Humanity in a Black Mirror

“The speculative quality of the television series Black Mirror begs for a sustained theoretical analysis. Jacob Blevins and Zahi Zalloua have not only provided one but have produced a work that unlocks all the mysteries of the show and makes clear to everyone why they were interested in it in the first place. For anyone who has seen even one episode of Black Mirror, their book is simply required reading. It’s as if the series were invented just so that we could have this collection of remarkable interpretations that make clear the theoretical underpinnings of what we’ve seen.”—Todd McGowan, University of Vermont
“An exciting and accessible assessment of the TV series. Weaving through questions of ethics, morality, race, sexuality, and desire. This book shows how Black Mirror provides cognitive mapping for our technological society. A pleasure to read and will delight anyone impressed by the vivid and familiar depictions, the dark sides and intrigues, of the digital world portrayed in Black Mirror.”—Matthew Flisfeder, author of Algorithmic Desire: Toward a New Structuralist Theory of Social Media
“Humanity in a Black Mirror argues that this already ubercanonical anthology series, somewhat contrary to its popular reputation, empowers its audience to ‘traverse the fantasy’ of posthuman transformation of the self and society even as it shocks, horrifies, and disgusts us—showing how technological innovation is always a drama of attraction and revulsion, and sometimes both at the same time. It is a must-read volume for anyone interested in one of the most important and most influential science fiction shows of the twenty-first century.”—Gerry Canavan, president of the Science Fiction Research Association, associate professor and chair of English, Marquette University