Reading: The Slow Cancellation of the Future

Fisher, Mark, (2014) Fisher, Mark, 1968-2017, (2014) Ghosts of my life : writings on depression, hauntology and lost futures, Winchester: Zero Books

PP. 2-29, Chapter One, 00: Lost Futures, 'The Slow Cancellation of the Future'

Notes, in chronological order.

This exert contains chapter one of Ghosts of my life : writings on depression, hauntology and lost futures, which is titled '00: Lost Futures', and subtitled 'The Slow Cancellation of the Future', where Fisher discusses an idea about how time has morphed and warped.
The text is from a book of a collection of writings by Fisher, who has written other books such as Capitalist Realism, and discusses how the the decline of social democracy and the rise of neoliberalism has impacted life today. Using cultural examples of music and film, he demonstrates our 'unfulfilled' relationship with contemporary culture, suggesting it haunting our society.

Fisher starts by discussing the final sequence of British television series Sapphire and Steel, drawing on a scene that has impacted him greatly as his reaction now is far different to when he first saw it at the time it came out. It seems to have lead him down a rabbit hole in which he notices how technology and culture have changed the way we consume and interact with media.
"...everything was available for rewatching. In conditions of digital recall, loss is itself lost."
This quote stood out to me immediately as I realised that this idea he suggests of their being a lack of sense of loss has in turn caused a decline of gratitude. Nothing feels precious or rare anymore as we have access to everything at all times. The novelty of catching something before it disappears is now an uncommon occurrence. Perhaps this is why books are chosen over e-books; they feel more rare. You cannot simply click to read it, like a pdf or e-book, you have to seek it out physically. Therefore you are perhaps more grateful to have it. Also, they have a start and end, they are finite, a physical way of measuring your progress and the sense of something coming to an end. This is opposed to an e-book, which feels as though it is floating in space with only a number to determine the progress. There is no 'object' about it, no physical place for it, no feeling of permanence; it is not in existence. It feels like a suspended thing, not fully present. 
This was also something that came to mind in his discussion of the concept of Hanutology. The idea of an object haunting an experience; it 'cannot be fully present: it has no being in itself but marks a relation to what is no longer or not yet'. He says 'that which acts without (physically) existing.'

He talks about how we have been promised an idea of the future, in which we have arrived at, and it is not what was promised. This has created a sense of 'gradual yet relentless way in which the future has been eroded'. 
"technology have altered the texture of everyday experience beyond all recognition."
There is some kind of reassurance in the experience of reading a book as it has remained in a constant throughout all this recent change; despite circumstances, books remain the same. They have a formula that people can expect and keep. They feel the same, look the same, functions the same; people can anticipate their experience in using them. He goes on in the text to discuss nostalgia and how we crave it due to the fast pace of our lives and demand for 'quick fixes'. He suggests that retro offers an 'already familiar satisfaction.' As books haven't changed in their form over the years, they could be considered a retro experience that provides this 'quick fix'.

Notes from group discussion:

  • Committed suicide, being so disenchanted with the world.
  • 'Social location' effects who we are - our values and beliefs.
  • Band Japan - Ghosts of my Life.
  • Nihilistic. Dooming.
  • Star Trek uses old technology to create futuristic scenes.
  • 'Genre changing'
  • Success more valued than originality.
  • Perhaps what is most valued of all is uniqueness? Something that cannot be recreated. Hand-made!
  • Too much consumption. Everyone has seen everything, if not then it is easy to access everything so 'you should'. Overwhelm.
  • People still collecting but it isn't impressive. Not rare.
  • What rare personable experience can you have? A gig; experiencing something new with another person.
  • Dark ages - the digital dark ages - if digital disappeared, only physical would remain.
  • Ownership creating connection.
  • Does choosing the more convenient option devalue the experience?
  • What we are experience is very specific to our location.
  • Labubu or mystery boxes are the groundbreaking thing? 
  • UK is a more globalised place. Food - you can get cuisine from anywhere in the world.