University of minnesota press, minneappolis, mn, u. Ian bogost is ivan allen college distinguished chair in media studies and a professor of interactive computing at the georgia institute of technology, a founding partner at persuasive games, and a contributing editor at the atlantic. The recent advent of environmental philosophy and posthuman studies has widened our scope of inquiry to include ecosystems, animals, and artificial intelligence. Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing book authors. This experience, however, withdraws from human comprehension and becomes accessible only through a speculative philosophy based on metaphor. How to talk about videogames by ian bogost goodreads. Its another great contribution to objectoriented ontology. Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing university. Setis search for extraterrestrial intelligence fundamental assumption states that if there is life in the universe, it ought to be able to recognize its counterparts by pointing radio astronomy apparatuses like the vla very large array in their direction, and to understand their answer. In alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing, ian bogost develops an objectoriented ontology that puts things at the center of being. One of the problems i have with it so far is that it misrepresents holistic approaches to environmental issues. Ian was kind enough to send me a pdf about the time i published.
Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing posthumanities book 20 kindle edition by ian bogost. Alien phenomenology extends ooo and posthuman phenomenology through applicationreading, writing, and otherwise metaphorizing a rich variety of objects in pop culture, personal memory, junk food, video games, old jokes, expensive cakes, plastic fruit, etc. In alien phenomenology, bogost makes objectoriented philosophy more approachable than many other theorists in the field. Ive been enjoying ian bogosts new book, alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing. Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing by bogost, ian. This essay seeks to begin the conversation of examining digital shakespeare as a general category under the theoretical umbrella of ian bogosts alien phenomenology, which regards objects of all kinds concrete and abstract, real and imaginary as existing equally, or as having a comparable ontological status.
A political ecology of things 2010 alongside david macauleys jet plane. A bestiary in five fingers tom tyler 18 improper life. Alien phenomenology bogost ian bogost, a video game researcher at the georgia institute of technology and founding partner of persuasive games, has articulated an applied objectoriented ontology, concerned more with the being of specific objects than. Reviewed by sandy alexandre, massachusetts institute of technology.
Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing by ian bogost bill brown bio ian bogost, alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing minneapolis. For the last couple of months we read ian bogosts alien phenomenology, a book that ive written about here several times. New media shakespeares, of which youtube is the most popular example. Pdf alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing. About an hour ago, i finished alien phenomenology, ian bogosts new book. Review of ian bogosts alien phenomenology at itineration. What does it mean to ruminate on and indeed end up insisting upon the limitations of human understanding, particularly with respect to what turns out to be the human impossibility of ever. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content. Ian bogost, author ian bogost is ivan allen college distinguished chair in media studies and professor of interactive computing at the georgia institute of technology, where he also holds an appointment in the scheller college of business. Alien phenomenology is a short, 166page book that introduces its reader to ian bogosts take on object oriented ontology ooo. Bogost addresses such concerns in the conclusion of alien phenomenology, responding to criticism about his study of the atari 2600. A reading companion to bogosts alien phenomenology or what. Apr 04, 2012 alien phenomenology, rhetoric, and pedagogy i read ian bogosts alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing yesterday.
Objects and phenomenologies in the poetry of zbigniew herbert. The platform studies project is an example of alien phenomenology. Apr, 2012 alien phenomenology extends ooo and posthuman phenomenology through applicationreading, writing, and otherwise metaphorizing a rich variety of objects in pop culture, personal memory, junk food, video games, old jokes, expensive cakes, plastic fruit, etc. A reading companion to bogosts alien phenomenology or. Yet our efforts to draw attention to hardware and software objects have been met with myriad accusations of human erasure. Bogost has a phd from in comparative literature and is a professor at georgia tech. Its squarely within this matrix that we find ian bogosts punchy, provocative alien. Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing ian. Mar 01, 2012 in alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing, ian bogost develops an objectoriented ontology that puts things at the center of beinga philosophy in which nothing exists any more or less than anything else, in which humans are elements but not the sole or even primary elements of philosophical interest.
I read ian bogosts alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing yesterday. Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing by ian. Ian bogost georgia institute of technology, school of literature communication and culture title and abstract the aesthetics of philosophical carpentry in my 2012 book alien phenomenology, i propose the name carpentry for the practice of philosophical craftwork, and i encourage philosophers to become. And unlike experimental phenomenology or the philosophy of technology, bogost s alien phenomenology takes for granted thatallbeings interact with and perceive one another. Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing ian bogost. Technology and biopolitics from heidegger to agamben timothy c. This chapter explores the concept of alien phenomenology. Pacman, farmville, candy crush saga, bully, medal of honor, madden nfl, and more, bogost posits that videogames. Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing posthumanities bogost, professor ian on. Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing king.
