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This paper aims at analyzing utopias and dystopias in Last and First Men (1930) by William Olaf Stapledon. Taking into consideration that this narrative was already defined as a scientific romance and an anatomy with allegorical status, as well as McCarthy's observation that Stapledon’s writing resists simple categorization and that its classification as science fiction or utopian literature is inadequate, this paper suggests several definitions for Stapledon’s work. The author also takes into account the ongoing dispute between utopian studies and science fiction scholars about the strong interaction between utopia and science fiction in the twentieth century. The possibilities of applying the conceptual integration theory to such a complex work of fiction as Last and First Men is explored.

In the wake of the Occupy movement, a group of dystopian films were released that, despite many differences, share a unique series of characteristics. In the Hunger Games trilogy, Elysium and Snowpiercer, class war emerges as the main theme. The 99% are physically shut out from the world of the 1% by impressive barriers which must be destroyed through bloody struggle. The paper uses a critical approach, mainly Jamesonian, to examine historical, political, psychological and interpretative issues in this constellation of occupy-era films, and how they testify to the huge impact on the American psyche of the 2007 financial crisis and ensuing long depression, and the feeling of frustration that fostered Occupy. Of particular interest is the way in which these critical dystopias deal with the ideologeme of “ressentiment” while depicting the breaching of the residences of the elite by the pleb.

This paper strives to illuminate the forebodings of AI and automatization’s impact on society in two neglected Czech treasures unavailable in English, Čestmír Vejdělek’s Návrat z ráje [Return from Paradise] (1961) and Jiří Marek’s Blažený Věk [The Blessed Age] (1967). The study aims to illustrate science fiction’s prescience and part of Czech SF’s path after Čapek, while challenging the notion that “the utopian society is a subject, perhaps even the only subject that is inaccessible to literature” (Hans Magnus Enzensberger). For these dystopian texts engage readers to imagine the positive alternative to the portrayed societies, rather than explicitly evoking eutopia.

AI Amok (2020), directed by Yu Irie, offers an incisive exploration of artificial intelligence’s role in a near-future Japanese society and is set in the year 2030. Employing the analytical framework provided by Bordwell and Thompson’s Film Art: An Introduction, this research explores the film’s narrative construction, visual storytelling techniques, and its thematic depth, particularly focusing on the portrayal and implications of artificial intelligence. Distinct from the often distant futures depicted in science fiction cinema, AI Amok presents a vision of the future that mirrors current technological trajectories, especially in healthcare and urban development. This stands in contrast to films like Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and Her (2013), which envision more abstract futures. AI Amok thus distinguishes itself through a narrative that integrates AI into societal fabrics, confronting the ethical quandaries this integration elicits. The analysis reveals a scenario that feels immediate and tangible, offering a credible sight into the technological advancements and challenges of the near future. Moreover, the study highlights AI Amok’s nuanced depiction of AI’s roles within healthcare and government, suggesting a reflection on and projection of these technologies’ evolving paths. Unlike the overt technologization seen in The Matrix (1999) or Ex Machina (2014), AI Amok opts for more subtle visual effects to convey AI’s ubiquity, providing a unique perspective on AI’s potential to shape societal dynamics. This approach enriches the discourse on science fiction cinema, contributing a distinctive viewpoint to the ongoing debates concerning the ethical development and integration of artificial intelligence in real-world contexts.

For many years futurology and forecasting have been a growing field and it seems that this trend is continuing. This article will therefore discuss forecasting, but will claim that it is in need of an important corrective: a kind of self-reflective Science Fiction (hereafter: SF) and the specific critical creativity associated with it. This approach is especially yielding when looking at the case of China. If for the longest time, Science Fiction has been thought of as a western genre, the following suggests that with new movements such as Asian Futurism, Sinofuturism, Afrofuturism or Gulf Futurism, one can observe a new multilateralism taking hold when it comes to the projection and description of possible futures. The Sinofuturism movement will here function as a case study, as it is well suited to point to the innovative power of non-traditional SF. Already one of its forerunners, 1980s Cyberpunk introduced a changing power differential between the east (Japan at the time) and the west, retiring older orientalist and colonial dreams of dominating Asia. This article suggests that this changing power differential can be updated and re-read via the rise of Sinofuturism, its visions and its politics and that it has already become an important socio-political phenomenon to study with which to study cultural Asian-western interactions for times to come.

