Benjamin Kunkel is an American novelist whose work explores themes of coming-of-age and disillusionment. His writing is characterized by sharp observation and a satirical lens on contemporary society, often focusing on intellectual and social elites. Kunkel's debut novel delves into the complexities of relationships and the search for meaning in the modern world. His work reflects a preoccupation with the cultural and political currents of his time.
"Cat's Cradle" is Vonnegut's satirical commentary on modern man and his madness. An apocalyptic tale of this planet's ultimate fate, it features a midget as the protagonist; a complete, original theology created by a calypso singer; and a vision of the future that is at once blackly fatalistic and hilariously funny.
After the financial crash and the great recession, the media rediscovered Karl Marx, socialist theory, and the very idea that capitalism can be questioned. But in spite of the publicity, the main paths of contemporary critical thought have gone unexplored outside of the academy. Benjamin Kunkel’s Utopia or Bust leads readers – whether politically committed or simply curious – through the most important critical theory today. Written with the wit and verve of Kunkel’s best-selling novel, Indecision, this introduction to contemporary Leftist thinkers engages with the revolutionary philosophy of Slavoj Žižek, the economic analyses of David Graeber and David Harvey, and the cultural diagnoses of Fredric Jameson. Discussing the ongoing crisis of capitalism in light of ideas of full employment, debt forgiveness, and “fictitious capital,” Utopia or Bust is a tour through the world of Marxist thought and an examination of the basis of Western society today.
Dwight is only twenty-eight, but he's having a midlife crisis. Of course, living a dissolute, dorm like existence in a tiny apartment and working in tech support at Pfizer - are not especially conducive to wisdom. His biggest a chronic inability to make up his mind. Encouraged by one of his roommates, he swallows the first fateful pill.
Mit dem Roman Unentschlossen machte sich Benjamin Kunkel auch in Deutschland einen Namen. Parallel zu seinem erzählerischen Werk verfasst Kunkel Essays für Magazine wie n+1 , The Jacobin und The London Review of Books . Dieser Band versammelt seine wichtigsten Aufsätze über Autoren wie Fredric Jameson, David Graeber und Slavoj Žižek. Daraus ergibt sich nicht nur ein Panorama linken Denkens: Indem Kunkel das Gelesene mit eigenen Erfahrungen verknüpft, reflektiert er zugleich darüber, was es heißt, in neoliberalen Zeiten erwachsen geworden zu sein. Seine Jugend, so Kunkel, habe er großenteils während des Endes der Geschichte verbracht – das nun selbst an sein Ende zu kommen scheint.