Reddit reviews The Medium is the Massage

I'm glad to see someone discussing these post-modern philosophies in the context of games. Like others have mentioned, these are not unheard of concepts in the realm of academia and the arts. You seem to have that crucial curiosity that leads to learning and understanding, but little of the cultural and historical context to make it concrete, so maybe I can direct you to a few examples that might supplement some of these thoughts and might serve as a launching point for further research!

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First, I'll suggest something more accessible in podcast form: this is a lesser-known science/culture topical podcast of very brief, 20 minute episodes, but is also a comedy podcast, so you might find it fun as well. Doesn't get too deep into it, but is a very good and enjoyable point of entry!

I. http://wehaveconcerns.com/2014/08/like-this/

Discusses how Facebook's underlying algorithms recursively feed us information and points of view we want to see and agree with. Suggests the increasing machination of the human interaction with logic algorithms and how it reinforces our tribalist tendencies, like Campbell was talking about in Metal Gear.

II. http://wehaveconcerns.com/2014/12/must-seethe-tv/

Discusses the phenomenon of "Hate Watching," or consuming a show, movie, or other media for the express purposes of hating on it. Points to that same moral tribalism from earlier, and our tendency to use media to reinforce in-groups and out-groups.

III. http://wehaveconcerns.com/2015/01/creeping-self-doubt/

Discusses the paradoxical concept of 'self' and our relation to the physical universe as it relates to the brain and body. Describes a Post-Cartesian self; Descartes said "I think, therefore I am," but a post-modern definition of self suggests a more distributed organism rather than a neuro-centric one.

EDIT: This being a gaming sub, the podcast hosts have worked in the gaming industry and might be familiar: Anthony Carboni, formerly of Rev3games, and Jeff Cannata, formerly of The TotallyRadShow and currently of DLC podcast.

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Next up is a bit more of a read, but you should find it interesting. (Two excellent reads!)

I. http://www.academia.edu/3868290/What_Can_a_Body_Do_Stelarc_and_the_Body_s_Potentiality

Stelarc, Australian artist, whose work discusses the Post-Cartesian self & the prosthetic identity of the human. Notable exhibitions include The Prosthetic Head and The Ping Body.

Borrowing from the work of Marshall McLuhan, (who coined the phrase "The medium is the message," you can read more about his ideas here and here,) he conceptualizes the body as a permeable boundary, and thus sees media as an extension of the human central nervous system. Campbell was suggesting similar concepts in Metal Gear, as the branches of the collective media are informed by central human tendencies. Speaking of games and McLuhan, Jonathan Blow, creator of Braid and The Witness, gives an interesting talk on the gaming medium, entitled "The Medium is the Message." Only tangentially related, but very much worth the watch!

II. http://stelarc.org/documents/ZurgruggARTICLE-Stelarc_Virilio.pdf

Discusses how media-technology has made a much broader spectrum of geography and time instantly accessible to the modern man, making the concept of 'now' completely bastard, where nothing dies and, perhaps, nothing lives.

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Finally, I'll direct you to my favorite writer, post-modern fictionalist and grand-daddy of cyberpunk, William Gibson.

I. http://lib.ru/GIBSON/frag_rose.txt

Gibson's first published story, the very brief Fragments of a Hologram Rose, (1977.) Again, the post-modern concept of self, of relationships with others, the world, and technology.

And if you liked it, of course move onto his Sprawl Trilogy, which further portrays these concepts in the context of cyberpunk. Can't go wrong with his seminal Neuromancer, (1984,) the first entry into Sprawl, which inspired pretty much the entire shape of our increasingly decentralized world, the internet, and cyber-culture e.g. The Matrix (1999.)


The works of Italian writer Umberto Eco and Argentine writer Jorges Luis Borges might also intrigue you, (but they are admittedly dense, at least it was for me!)

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On a relatively minor note, because it's a gaming subreddit, I'd like to throw in Bioshock, (2007,) which did some wonderful stuff with narrative that is slightly relevant. [Bioshock, 2007 SPOILERS](#s "Fontaine, disguised as the voice of Atlas, guided you through the story in, quite literally, the most video-gamey way possible: invisible-narrator-guy says "Kindly do this, pick this up, go here, shoot this guy." When it's revealed that you were being manipulated the whole time, the sense of player agency; the most unique aspect of the video game medium, is revealed to have been a farce. Bioshock, in a really awesome twist, uses the video game medium to discuss the illusory nature of individual agency in a compelling fashion. It really speaks to the relationship we have with media, and how it can pose very interesting questions about the nature of self. As McLuhan said, the medium is the message.")

Another quick note, but can we all take a second to appreciate how awesome Kojima is? I know that Kojima love is in-vogue as of late, particularly because of his falling out with Konami, but as evidenced by your post, there is a lot more going on in his work than most people realize. Even his new Death Stranding trailer is filled with batshit ontological symbolism!

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Well, I hope my mini-crash-course at least piqued your interest in the slightest. It's not by any means comprehensive, but I hope you might glean something from it. And let's not understate the fact that we're interacting through the internet right now, and the very themes we are discussing that these great artists and thinkers have espoused are manifesting, literally, as we speak. Again, the medium is the message. If you (or anyone) end up checking any of it out, feel free to let me know what you thought! If not, it's cool!

EDIT: Almost forgot! Check out Spike Jonze's, Her. One of my all time favorite films. (Watch online, Amazon) Again, portrays the increasingly post-modern relationship we have with technology, society, and other people in an absolutely beautiful, affecting way. Highlights inevitability of growth and the subsequent fundamental needs and incompatibilities inherent in any relationship.

The [book](The Medium is the Massage https://www.amazon.com/dp/1584230703/) is good too

You would like this book: Amusing ourselves to death. And/or this book: The Medium is the Message which is cited a few times in the former.

Definitely! Visual Culture/Media Studies are my jam. There's a thousand vis culture books out there. However, the reader by Mirzoeffand by Jessica Evans are totally essential.

As far as Media Studies goes, there's a lot of directions you could start. In the US, there's a lot of schools that focus on the social science aspect of it, but my approach is far more philosophical. So, I'd suggest McLuhan, Walter Ong for some of the classical background stuff. Then, read Lori Emerson and Jussi Parikka for more contemporary theory. Again, these are just some nice places to start!

Oh! Also /r/mediastudies, continentcontinent.cc, http://www.ctrl-z.net.au/, Flusser Studies, and Fiberculture are all good online resources and journals.

Yep, I love reading on acid, especially this book and this one here.

A book and a pdf of a book are two different mediums. The same way a play and a film are different and live music and a recording are different. C is fine with people scanning then uploading their work's but, like a band who only plays live, believe that the "context" in which you interact with their work is as important as the work itself.

http://www.amazon.com/Medium-Massage-Marshall-McLuhan/dp/1584230703

Don't read this book, then.