This article proposes a new approach to the nature of a core set within fantasy fiction that regards it as a speculative literature of the exploration of subjectivity, one which at its limit conjectures fresh possibilities for the subjective world. To motivate acceptance of this proposed approach, I begin by surveying the existing state of debate in the critical field. I notice the emergence of widening agreement on the idea that fantasy is a literature of the impossible. I then develop the logical implications of this widening agreement in the critical field, arguing that it entails a representational definition of fantasy literature, which implies a modal approach to the core set that defines this literary order. I suggest that the marvellous mode, the kind of writing which represents the impossible, is a broad class that includes other speculative literatures, and that what differentiates these is the referential world within which the impossible happens. The aim here is to break up monolithic conceptions of the impossible, while pointing to a motivation for developing an understanding of the specificity of a core set of fantasy texts that proceeds by way of contrasts. After explaining why I am extremely skeptical about the definition of science fiction as a “literature of the possible”, I probe descriptions of the difference between fantasy and sci-fi. I propose that whereas some science fiction is a literature of conjectural objectivity, guided by the “cognitive novum”, a significant group of fantasy texts is a literature of speculative subjectivity, guided by an “affective novum”.

PARADOKS DETERMINISME DALAM FILM TENET (2020) SEBAGAI REFLEKSI KESADARAN MANUSIA AKAN WAKTU Authors Farobi Fatkhurridho, Universitas IndonesiaFollow Suma Riella Rusdiarti, Universitas IndonesiaFollow Abstract Time is an object of study with a complicated level of complexity, understand time is closely related to periodization, history, and memory. Film is a medium for motion and time manifestation in visual products that captured by the human senses. Tenet (2020) is a film that manages the temporal dimension both in ideas and packaging through its cinematography and narrative structure. Tenet (2020) presents the idea of overlapping time consciousness of the past, present, and future. A revolving door machine in Tenet used to signify the paradox of determinism or the condition of the character being suffocated in a time loop. The form of aporia or deterministic indecision experienced by characters in Tenet reflects the dialogue of human consciousness on the dimension of time. Tenet presents a debate on two perspectives of human attitudes towards time, namely the modern perspective and the postmodern human being represented through the protagonist and the Sator. In a more ideological stage, Tenet becomes a film full of ambivalence in presenting a dialogue from the perspective of human attitudes towards that time. This is relevant to the perspective of metamodernism, namely the impossibility that continues to be pursued. All the agendas carried out by the Protagonist and Sator will eventually end in impossibility because they have been trapped in an endless time loop

This article reviews the first-ever published materials from the archive of Taisia Iosifovna Yukhnevskaya, the late wife of Ivan Antonovich Efremov (1908–1972). The focus is on I.A. Efremov’s collection of autobiographical and erotic short novels titled “Women in My Life”. These fourteen stories (one of which is incomplete) are believed to have been written between the 1950s and 1960s. They fit perfectly with the style of the writer, for whom there was no division between the physical aspects of love and the spiritual development of a normal person. The short novels contain a wealth of personal details, thus offering a new and deeper perspective on the early years of the rising geologist and social thinker. In terms of fiction, they continue the 1940s series “Tales of the Extraordinary” and conform to the genre characteristics of romantic storytelling, as well as colonial and Western novels. There are clear similarities and plot parallels with I.A. Efremov’s other novels such as “Andromeda: A Space-Age Tale”, “The Bull’s Hour”, “Razor’s Edge”, and “Thais of Athens”. An interesting finding is that the letters between I.A. Efremov and his wife bring out an unforeseen side of the writer’s character, especially his ability to inject humor, which is a departure from his usual literary approach.

