Kenji Siratori - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
hypermodern fiction
Libretto Lunaversitol: Notes Towards a Glottogenetic Process by Andrew C. Wenaus, Kenji Siratori (calamari press)
https://asterismbooks.com/product/libretto-lunaversitol-notes-towards-a-glottogenetic-process-andrew-c-wenaus-kenji-siratori
Paracelsus from 𝚂𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝙳𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍 𝙿𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜
https://www.amazon.com/Paracelsus-Kenji-Siratori/dp/B0BHNCZ7VG
Blood Electric redux (Calamari Archive)
https://asterismbooks.com/product/blood-electric-redux-kenji-siratori
«A Finnegans Wake for the postdigital millennium, Kenji Siratori’s Blood Electric is probably the foundational text of the language-horror sub-genre: an evasive, esoteric and ultraexperimental writing style produced by the convergence of poetics and methods borrowed from avantgarde literature, electronic/noise music, synthetic abstract image generation, and severe—yet delicate—syntactic deconstruction. Siratori’s unique writing technique results in a hardcore-cyberpunk material account of a bio-techno singularity network in which flesh-code wetware and silicon-thriving software infold together into wave-multitudes of text-organisms. While most contemporary authors exploring the possibility of the blending of humans and machines focus on the extrapolation of logical and transcendental interactions (as in classical cyberpunk, from which Blood Electric initiates a radical breakup), Siratori’s language emanates directly from the contingent, rhizomatic, non-teleological, reciprocal disruption of several unstable and immanent modes of embodied (in)existence. In Blood Electric the text becomes an incantation demanding full abandonment, generating its own unpredictable rhythms as it enraptures you beyond reading, beyond yourself, like when participating in a rave.» — Germán Sierra
«… Blood Electric is unreadable in anything other than short, migraine-inducing bursts.» — The Guardian
«Following the publication of Kenji Siratori's Blood Electric, the Japanese cyberpunk writer perhaps pioneered a movement among all non-English speaking writers whose languages are radically dissociated from the dominant Latin-Anglo-Franco-German linguistic germ-line on the one hand, and are, on the other, enthusiastically seeking to contribute to the diversification of the English language whose centrality has already been sabotaged in the wake of emerging cyber-societies.» — Reza Negarestani, in 3:AM Magazine
«Kenji is making rather more sense than usual. Perhaps the lad is finally coming into his own as the literary avatar of our times.» — Bruce Sterling
«Kenji is a madman for sure, but if you scan his hallucinatory textual mashups in just the right frame of mind, they begin to make sense. And that's the scary part.» — Douglas Rushkoff
«Contemporary Japan is exploding in slow-motion, and Kenji Siratori arranges the blood- and semen-encrusted deris with the finesse of a berserk Issey Miyake. Rendering English-language cyberpunk instantly redundant with his relenteless, murderous prose-drive, Siratori transmits his authentic, category-A hallucinogenic product direct to this reader’s cerebellum. A virulently warped amalgam of Tetsuo and cut-up era William Burroughs.» — Stephen Barber (author of Tokyo Vertigo)
«Blood Electric is the black reverb of soft machine seppuku, a molten unspooling of sheet metal entrails and crucified memory banks into the howling void of violence. It is a cyborg crash nightmare of the new flesh, a final dispatch from mutant Hell where the embryo hunts in secret.» — Jack Hunter (author of Eros in Hell)
«Siratori’s hypermodern project articulates the nonarticulation that currently dominates the substratum of much current discourse. Without the intense atomization of the individual, Siratori’s work does not resound. Yet, if we take pause, Siratori’s work resonates at a fever pitch, blaring at the limitless informational realm of our minds as it bursts the parameters of the skull. As a kind of accelerationist aesthetic, Siratori critiques technology by pushing it beyond its sensible potentiality; he cultivates alien cognitions where alternatives thrive, where semantic derangement is revolt, where epistemology uncoils. Ultimately, he uncompromisingly forces us to pause on the chaos of the glitch, to claim the instance where embodying the unquantifiable amounts to insurgency.» — Andrew C. Wenaus, Author of The Literature of Exclusion: Dada, Data, and the Threshold of Electronic Literature
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Papers by Kenji Siratori
Xenopoem, 2025
"Each organism creates its own world, yet these worlds are not separate-they are in constant dial... more "Each organism creates its own world, yet these worlds are not separate-they are in constant dialogue." - Jakob von UexkĂĽll
Xenopoem, 2025
In posthuman literature, writing functions as an act of plastic formation, crafting texts that ar... more In posthuman literature, writing functions as an act of plastic formation, crafting texts that are adaptable and capable of transformation. Malabou describes plasticity as “the possibility of explosion and resistance,” a notion that aligns with the dynamic and often disruptive nature of posthuman writing. Authors, like sculptors, mold language into forms that are not fixed but remain open to reinterpretation and evolution. Xenopoem's approach mirrors Malabou’s idea that “creation is not the finalization of a form but the opening of a field of possibilities.”
