Here Be Monsters: Is Technology Reducing Our Humanity?

Judges' comments

Richard King’s Here Be Monsters is a thoughtful exploration of those most urgent topics: what is happening to humanity? And why? At this moment of hectic technological transformation, King adeptly investigates not just the present implications of this metamorphosis but the historical foundations of our entire attitude to humanness, technological science and the ambitions of computational perfection — in our devices and in ourselves. Much more than a snapshot of current technological software, this is a profoundly enlightening discussion of issues at the core of modern life.

Through deft examination of the philosophies, cultural histories and economic doctrines that shape our values, King lays out a convincing survey of the technological landscape we are creating and being created by. Sharp, smart and impressively informed, Here Be Monsters is an accomplished and invaluable contribution to understanding what we stare at all day, and what is increasingly determining who we become.