Alien and Philosophy: I Infest, Therefore I Am

Description

Alien and Philosophy: I Infest, Therefore I Am presents a philosophical exploration of the world of Alien, the simultaneously horrifying and thought-provoking sci-fi horror masterpiece, and the film franchise it spawned.The first book dedicated to exploring the philosophy raised by one of the most successful and influential sci-fi franchises of modern timesFeatures contributions from an acclaimed team of scholars of philosophy and pop culture, led by highly experienced volume editorsExplores a huge range of topics that include the philosophy of fear, Just Wars, bio-weaponry, feminism and matriarchs, perfect killers, contagion, violation, employee rights and Artificial IntelligenceIncludes coverage of H.R. Giger’s aesthetics, the literary influences of H.P. Lovecraft, sci-fi and the legacy of Vietnam, and much more!Are androids artificial people or glorified toasters?Is Ellen Ripley a Feminist?Xenomorph vs Human: which species is better?How should we respond to Weyland-Yutani's special brew of Business Ethics?Since its viscerally shocking screen entrance through the chest of Kane (John Hurt), Alien's Xenomorph burst into our public consciousness. Despite nearly four decades passing since the original 1979 instalment, with three movie sequels, a prequel series, countless books, comics, and a spin-off video game franchise, it shows an unearthly resilience to being blown out of our psychological airlock.Alien and Philosophy presents 19 chapters that explore the underlying questions raised by the film series that continues to terrify and fascinate us. Written by acclaimed scholars of philosophy and pop culture, topics include H.R. Giger's aesthetics, the literary influences of H.P. Lovecraft, the ethics of warfare and bio-weaponry, corporate androids and personhood, feminism, dystopian politics, and the economics of the future. Confronting some of humanity's deepest hopes and fears, Alien and Philosophy offers enlightening philosophical insights gleaned from one of the most successful and influential horror/sci-fi franchises of contemporary times.