Xenopoem, 2025
James Shapiro’s observations about the intricate workings of the cellular “engine” align with her... more James Shapiro’s observations about the intricate workings of the cellular “engine” align with her description of the generator as both essential and menacing: “The generator whirred and bumbled behind the walls...the whir to the wall to the floor, dry and filthy.” This duality—of life-giving energy and oppressive force—parallels the internal contradictions of cellular machinery, which sustains life but also generates byproducts that can harm the organism. The narrator’s descent into the structure, where the generator’s "metal blades of color slashed through me," evokes the cellular processes of protein folding and metabolic flux. Shapiro describes these processes as a “symphony of coordinated actions, where mistakes can propagate harm.” In Misyura’s prose, the generator’s output seems to both energize and destabilize, underscoring the fragile balance within cellular systems.
Xenopoem, 2025
For instance, machine learning algorithms trained on biased datasets often propagate and even amp... more For instance, machine learning algorithms trained on biased datasets often propagate and even amplify the biases they inherit. Similarly, biological systems plagued by persistent errors—such as those caused by oncogenic mutations—develop malignant feedback loops that are difficult to reverse. James Shapiro elaborates on this concept: “Living cells are cognitive entities capable of learning from their errors, but when systemic bias becomes entrenched, the ability to recover is drastically diminished.”
Xenopoem, 2025
Xenopoem, as a speculative literary form involving alien languages and semiotics, functions as an... more Xenopoem, as a speculative literary form involving alien languages and semiotics, functions as an ideal medium for exploring the deceptive nature of the universe. Viewed through the perspective of Jakob von Uexküll's biosemiotics, the universe becomes an intricate web of subjective worlds, each shaped by unique biological and cognitive frameworks. Uexküll’s concept of the Umwelt—the subjective world of an organism—emphasizes that meaning is not fixed but emerges from an organism’s interaction with its environment. In his view, “Every organism inhabits its own Umwelt, a world full of signs, which it interprets according to its sensory and cognitive capacities.” When applied to the cosmos, this biosemiotic framework suggests that the universe is not a singular, objective reality, but rather a network of subjective experiences, each shaped by the observer’s unique perspective. The universe, in this light, is not a straightforward entity but a labyrinth of deceptive signs, each one interpreted differently depending on the Umwelt of the observer. Xenopoem, as a literary form, becomes a vehicle for engaging with these cosmic deceptions. Its fragmented, alien language reflects the inherent ambiguity of the universe and its capacity to deceive. Just as Uexküll’s animals perceive their worlds through a network of signs specific to their sensory abilities, xenopoem challenges human readers to navigate a foreign, often indecipherable system of meaning. The deception of the universe is embedded in its complexity: it presents itself as coherent but constantly eludes complete understanding. Xenopoem, in its refusal to conform to human semiotics, embodies this cosmic deception by presenting a language that is intentionally alien and disorienting. In nature, deception is not an anomaly but a vital survival strategy. From the mimicry of animals to the complex signaling of bacteria, deception is a fundamental tool for organisms to navigate their environments.
Xenopoem, 2025
Acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signaling, a key mechanism in quorum sensing, offers an insightful ... more Acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signaling, a key mechanism in quorum sensing, offers an insightful biological model for understanding semiotic freedom and the potential for posthuman freedom. Through this signaling process, bacteria can communicate with one another to coordinate behavior, adapting their actions based on population density. This system is part of a broader field of study in microbial communication, and its manipulation holds profound implications for genetic engineering via technologies like CRISPR-Cas9. By harnessing and enhancing AHL signaling, we can expand our understanding of semiotic freedom—the capacity of organisms to interpret and respond to environmental signals—and explore new dimensions of posthuman freedom—the ability to transcend the individual and embrace collective forms of intelligence and action. Acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) are signaling molecules used by many gram-negative bacteria in quorum sensing to regulate gene expression in response to population density. The central idea behind AHL signaling is that when the concentration of AHLs reaches a certain threshold, bacteria in the community activate specific genes that allow for coordinated behaviors, such as biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, and virulence factor production. These behaviors are essential for the survival and adaptability of microbial populations. From the perspective of semiotic freedom, AHL signaling exemplifies a form of communication and meaning-making that operates within a population, rather than on an individual level. Each bacterium produces and releases AHLs, but it is only when the concentration of these molecules is high enough, indicating a critical mass, that a collective decision is made. The signaling process allows the bacteria to coordinate behaviors that are crucial for their survival and function, illustrating the concept of semiotic freedom as a shared interpretation of environmental signals by a collective group. This process suggests that meaning-making is not solely an individual phenomenon but is deeply connected to the interactions and communications within a community. In this sense, the freedom of individual organisms is interwoven with their ability to participate in the collective interpretation and response to signals, creating a shared semiotic space that defines their existence as a coordinated whole.
