The Paul Virilio Reader

by Paul Virilio, Steve Redhead (Editor)

If nothing else, the war in Iraq and the 1991 Gulf War have taught us much about media and technology as key players in how war is waged, packaged for public consumption, and exported in real time to the rest of the globe. A critic of the art of technology, Paul Virilio has keenly observed that media images quite often constitute a strategy of war and that accident is becoming indistinguishable from attack. For more than fifty years Virilio has offered incisive and provocative criticism on technology and its moral, political, and cultural implications. Yet until now, much of his work, originally published in French, remains elusive in full English translation.

The Paul Virilio Reader collects for the first time English extracts reflecting the entire range of Virilio's diverse career. The book's introduction demonstrates that Virilio has produced an important―if controversial―"theory at the speed of light" that uncannily illuminates the impact of new information and communications technologies in a world that collapses time and distance as never before. The inventor of "dromology," which views speed as a defining concept for contemporary civilization, Virilio is noted for his proclamation that the logic of ever-increasing acceleration lies at the heart of the organization and transformation of the contemporary world.

Arranged chronologically, the Reader illustrates the development and interconnectedness of Virilio's work. Each extract is prefaced by bibliographical and contextual commentary, and the book includes an innovative guide to reading Virilio.

Genres: Philosophy

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 13, 2004

About the author

Paul Virilio was a cultural theorist and urbanist. He is best known for his writings about technology as it has developed in relation to speed and power, with diverse references to architecture, the arts, the city and the military.

Reviews

[Tara Brabazon]

I am biased, because Steve is my husband! But I have used Virilio for many years in my work, but in a scattergun fashion. Steve's single authored book and the Reader created a much more consolidated use of Virilio on my work, particularly in relation to Baudrillard.

[Jerry]

i wanted to find THE ANSWER in this book and it never arrived.

[Mitchell Chatfield]

Not one to recommend unless you’re really interested in oblique arguments with plenty of wheel spin. Go read something Germanic instead.

[Jerry]

less revolutionary for my thinking that i thought it would be. but still worth thinking through, it's easier once you figure out how he thinks. i would like to read more of his work on the accident, though