The Man Who Saw the Future: Mark Fisher's Growing Influence
When Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative? was published in 2009, it met with critical silence. Journalists and academics largely ignored Mark Fisher's work, with even his publisher's owner deeming it unmarketable. Fisher himself wrestled with self-doubt, questioning his thesis after failing to produce a traditional theoretical tome. Fast forward to December 2025, and more than 250,000 English-language copies have been sold, with translations available in Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Mandarin, German, Portuguese, Polish, Japanese, Hebrew, Korean, and Danish. Fisher had humbly hoped to sell just a few hundred.
From Blog to Bestseller: The Rise of a Polemicist
Revered for his brutally honest writing, Fisher adeptly captured the public mood. He first gained a following through his k-punk blog (2003-2016), popularising the notion that "it's easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism," a phrase attributed to Marxist philosopher Fredric Jameson. Capitalist Realism, released after the 2008 financial crisis and during Tony Blair's pro-business New Labour era, is a slim, accessible volume. It critiques our profit-driven economic system and reflects on the pervasive hopelessness many felt then and still experience today.
Personal Struggles and Professional Outsider Status
Fisher took his own life in January 2017 at age 48, having battled depression since his teens. His wife, Zoë, noted at the inquest that the NHS only offered a telephone chat with a GP, highlighting systemic failures. Born in 1968 to working-class, conservative parents in Loughborough, Fisher saw himself as a perpetual outsider. He drifted between postgraduate study, temporary jobs, and unemployment, describing his existence as an "in-between space." It wasn't until his 40s, after teaching at a further education college, that he became a lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London, though he never secured a role in British media.
A Decapitalised Documentary: Challenging Mainstream Production
The experimental documentary We Are Making a Film About Mark Fisher aims to spread his ideas further, including lesser-known concepts. This 65-minute film describes itself as "decapitalised," operating outside profit-driven mainstream production. Artists Sophie Mellor and Simon Poulter self-funded the project, using Instagram to recruit 70 volunteers, including composers, crew, and designers. Distribution was organic, handled on a request-by-request basis, with viewers creating their own marketing posters. Mellor questions whether it's truly possible to make a decapitalised film, noting that Instagram and unpaid labour often reinforce capitalism.
Hauntology and Lost Futures
Through archival recordings, interviews, and fictional performance, the film explores Fisher's philosophy of "hauntology." This concept, popularised by Fisher though coined by Jacques Derrida, suggests modern society is haunted by futures that never materialised—"the job, the house, the holiday, the life." Mellor and Poulter's street footage shows crowds protesting events like the Iraq war in 2003, tuition fee hikes in 2010, and the genocide of Palestinians in 2025. These repetitive clips evoke melancholia for lost hopeful possibilities, such as a teenager shouting "fight back" at London's 2011 March for the Alternative rally.
Cultural Criticism and Shifting Perspectives
Fisher used criticism as a tool for political consciousness-raising, analysing everything from grassroots musician Burial to Adele and Arctic Monkeys, which he saw as examples of the music industry's market-driven nostalgia. In his final years, he shifted from advocating technological development to promoting a 1960s-and-70s-style future focused on collective cultural production and reclaiming the internet. Journalist Andy Beckett explains that Fisher began to see digital technology, particularly automation, as too aligned with neoliberalism to be thrilling.
Enduring Impact: Acid Communism and Modern Applications
Today, Fisher's ideas continue to resonate. His unfinished project, "acid communism," which builds on late-era ideas of a psychedelic, collective future, has inspired artists like Canadian social sculptor Miki Aurora. In 2024, Aurora contributed to an interactive installation in Vancouver offering uplifting visuals, free food, and overdose response training. Similarly, hauntology influences media; Adam Curtis's 2011 BBC series highlights technology's failure to democratise society, while Konrad Kay notes that Industry's portrayal of a call centre was inspired by Fisher's view of it as a metaphor for neoliberalism.
Collective Action and Future Possibilities
Encouragingly, We Are Making a Film About Mark Fisher points toward alternative pathways. Since October 2025, audiences have used Instagram—despite its £70 billion ad revenue—to organise in-person screenings in universities, back gardens, cinemas, and galleries from Coventry to Brisbane. This collective endeavour underscores the film's message: "We are making a film about Mark Fisher and, now that you are watching, so are you." The documentary continues to challenge capitalist norms, keeping Fisher's critical spirit alive for new generations.
