Future Remains: A Cabinet of Curiosities for the Anthropocene

This dynamic entry in the burgeoning field of environmental humanities is built around fifteen objects that represent the scope and peril of the Anthropocene--among them a monkey wrench, a jar of beach sand, a Blackberry, a mirror; and a cryogenic freezer box. These seemingly mundane objects of our time could be the future fossils of this terrifying new age. The objects are framed by six more expansive essays reflecting on the meanings of the Anthropocene for scholarship and the world, and illuminated by incredible photographs by Tim Flach. Spanning history, geography, material culture, and more, this collection will transform your understanding of what the Anthropocene means.
What can a pesticide pump, a jar full of sand, or an old calico print tell us about the Anthropocene—the age of humans? Just as paleontologists look to fossil remains to infer past conditions of life on earth, so might past and present-day objects offer clues to intertwined human and natural histories that shape our planetary futures. In this era of aggressive hydrocarbon extraction, extreme weather, and severe economic disparity, how might certain objects make visible the uneven interplay of economic, material, and social forces that shape relationships among human and nonhuman beings? Future Remains is a thoughtful and creative meditation on these questions. The fifteen objects gathered in this book resemble more the tarots of a fortuneteller than the archaeological finds of an expedition—they speak of planetary futures. Marco Armiero, Robert S. Emmett, and Gregg Mitman have assembled a cabinet of curiosities for the Anthropocene, bringing together a mix of lively essays, creatively chosen objects, and stunning photographs by acclaimed photographer Tim Flach. The result is a book that interrogates the origins, implications, and potential dangers of the Anthropocene and makes us wonder anew about what exactly human history is made of.