The conspiracy against the human race : a contrivance of horror ; [2010 Bram Stoker Award Nominee

2010 Bram Stoker Award Nominee for Superior Achievement in Nonfiction. The Conspiracy against the Human Race is renowned horror writer Thomas Ligotti's first work of nonfiction. Through impressively wide-ranging discussions of and reflections on literary and philosophical works of a pessimistic bent, he shows that the greatest horrors are not the products of our imagination. The worst and most plentiful horrors are instead to be found in reality. Mr. Ligotti's calm, but often bloodcurdling turns of phrase, evoke the dreadfulness of the human condition. Those who cannot bear the truth will pretend this is another work of fiction, but in doing so they perpetuate the conspiracy of the book's title. --David Benatar, author of Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence;Department of Philosophy, University of Cape Town, South Africa\*\*ReviewThe Conspiracy against the Human Race is renowned horror writer Thomas Ligotti s first work of nonfiction. Through impressively wide-ranging discussions of and reflections on literary and philosophical works of a pessimistic bent, he shows that the greatest horrors are not the products of our imagination. The worst and most plentiful horrors are instead to be found in reality. Mr. Ligotti's calm, but often bloodcurdling turns of phrase, evoke the dreadfulness of the human condition. Those who cannot bear the truth will pretend this is another work of fiction, but in doing so they perpetuate the conspiracy of the book s title. --David Benatar, author of Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence; Department of Philosophy, University of Cape Town, South Africa The Conspiracy against the Human Race sets out what is perhaps the most sustained challenge yet to the intellectual blackmail that would oblige us to be eternally grateful for a gift we never invited. --From the Foreword by Ray Brassier About the AuthorThomas Ligotti is one of the foremost authors of supernatural horror literature. In this genre, he has been classed with Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft. His works include Songs of a Dead Dreamer, Grimscribe, My Work Is Not Yet Done, and Teatro Grottesco. Ligotti lives in Florida. 2010 Bram Stoker Award Nominee for Superior Achievement in Nonfiction. The Conspiracy against the Human Race is renowned horror writer Thomas Ligotti's first work of nonfiction. Through impressively wide-ranging discussions of and reflections on literary and philosophical works of a pessimistic bent, he shows that the greatest horrors are not the products of our imagination. The worst and most plentiful horrors are instead to be found in reality. Mr. Ligotti's calm, but often bloodcurdling turns of phrase, evoke the dreadfulness of the human condition. Those who cannot bear the truth will pretend this is another work of fiction, but in doing so they perpetuate the conspiracy of the book's title. --David Benatar His fiction is known to be some of the most terrifying in the genre of supernatural horror, but Thomas Ligotti's first nonfiction book may be even scarier. Drawing on philosophy, literature, neuroscience, and other fields of study, Ligotti takes the penetrating lens of his imagination and turns it on his audience, causing them to grapple with the brutal reality that they are living a meaningless nightmare, and anyone who feels otherwise is simply acting out an optimistic fallacy. At once a guidebook to pessimistic thought and a relentless critique of humanity's employment of self-deception to cope with the pervasive suffering of their existence, The Conspiracy against the Human Race may just convince readers that there is more than a measure of truth in the despairing yet unexpectedly liberating negativity that is widely considered a hallmark of Ligotti's work. Acknowledgements 7 Contents 8 Foreword by Ray Brassier 10 Introduction: Of Pessimism and Paradox 14 The Nightmare of Being 20 Psychogenesis 20 Ante-Mortem 21 Wide-Awake 23 Brainwork 26 Mutation 27 Undoing I 29 Zombification 31 Undoing II 35 Self-Hypnosis 39 Cosmophobia 42 Pessimism I 44 Pessimism II 48 Blundering 52 Analogies 55 Life-Principles 59 Undoing III 64 Repression 68 Suffering I 73 Suffering II 75 Ecocide 79 Hopelessness 81 Debatability 84 Who Goes There? 86 Uncanniness I 86 Uncanniness II 88 Actors 95 Impersonation 99 Nonentities 106 Unpersons 114 Freaks of Salvation 120 Down-Going 120 Futurephilia 125 Buddhanomics 130 Ego-Death 136 Sick to Death 148 Bleakness I 148 Bleakness II 152 Pro-Life 154 Thanatophobia 156 Tragedy 163 The Cult of Grinning Martyrs 170 Institutionalized 170 Disillusionment 175 Pressurized 177 Autopsy on a Puppet: An Anatomy of the Supernatural 184 Atmosphere 184 Theme 194 Characters 203 Uncharacters 206 Supernaturalism 208 Plot 215 Endgame 227 Notes 230 The Nightmare of Being 230 Who Goes There? 235 Freaks of Salvation 235 Sick to Death 240 The Cult of Grinning Martyrs 245 Autopsy on a Puppet: An Anatomy of the Supernatural 246 Foreword by Ray Brassier Introduction: Of Pessimism and Paradox 1. The Nightmare of Being Psychogenesis Ante-Mortem Wide-Awake Brainwork Mutation Undoing I Zombification Undoing II Self-Hypnosis Cosmophobia Pessimism I Pessimism II Blundering Analogies Life-Principles Undoing III Repression Suffering I Suffering II Ecocide Hopelessness Debatability 2. Who Goes There? Uncanniness I Uncanniness II Actors Impersonation Nonentities Unpersons 3. Freaks of Salvation Down-Going Futurephilia Buddhanomics Ego-Death 4. Sick to Death Bleakness I Bleakness II Pro-Life Thanatophobia Tragedy 5. The Cult of Grinning Martyrs Institutionalized Disillusionment Pressurized 6. Autopsy on a Puppet: An Anatomy of the Supernatural Atmosphere Theme Characters Uncharacters Supernaturalism Plot Endgame "The Conspiracy against the Human Race is renowned horror writer Thomas Ligotti's first work of nonfiction. Through impressively wide-ranging discussions of and reflections on literary and philosophical works of a pessimistic bent, he shows that the greatest horrors are not the products of our imagination. The worst and most plentiful horrors are instead to be found in reality. Mr. Ligotti's calm, but often bloodcurdling turns of phrase, evoke the dreadfulness of the human condition. Those who cannot bear the truth will pretend this is another work of fiction, but in doing so they perpetuate the conspiracy of the book's title."--Amazon.com