THE late ELDoctorow lamented the narrowness of contemporary fiction, suggesting it has given up the realm of public discourse and the social and political novel.
The work of Lars Iyer belies Doctorows pessimism. Iyers stories are unflinching examinations of the commodification and plunder of our economy, society and culture. Whats more, hes one of very few writers to make me laugh out loud on the bus to work.
Laughter is important its necessary to breathe, says Iyer, citing the Romanian philosopher EMCiorans view of writing as an escape from the suffocation of oppression.
For me, that getting-free involves laughter: laughing at the Man. Laughing at the madness. Laughing at the po-faced and humourless absurdity that is all around us.
The attraction of comedy [is that] it allows some freedomand perhaps might grant freedom in turn. A way of diagnosing whats happening to us, but not being crushed by it. Perhaps it might be the beginning of a critique, which is only possible if we can find others to laugh with.
Collaboration and connection are central to Iyers novels. In his latest, My Weil, a group of Manchester-based PhD students grapple with urban decay and the advance of corporate imperialism.
Crammed with erudite discussions that veer into sparkling invective, it highlights the need for robust friendships in terrible times.
Its an idea captured in a well-known line from David Bowie: While troubles are rising, wed rather be scared together than alone.
Yes, thats the thing, says Iyer. Despairing together. Sharing such moods, being humorous about them, comically exaggerating them, ringing changes upon them, which means theyre no longer solely negative.
We might think that we that we cant do much about the disasters ahead of us about neuroweaponry or weather warfare, about education capture and health capture, about destabilisation agendas, about transhumanism but we can discuss and diagnose them. Laughing together at their folly, shaking our heads together at their evil, we neednt be merely passive victims.
My Weil savagely satirises the corporatisation, managerial jargon and reductive systems of academia. For me, the character Professor Bollocks micd up like some boybander and spouting drivel about economically manageable skillsets triggered a flashback to the Thatcher era, and my time in a research team subject to the scrutiny of an industrial uncle (sic).
Nothing of the novel is exaggerated. The language of management theory has colonised the university. Expressions like best practice and seedcorn funding,used without irony No-one laughs or rolls their eyes Everything, taken straight.
Iyer despairs at the dominance of management processes emphasising productivity, efficiency and resourcing, and recasting students and academics as self-initiating entrepreneurs.
To make it worse, this process of stripping away meaning, comradeship, a sense of the absurd is accompanied by the grotesque parodying of the same notions that the process hollows out: the university as your family, your fellow students as potential buddies.
My characters, in response, cultivate counter-techniques of failure and ineffectiveness, of wandering and vagueness and of displacing ends from means.
They aim at a deliberate incompetence, in which not finishing your PhD dissertation is more of a sign of honour than completing it on time; in which failure is a better sign of scholarly integrity than system-rewarded success. And they laugh, they have fun, which is pretty much forbidden in these overserious times.
Theres a strong sense of communality in My Weil, but the postgraduate characters seem mired in chaos and inertia. Is Iyer sceptical about the possibility of collective action?
The characters consider various possibilities for collective action. Theres becoming lumpenproletariat: living like the raggle-taggle of criminal-types, the unmanageable declasses that Marx wrote about, who keep to the shadows.
Theres becoming apocalyptic: gathering like the early Christians awaiting the second coming, only this time, theyre waiting for an incoming, shattering transcendence that would explode the present order of the world.
Theres secession: going under the state, on the model of villages in Alpine valleys that that have their own currency, that keep low-tech using mechanics, not electronics like those parts of Mexico that just do their own thing, regardless of central government decree.
My characters have little faith in present institutions. My question would be whether and how we might make them more accountable, transparent and democratic.
My characters are tired of all that. Perhaps we can see a viable form of collective action or rather, collective inaction in their common drifting, their vagueness, their abandonment of proper ends.
Theres a touch of the New Weird to My Weil. As the characters become increasingly deranged by their fears, one experiences a prophetic vision of unbearable repression and seeks a solution in myth. And then theres a strange zone known as The Ees.
Iyer explains: The Ees, a scrap of woodland in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester meant to resemble the Zone from Tarkovskys film Stalker permits the wandering and vagueness, the displacement of ends from means. Its about disactivation, which is why its full of all kinds of junk.
As such, the Ees is an embodiment of the students relationship to their PhD dissertations and, more broadly, to study. It allows them to be stupid, ignorant, disoriented but in a positive sense. In an antidote to Professor Bollocks kind of sense.
The novels satire, characters and apocalyptic mood are firmly grounded in its setting, postindustrial Manchester, a city still haunted by the echoes of Joy Division and the throbbing dancefloor of the Hacienda. I ask Iyer what fascinates him about the music and culture of 1980s Manchester.
