Alien and Philosophy - (Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture) by William Irwin & Jeffrey A Ewing & Kevin S Decker (Paperback)

About the Book

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 times -Features contributions from an acclaimed team of scholars of philosophy and pop culture, led by highly experienced volume editors -Explores 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 Intelligence -Includes coverage of H.R. Giger's aesthetics, the literary influences of H.P. Lovecraft, sci-fi and the legacy of Vietnam, and much more!

Book Synopsis

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 times
• Features contributions from an acclaimed team of scholars of philosophy and pop culture, led by highly experienced volume editors
• Explores 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 Intelligence
• Includes coverage of H.R. Giger's aesthetics, the literary influences of H.P. Lovecraft, sci-fi and the legacy of Vietnam, and much more!

From the Back Cover

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.

Review Quotes

"The world of the Alien movie franchise is rich with moral dilemmas and societal implications and the new book Alien and Philosophy explores most, if not all, of them with an engaging combination of humor, history, philosophical concepts, and questions left unanswered."
--M.B. Sutherland, Apex Magazine, September 2017

"Alien and Philosophy will please readers who already give deep consideration to the rights that John Locke might have thought natural for a species which has acid for blood, and who wonder at length if Sigmund Freud would dare to use psychoanalysis if confronted with a synthetic person that obsesses about Lawrence of Arabia. If you enjoyed the film Alien and its sequels then you may want to dive into these scholarly essays, using them to further your intellectual curiosity."
--Ray Blank, Sci Phi Journal, August 2017

"If you know nothing about philosophy but you enjoyed the Alien movies, would Alien and Philosophy be a good place to start? Yes.""
--D C White, Andromeda Spaceways Magazine, September 2017

About the Author

Kevin S. Decker is Professor of Philosophy at Eastern Washington University. He has edited and contributed to several books in the Pop Culture and Philosophy series including The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy (2015), The Ultimate Star Trek and Philosophy (2016), and more. He also writes, acts, and produces "Men in Charge," a sketch-comedy show on Spokane Public Radio.

Jeffrey Ewing is a doctoral candidate in Sociology at the University of Oregon. He has a forthcoming chapter in Philosophical Approaches to Demonology and has contributed to volumes on Game of Thrones, Star Trek, The Devil, Jurassic Park, and Frankenstein.

William Irwin (series editor) is Herve A. LeBlanc Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of Philosophy at King's College in Pennsylvania and is the author of The Free Market Existentialist. Irwin originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books with Seinfeld and Philosophy in 1999 and has overseen recent titles including House of Cards and Philosophy, Game of Thrones and Philosophy, and Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy.