21C Human | Arch Hades

In essays and poems, the author works through the experience of being alive in the 21st century. This is divided into three parts. The first, titled "21C Human," deals with topics of populism, social media, and climate anxiety. The second, "21C Woman," concerns itself with feminist topics like men's perception of women, and a female perspective of hetero relationships. The final part, "21C Plague," collects pieces on isolation and more general anxiety, fuelled by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The author once again demonstrates that she has read far and wide, directly citing Marshal McLuhan ("the medium is the message"), or writing tributes to Karl Popper ("The Open Society and Its Enemies"), Anne Applebaum ("Twilight of Democracy"), and more. Sadly, the essays don't go beyond these sources and are quite boring to any informed reader.

Similarly, the poems are very didactic, trying to describe intellectual concepts without going beyond. They end up wordy, yet sparse. They prefer technical language over metaphor and don't flow nicely.

The poems in the third part don't adhere as strongly to the theme, and it feels more like a dumping ground for "the rest." This actually works in favour of the poems, as they are more vague and provide a wider range of impressions and ideas. Still, I did not find much to love. I'd highly recommend Thumbs upArcadia instead.

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