Bill brown bio ian bogost, alien phenomenology, or what its like to. He holds a joint professorship in the school of literature, media, and communication and in interactive computing in the college of computing at the georgia institute of technology, where he is the ivan allen college of liberal arts distinguished chair in media studies he is the author of alien phenomenology or what its like to be. What follows are my unfiltered aka barely fleshed out responses. He is the ivan allen college distinguished chair in media studies and a professor in liberal arts, computing, business, and architecture at the georgia institute of technology. In how to talk about videogames, leading critic ian bogost explores this paradox more thoroughly than any other author to date. Objects and phenomenologies in the poetry of zbigniew. Oct 30, 2015 alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing. Nov 04, 2009 ian bogost is an author and game designer. Every chapter gets its own discussion thread, and i thought it would be useful to make these discussions available to the public. Carpentry constructing artifacts that do philosophy book title. Humanity has sat at the center of philosophical thinking for too long. Or, what its like to be a thing, minneapolis, university of minne. In alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing, ian bogost develops an objectoriented ontology that puts things at the center of beinga philosophy in which nothing exists any more or less than anything else, in which humans are elements but not the sole or. In this book, ian bogost develops an objectoriented ontology that puts things at.
Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing. First of all, the notion of alien phenomenology comes from ian bogost and the reading of his alien phenomenology was a direct inspiration for this thesis. Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing by. Ian bogost uses the philosophy of graham harman as his main reference point, and. How it works 2012, which is devoted to a childs experience of airplanes. Its full of well written, serious criticism of games in the spirit of art, music and literature criticism. Jan 01, 2012 in alien phenomenology, bogost makes objectoriented philosophy more approachable than many other theorists in the field. Its squarely within this matrix that we find ian bogosts punchy, provocative alien phenomenology, or, what its like to be a thing. Apr 10, 20 the approximation suggested by the word like and that words simultaneous evocation of the figure of speech known as simile, in the books very title, offer something toward an accurate description of this human inability to apprehend in ian bogosts pointedly circuitous alien phenomenology.
And unlike experimental phenomenology or the philosophy of technology, bogosts alien phenomenology takes for granted thatallbeings interact with and perceive one another. While composed for different audiences in traditionally discrete contexts, all three books do. Pdf on may 27, 2014, nathan kruis and others published how to do things with videogames, by ian bogost. In this book, ian bogost develops an objectoriented ontology that puts things at the center of beinga philosophy in which humans are elements but not the. Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing books. Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing on jstor. Semantic scholar extracted view of alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing by ian bogost. Ian bogost is an american academic and video game designer.
Project muse alien phenomenology, or what its like to. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing posthumanities book 20. David chandler university of westminster will be introducing ian bogosts alien phenomenology or what its like to be a thing 2012. He holds a joint professorship in the school of literature, media, and communication and in interactive computing in the college of computing at the georgia institute of technology, where he is the ivan allen college of liberal arts distinguished chair in media studies. Delving into popular, familiar games like flappy bird, mirrors edge, mario kart, scribblenauts, ms. Ian bogost is ivan allen college distinguished chair in media studies and professor of interactive computing at the georgia institute of technology. Alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing by ian bogost. At less than 200 pages and chocked full of realworld references, bogost outlines in straightforward language his theoretical approach to thinking through the rich universe of things within, around, and beyond us. Review of ian bogost s alien phenomenology at itineration.
If so how to talk about videogames 2015 by ian bogost is the book for you. Bogost is also founding partner at persuasive games llc, an independentgame studio, and a contributing. In alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing, ian bogost develops an objectoriented ontology that puts things at the center of. He is the author of many books, including how to do things with videogames and alien phenomenology. The materialisms old and new reading group organises regular meetings to discuss both old and new materialist understandings of markets, rationalities, agency, contingency, power and governance. Bogost advocates throughout alien phenomenology for alternatives to idealism afforded by speculative realist and objectoriented approaches to. Cary wolfe series editor massively invisible objects. Yet the vast majority of the stuff in our universe, and even in our lives, remains beyond serious philosophical concern. His work provides a productive framework for identifying, analyzing and describing alien phenomenologies. Apr 12, 2012 alien phenomenology extends ooo and posthuman phenomenology through applicationreading, writing, and otherwise metaphorizing a rich variety of objects in pop culture, personal memory, junk food, video games, old jokes, expensive cakes, plastic fruit, etc. Images of a microprocessor, a chicken wing, a panda, and a carton of cigarettes adorn the cover of ian bogost s alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing, disrupting and almost asserting themselves as components of the title. The second section is not going to make sense to you if you havent read the book. Or, what its like to be a thing both minnesota, as well as unit operations. In alien phenomenology, or what its like to be a thing, ian bogost develops an objectoriented ontology that puts things at the center of beinga philosophy in which nothing exists any more or less than anything else, in which humans are elements but not the sole or even primary elements of philosophical interest.
1303 1337 1270 1359 1016 223 1407 218 407 1518 207 1600 361 965 760 614 1452 237 1093 1387 13 151 1113 565 496 840 257 1027 426 325 113 731 1388 241 873 269