STARRY SPECULATIVE CORPSE is the second of Eugene Thacker’s books about the horror of philosophy / the philosophy of horror. It is as recommended as the first, more famous volume, IN THE DUST OF THIS PLANET. This one feels like more of a historical discourse on the subject of nothingness — and is, generally, much more interesting than that would suggest. The fourth section is difficult, and started out with a premise or two that I couldn’t support — but sections 1 – 3 and 5 are marvellous. This is big stuff about how we see the universe and how we relate to space, time and the human interior, and he talks about philosophy and philosophers engagingly and with dry humour. Also, unafraid to point out where a philosopher is boring or just a really bad writer.
Thacker attempts to place life in its proper context while leaving space for something akin to a sense of wonder. It’s worth thinking on.
…perhaps, we do nothing but carry around a corpse that itself carries around the sullen grey matter that occasionally wonders if the same sullen stars that occupy every firmament at every scale also occupy this starry speculative corpse.
And, as an additional note: like the best books on philosophy, it introduced me to a lot of new thinkers and new ideas, and led me on more than a few rabbit holes down Wikipedia and bookshop shelves.
STARRY SPECULATIVE CORPSE, Eugene Thacker (link)