The Manchester I discovered when I moved there in 1989 still had areas that were like the Ees of my novel: unproductive areas, temporary autonomous zones such as the Hulme Crescents, an edgy zone of low-rise, system-built flats.
It was from such places that so much great Mancunian culture came. Manchester was regenerated in the 90s. Investors and financiers, gentrifiers and speculators transformed the cityscape with statement architecture, with steel-balconied warehouse conversions: monuments to cheap credit.
My characters dream of battering back the Mancunian regenerators, of reopening the figurative cracks and the crevices where you used to be able to live unnoticed and unbothered on government benefits.
Only the Ees is left to them of that world now. The Ees, and the great Mancunian music to which they still listen.
Finally, I ask Iyer if he believes humanity is doomed.
Not if we awaken to whats happening. What will save us? Human unmanageability, perhaps. Its just such unmanageability that is shown in my characters laughter, in their friendship. Internal struggles between various factions of the powers-that-shouldnt-be, perhaps. Something contingent, miraculous, perhaps.
My Weil by Lars Iyer is published by Melville House, 14.99.
Read this article:
Interview In praise of failure - Morning Star Online
- Jungle Fiction – Transhuman (FOOL Remix) |HD | Transhuman News [Last Updated On: March 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: March 9th, 2011]
- Jungle Fiction – Transhuman | Transhuman News [Last Updated On: March 18th, 2011] [Originally Added On: March 18th, 2011]
- Eidolon AI talks about Transhumanism, eternal life, death [Last Updated On: April 1st, 2011] [Originally Added On: April 1st, 2011]
- mad scientists (transhumanism) [Last Updated On: April 5th, 2011] [Originally Added On: April 5th, 2011]
- The Transhuman World Revolution [Last Updated On: May 13th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 13th, 2011]
- transhumanism (part 2) [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- Believer "Transhuman" album art photo shoot [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2011]
- TRANSHUMANISM (Full): Techno-eugenics for the neo-feudal age -- Tom Horn interview, by Alex Ansary [Last Updated On: May 22nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 22nd, 2011]
- Transhuman Thai Curry (Vegetarian or Vegan) [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2011]
- On Transhumanism, and technophobia [Last Updated On: May 30th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 30th, 2011]
- Transhumanism NWO Propaganda Exposed [Last Updated On: May 30th, 2011] [Originally Added On: May 30th, 2011]
- The Transhumanist´s Wet Dreams - Scientific Religion 17/18 [Last Updated On: June 2nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 2nd, 2011]
- Transhuman Dance Recital # 1 [Last Updated On: June 2nd, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 2nd, 2011]
- Becoming Transhuman - Part Two: Denying [Last Updated On: June 3rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 3rd, 2011]
- Becoming Transhuman - Part One: Affirming [Last Updated On: June 3rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 3rd, 2011]
- Becoming Transhuman - Part Three: Resolving [Last Updated On: June 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 9th, 2011]
- Transhuman Soup [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2011]
- Cyanotic - Transhuman [Last Updated On: June 12th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 12th, 2011]
- Fractal Artifact - Transhuman Mindworks Playthrough [Last Updated On: June 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 15th, 2011]
- Fractal Artifact - Transhuman MindWorks [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2011]
- TransHuman Marketing Video #1 [Last Updated On: June 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 20th, 2011]
- Transhuman 003# - Renaissance / The TransHumans, Arcanoid [Last Updated On: June 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 26th, 2011]
- Transhumanism And The Antichrist ~ Tom Horn ~ FutureQuake Radio [Last Updated On: June 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: June 26th, 2011]
- TechnoCalyps or Transhumanist Elitist Reason For World Depopulation Of People [Last Updated On: July 3rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 3rd, 2011]
- Transhumanism Mainframe Computer [Last Updated On: July 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 8th, 2011]
- A TransHuman Dream [with word abuse] [Last Updated On: July 10th, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 10th, 2011]
- Exposing the Transhuman Agenda: Alpha Centauri and Beyond [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2011]
- Transhumanists Use DMT To Download Plans for Eternal Life [Last Updated On: July 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 15th, 2011]
- TransHuman Express - Fender Jazz bass guitar song [Last Updated On: July 19th, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 19th, 2011]
- Transhumanism, Evolution [Last Updated On: July 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: July 20th, 2011]
- TRANSHUMAN documentary teaser [Last Updated On: August 8th, 2011] [Originally Added On: August 8th, 2011]
- TRANSHUMANISM Tom Horn Full Length IMPORTANT! [Last Updated On: August 10th, 2011] [Originally Added On: August 10th, 2011]
- Magick - Transhuman - Mind Journey [Last Updated On: August 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: August 26th, 2011]
- Transhuman Eugenics Documentary [Last Updated On: September 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 9th, 2011]
