Accelerationist Reader Anthology Explores Radical Left Politics and Technological Future

Edited by Alex Williams and Arman Avanessian, the anthology '#Accelerate: The Accelerationist Reader' delves into accelerationism as a radical political answer to capitalism. Among its contents is the 2013 'Manifesto for an Accelerationist Politics,' authored by Williams and Nick Srnicek, which calls for the enhancement of capitalism's disruptive forces. The book connects its intellectual lineage from Karl Marx to French poststructuralists like Gilles Deleuze and Jean-François Lyotard, including Lyotard's 1974 work 'Libidinal Economy.' It also reflects on 1990s thinkers Nick Land and Sadie Plant, alongside modern contributions from Reza Negarestani and Ray Brassier. Released in 2014, the anthology critiques leftist nostalgia and advocates for the reappropriation of neoliberalism while questioning human agency in an increasingly automated society.