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The future of philosophy and the future of humankind-in-the-world are intimately related, not only (i) in the obvious sense that all philosophers are "human, all-too-human" animals--i.e., members of the biological species Homo sapiens, and also finite, fallible, and thoroughly normative imperfect in every other way too--hence the natural fate of all human animals is also the natural fate of all philosophers, but also (ii) in the more profound and subtle sense of what I'll call philosophical futurism. Philosophical futurism is a critical, synoptic, and speculative reflection on the fate of humankind-in-the-world, with special attention paid not only to what humankind-in-the-world (including philosophy itself) will most likely be, if things continue to go along in more or less the same way as they have been and are now going, or could conceivably be, as in science fiction or other forms of imaginative projection, but also to what what humankind-in-the-world (including philosophy itself) ought to be, and therefore (assuming that "ought" entails "can") can be, as the direct result of our individual and collective free agency, for the purpose of rationally guiding humankind in the near future. In this essay, I very briefly present, defend, and strongly recommend a version of philosophical futurism that I call Kantian futurism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual worlds are no longer science fiction. New technologies that promise a world lacking physical or mental boundaries are finally becoming a reality. Commonly referred to as the metaverse, this innovative technology opens a world of opportunities for individuals everywhere to experience an almost unlimited virtual dimension where they can play, work, own property, engage in sexual activities, and fulfill their dreams. Unlike previous virtual worlds, the metaverse could be a gamechanger as it offers an immersive experience. It feels authentic to the users and will become even more realistic with advancements in haptic technology. With its benefits, the technology also raises the fear of criminal activities. These may include financial or property crimes (e.g., theft or fraud), crimes against the person (e.g., stalking or harassment), and sex crimes (e.g., sexual harassment and potentially even rape), to name but a few examples. Unlike previous virtual worlds and its related scholarship, the metaverse's immersive capabilities could be disruptive to criminal law: they could lead to atypical offenses that, while lacking physical harm, could activate the nervous system much like a conventional crime. If the mind cannot tell the difference, how should criminal law treat such conduct? In light of such immersion, this Article proposes a taxonomy for metaverse crimes and suggests further scrutiny of the metaverse's enforcement. Upon defining the criminal metaverse, this Article identifies some conducts as in superposition--whereas their existence and scope are currently undetermined--and offers ways to assess their harm. It then examines enforcement challenges and concludes that much of the rulemaking and enforcement will be in the realm of metaverse platforms, while some must remain under the state's prerogative. Ultimately, enforcement of the criminal metaverse will take on an unprecedented dynamic that has yet to be seen in criminal law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For millennia mankind has been interested in observing, understanding, admiring, and managing insect societies. Due to termite society’s late entry into western thought, and as a result of being associated with ants, the termite has not had as much of a cultural impact as ants and bees. Most interest in termitaries came immediately after their description in the late eighteenth century, but they soon fell out of vogue again. They did not make a comeback until the early decades of the twentieth century when they featured in the popular philosophical works of Belgian author Maurice Maeterlinck, the nature essays of South African Eugène Marais, and a serial written by John Keller in the new genre of science fiction, published in an American pulp magazine. This paper explores the ways in which scientific truths related to termites were, within a matter of a few years, transmitted and then amended and interpreted in different ways according to different authors, their settings, and the history of the environments in which they wrote. Each author was influenced by psychology or psychoanalysis, especially notions around the group and the unconscious, as well as ideas related to nationalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Patrick Chamoiseau has appeared to take a new writer, who is both continuing and renewing the Martinican literary tradition, under his wing: Michael Roch. This article explores this emerging writer, focusing in particular on his 2022 novel Tè Mawon and its relationship of both continuity and rupture with the work of its literary predecessors, Chamoiseau and fellow Martinican Édouard Glissant. To do so, this article examines the novel's various allusions to the work of Chamoiseau and Glissant, as well as the manner in which the concept of Caribbean generations is thematised in the novel. It then explores how such generational interaction is a two-way dialogue by exploring Chamoiseau's endorsements of this newcomer. In positioning Roch as the latest "son" in the exclusive, highly selective, and strongly gendered Martinican literary family tree—with Chamoiseau the father and Glissant the grandfather—this article highlights how his novel is both a development of and a departure from the work of his predecessors. This piece is thus a reflection on the intergenerational tendency of literature from and about Martinique, offering insight into the future potentiality of the literary tradition as embodied through Roch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide the current student generation with an innovative online learning method, podcasts with science fiction short stories are introduced to marketing education. Findings from neurology and psychology point to positive effects of storytelling for gaining knowledge and developing interpersonal skills. Science fiction stories challenge common conceptions and enable students to engage with upcoming marketing issues in creative ways. An overview of eight marketing related science fiction stories is provided that are available for download as open access podcasts, with 23 more management and economics podcast stories available in the online appendix. To show how science fiction podcasts can be implemented in class, one of the stories is discussed in more detail. Further suggestions for implementation and possible challenges are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reads fin-de-siècle and Edwardian British occult detective fiction as a form of proto-science fiction, suggesting that the