Deleuze and Baudrillard - (Plateaus - New Directions in Deleuze Studies) by Sean McQueen (Paperback)

About the Book

Analysing a wide range of novels and films, Sean McQueen brings renewed Marxian readings to cyberpunk texts previously theorised by Baudrillard or Deleuze. He places them at the heart of the emergence of biopunk and biocapitalism, theorising shifts in capitalism, science, technology, psychoanalysis, literature and film studies.

Book Synopsis

Sean McQueen rewrites and re-envisions Gilles Deleuze's and Jean Baudrillard's relationship with Marxism and with each other, from their breakdowns to their breakthroughs. He theorises shifts in and across critical approaches to capitalism, science, technology, psychoanalysis, literature and cinema and media studies. He also brings renewed Marxian readings to cyberpunk texts previously theorised by Deleuze and Baudrillard, and places them at the heart of the emergence of biopunk and its relation to biocapitalism by mapping their generic, technoscientific, libidinal and economic exchanges.

From the Back Cover

'By the time the world discovered cyberpunk, the fiction of neo-liberal globalisation, it was already a mouldering corpse, mere mulch for the becoming-biopunk. McQueen's volume offers a Marxian science-fiction theory fit for the dark times of the biocapitalist imaginary. It rescues Baudrillard and renews Deleuze. It is a dazzling accomplishment.' Mark Bould, University of the West of England Examines the encounter between Deleuze and Baudrillard and their renewed importance for Marxism Biocapitalism is the frontline of capitalism today, promising to enrich to enrich and prolong our lives and threatening to extend capitalism's capacity to command our hearts and minds. At the dawn of the Deleuzian century and the biotech century, we are out of control, becoming contagious. Cyberpunk is over, and biopunk is the literature and film of this new space. Sean McQueen rewrites and re-envisions Gilles Deleuze's and Jean Baudrillard's relationship with Marxism and with each other, from their breakdowns to their breakthroughs.He theorises shifts in and across critical approaches to capitalism, science, technology, psychoanalysis, literature and cinema and media studies. He also brings renewed Marxian readings to cyberpunk texts previously theorised by Deleuze and Baudrillard, and places them at the heart of the emergence of biopunk and its relation to biocapitalism by mapping their generic, technoscientific, libidinal and economic exchanges. Sean McQueen teaches in the School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics at Monash University, Australia. Cover image: Articifical Biological Clock, 2008, Revital Cohen & Tuur Van Balen Cover design: [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com [please note new web address] ISBN 978-1-4744-1437-1 Barcode

Review Quotes

By the time the world discovered cyberpunk, the fiction of neo-liberal globalisation, it was already a mouldering corpse, mere mulch for the becoming-biopunk. McQueen's volume offers a Marxian science fiction theory fit for the dark times of the biocapitalist imaginary. It rescues Baudrillard and renews Deleuze. It is a dazzling accomplishment.--Mark Bould, University of the West of England

About the Author

Sean McQueen teaches in the School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics at Monash University, Australia. He has published in a range of journals including Colloquy, Science Fiction Film and Television, International Journal of Baudrillard Studies, Science Fiction Studies and Res Futurae.