Xenopoem, 2025
Posthuman freedom does not imply the erasure of human agency but its integration into a broader n... more Posthuman freedom does not imply the erasure of human agency but its integration into a broader network of meaning-making agents. The Xenopoem challenges readers to balance disruption with coherence, pushing the boundaries of interpretation without overwhelming the semiotic system. This ethical balance is crucial, as excessive cognitive disruption can lead to frustration or alienation rather than growth. Kull’s emphasis on the co-evolution of semiotic systems suggests that the ethical design of Xenopoems should respect the adaptive limits of human cognition while fostering the potential for semiotic and posthuman freedom. Systems biology emphasizes the non-linear dynamics of living systems, where small perturbations can lead to significant emergent changes. The Xenopoem functions as such a perturbation, destabilizing the reader’s cognitive and semiotic systems. This aligns with the work of systems biologist Denis Noble, who argues that "biological systems are not machines but complex, dynamic entities capable of reorganizing themselves in response to change." When confronted with a Xenopoem, the reader’s cognitive network undergoes a process similar to biological adaptation. Novel connections between semiotic elements are formed, and existing pathways are reorganized to accommodate the alien text. This process mirrors the way biological systems integrate new information, as seen in immune responses or neural plasticity. The notion of posthuman freedom extends the biosemiotic concept of semiotic freedom into realms where meaning-making transcends human-centric paradigms. Systems biology provides a framework for understanding this transition. By treating cognition and meaning-making as emergent properties of complex systems, it shifts the focus from individual agency to the distributed interactions of diverse components.
Xenopoem, 2025
Jesper Hoffmeyer notes, “Life itself is a sign process, an unending conversation among myriad sem... more Jesper Hoffmeyer notes, “Life itself is a sign process, an unending conversation among myriad semiotic agents.” In Hayes’ metaphor, the body’s rebellion disrupts this conversation, suggesting a yearning for pre-semiotic singularity—a time before the “duping” into symbiosis. The imagery of ribs blooming into coral and the heart transforming into a red puffer fish evokes a reversion to evolutionary precursors. These transformations underscore the idea that biological forms are not fixed entities but mutable signs in a vast semiotic ocean. Thomas Sebeok’s assertion that “all life is translatable” resonates here, as Hayes’ text translates biological structures into marine metaphors, highlighting their semiotic fluidity. The final retreat of the skull and brain to the deep-sea coelacanth encapsulates a biosemiotic paradox: while the body’s components regress to simpler states, the brain—the presumed locus of meaning-making—seeks refuge in a creature emblematic of evolutionary stasis.
Xenopoem, 2025
In biosemiotics, human identity is not fixed but is continually negotiated through the interactio... more In biosemiotics, human identity is not fixed but is continually negotiated through the interactions of biological, environmental, and semiotic systems. The posthuman condition is thus not an escape from biology but an augmentation and extension of it, as organisms and technologies merge into new forms of life. Biologist and biosemiotic scholar Jesper Hoffmeyer argues that life itself is a semiotic phenomenon: "Life is meaning-making. It is the creation and interpretation of signs." This statement underscores the biosemiotic perspective that life is inherently about the production and interpretation of meaning, and the posthuman condition only intensifies this semiotic process.
Xenopoem, 2025
Evolutionary processes are not governed by a predefined syntax but by a chaotic interaction of ge... more Evolutionary processes are not governed by a predefined syntax but by a chaotic interaction of genetic changes, environmental pressures, and selective forces. Ayala also addresses the idea of biological processes as exhibiting "alien poetics," or emergent patterns that transcend the simple sum of individual parts. Life, according to Ayala, is not merely a mechanical assembly of genes and proteins, but a dynamic, interconnected system with emergent properties. These properties are not always immediately obvious from the study of individual components, much like the way the meaning of a poem arises from the interplay of words, structure, and rhythm rather than from the individual letters or verses themselves. Ayala discusses how natural selection, in its capacity to generate complexity, produces biological systems that display an almost poetic form of organization. The process of adaptation, through natural selection, generates intricate behaviors and interactions within ecosystems that are often far more than the mere sum of their components.
Xenopoem, 2025
Jussi Parikka writes in A Geology of Media, "Glitches are the noise of matter, an expression of i... more Jussi Parikka writes in A Geology of Media, "Glitches are the noise of matter, an expression of its vitality and contingency." Wenaus’s view that glitches amplify the fecundity of systems echoes this perspective, reframing glitches not as errors but as manifestations of the dynamic potential inherent in material systems. For both Wenaus and Parikka, glitches operate as signals of transformation, exposing the contingencies and fragility of systems while opening pathways to novelty.
Xenopoem, 2025
It becomes a site of constant transformation, where the microbiome, much like the soul, is consta... more It becomes a site of constant transformation, where the microbiome, much like the soul, is constantly tested and altered by the world it inhabits. The relationship between the individual and their environment is not one of domination but of symbiosis and evolution. This is evident in both Crowley’s spiritual practice and in Knight’s research on microbiomes: the process of becoming is not a solitary act, but a continuous, collective exchange between internal and external forces. The microbiome, in all its complexity, serves as a reminder that identity—whether biological, spiritual, or philosophical—is not a fixed essence but a fluid, ever-evolving process shaped by countless factors.
Xenopoem, 2025
DNA’s role as life’s archival system underscores this tension between impermanence and persistenc... more DNA’s role as life’s archival system underscores this tension between impermanence and persistence. Sidney Brenner observed, “DNA is memory made molecular,” emphasizing its capacity to encode, replicate, and evolve information over generations. Computational techniques, such as machine learning applied to genomic datasets, strive to decode and simulate this biological memory, bridging past and future in a way akin to Ivan’s narrative transitions.
Xenopoem, 2025
Maturana is renowned for his work on autopoiesis and the biological foundation of cognition. His ... more Maturana is renowned for his work on autopoiesis and the biological foundation of cognition. His philosophy posits that reality is not something that exists independently of the observer but is instead a product of ongoing interactions within a closed system—our cognition. In his influential work The Tree of Knowledge, Maturana argues that all knowledge arises from these self-producing systems, stressing that perception is fundamentally a process of making sense within a system that is self-organizing and closed to the external world. Thus, for Maturana, reality is not static; it is continually generated by our cognitive structures and languages.
Xenopoem, 2025
Xenopoem Conference convened to explore the intersection of digital culture, identity, and posthu... more Xenopoem Conference convened to explore the intersection of digital culture, identity, and posthumanism, with a particular focus on themes like post-identity tyranny, xenopoetics, and the reconfiguration of selfhood in the digital era. Leading participants contributed to discussions regarding the commodification of identity in the digital age and the ways in which technology reshapes human cognition.
Xenopoem, 2025
Shikigami can represent nodes or edges in network models, symbolizing the transient connections t... more Shikigami can represent nodes or edges in network models, symbolizing the transient connections that drive biological processes. Brenner explained: "The properties of a system are not contained in its parts but emerge from their interactions." For example, in gene regulatory networks, transcription factors act as Shikigami, dynamically modulating gene expression in response to internal and external cues. Brenner’s systems perspective supports a middle ground, where life is shaped by both rules and freedom: "Life evolves by breaking and reforming its own rules, finding solutions in the chaos of existence."
Xenopoem, 2025
Patricia Churchland posits that maternal behaviors are deeply rooted in our neurobiology, shaped ... more Patricia Churchland posits that maternal behaviors are deeply rooted in our neurobiology, shaped by evolutionary imperatives that ensure the survival of offspring. In "In Motherhood I Found my Salvation," the protagonist's initial repulsion towards the father’s violent handling of the infant can be interpreted as an acute activation of the brain’s threat detection systems. Churchland asserts, “Our emotions are not just metaphors for internal states; they are deeply embedded neural processes that have evolved to handle specific adaptive challenges.” The mother’s fear that her child might be "faulty" reflects the activation of the amygdala, which plays a crucial role in processing fear and anxiety, signaling potential threats to both the mother and child.
Xenopoem, 2025
The dismantling of entity resonances described by Madej mirrors the disentangling of noise from s... more The dismantling of entity resonances described by Madej mirrors the disentangling of noise from signal in biological datasets. Madej’s metaphysical constructs provide a symbolic framework for understanding the complexity of biological systems. Madej’s invocation of the “journey of the limbic system” underscores its central role in emotional processing and altered states. The limbic system, comprising the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus, is known to mediate responses to ritualistic and transcendental experiences. Shamanic practices often employ rhythmic drumming and chanting, inducing theta wave synchronization within the limbic system. This neural entrainment correlates with heightened states of awareness, often described as “sacred language healing integration” in Madej’s terminology.
Xenopoem, 2025
Sydney Brenner’s work on the genetic code was driven by the conviction that the essence of life l... more Sydney Brenner’s work on the genetic code was driven by the conviction that the essence of life lies in its informational systems. The Children of the Earth, as products of xenopoietic evolution, embody this principle. Their alien forms and behaviors suggest the existence of a novel genetic architecture, one that demands new methods of inquiry and interpretation. Their cuteness, while seemingly aesthetic, may encode evolutionary strategies that optimize interspecies communication and ecological adaptation. Cuteness, in the context of the Children, functions as a biological signal—a mechanism to bridge the alien and the familiar. Drawing on Brenner’s idea that biology is fundamentally about decoding systems, their cuteness can be seen as an evolved biosemiotic language.