epistemological focus on the occult typical of these texts can be usefully envisioned as formally and functionally equivalent to the focus of modern science fiction on orthodox science. Drawing from Stephen Halliwell's studies on mimesis and recent developments in the field of unnatural narratology, the paper thus shows how the subgenre of occult detective fiction anticipates and participates in the systematic rationalization of the impossible that distinguishes the discourse of modern science fiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are living in an era when the influence of robotization is continually increasing in all possible spheres of human life. Robots are not only helpful for physical activities; they are even taking on, for example, the position of psychotherapists. This article analyzes the current influence of robots in healthcare and bioethically examines their mutual coexistence with humans - the robot-patient relationship. We find that it is necessary to consider a new ethics of robots, because it is not always clear why artificial intelligence has arrived at a given solution and what exact sequences it has used to do so. Bioethics should also be inspired by the possible scenarios presented to us by sci-fi stories about the potential technical future. When analyzing these narratives, we find that although machines and people coexist, they nevertheless differ from each other, with their own logic, emotions and empathy, their own physics and laws of nature. This machine difference can be a predictable factor of potential dystopias, when machines, based either on their autonomy or the logical consequence of the algorithm, come to violate ethics towards people. Although robots have human-like features, they are not human; therefore, there exists a species boundary between us and them that needs to be controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between science fiction and science popularization has long been a controversial issue. Based on a brief historical review of the development of science fiction and science popularization in China, this paper analyses related literature and concepts and argues that the science–literature dispute can be somewhat lessened in that science fiction can be incorporated into science popularization under the framework of general science popularization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term 'science fiction (sci-fi) industry' has developed only in the past two decades in China. It has gone through special cultural, economic and political backgrounds in its conceptual development. After years of evolution and under the influence of some influential sci-fi intellectual properties, the sci-fi industry has developed typical forms such as reading material, film and television programs, games, derivative products and cultural tourism. These forms are also the major means for the generation of sci-fi content and the dissemination of sci-fi culture. The sci-fi industry has three key features: it integrates culture with science and technology as production factors; it has both production capacity and consumer appeal; and it is made up of interconnected vertical and horizontal production chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans are progressing machines. Naturally, it is continuously changing and modifying not only itself but also everything around it, from a simple gadget to abstract concepts or questions asked from the very beginning of conscious ancestors’ times. Therefore, it is universally accepted that the human evolution process has never ceased and never will. In today’s world, Homo Sapiens are considered as human. However, if there is evolution, new, more intelligent, much healthier, and morally better individuals will emerge in time. The second half of the twentieth century paved the way for a thought on transcendent human with the popularized science fiction works. Aliens and robots, with their brain capacities and bodily functions, were depicted as beings to superior to humans. It was the superhero comics and books that reinforced the thought of a possibility of a superman seeded by the medical experiments conducted during WWII. Now, people are discussing immortality, or at least anti-aging. New drugs are tested to see whether deadly diseases can be cured. There are countless areas working to enhance and make better human conditions. Once the aimed goals are achieved, human will be called post-human. But, since we are in an epoch between the former and the latter, our first milestone to reach is being a transhuman. Nebula and Hugo-awarded author, Ted Chiang, is an American science fiction writer. His novellas are best known for their transhumanist features. As a computer science graduate, Chiang, in his short story called ‘Understand’, successfully fictionalizes the possible outcomes of a world in which a minority is privileged with abilities beyond human limitation. His portrayal of such a world makes one ponder whether humanity is “really” ready for such a move up on the genetic ladder or whether we are pushing fast ourselves to our own demise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stories are an important indicator of our vision of the future. In the case of artificial intelligence (AI), dominant stories are polarized between notions of threat and myopic solutionism. The central storytellers—big tech, popular media, and authors of science fiction—represent particular demographics and motivations. Many stories, and storytellers, are missing. This paper details the accounts of missing AI narratives by leading scholars from a range of disciplines interested in AI Futures. Participants focused on the gaps between dominant narratives and the untold stories of the capabilities, issues, and everyday realities of the technology. One participant proposed a "story crisis" in which these narratives compete to shape the public discourse on AI. Our findings indicate that dominant narratives distract and mislead public understandings and conceptions of AI. This suggests a need to pay closer attention to missing AI narratives. It is not simply about telling new stories, it is about listening to existing stories and asking what is wanted from AI. We call for realistic, nuanced, and inclusive stories, working with and for diverse voices, which consider (1) story-teller; (2) genre, and (3) communicative purpose. Such stories can then inspire the next generation of thinkers, technologists, and storytellers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on Hannah Arendt's reflections on the implications of space exploration in the Cold War era, highlighting concerns about the detachment of scientific knowledge from everyday language and the potential existential consequences for humanity's self-understanding. It explores these themes through the lens of Robert Sheckley's science fiction, which critiques techno-optimism and explores human fantasies in the face of advanced technology.

