Karin Lingnau: Science Fiction and (Ecological) Reality

The conference “Worlding SF: Building, Inhabiting, and Understanding Science Fiction Universes”, which will take place December 6 to 8, seeks to explore these three thematic clusters—(a) world- building, (b) processes and practices of being in fictional worlds (both from the characters’ and readers’/viewers’/players’/fans’ points of view), and (c) the seemingly naturalized sub- textual messages these fantastic visions communicate (or sometimes even self-consciously address).

Conference highlights include:

Dec 6, 12.30 pm, Meerscheinschlössl:

Keynote by Mark Bould (University of the West of England, UK): 

"The Great Clomping Foot of Nerdism Stamping on the Human Face–Forever: World-Building and Contradiction"

Dec 7, 5 pm, HS 11.01:

Keynote by Cheryl Morgan (Independent Scholar and Hugo Award-Winning Publisher, UK):

"Systems of Sex and Gender"

Dec 8, 11.30 am, AULA:

Keynote by Gerry Canavan (Marquette University, USA)

"Worlding Crisis, Crisising Worlds"

Dec 8, 1.30 pm, AULA:

Special presentation by the Austrian Space Forum: "Distant Worlds: Science Meets Fiction"