Foreverism
Theory Redux
Published on 17. November 2023
Book
Hardback
140 pages
978-1-5095-5805-6 (ISBN)
Description
What do cinematic "universes," cloud archiving, and voice cloning have in common? They're in the business of foreverizing - the process of revitalizing things that have degraded, failed, or disappeared so that they can remain active in the present. To foreverize something is to reanimate it, to enclose and protect it from time and the elements, and to eradicate the feeling of nostalgia that accompanies loss.
In a culture anxious about nostalgia, things are considered failures if they don't last forever, or if they're expected not to last. Foreverizing is a bulwark against instability, but it isn't an infallible enterprise. That which is promised to last forever often does not, and that which is disposed of can sometimes last disturbingly forever.
In this groundbreaking book, American philosopher Grafton Tanner develops his theory of foreverism: an anti-nostalgic discourse that promises growth without change and life without loss. Engaging with pressing issues, from the ecological impact of data storage to the rise of reboot culture, Tanner tracks the implications of a society averse to nostalgia and reveals the new weapons we have for eliminating it.
What do cinematic "universes," cloud archiving, and voice cloning have in common? They're in the business of foreverizing - the process of revitalizing things that have degraded, failed, or disappeared so that they can remain active in the present. To foreverize something is to reanimate it, to enclose and protect it from time and the elements, and to eradicate the feeling of nostalgia that accompanies loss.
In a culture anxious about nostalgia, things are considered failures if they don't last forever, or if they're expected not to last. Foreverizing is a bulwark against instability, but it isn't an infallible enterprise. That which is promised to last forever often does not, and that which is disposed of can sometimes last disturbingly forever.
In this groundbreaking book, American philosopher Grafton Tanner develops his theory of foreverism: an anti-nostalgic discourse that promises growth without change and life without loss. Engaging with pressing issues, from the ecological impact of data storage to the rise of reboot culture, Tanner tracks the implications of a society averse to nostalgia and reveals the new weapons we have for eliminating it.
In a culture anxious about nostalgia, things are considered failures if they don't last forever, or if they're expected not to last. Foreverizing is a bulwark against instability, but it isn't an infallible enterprise. That which is promised to last forever often does not, and that which is disposed of can sometimes last disturbingly forever.
In this groundbreaking book, American philosopher Grafton Tanner develops his theory of foreverism: an anti-nostalgic discourse that promises growth without change and life without loss. Engaging with pressing issues, from the ecological impact of data storage to the rise of reboot culture, Tanner tracks the implications of a society averse to nostalgia and reveals the new weapons we have for eliminating it.
What do cinematic "universes," cloud archiving, and voice cloning have in common? They're in the business of foreverizing - the process of revitalizing things that have degraded, failed, or disappeared so that they can remain active in the present. To foreverize something is to reanimate it, to enclose and protect it from time and the elements, and to eradicate the feeling of nostalgia that accompanies loss.
In a culture anxious about nostalgia, things are considered failures if they don't last forever, or if they're expected not to last. Foreverizing is a bulwark against instability, but it isn't an infallible enterprise. That which is promised to last forever often does not, and that which is disposed of can sometimes last disturbingly forever.
In this groundbreaking book, American philosopher Grafton Tanner develops his theory of foreverism: an anti-nostalgic discourse that promises growth without change and life without loss. Engaging with pressing issues, from the ecological impact of data storage to the rise of reboot culture, Tanner tracks the implications of a society averse to nostalgia and reveals the new weapons we have for eliminating it.
More details
Edition
1
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 191 mm
Width: 124 mm
Thickness: 16 mm
Weight
230 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5095-5805-6 (9781509558056)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Grafton Tanner is a theorist, philosopher and author of several books, including The Hours Have Lost Their Clock: The Politics of Nostalgia. He is a professor at the University of Georgia.
<b>Grafton Tanner</b> is a theorist, philosopher and author of several books, including <i>The Hours Have Lost Their Clock: The Politics of Nostalgia</i>. He is a professor at the University of Georgia.
<b>Grafton Tanner</b> is a theorist, philosopher and author of several books, including <i>The Hours Have Lost Their Clock: The Politics of Nostalgia</i>. He is a professor at the University of Georgia.
Content
1. When Nothing Ever Ends
2. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost
3. Trapped In The Present
4. Now And Forever
2. Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost
3. Trapped In The Present
4. Now And Forever