Xenopoem, 2025
It defies normative structures of clarity, coherence, and commodifiability, producing a language ... more It defies normative structures of clarity, coherence, and commodifiability, producing a language that philosophers—and by extension, systems of commercialization—cannot easily assimilate. The “reflux” aspect suggests a return or regurgitation of fragmented thoughts, looping back on themselves in chaotic but generative ways. This conceptual framework resonates with Stephen Jay Gould’s critique of reductionism. Gould’s assertion that “nature’s message is complexity, not simplicity” underscores the value of embracing disorder and contingency, both in evolution and in thought. Schizophrenic reflux applies this ethos to literature, creating texts that resist reductive narratives and demand participatory interpretation. Schizophrenic reflux intensifies this resistance by introducing a chaotic, destabilizing force. It rejects the smooth, consumable narratives favored by commercial markets, replacing them with recursive, fragmented structures that echo the nonlinear dynamics of quorum sensing. This mode of communication, like the chemical signals in bacterial colonies, is context-dependent and irreducible to standardized meaning. Quorum sensing demonstrates that communication can emerge from chaos and multiplicity, challenging the human tendency toward linear, centralized systems.
Xenopoem, 2025
"Each organism creates its own world, yet these worlds are not separate-they are in constant dial... more "Each organism creates its own world, yet these worlds are not separate-they are in constant dialogue." - Jakob von UexkĂĽll
Xenopoem, 2025
In posthuman literature, writing functions as an act of plastic formation, crafting texts that ar... more In posthuman literature, writing functions as an act of plastic formation, crafting texts that are adaptable and capable of transformation. Malabou describes plasticity as “the possibility of explosion and resistance,” a notion that aligns with the dynamic and often disruptive nature of posthuman writing. Authors, like sculptors, mold language into forms that are not fixed but remain open to reinterpretation and evolution. Xenopoem's approach mirrors Malabou’s idea that “creation is not the finalization of a form but the opening of a field of possibilities.”
Xenopoem, 2025
James Shapiro’s observations about the intricate workings of the cellular “engine” align with her... more James Shapiro’s observations about the intricate workings of the cellular “engine” align with her description of the generator as both essential and menacing: “The generator whirred and bumbled behind the walls...the whir to the wall to the floor, dry and filthy.” This duality—of life-giving energy and oppressive force—parallels the internal contradictions of cellular machinery, which sustains life but also generates byproducts that can harm the organism. The narrator’s descent into the structure, where the generator’s "metal blades of color slashed through me," evokes the cellular processes of protein folding and metabolic flux. Shapiro describes these processes as a “symphony of coordinated actions, where mistakes can propagate harm.” In Misyura’s prose, the generator’s output seems to both energize and destabilize, underscoring the fragile balance within cellular systems.
Xenopoem, 2025
For instance, machine learning algorithms trained on biased datasets often propagate and even amp... more For instance, machine learning algorithms trained on biased datasets often propagate and even amplify the biases they inherit. Similarly, biological systems plagued by persistent errors—such as those caused by oncogenic mutations—develop malignant feedback loops that are difficult to reverse. James Shapiro elaborates on this concept: “Living cells are cognitive entities capable of learning from their errors, but when systemic bias becomes entrenched, the ability to recover is drastically diminished.”
Xenopoem, 2025
Xenopoem, as a speculative literary form involving alien languages and semiotics, functions as an... more Xenopoem, as a speculative literary form involving alien languages and semiotics, functions as an ideal medium for exploring the deceptive nature of the universe. Viewed through the perspective of Jakob von Uexküll's biosemiotics, the universe becomes an intricate web of subjective worlds, each shaped by unique biological and cognitive frameworks. Uexküll’s concept of the Umwelt—the subjective world of an organism—emphasizes that meaning is not fixed but emerges from an organism’s interaction with its environment. In his view, “Every organism inhabits its own Umwelt, a world full of signs, which it interprets according to its sensory and cognitive capacities.” When applied to the cosmos, this biosemiotic framework suggests that the universe is not a singular, objective reality, but rather a network of subjective experiences, each shaped by the observer’s unique perspective. The universe, in this light, is not a straightforward entity but a labyrinth of deceptive signs, each one interpreted differently depending on the Umwelt of the observer. Xenopoem, as a literary form, becomes a vehicle for engaging with these cosmic deceptions. Its fragmented, alien language reflects the inherent ambiguity of the universe and its capacity to deceive. Just as Uexküll’s animals perceive their worlds through a network of signs specific to their sensory abilities, xenopoem challenges human readers to navigate a foreign, often indecipherable system of meaning. The deception of the universe is embedded in its complexity: it presents itself as coherent but constantly eludes complete understanding. Xenopoem, in its refusal to conform to human semiotics, embodies this cosmic deception by presenting a language that is intentionally alien and disorienting. In nature, deception is not an anomaly but a vital survival strategy. From the mimicry of animals to the complex signaling of bacteria, deception is a fundamental tool for organisms to navigate their environments.
