If we humans are truly facing a posthuman future, the shape of that future will in no small part be a consequence of the writings of Ayn Rand. This is the fundamental claim of Ben Murnane in Ayn Rand and the Posthuman— a claim that he supports while discussing the benefits and problems of such a likely Randian future. From seasteading to technologically enhanced humans, the future, it seems, belongs to Ayn Rand and the pioneers of technology she has most (...) influenced. (shrink)

Diaphysics explains a theory that there are physical laws running through the different levels of reality, and which cause new levels of complexity to emerge. Interdisciplinary in scope, this book shows how diaphysical laws created the world as we know it and the deep universality that in their expression.

Atlas Rising is an anonymous pamphlet put out by The Atlas Rising Institute, which identifies itself as “a new educational organization dedicated to the study of creative human intelligence”. The purpose of this pamphlet is to show the degree of influence Ayn Rand has had on the techno-entrepreneurs of Silicon Valley and to serve as an apologetics for her worldview. It serves its purpose well.

In literary works as in architecture, form follows function. There are clear differences among novels, epics, lyrics, and plays, and what the author wishes to say determines which genre works best. The Night of January 16th could only be written as a play; The Fountainhead could only be written as a novel; Anthem could only be written as a novella. Using the recent work by Frederick Turner, Epic: Form, Content, and History, the author attempts to demonstrate that Atlas Shrugged is (...) an epic in the tradition of The Iliad, Moby Dick, and Lord of the Rings. (shrink)

This review discusses recent work that considers literature and film from a free-market perspective. It focuses on two books: Literature and Liberty: Essays in Libertarian Literary Criticism by Allen P. Mendenhall and Exploring Capitalist Fiction: Business through Literature and Film by Edward W. Younkins. Each provides a different, but useful, approach to the topic.