Friedrich Kittler was one of the world's most influential, provocative
and misunderstood media theorists. His work spans analyses of historical
'discourse networks' inspired by French poststructuralism, influential
theorizations of new media, through to musings on music and mathematics.
Always controversial and relentlessly unpredictable, Kittler's work is a
major reference point for contemporary media theory, literary criticism
and cultural studies.
This is the only book of essays currently available in English on an
important thinker whose influence across disciplines is growing. The
volume situates Kittler's ideas, explaining and critiquing his sometimes
difficult writing, and using his theories to undertake innovative
readings of old and new media. It also includes previously untranslated
work by Kittler himself. Contributors include Caroline Bassett, Steven
Connor, Alexander R. Galloway, Mark B. Hansen, John Durham Peters and
Geoffrey Winthrop-Young.