansion. While at the same time, through its analysis of classic and contemporary science fiction films, it also serves as a cautionary tale discussing the possible branches of human destiny that we may end up in. Although there is much excitement in the technological advances that humanity has been able to achieve, the book makes a strong case for the need to critically examine where it is that civilization is heading and how the paths we take will ultimately shape the type of species we end up. To do so, the author uses Star Trek, Planet of the Apes, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Gravity, Interstellar and the Martian as the most pivotal science fiction films to critically discuss our contemporary reality. At the same time, the text urges a stronger comprehension of technology and how humanity interacts with it. In order to approach our 21st century space narrative with common sense, the book urges ecological reverence for nature and confronting nihilism and the sublime. These interesting and thought-provoking topics are intertwined with film analysis making this book a great read for technology enthusiasts, film buffs, science fiction fans, students and philosophers.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2017
    A breathtaking read, I laughed, I eyes-wet-almost-cried, I violated my copy with underlines and read some passages aloud to close friends, I found out new things I needed to immediately Google more about.

    His daring and brutally-honest philosophy and reliance on hard fact have made Barry one of my favorite contemporary secular thinkers, with a unique approach to humanity’s `meaning crisis`; a mirror in the face of the issues we face today as a species, one that I wholeheartedly recommend we all look deep into.
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Hopes for a world where humanity lives and works peacefully as a single species

    Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2017
    A breathtaking read, I laughed, I eyes-wet-almost-cried, I violated my copy with underlines and read some passages aloud to close friends, I found out new things I needed to immediately Google more about.

    His daring and brutally-honest philosophy and reliance on hard fact have made Barry one of my favorite contemporary secular thinkers, with a unique approach to humanity’s `meaning crisis`; a mirror in the face of the issues we face today as a species, one that I wholeheartedly recommend we all look deep into.
    Images in this review
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    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2018
    I think this is an important book everyone should read. I’ve only just put it down, so I might have more comments in the future.