Africanfuturism is organised around a covert debate between interrelated concepts: deep-rooted African cultural elements, and the multifaceted notion of intersectionality. This subgenre of science fiction highlights the experiences of black women marginalised by race and gender, who continue to face systemic discrimination. Therefore, the work of the Africanfuturist author Nnedi Okorafor interrogates and challenges the dominant representations of black womanhood in science fiction. This exploration aims to reveal why intersectional narratives provide black women with reflections that dismantle the constraints of racist and patriarchal systems. Besides, the essay explores an Africaninspired setting where characters actively cultivate a deeper connection with their African heritage. These roots serve as a potent support network, fostering resistance and empowering them to navigate the challenges they confront. The inclusion of black female characters, whose heritage is often stereotyped as primitive, offers a powerful opportunity to reimagine the future presenting a black afro-descendant woman actively shaping her own destiny. Through these narratives, Okorafor offers a compelling vision of empowerment and resistance, showcasing the profound impact of African cultural elements and intersectional perspectives in reshaping science fiction narratives. Keywords: Africanfuturism, black women, harmonizer, intersectionality, resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "2052: A Science Fiction Ethnography" explores the year 2052 in a world affected by climate change, where the internet is in ruins and travel is difficult. It follows two anthropologists, Juniper and Alba, who communicate through bird-transmitted research articles and letters. They discuss the challenges of studying anthropology in a damaged world and the ethical dilemmas of using birds for communication. The article also discusses the impact of environmental changes on the local community, the significance of farms as a food source, and the urge to control the landscape. It explores the discipline of therolinguistics, which aims to understand the languages of non-human creatures. The text concludes with a discussion on translating the movements of the Jet Stream to understand rivers and the debate on the practical applications of this knowledge. The researchers plan to visit Ashburn to continue their research and explore data centers. [Extracted from the article]

Margaret Cavendish has only recently been included in the canonical literature anthologies and even then, the samplings of her prolific writings are severely truncated. However, even this small taste of Cavendish’s poems and excerpts of A Description of a New World called The Blazing World leave early British literature survey students hungry for more. Frequently, students in the survey choose to focus on Cavendish’s writing for their research projects in which they practice feminist and queer readings and engage with Cavendish as a key player in utopian and science fiction genres. Beyond the survey course, Blazing World works wonderfully in courses focused on Renaissance Utopias as well as transhistorical utopian and dystopian fiction and serves as the perfect frame text for literature and gender courses that focus on female world making. In the gender and literature course, Blazing World pairs excellently with more contemporary and intersectional feminist world makers including Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison, and Alison Bechdel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the temporality of recent science fiction films, specifically the ways in which architectural histories are used to imagine and characterise dystopias of the future. Drawing on the writing of Fredric Jameson and particularly on François Hartog's analysis of 'presentism' in historical discourse, the article proposes that the dystopias shown in many recent science fiction films provide visions of the future which have been decoupled from modernist notions of historical progress. This argument is developed through analysis of the built environments of Brazil (1985) and the Hunger Games series (2012–15). In the former, historicising and modernist architecture are combined to create a dysfunctional, highly bureaucratic dystopia from which escape is impossible. In the latter films, monumental classical forms are the dominant architectural element in a dystopia marked by excessive state violence and surveillance. The postmodern housing project Les Espaces d'Abraxas, designed by Ricardo Bofill, features in both Brazil and the final Hunger Games film, providing common ground for their repudiation of utopian modernist design. The strong presence of architectures from the past in science fiction films is thus more than pastiche; instead, it establishes a temporality in which aspects of the past continue to haunt and encroach on present-day notions of the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a new approach to the nature of a core set within fantasy fiction that regards it as a speculative literature of the exploration of subjectivity, one which at its limit conjectures fresh possibilities for the subjective world. To motivate acceptance of this proposed approach, I begin by surveying the existing state of debate in the critical field. I notice the emergence of widening agreement on the idea that fantasy is a literature of the impossible. I then develop the logical implications of this widening agreement in the critical field, arguing that it entails a representational definition of fantasy literature, which implies a modal approach to the core set that defines this literary order. I suggest that the marvellous mode, the kind of writing which represents the impossible, is a broad class that includes other speculative literatures, and that what differentiates these is the referential world within which the impossible happens. The aim here is to break up monolithic conceptions of the impossible, while pointing to a motivation for developing an understanding of the specificity of a core set of fantasy texts that proceeds by way of contrasts. After explaining why I am extremely skeptical about the definition of science fiction as a "literature of the possible", I probe descriptions of the difference between fantasy and sci-fi. I propose that whereas some science fiction is a literature of conjectural objectivity, guided by the "cognitive novum", a significant group of fantasy texts is a literature of speculative subjectivity, guided by an "affective novum". