Galactic Brains, Zombie Apocalypse, and the Poiesis of an Ecology of Metamodern Myths

Old myths have lost their power, while current mythologies fail to guide us through the coming metacrisis. The hypermodern salvation myth of galactic brains is inapplicable. The postmodern myth of the zombie apocalypse provides no positive vision. A new kind of mythopoiesis is needed. We propose an ecology of myth-making practices that is suitable for our age. It is grounded in solid artistic, philosophical, and scientific principles, aimed at generating an evolving tangle of narratives that share the themes of courage, caution, and care. Importantly, we do not seek conformity, but productive difference. From the resulting friction, we regain our traction among the current loss of reality and crisis of imagination.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-08-03
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21778706
Primary Topic
Gothic Literature and Media Analysis
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Galactic Brains, Zombie Apocalypse, and the Poiesis of an Ecology of Metamodern Myths

Johannes Jaeger, Marcus Neustetter
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Gothic Literature and Media Analysis
article

Galactic Brains, Zombie Apocalypse, and the Poiesis of an Ecology of Metamodern Myths

Johannes Jaeger, Marcus Neustetter
article en

Abstract

Old myths have lost their power, while current mythologies fail to guide us through the coming metacrisis. The hypermodern salvation myth of galactic brains is inapplicable. The postmodern myth of the zombie apocalypse provides no positive vision. A new kind of mythopoiesis is needed. We propose an ecology of myth-making practices that is suitable for our age. It is grounded in solid artistic, philosophical, and scientific principles, aimed at generating an evolving tangle of narratives that share the themes of courage, caution, and care. Importantly, we do not seek conformity, but productive difference. From the resulting friction, we regain our traction among the current loss of reality and crisis of imagination.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Complexity Science Hub (AT), Nelson Mandela University (ZA)
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Gothic Literature and Media Analysis
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.