The humanities in transition from postmodernism into the digital age /

Testing a semi-century of postmodern thought, Raab's analysis of the transition from postmodernism to the digital humanities (DH) takes a critical approach with historical and philosophical perspectives on trends and leaders like Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Ludwig Wittgenstein, and many others that shape this intersection of socio-technological trends and algorithms of big data. The chapters dovetail in a natural narrative flow, transitioning smoothly and presenting a continuity and interrelatedness of chapter discussions. The first four chapters offer a theoretical perspective, bringing postmodernism, linguistic turn, theory, the achievements and effects of postmodernism on the humanities, characterizations and challenges of the digital environment, and algorithms into humanistic scholarship. The next three chapters focus on time, space, visualizations, and their implications for the humanities. Digital forgeries have resulted from the challenges of postmodernism questioning authenticity and facts, and with the help of algorithms this has turned into a distinctly digital phenomenon requiring both artistic and programming skills. While intended for graduate students, the transdisciplinary and theoretical scope offers rich material for DH faculty with philosophical and literary specializations. DH librarians and archivists will also find information pertinent to their respective digital practices. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. --Arjun Sabharwal, University of Toledo