Neoliberal horror: algorithms, ghosts and fascist politics in contemporary weird literature
Fantasy genres have always been a channel for expressing a generation’s fears. Currently, weird terror and cyberpunk dystopia, with literary visions that connect to the nightmares of our past, are becoming increasingly popular as a way of dealing with the thirst of the neoliberal model. Argentinian author Juan Mattio addresses these themes in the novel Materiales para una pesadilla (reprinted by Caja Negra Editora, Medifé Filba Award for Best Published Novel), which takes place in a near future where virtual reality has replaced everyday physical surroundings for many and offers the possibility of being reunited with the dead. Mattio is coming to the 42 Festival to talk to fellow writer Layla Martínez about the unique aspects of cyperpunk horror written in Argentina and in Spain, about whether the problems of far-right neoliberalism are experiments in social terror, and about whether artificial intelligence and virtual reality can create a new realm of paranormal phenomena. These key questions can only be answered by two of the biggest names in the fantasy genre: Mattio and Martínez.
