The Monthly Digest: August 2017

In July LARB focused on the role social media and other new technologies have played in our society. The pieces below tackle the issue from all perspectives, ranging from optimism to profound skepticism. — LARB Editorial

The Internet Wars Come to Print
A new book on the internet memes and curious logic of modern agitprop conservatism.
Peter BerardJul 30, 2017
- Cultural Studies
- Politics
Dialectic of Dark Enlightenments: The Alt-Right’s Place in the Culture Industry
Did the professional managerial class give us the alt-right? Catherine Liu on Angela Nagle's "Kill All Normies."
Catherine LiuJul 30, 2017
Not with a Bang, but a Retweet: The Rise of the Alt-Right
Jacqui Shine reviews one of the first histories of the alt-right.
Jacqui ShineJul 30, 2017
- Cultural Studies
- Politics
An Interview with jayy dodd
Claire Schwartz talks to poet jayy dodd about their new collection, “Mannish Tongues.”
Claire SchwartzJul 27, 2017
- Poetry
Pointing at the Wrong Villain: Cass Sunstein and Echo Chambers
David Weinberger on the problems of Cass R. Sunstein's "#Republic: Divided Democracy in the Age of Social Media."
David WeinbergerJul 20, 2017
A Piece of the Action: Recent Books on the Digital Economy
Ron Hogan reviews three new books on the digital plutocracy.
Ron HoganJul 19, 2017
- Economics and Finance
- Science & Technology
Will You Be as Gods?
Jordan Brower on how HBO's "Silicon Valley" approaches the myth of the individual genius.
Jordan BrowerJul 17, 2017
- Science & Technology
- Television
Silicon Valley’s Bonfire of the Vainglorious
W. Patrick McCray looks at two new books about Silicon Valley, Mark O'Connell's "To Be a Machine" and Alexandra Wolfe's "Valley of the Gods."
W. Patrick McCrayJul 17, 2017
- Science & Technology
Can a Machine Be Alive?
Julien Crockett reviews Jessica Riskin's "The Restless Clock: A History of the Centuries-Long Argument over What Makes Living Things Tick."
Julien CrockettJul 14, 2017
- Philosophy & Religion
- Science & Technology
Battling with Technology: The Mystery of “The Human Slaughter-House”
Alexander Landfair ponders the mysterious, short-lived success of “The Human Slaughter-House,” a long-forgotten technophobic novel.
Alexander LandfairJul 5, 2017
- Around the World
- SF
Born Into That Excitement: A Conversation with Anna Leahy and Douglas R. Dechow About “Generation Space: A Love Story”
M. G. Lord speaks with Anna Leahy and Douglas R. Dechow about “Generation Space: A Love Story.”
M. G. LordJul 2, 2017
- Science & Technology