  The manipulation of mechanical waves is a long-standing challenge for
scientists and engineers, as numerous devices require their control. The
current forefront of research in the control of classical waves has emerged
from a seemingly unrelated field, namely, non-Hermitian quantum mechanics. By
drawing analogies between this theory and those of classical systems,
researchers have discovered phenomena that defy conventional intuition and have
exploited them to control light, sound, and elastic waves. Here, we provide a
brief perspective on recent developments, challenges and intricacies that
distinguish non-Hermitian elastodynamics from optics and acoustics. We close
this perspective with an outlook on potential directions such as topological
phases in non-Hermitian elastodynamics and broken Hermitian symmetry in
materials with electromomentum couplings.
