Mike Featherstone

An eclectic and wide-ranging collection of essays, this anthology is hard to classify in a single review, particularly for someone like me who found the collection out of an interest in the body as opposed to an interest in technology. Some of the essays, because of a lack of education in recent technological developments, covered territory that was, quite simply, over my head simply because of its focus on computers and hacking language. Other essays which might be too elementary in their discussion of technology (such as one on the basic elements & uses of virtual reality devices) were just what I needed for a clear understanding of the material. That said, I should acknowledge that in such quickly changing areas as these essays cover, it's very possible that some of the arguments would now be considered either out of date or only of interest historically.

Still, for its focus on embodiment, I found much of the material here fascinating and thought-provoking. Additionally, the historical material proved both helpful and eye-opening, particularly in the essays that dealt with feminism's intersections with technological developments, and in the essays that explored the role men and women of the 1800s played in moving forward toward the computer-based world we now know. Additionally, each essay is painstakingly footnoted, with careful citations added for further reading or research. Readers like me will also be interested in the fact that many of the authors use popular media (both novels and film) for discussions of the ideas at hand, so each discussion (even when based heavily in theory) is still grounded in example and situation.

All in all, this is a strong well-constructed collection. Certainly some of the technological predictions and discussions are dated, but even those discussions have relevance in today's discussions and theories of development. For those interested, the book and the essays within are absolutely worth exploring; and, while I'll likely be going back to some of the essays, I've also got a full new reading list of sci-fi films and novels to keep exploring, as provided by the various authors included here.… (meer)