Reviews and Comments

This text is unexpectedly linked to (perhaps even prefiguring) modern currents within transfeminism, xenofeminism, and gender accelerationism. It's provocative in ways I didn't expected - well worth a read, and Ronell's introduction is an excellent situation of the text for the 21st century.

Absolutely astounding book, and a proper and original genealogy of 20th century feminism, as it readily (and sometimes begrudgingly) opens itself up to the 21st.

I was impressed by the forward thinking Hester brings to the reproductive justice conversation—this is generally a rare occurrence in a movement I don’t often see linked to technocapital. And certainly, her appropriation of DIY and “hacking” provides a somewhat more flexible structure for tackling the issue of bodily autonomy.


She disappointed me, however, in her very limited engagements with transfeminism. In a book ostensibly about technology and “hacking” reproduction, it seems odd that the trans possibilities of this go relatively glossed over. Instead, transfeminism here seems to do the work of providing possibilities and framing for the author’s arguments—it seems to be a one way appropriation of knowledge, and it’s unclear if the author gives transfeminism itself any new possibilities through her careful argumentation.

I found it to be a very good collection of many of Butler's preeminent works. I also found the background and introduction this collected reader provides to be crucial to navigating through Butler's work - especially if you haven't read the literature she draws from so heavily (Wittig, Foucault, Hegel, and others).

While it’s an excellent overview of our current situation, I found Fisher’s last chapter-where he haphazardly provides a sort of outline for moving forward-to be the weakest part of the book. That said, Fisher’s arguments for the now are nonetheless very compelling and timely.