Methods Devour Themselves: A Conversation

by Benjanun Sriduangkaew, J. Moufawad-Paul

Methods Devour Themselves is a dialogue between fiction and non-fiction. Inspired by Quentin Meillassoux's Science Fiction and Extro-Science Fiction that was paired with an Isaac Asimov short story, this book examines the ways in which stories can provoke philosophical interventions and philosophical essays can provoke stories. Alternating between Benjanun Sriduangkaew's fiction and J. Moufawad-Paul's non-fiction, Methods Devour Themselves is an interstitial project that brings fiction and essay into a unique, avant-garde whole.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy, Theory

148 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 2018

About the author

Science fiction, fantasy, and others in the between. Cute kissing ladies? I write those. Ruthless genocidal commanders? Got that covered too! 2014 finalist for Campbell Award for Best New Writer, 2015 BSFA finalist for Best Short Fiction (SCALE-BRIGHT). I like beautiful bugs and strange cities.

Reviews

[Karlo Mikhail · Rating 4 out of 5]

read the epub via my smartphone while waiting for my delayed flight and while on the airplane. readers of science fiction and emancipatory politics will find this very much to their liking. I am ordering the hard copy for xmas to reread and write a real review of the book.

[Devin Zane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote an extensive review of this book here: https://www.c-scp.org/2018/08/30/benj...

[La Crosse Public Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written by a science fiction author and philosopher as an attempt at dialogue between fiction and the audience. The book alternates between two authors, starting with a short story by the fiction author, Benjanun Sriduangkaew. The philosopher, J Moufawad-Paul, then analyzes the story and it's sociopolitical implications. Sriduangkaew then responds with a new story, and on the conversation goes. The book attempts to explore what role an author and their work can play, and how an author can change their opinions and beliefs in response to the reception of their work. Sriduangkaew is a masterful sci-fi world-builder and storyteller, although she is a very controversial figure who has been accused of serious online abuses. Moufawad-Paul's writing can be a bit overly-intellectual for those not interested in Marxism, and I found myself working through it to get Sriduangkaew's next story. I found the book to be a very ambitious idea that falls a bit short on the non-fiction analysis, without enough focus on the fictional author and the dialogue.

~Peter, Library Assistant

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting and worthwhile project, with some phenomenal writing from Sriduangkaew and insights from Moufawad-Paul. The final story, That Rough Hewn Sun, was a particular highlight and works well alone despite serving as a prequel to Winterglass (which I'm yet to read). I felt some of the editing of the philosophy chapters could have been sharper - it's closer to the style of JMP's blog in places than the much tighter stuff found in C&R or Austerity Apparatus. Nevertheless, I did find those chapters useful not least because of their general focus on the philosophy of history (and related questions), and it's impressive how much the book is able to unfold as a conversation between fiction and philosophy. I really enjoyed JMP's reflections on analogy-mining and Sriduangkaew's on intentionality. Would like to see more of this sort of collaboration, particularly because many of the best writers in SFF at the moment are also the most politically astute.

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cool and clever way to structure a book. The second essay in particular gave me SUCH an intense retroactive “aha!!!” moment about the second story that I had to stop and just think about it for the next twenty minutes.

[Corinne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tiny masterpiece. I've been recommending it to my radicalizing friends because I think it's a good introduction to the philosophical underpinnings of revolutionary theory.

[Mark Gronlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Studious blend of short fiction and critique, this is a fascinating look at how to engage with fiction through a post colonial lens.

[BOB · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Posting this review months after reading. I thought it would seem suspicious that I'd picked it up so far in advance of the release date, but Amazon in Ireland had the goods very early for some reason.*

I was initially hesitant about picking this up. It seemed the sort of project that would be ripe for self-indulgence, even given JMPs remarkable clarity and concision in his previous books. Thankfully I had little to worry about, as a project it is mostly executed wonderfully by both parties. Sriduangkaew's stories were even more interesting and beautiful than I'd expected, a welcome palate cleanser after all the stodgy fantasy tomes I've been putting myself through of late. Individually all 6 of the pieces in the book are very strong, particularly "Krungthep is an Onomatapeia" a deeply melancholy colony ship tale, and "Debris and Dead Skin" on the inhability of even many leftists to envision truly radical change. That each is a response to a previous piece gives these stories a greater cumulative power. The first few interactions are genuinely exciting as the cutting insights into post-colonial and socialist theory and the excellent queer post-colonial SFF stories intermingled elements and formed a powerful narrative of sorts.

Unfortunately the success of the book as a whole is somewhat hindered by the loss of the thread of the "conversation" when it came to Srinduangkaew's final story, a prequel to her novel "Winterglass". I had trouble seeing the connections between that story of duty and brutality and Moufawad-Paul's preceding essay "Living in Amber", on the potential of history as a reactionary or progressive force building off of the late Samir Amin and Frantz Fanon. It was a very fine story nonetheless, sporting an admirable contempt for gender norms and a compelling fantasy narrative, and the concluding response from JMP to the tale is also particularly strong. I'm certain that a future re-read would reveal what insights from the preceding essay "Rough Hewn Sun" has built into it's DNA. And despite this criticism I would eagerly have read at least twice as many of these interactions, when a conversation is this fascinating it hurts to have it cut short. Highly recommended