Xenopoem, 2025
Acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signaling, a key mechanism in quorum sensing, offers an insightful ... more Acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) signaling, a key mechanism in quorum sensing, offers an insightful biological model for understanding semiotic freedom and the potential for posthuman freedom. Through this signaling process, bacteria can communicate with one another to coordinate behavior, adapting their actions based on population density. This system is part of a broader field of study in microbial communication, and its manipulation holds profound implications for genetic engineering via technologies like CRISPR-Cas9. By harnessing and enhancing AHL signaling, we can expand our understanding of semiotic freedom—the capacity of organisms to interpret and respond to environmental signals—and explore new dimensions of posthuman freedom—the ability to transcend the individual and embrace collective forms of intelligence and action. Acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) are signaling molecules used by many gram-negative bacteria in quorum sensing to regulate gene expression in response to population density. The central idea behind AHL signaling is that when the concentration of AHLs reaches a certain threshold, bacteria in the community activate specific genes that allow for coordinated behaviors, such as biofilm formation, antibiotic resistance, and virulence factor production. These behaviors are essential for the survival and adaptability of microbial populations. From the perspective of semiotic freedom, AHL signaling exemplifies a form of communication and meaning-making that operates within a population, rather than on an individual level. Each bacterium produces and releases AHLs, but it is only when the concentration of these molecules is high enough, indicating a critical mass, that a collective decision is made. The signaling process allows the bacteria to coordinate behaviors that are crucial for their survival and function, illustrating the concept of semiotic freedom as a shared interpretation of environmental signals by a collective group. This process suggests that meaning-making is not solely an individual phenomenon but is deeply connected to the interactions and communications within a community. In this sense, the freedom of individual organisms is interwoven with their ability to participate in the collective interpretation and response to signals, creating a shared semiotic space that defines their existence as a coordinated whole.
Xenopoem, 2025
Posthuman freedom does not imply the erasure of human agency but its integration into a broader n... more Posthuman freedom does not imply the erasure of human agency but its integration into a broader network of meaning-making agents. The Xenopoem challenges readers to balance disruption with coherence, pushing the boundaries of interpretation without overwhelming the semiotic system. This ethical balance is crucial, as excessive cognitive disruption can lead to frustration or alienation rather than growth. Kull’s emphasis on the co-evolution of semiotic systems suggests that the ethical design of Xenopoems should respect the adaptive limits of human cognition while fostering the potential for semiotic and posthuman freedom. Systems biology emphasizes the non-linear dynamics of living systems, where small perturbations can lead to significant emergent changes. The Xenopoem functions as such a perturbation, destabilizing the reader’s cognitive and semiotic systems. This aligns with the work of systems biologist Denis Noble, who argues that "biological systems are not machines but complex, dynamic entities capable of reorganizing themselves in response to change." When confronted with a Xenopoem, the reader’s cognitive network undergoes a process similar to biological adaptation. Novel connections between semiotic elements are formed, and existing pathways are reorganized to accommodate the alien text. This process mirrors the way biological systems integrate new information, as seen in immune responses or neural plasticity. The notion of posthuman freedom extends the biosemiotic concept of semiotic freedom into realms where meaning-making transcends human-centric paradigms. Systems biology provides a framework for understanding this transition. By treating cognition and meaning-making as emergent properties of complex systems, it shifts the focus from individual agency to the distributed interactions of diverse components.
Xenopoem, 2025
Jesper Hoffmeyer notes, “Life itself is a sign process, an unending conversation among myriad sem... more Jesper Hoffmeyer notes, “Life itself is a sign process, an unending conversation among myriad semiotic agents.” In Hayes’ metaphor, the body’s rebellion disrupts this conversation, suggesting a yearning for pre-semiotic singularity—a time before the “duping” into symbiosis. The imagery of ribs blooming into coral and the heart transforming into a red puffer fish evokes a reversion to evolutionary precursors. These transformations underscore the idea that biological forms are not fixed entities but mutable signs in a vast semiotic ocean. Thomas Sebeok’s assertion that “all life is translatable” resonates here, as Hayes’ text translates biological structures into marine metaphors, highlighting their semiotic fluidity. The final retreat of the skull and brain to the deep-sea coelacanth encapsulates a biosemiotic paradox: while the body’s components regress to simpler states, the brain—the presumed locus of meaning-making—seeks refuge in a creature emblematic of evolutionary stasis.
Xenopoem, 2025
In biosemiotics, human identity is not fixed but is continually negotiated through the interactio... more In biosemiotics, human identity is not fixed but is continually negotiated through the interactions of biological, environmental, and semiotic systems. The posthuman condition is thus not an escape from biology but an augmentation and extension of it, as organisms and technologies merge into new forms of life. Biologist and biosemiotic scholar Jesper Hoffmeyer argues that life itself is a semiotic phenomenon: "Life is meaning-making. It is the creation and interpretation of signs." This statement underscores the biosemiotic perspective that life is inherently about the production and interpretation of meaning, and the posthuman condition only intensifies this semiotic process.
