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In the Dust of This Planet
- Horror of Philosophy, Volume 1
- Narrated by: Robert Slade
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
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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)
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What listeners say about In the Dust of This Planet
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- Giddy Gilbert
- 21-05-23
Insightful
Erudite but difficult as an audiobook but still insightful. The paper book is preferable as reflection and meditative contemplation is easier. Herein is a philosophical description of ‘our demons’ what plaques our lives and permeates our universe. I’m particularly interested in Demonology as supernaturalism or even historical or political but there is so much information here as first of a trilogy. The narration is engaging. It’s a shame no further volumes recorded as Eugene Thacker has Eyes to See and helps one to digest the Nihilistic Foundations of our world in which demons seem to be a poetic substitution in my opinion. Excellent Recording. I’d like to see yet more.
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- Jeffrey D
- 03-01-21
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.
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4 people found this helpful
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- ~cw.
- 25-04-22
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.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Sam
- 21-04-22
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.
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1 person found this helpful
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- O.
- 09-07-23
First of 3 Intriguing Books; Enlivens Philosophy
Superb narration, and modern philosophival and cultural insights that aren't preachy. Thacker is coming from somewhere Beyond. He doesn't damn you to hell if you don't love the oh-so-virtuous Democrat party. He makes it pretty clear that damnation is for everybody!
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- The Herreras
- 07-05-22
ZZZZZ
I stupidly kept waiting for it to get better. I should have cut bait sooner, because it Does Not get better.
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- Paul
- 18-04-22
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.
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- Anonymous User
- 18-03-22
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)
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- Mr. Johnson
- 31-08-20
Please . . .
. . . don't pronounce Goethe like it's a condition caused by an iodine deficiency.
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- vurnt22
- 09-07-20
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.
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- Allen
- 07-07-20
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.
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