Radioactive Ghosts (Posthumanities)

by Gabriele Schwab

A pioneering examination of nuclear trauma, the continuing and new nuclear peril, and the subjectivities they generate

Amid resurgent calls for widespread nuclear energy and “limited nuclear war,” the populations that must live with the consequences of these decisions are increasingly insecure. The nuclear peril combined with the looming threat of climate change means that we are seeing the formation of a new kind of humans who are in a position of perpetual ontological insecurity. In Radioactive Ghosts , Gabriele Schwab articulates a vision of these “nuclear subjectivities” that we all live with.

Focusing on the legacies of the Manhattan Project, Hiroshima, and nuclear energy politics, Radioactive Ghosts takes us on a tour of the little-seen sides of our nuclear world. Examining devastating uranium mining on Native lands, nuclear sacrifice zones, the catastrophic accidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima, and the formation of a new transspecies ethics, Schwab shows how individuals threatened with extinction are creating new adaptations, defenses, and communal spaces. Ranging from personal accounts of experiences with radiation to in-depth readings of literature, film, art, and scholarly works, Schwab gives us a complex, idiosyncratic, and personal analysis of one of the most overlooked issues of our time.

366 pages, Paperback

Published October 20, 2020

Reviews

[Adam Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because my friends recommended it to me to develop my argumentation on the topic of nukes. The book surprised me by going into the depths of necropolitics behind the creation and use of nukes, and how certain states are numb to their effects. The current escalations in the world feel increasingly threatening, with states being numb to the effects of the bomb and threatening nuclear use.
The idea of psychic splitting is thought-provoking since if policymakers cannot comprehend the annihilative effects of the bomb, it means that all the policies regarding nukes are geared towards use. This idea of the trauma of the bomb, the destructive potential being relegated to the unconscious, splitting us, means that in our day-to-day lives, we cannot fully imagine how powerful the nuke is. And those motivations for awareness and action towards disarmament will always be barred because we cannot truly fear the nuke. It made me think about how this would apply to my day-to-day life, as I regarded nuclear use as something far away, something that could be trifled with. But now, after reading the book, I realize that it is not something to play with but a tool of mass destruction and domination.
I recommend the book to anyone interested in political projects regarding the topic of disarmament or nuclear use, as it could change their viewpoint and framework regarding actions towards those goals. In all, the book is a great read and would serve to change people's minds regarding the topics of nukes and their necropolitical effects.