
The Conspiracy Against the Human Race
A Contrivance of Horror
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Narrated by:
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Jon Padgett
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By:
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Thomas Ligotti
About this listen
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.
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Depressingly Inspiring
- By Amazon Customer on 03-12-23
By: E. M. Cioran
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The Secret of Ventriloquism
- By: Jon Padgett
- Narrated by: Jon Padgett
- Length: 5 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Jon Padgett's The Secret of Ventriloquism, named the Best Fiction Book of 2016 by Rue Morgue Magazine, heralds the arrival of a significant new literary talent. With themes reminiscent of Shirley Jackson, Thomas Ligotti, and Bruno Schulz, but with a strikingly unique vision, Padgett's work explores the mystery of human suffering, the agony of personal existence, and the ghastly means by which someone might achieve salvation from both.
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Stunning Modern Weird!
- By BadgerJoeTats on 03-15-17
By: Jon Padgett
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The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind
- By: Julian Jaynes
- Narrated by: James Patrick Cronin
- Length: 16 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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At the heart of this classic, seminal book is Julian Jaynes' still-controversial thesis that human consciousness did not begin far back in animal evolution but instead is a learned process that came about only 3,000 years ago and is still developing. The implications of this revolutionary scientific paradigm extend into virtually every aspect of our psychology, our history and culture, our religion - and indeed our future.
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An Archaelogical Expedition of Our Minds
- By Michael on 10-08-15
By: Julian Jaynes
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The Book of Disquiet
- By: Fernando Pessoa
- Narrated by: Adam Sims
- Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Assembled from notes and jottings left unpublished at the time of the author’s death, The Book of Disquiet is a collection of aphoristic prose-poetry musings on dreams, solitude, time and memory. Credited to Pessoa’s alter ego, Bernardo Soares, who chronicles his contemplations in this so-called "factless" autobiography, the work is a journey of one man’s soul and, by extension, of all human souls that allow their minds and hearts to roam far and free.
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The book that saved my life
- By Hutchinson on 03-09-21
By: Fernando Pessoa
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A Collapse of Horses
- A Collection of Stories
- By: Brian Evenson
- Narrated by: Neil Shah
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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A provocative collection of literary horror stories by one of America’s most acclaimed and inventive writers whose unique prose “can be soul-shaking” (New Yorker).
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Terrific uncanny horror
- By TJ on 12-18-24
By: Brian Evenson
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Better Never to Have Been
- The Harm of Coming into Existence
- By: David Benatar
- Narrated by: Dennis Kleinman
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Most people believe that they were either benefited or at least not harmed by being brought into existence. Thus, if they ever do reflect on whether they should bring others into existence—rather than having children without even thinking about whether they should—they presume that they do them no harm. Better Never to Have Been challenges these assumptions. David Benatar argues that coming into existence is always a serious harm.
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Thorough
- By udoka addy on 04-01-23
By: David Benatar
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The Temptation to Exist
- By: E. M. Cioran
- Narrated by: Rick Adamson
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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In this work Cioran writes about Western civilizations, the writer, the novel, about mystics, apostles, philosophers. For those to whom the very word philosophy brings visions of arduous reading, be assured: Cioran is crystal-clear, his style quotable and aphoristic.
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Cioran Speaks
- By Amazon Customer on 04-23-23
By: E. M. Cioran
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Ghosts of My Life
- Writings on Depression, Hauntology and Lost Futures
- By: Mark Fisher
- Narrated by: Tom Lawrence
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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This collection of writings by Mark Fisher, author of the acclaimed Capitalist Realism, argues that we are haunted by futures that failed to happen. Fisher searches for the traces of these lost futures in the work of David Peace, John Le Carré, Christopher Nolan, Joy Division, Burial, and many others.
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An anthology of varying interest
- By Tezby on 07-31-21
By: Mark Fisher
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The Denial of Death
- By: Ernest Becker
- Narrated by: Raymond Todd
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1974 and the culmination of a life's work, The Denial of Death is Ernest Becker's brilliant and impassioned answer to the "why" of human existence. In bold contrast to the predominant Freudian school of thought, Becker tackles the problem of the vital lie: man's refusal to acknowledge his own mortality. In doing so, he sheds new light on the nature of humanity and issues a call to life and its living that still resonates more than 30 years after its writing.
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Not for the closed-minded
- By Yhatze on 05-27-17
By: Ernest Becker
Goth take on life
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Paints a Fascinating Picture
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Ligotti’s long-time friend and fellow horror author Jon Padgett narrates as Ligotti’s prose deserves. He ranges from calm exposition to impassioned misery and back. As with all his audiobook readings, he’s a delight to listen to.
An outstanding tour of philosophical pessimism
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What consistently strikes me about authors exploring nihilistic and anti-natalist themes is the sheer force of their conviction, the undeniable energy poured into articulating meaninglessness. In crafting such meticulously argued works, they inadvertently expose a profound paradox, akin to the epiphany of the hunter in "The Last Messiah." The very act of passionately declaring life devoid of inherent meaning becomes a testament to the human drive for purpose, a pursuit that inherently imbues existence with it. The dedication, the intellectual labor, the emotional investment – all speak volumes against their central thesis.
It forces a step back, a conscious disengagement, to observe this profoundly inherent contradiction: the fervor with which meaninglessness is proclaimed highlights the inescapable reality of meaning itself, existing in dimensions far beyond our limited comprehension. Our minds, our language, our very concepts are inadequate tools to grasp the vast ocean of information that surrounds us. It’s a stark awakening.
I found myself captivated by the book, and the narrator's voice was particularly compelling. Yet, there’s a lingering disquiet. If the author’s perspective leans towards a certain darkness, the narrator plunges headfirst into that abyss, amplifying its unsettling nature. This book is exceptionally twisted and undeniably thought-provoking, leaving you with the unsettling sensation that while the writer explores the theoretical depths of despair, the narrator seems to revel in its practical implications. It’s a chilling and unforgettable read, one that will linger long after the final page.
Remember friends, our minds don't make meaning, we merely catagorize our experiences and form them in language. One can only hope the author will one day find the solace he needs, to recover from his hate and anguish.
Reader Beware
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