Exterranean

This insightful work explores the extraction of materials from the Earth, offering a fresh perspective on ecological thought through Exterranean's rich archival engagement.

The book Exterranean delves into the complex process of extracting materials from the Earth, shifting the focus from the consequences of emissions to the implications of extraction. By revisiting a rich archive of nonmodern texts and imagery from Europe, the author provides a compelling counterargument to prevailing ecological discourses. This approach allows for a deeper understanding of the connections between the Earth, the agents involved in extraction, and the materials that shape our daily lives.

In Exterranean, Usher critiques the self-satisfied narratives often found in posthumanism, instead highlighting a productive tension between the materially grounded concept of 'homo' from nonmodern humanism and the more abstract 'anthropos' associated with the Anthropocene. Drawing from the works of influential thinkers such as Michel Serres and Bruno Latour, the book articulates how premodern material culture can inform and enrich contemporary environmental theory.

Through an examination of both textual and visual culture, Usher engages with the works of notable figures like Ronsard, Montaigne, and Rabelais, as well as early scientific writings by Paracelsus. He also explores various objects, engravings, and the historical significance of the Salt Mines of Wieliczka. The dual historicist and speculative approach of Exterranean lays the foundation for a comparative ecocriticism that transcends temporal and linguistic boundaries, offering new insights into our relationship with the environment.