- Transhumanism: Where are we headed as a society? [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- TechnoCalyps: Part l - TransHuman - 1/4 [Last Updated On: September 25th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 25th, 2011]
- Transhuman Freakout [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2011]
- Down Syndrome Dysgenics and Transhuman Eugenics [Last Updated On: September 30th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 30th, 2011]
- Transhumanism of the New World Order - Video [Last Updated On: October 13th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 13th, 2011]
- Jungle Fiction - Transhuman - Video [Last Updated On: October 14th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2011]
- The Transhumanist Agenda - Video [Last Updated On: October 14th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2011]
- My Review Of Believer's "Transhuman" - Video [Last Updated On: October 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 15th, 2011]
- Traversing the Transhuman: Bridging the Gap Between Biology and Technology Through Art [UKH+] (1/2) - Video [Last Updated On: October 16th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 16th, 2011]
- Jungle Fiction - Transhuman (FOOL Remix) + DL LINK - Video [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2011]
- The Transhumanists Part 1 documentary by Frank Theys - Video [Last Updated On: October 27th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 27th, 2011]
- Encephalon - The Transhuman Condition trailer #2 - Video [Last Updated On: November 13th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 13th, 2011]
- Minecraft- Transhuman Technologys - Video [Last Updated On: November 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 15th, 2011]
- The Dangers of Transhumanism - Video [Last Updated On: November 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 26th, 2011]
- TRANSHUMANISM ,8 Women 1 Night Berlusconi - DNA Reversal - Eternal life by 2045, Human chupacabra - Video [Last Updated On: November 26th, 2011] [Originally Added On: November 26th, 2011]
- Believer-End Of Infinity - Video [Last Updated On: December 9th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 9th, 2011]
- TRANSHUMANISM EXPLAINED by Tom Horn - Video [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2011]
- Technocalyps A Documentary by Frank Theys TRANSHUMANISM FULL - Video [Last Updated On: December 15th, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 15th, 2011]
- Jungle Fiction- Transhuman (FOOL Remix) - Video [Last Updated On: December 23rd, 2011] [Originally Added On: December 23rd, 2011]
- A CITY to MAKE ME - TRANSHUMAN FUTURE? - Video [Last Updated On: January 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 2nd, 2012]
- THE TRANSHUMANS - SPACE TIME ILLUSION (TRANSHUMAN TH001) - Video [Last Updated On: January 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 4th, 2012]
- The Transhuman Dystopia -- Aaron Dykes/Mike Adams - Video [Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 22nd, 2012]
- Cyanotic-Transhuman 2.0 - Video [Last Updated On: January 24th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 24th, 2012]
- THE YTRIPLE CORPORATION - VISION 3: TRANSHUMAN SHIFT 26|21|25|11|6|9|24|15|9 - Video [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2012]
- TransHumanism Part 2The Digital Messiah.divx - Video [Last Updated On: February 12th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 12th, 2012]
- The Cast-Iron Pan: The Black-Iron Heart of America [Last Updated On: March 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 1st, 2012]
- We're Underestimating the Risk of Human Extinction [Last Updated On: March 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 7th, 2012]
- DC Comics in June 2012 [Last Updated On: March 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 13th, 2012]
- 'Fringe' recap: In The World To Come, We Will All Be Monsters [Last Updated On: March 31st, 2012] [Originally Added On: March 31st, 2012]
- 'Fringe' recap: Separate Ways [Last Updated On: April 29th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 29th, 2012]
- H+ Teaser Video: The H is for Post-Apocalyptic Transhumanism [Last Updated On: August 9th, 2012] [Originally Added On: August 9th, 2012]
- SEX Robots/Cyborgs/TransHumans:RocketradioShow1 - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Transhuman Illuminati - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Nigel Kerner Greys Harvesting of Souls via Transhumanism, ClandestineTimelord [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- The Transhumanists are coming! - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Godlike Productions interviews Aaron Franz - The Transhumanist Agenda - June 11, 2012 - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Transhuman Propaganda on Eureka - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Morgellons Moving Fibers, In The Environment, Transhumanism, Nano Fibers Getting Into Our Skin - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- CoreSyntaX- Transhuman (Ring Mode Records) - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Nephilim to Aliens [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Transhuman Agenda - Chemtrails are Nanotech - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- THE TRANSHUMANISM AGENDA - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- MORGELLONS FIBER ALIVE AND MOVING, TRANSHUMAN, NANO TUBE, CHEMTRAILS - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Morgellons, Hexagon, Crystal Cluster Mind Control, Transhuman, Chemtrails - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Morgellons, Hexagons, Transhuman, Chemspray and More - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]
- Morgellons Fibers Moving Transhumanism at the Door, NWO Taking Over - Video [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2012]