Other Networks

Lori Emerson's Other Networks presents a wide-ranging, illustrated sourcebook of connectivity practices and technologies that predate or exist outside the Internet.

The book collects historical examples (from pneumatic tubes and flag signaling to early radio and bulletin board systems), proposed systems (like memex and Xanadu), and artistic network experiments to expand how we think about networks.

Emerson frames the work as a celebratory, creative alternative to deterministic technological progress narratives, aiming to inspire readers to imagine and build different networked futures.

Drawing on media archaeology methods, the book foregrounds overlooked actors and practices, emphasizing hands-on, open, and local modes of connection.

It serves both as history and as practical provocation for artists, technologists, and students interested in decentralized, human-scale communications.