Fanon

Frantz Fanon was a French psychiatrist turned Algerianrevolutionary of Martinican origin, and one of the most importantand controversial thinkers of the postwar period. A veritable"intellect on fire," Fanon was a radical thinker withoriginal theories on race, revolution, violence, identity andagency. This book is an excellent introduction to the ideas and legacyof Fanon. Gibson explores him as a truly complex character in thecontext of his time and beyond. He argues that for Fanon, theoryhas a practical task to help change the world. Thus Fanon's"untidy dialectic," Gibson contends, is a philosophy ofliberation that includes cultural and historical issues and visionsof a future society. In a profoundly political sense, Gibson asksus to reevaluate Fanon's contribution as a critic ofmodernity and reassess in a new light notions of consciousness,humanism, and social change. This is a fascinating study that will interest undergraduatesand above in postcolonial studies, literary theory, culturalstudies, sociology, politics, and social and political theory, aswell as general readers.