The Conspiracy Against the Human Race

A Contrivance of Horror

Thomas Ligotti

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English

Penguin USA
18 October 2018

Philosophy

In Thomas Ligotti's first nonfiction outing, an examination of the meaning (or meaninglessness) of life through an insightful, unsparing argument that proves the greatest horrors are not the products of our imagination but instead are found in reality.

""There is a signature motif discernible in both works of philosophical pessimism and supernatural horror. It may be stated thus- Behind the scenes of life lurks something pernicious that makes a nightmare of our world.""

In Thomas Ligotti's first nonfiction outing, an examination of the meaning (or meaninglessness) of life through an insightful, unsparing argument that proves the greatest horrors are not the products of our imagination but instead are found in reality.

""There is a signature motif discernible in both works of philosophical pessimism and supernatural horror. It may be stated thus- Behind the scenes of life lurks something pernicious that makes a nightmare of our world.""

His fiction is known to be some of the most terrifying in the genre of supernatural horror, but Thomas Ligotti's first nonfiction book may be even scarier. Drawing on philosophy, literature, neuroscience, and other fields of study, Ligotti takes the penetrating lens of his imagination and turns it on his audience, causing them to grapple with the brutal reality that they are living a meaningless nightmare, and anyone who feels otherwise is simply acting out an optimistic fallacy. At once a guidebook to pessimistic thought and a relentless critique of humanity's employment of self-deception to cope with the pervasive suffering of their existence, The Conspiracy against the Human Race may just convince readers that there is more than a measure of truth in the despairing yet unexpectedly liberating negativity that is widely considered a hallmark of Ligotti's work.

By: Thomas Ligotti
Imprint: Penguin USA
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 203mm, Width: 135mm,
ISBN: 9780143133148
ISBN 10: 0143133144
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 18 October 2018
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Thomas Ligotti was born in Detroit in 1953. Among the most acclaimed horror writers of the past thirty years, he has received three Bram Stoker Awards, a British Fantasy Award, and an International Horror Guild Award. He lives in South Florida.

Reviews for The Conspiracy Against the Human Race: A Contrivance of Horror

Ligotti, with the wit of a decadent and the eloquence of a funeral organ, guides us confidently through the grimmer corners of intellectual and cultural history...He exposits on horror's themes and its canon with practitioner's grace. -The Millions