Why is every little territory of our lives colonised by devices? And why has technology invaded the planet, as the only force capable – so we are told – of keeping it liveable and getting global warming under control? In this pellucid and pithy essay, Tanner Mirrlees and Imre Szeman strip away the illusions around dead things supposed to be green – EVs, carbon capture, clouds, AI and much more – connect them to the far right and Hollywood, write the history of the cult and critique of modern tech and, most importantly, insist on shaking off this preoccupation. Only if living human beings rediscover their freedom to shape the world can it become less destructive. Essential reading for an age saturated with gadgets.

Andreas Malm, author of 'The Long Heat: Climate Politics When It's Too Late', with Wim Carton

Can Elon Musk, Bill Gates and other big-tech Prometheans tackle the climate crisis on our behalf using technologies so clever they seem like magic? No, is the emphatic answer detailed in this absorbing and alarming book. Capitalism California-style is the root of our global problems, not the source of much-needed solutions. Wake up from your 'green dreams' is the urgent message of Mirrlees and Szeman.

Noel Castree, Professor of Geography, University of Manchester, UK, & Adjunct Professor, University of Technology Sydney, Australia