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neologisms are ubiquitous in language, providing definitive evidence suggesting that humans can use language in a flexible and creative way. Science fiction (sci-fi) neologisms are the lexical manifestation of the creators' creativity, to which Conceptual Blending Theory constructs a solid theoretical basis. This paper finds that applying Conceptual Blending Theory to translation will provide new insights into sci-fi neologism translation. When there is no corresponding frame in the input spaces of the two languages, translators can choose to project the original word directly into the blended space or construct a new frame in the target language space. When the same or similar frames exist in the two input spaces, translators can directly map the original word to the target language space or adjust the frames according to the translators' experience, knowledge system, and target language culture to generate an optimal translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Film Quarterly / Kwartalnik Filmowy is the property of Kwartalnik Filmowy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Film Quarterly / Kwartalnik Filmowy is the property of Kwartalnik Filmowy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This essay proposes speculative science fiction as a genre that helps contemporary literature to address the problem of literary periodization and deal with the ecological crisis properly, that is, as a contemporary issue. The essay further offers garbage as the major problematic that this new genre should focus on, since it is not only the constant reminder of the contemporary ecological crisis but also the potential resource for living in/with that crisis. Garbage tells the story of previous eras' destructive behaviors, but it also helps invent a story of a different present and future when what has been discarded or disparaged might be salvage, thus creating a timeline unforeseen in the previous eras. Drawing upon speculative realism and object-oriented ontology (OOO) in particular, the essay imagines what such a salvaging and creative story looks like and calls it the genre of speculative science fiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the relationship between sf and narratives of technological progress through a reading of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–94), examining the series within the historical context of the growing use of home Internet during the late 1980s and 1990s. I argue that TNG highlights the ways in which narratives about the Internet and its use were structured by neoconservative "family values" and by ideas about technological development rooted in Enlightenment narratives of historical evolution, and shaped by heteronormative, patriarchal, and Eurocentric power relations. TNG's construction of familial relationships within the series is partially organized by this heteronormative logic, which dominated discourses around the family and Internet technology during the era, while simultaneously subverting this logic and illuminating the utopian potential of queer kinship. Particularly central to the logic undergirding discussions about the promise and threat of home Internet was the figure of the child. Building on Lee Edelman's (2004) notion of "reproductive futurity," I mobilize the concept of "reproductive techno-futurity" to explore how TNG, through the character of Lt. Cmdr. Data (Brent Spiner), highlights the inter-articulation of reproductive futurity with evolutionary concepts of technological progress while also gesturing to the limits of these figurations through queer re-imaginings of the technological child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Parasitoids — insects that parasitize other insects — have fascinating biologies that have made them darlings of the science fiction genre, owing to their wide array of innovative and often gruesome strategies for living off other organisms. These insects do not sting, but rather lay eggs on or inside their hosts, typically another insect or spider. Unlike parasites, which feed off a host without killing it, parasitoids kill their hosts — and they typically do it slowly. Parasitoids carefully keep their hosts alive for extended periods while they feed on host hemolymph and/or tissues until they are close to completing their own development. The techniques parasitoids use to feed on and manipulate their hosts are wide ranging, demonstrating multiple evolutionary pathways to achieve successful development from egg to adult. Parasitoid wasps are the things of science fiction because of their wide array of innovative and gruesome strategies for living off other organisms. But they are also beneficial insects, silently controlling garden, crop, and forest pests. Burke and Sharanowski highlight the adaptive strategies and economic importance of these fascinating creatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on women's science fiction in China. A prevailing perception among readers and critics suggests that women's sensibilities enable them to convey more nuanced emotions in their