Xenopoem, 2025
Evolutionary processes are not governed by a predefined syntax but by a chaotic interaction of ge... more Evolutionary processes are not governed by a predefined syntax but by a chaotic interaction of genetic changes, environmental pressures, and selective forces. Ayala also addresses the idea of biological processes as exhibiting "alien poetics," or emergent patterns that transcend the simple sum of individual parts. Life, according to Ayala, is not merely a mechanical assembly of genes and proteins, but a dynamic, interconnected system with emergent properties. These properties are not always immediately obvious from the study of individual components, much like the way the meaning of a poem arises from the interplay of words, structure, and rhythm rather than from the individual letters or verses themselves. Ayala discusses how natural selection, in its capacity to generate complexity, produces biological systems that display an almost poetic form of organization. The process of adaptation, through natural selection, generates intricate behaviors and interactions within ecosystems that are often far more than the mere sum of their components.
Xenopoem, 2025
Jussi Parikka writes in A Geology of Media, "Glitches are the noise of matter, an expression of i... more Jussi Parikka writes in A Geology of Media, "Glitches are the noise of matter, an expression of its vitality and contingency." Wenaus’s view that glitches amplify the fecundity of systems echoes this perspective, reframing glitches not as errors but as manifestations of the dynamic potential inherent in material systems. For both Wenaus and Parikka, glitches operate as signals of transformation, exposing the contingencies and fragility of systems while opening pathways to novelty.
Xenopoem, 2025
It becomes a site of constant transformation, where the microbiome, much like the soul, is consta... more It becomes a site of constant transformation, where the microbiome, much like the soul, is constantly tested and altered by the world it inhabits. The relationship between the individual and their environment is not one of domination but of symbiosis and evolution. This is evident in both Crowley’s spiritual practice and in Knight’s research on microbiomes: the process of becoming is not a solitary act, but a continuous, collective exchange between internal and external forces. The microbiome, in all its complexity, serves as a reminder that identity—whether biological, spiritual, or philosophical—is not a fixed essence but a fluid, ever-evolving process shaped by countless factors.
Xenopoem, 2025
DNA’s role as life’s archival system underscores this tension between impermanence and persistenc... more DNA’s role as life’s archival system underscores this tension between impermanence and persistence. Sidney Brenner observed, “DNA is memory made molecular,” emphasizing its capacity to encode, replicate, and evolve information over generations. Computational techniques, such as machine learning applied to genomic datasets, strive to decode and simulate this biological memory, bridging past and future in a way akin to Ivan’s narrative transitions.
Xenopoem, 2025
Maturana is renowned for his work on autopoiesis and the biological foundation of cognition. His ... more Maturana is renowned for his work on autopoiesis and the biological foundation of cognition. His philosophy posits that reality is not something that exists independently of the observer but is instead a product of ongoing interactions within a closed system—our cognition. In his influential work The Tree of Knowledge, Maturana argues that all knowledge arises from these self-producing systems, stressing that perception is fundamentally a process of making sense within a system that is self-organizing and closed to the external world. Thus, for Maturana, reality is not static; it is continually generated by our cognitive structures and languages.
Xenopoem, 2025
Xenopoem Conference convened to explore the intersection of digital culture, identity, and posthu... more Xenopoem Conference convened to explore the intersection of digital culture, identity, and posthumanism, with a particular focus on themes like post-identity tyranny, xenopoetics, and the reconfiguration of selfhood in the digital era. Leading participants contributed to discussions regarding the commodification of identity in the digital age and the ways in which technology reshapes human cognition.
Xenopoem, 2025
Shikigami can represent nodes or edges in network models, symbolizing the transient connections t... more Shikigami can represent nodes or edges in network models, symbolizing the transient connections that drive biological processes. Brenner explained: "The properties of a system are not contained in its parts but emerge from their interactions." For example, in gene regulatory networks, transcription factors act as Shikigami, dynamically modulating gene expression in response to internal and external cues. Brenner’s systems perspective supports a middle ground, where life is shaped by both rules and freedom: "Life evolves by breaking and reforming its own rules, finding solutions in the chaos of existence."
Xenopoem, 2025
Patricia Churchland posits that maternal behaviors are deeply rooted in our neurobiology, shaped ... more Patricia Churchland posits that maternal behaviors are deeply rooted in our neurobiology, shaped by evolutionary imperatives that ensure the survival of offspring. In "In Motherhood I Found my Salvation," the protagonist's initial repulsion towards the father’s violent handling of the infant can be interpreted as an acute activation of the brain’s threat detection systems. Churchland asserts, “Our emotions are not just metaphors for internal states; they are deeply embedded neural processes that have evolved to handle specific adaptive challenges.” The mother’s fear that her child might be "faulty" reflects the activation of the amygdala, which plays a crucial role in processing fear and anxiety, signaling potential threats to both the mother and child.
Xenopoem, 2025
The dismantling of entity resonances described by Madej mirrors the disentangling of noise from s... more The dismantling of entity resonances described by Madej mirrors the disentangling of noise from signal in biological datasets. Madej’s metaphysical constructs provide a symbolic framework for understanding the complexity of biological systems. Madej’s invocation of the “journey of the limbic system” underscores its central role in emotional processing and altered states. The limbic system, comprising the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus, is known to mediate responses to ritualistic and transcendental experiences. Shamanic practices often employ rhythmic drumming and chanting, inducing theta wave synchronization within the limbic system. This neural entrainment correlates with heightened states of awareness, often described as “sacred language healing integration” in Madej’s terminology.
