This essay explores photography’s relationship to the transhumanist imaginary of American weird fiction writer H. P. Lovecraft; transhumanism refers to the belief that humans can evolve through technological advancements. I argue that Lovecraft’s seemingly naïve conception of photography as unerringly “objective” actually reflects his understanding of photography as a transhuman technology that can transform human consciousness. However, Lovecraft’s transhumanist vision is plagued by the recognition that the endpoint of transhumanist evolution is the annihilation of the individual body and the specific desires on which one’s sense of self is grounded—a vision Lovecraft is attracted to but finally cannot embrace.

这篇文章探讨了摄影与美国怪诞小说作家 HP Lovecraft 的超人类主义想象的关系；超人类主义指的是人类可以通过技术进步进化的信念。我认为，洛夫克拉夫特看似天真的摄影概念准确无误地“客观”反映了他对摄影作为一种可以改变人类意识的超人类技术的理解。然而，洛夫克拉夫特的超人类主义愿景受到以下认识的困扰：超人类主义进化的终点是个体身体的毁灭和一个人的自我意识所基于的特定欲望——洛夫克拉夫特被吸引但最终无法接受的愿景。