works. To examine this viewpoint within the realm of contemporary Chinese science fiction, a quantitative approach based on affective computing was employed. This approach allowed for a systematic evaluation of indicators such as emotional arc, emotional richness, and twistiness. The findings reveal that while individual writers may exhibit distinct emotional writing styles, overall, there is no significant disparity in emotional narratives between male and female science fiction writers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay offers a rationale for deploying ecofeminist science fiction stories as object-oriented thought experiments in science and environmental education, with particular reference to developments in genetics and evolutionary biology, and their implications for human (and more-than-human) reproduction and kinship in the period following the determination of the double helical structure of DNA by scientists affiliated with Cambridge University's Cavendish Laboratory in 1953, and the impact of subsequent gene-centric discourses on the biological sciences and the wider culture. The utility and defensibility of this approach is exemplified by reference to two science fiction novels by the late Naomi Mitchison that foreground and anticipate implications of genetic sciences for matters of concern to ecofeminists, including reproductive rights and responsibilities, population control, human relations with the more-than-human, and problematizing gendered (and other) binaries in everyday speech and popular culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social Psychology supported by decolonial and antiracist feminist epistemes in dialogue with the theory of fictional scholarship proposed by science fiction writer Ursula Le Guin invites us to narratives devoid of human heroism, uprooting us from the idea of autonomy and to a radical bet on imagination. In this article, we seek to contribute to a re-reading of the gesture of collecting in social psychology research, detaching it from a positivist bias and linking it to a feminist political imagination. If we pay attention, it is unmistakable that while we collect, something always escapes us that falls to the ground as a seed, fertilizer, or trail. To collect is also to sow, to fertilize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines "The Message," a 2015 audio drama science fiction podcast with a verisimilar narrative that led some listeners to interpret it as nonfiction. It argues the podcast's use of nonfiction genre conventions, web paratexts, and its reception context contributed to such misinterpretations. It situates "The Message" in context with "The War of the Worlds" and a contemporaneous audio text that similarly duped listeners, and explores listener discourses about the podcast on Reddit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This invited article is a tribute to Giovanni Maniscalco Basile, reflecting on his multifaceted contributions as a scholar, and cultural enthusiast. Darko Suvin highlights Basile's extensive work and interests spanning Russian politics and ideology, music, science fiction, and utopian studies. Suvin underscores Basile's unique intellectual presence, likening him to a Renaissance man with a profound ability to interweave diverse fields. The article delves into Basile's engagement with Russian utopian and dystopian literature, his polyglot abilities, and his critical approach to blending historical and futuristic narratives. Suvin discusses Basile's role in elevating science fiction as a legitimate field of academic inquiry and his efforts in integrating it with contemporary cultural and political critiques. Marina Ciccarini further explores Basile's life, and personal and professional background, emphasizing his broad interests, between literature, politics, music and physics, and eventually providing a selected bibliography of his works. In conclusion, the article portrays Giovanni Maniscalco Basile as a profound thinker whose interdisciplinary work continues to inspire discussions on creativity, freedom, and the intellectual's role in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue Other Possible Worlds (Theory, Narration, Thought) aims to investigate fiction and its frontiers, objects of critical and theoretical attention, starting from the central position they occupy in the conceptual, aesthetic, and methodological debate -- for the 20th Century as well as at the beginning of the 21st. The boundaries between fiction and non-fiction disclose connections with the invention of possible worlds in literary and artistic texts in general: utopias, eutopias, dystopias, and anti-utopias, whose peculiar strategies make them identifiable in representations and writings. The sheer number of studies and investigations focused on the relationship between fact and fiction in the last decades calls for a multidisciplinary dialogue to deepen the different meanings, messages, and aesthetic forms developed, especially in the literary field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focussing on a number of literary works in English(es), this article intends to show how contemporary women writers have been enacting the disruption of the polarity not only between the fantastic and the real but also between apocalyptic scenarios and the utopistic urge of subgenres like solarpunk. By embracing the concept of mixtopia, as proposed by Giuliana Misserville, I will thus attempt to prove how, in a world ravaged by climate change and shaped by A.I., several women writers bring to the fore the relevance of a technocritical approach in form and content, queering the material-semiotic nature of sci-fi itself, originally a male-dominated genre, and now a wild land of uncharted territories, full of eco-aware possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]