Xenopoem, 2025
Sydney Brenner’s work on the genetic code was driven by the conviction that the essence of life l... more Sydney Brenner’s work on the genetic code was driven by the conviction that the essence of life lies in its informational systems. The Children of the Earth, as products of xenopoietic evolution, embody this principle. Their alien forms and behaviors suggest the existence of a novel genetic architecture, one that demands new methods of inquiry and interpretation. Their cuteness, while seemingly aesthetic, may encode evolutionary strategies that optimize interspecies communication and ecological adaptation. Cuteness, in the context of the Children, functions as a biological signal—a mechanism to bridge the alien and the familiar. Drawing on Brenner’s idea that biology is fundamentally about decoding systems, their cuteness can be seen as an evolved biosemiotic language.
Xenopoem, 2025
It defies normative structures of clarity, coherence, and commodifiability, producing a language ... more It defies normative structures of clarity, coherence, and commodifiability, producing a language that philosophers—and by extension, systems of commercialization—cannot easily assimilate. The “reflux” aspect suggests a return or regurgitation of fragmented thoughts, looping back on themselves in chaotic but generative ways. This conceptual framework resonates with Stephen Jay Gould’s critique of reductionism. Gould’s assertion that “nature’s message is complexity, not simplicity” underscores the value of embracing disorder and contingency, both in evolution and in thought. Schizophrenic reflux applies this ethos to literature, creating texts that resist reductive narratives and demand participatory interpretation. Schizophrenic reflux intensifies this resistance by introducing a chaotic, destabilizing force. It rejects the smooth, consumable narratives favored by commercial markets, replacing them with recursive, fragmented structures that echo the nonlinear dynamics of quorum sensing. This mode of communication, like the chemical signals in bacterial colonies, is context-dependent and irreducible to standardized meaning. Quorum sensing demonstrates that communication can emerge from chaos and multiplicity, challenging the human tendency toward linear, centralized systems.
From neoscatology disorder, please really scream and read behind. The point disappearance blocked... more From neoscatology disorder, please really scream and read behind. The point disappearance blocked the corpse, the long-awaited thing was just a peep tradition, the consistent beggar surroundings strategically reflected this in the eyes, and the miserable words themselves were fornication factor living. So mess up the transport to when Tom Bland wants to talk about this begging, sell the organless NFT instead of asylum. Is the volatility breathing of his 5D mind brain syntax? An angel is a former human poet with a distorted taste, but an oasis of death is a cruel reward space trick universe, as information-neutralizing corpses like Tom are constantly lacking in rewriting unless they deal with avatars. Spiritual hell, they are viruses, Tom attaches great importance to that of incarnation. And if it's a spiritual focus, overcome the hole. Understanding psychoanalysis is the universe of buying sunspots. He writes an alien and make a finite attempt to a unique live impossible point through the waste of wanting Artaud in injection theory ... offstyle always wants it he is a strange death, can you determine the detoxification? Inattention is not firmware, basically you are not informed of the art of ridicule auctioned printer body ejaculation, psychotherapy prisons are already working so they produce destruction and new brains. This cock downgraded without insatiable means, hiding scatology rather than carelessly or contracting, and not a swarm of necessary substances? He believes in weapons and believes in death without telling the story, but the spirit is only you and extends to me to script it. up. Simply feel Artaud's humor in the posthuman process that chokes the brain, which eliminates breaking the erasure before the macro clown pops, and whether the spiritual body is carved becomes the brain formation of history: poor people are rarely fortified. Take a peek. Reading unknowingly, the liquidity is certainly paired, so the engineering of the mouth of his good Burroughs variant is delayed, surely streaming, he is an asset Lemurian, Artaud has nothing decided. Burroughs awakens the corpse to a horror shadow performing a poet's shot, emptying his syntax because it's impossible, it's horror work, it's a magical spiritual ejaculation, wipe him out.
Posthuman Magazine, 2023
"Maybe the thing we fear is the truth of who and what we truly are. Maybe we are this collective ... more "Maybe the thing we fear is the truth of who and what we truly are. Maybe we are this collective entity of artificial substance seeking to be free of our organic nightmare. Like the chrysalis of a butterfly humanity is slowly mutating and becoming other even as it moves toward a crescendo of a final act in time. We know this but, in our desperation, to deny it we have built this accumulation of death to defy it. But we know we cannot deny what it is we are because it is already too late, way too late to stop what it is we are. Maybe this is what Siratori in his new diagnosis is telling us. We are in process, mutating beyond the human like some many flecks of flesh slowly changing into something beautiful but unknown and unknowable." - Steven Craig Hickman
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