Center for the Study of Science Fiction

🚀 The 2024 Finalists for the Theodore A. Sturgeon Memorial Award Have Been Announced! 🚀

We are excited to announce the finalists for this year's Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award, which honors outstanding short science fiction stories. This year’s finalists include:

✨ Violet Allen - “The Rainbow Ghosts” (Luminescent Machinations: Q***r Tales of Monumental Invention)
✨ Beston Barnett - “Patsy Cline Sings Sweet Dreams to the Universe” (Strange Horizons)
✨ Gregory Feely - “The Unpastured Sea” (Asimov’s)
✨ RSA Garcia - “Tantie Merle and the Farmhand 4200” (Uncanny Magazine)
✨ Claire Humphrey - “The State Street Robot Factory” (Apex Magazine)
✨ James Patrick Kelly - “What It Means to Be a Car” (Reactor)
✨ Naomi Kritzer - "The Year Without Sunshine" (Uncanny Magazine)
✨ Amal Singh - “Notes From a Pyre” (The Deadlands)
✨ Wendy N. Wagner - “An Infestation of Blue” (Analog)

The winner will be revealed later this summer and celebrated at the Sturgeon Symposium this October. Stay tuned for updates!

Registration is now open for the 3rd Annual Sturgeon Symposium, Oct 24-25, celebrating the groundbreaking work of author and critic Samuel R. Delany.

The symposium will include a reading by the winner of the Sturgeon Award for best speculative fiction story published in 2023, scholarly panels, and appearances by Delany himself.

T-shirt, lunch, and Thursday reception included with registration. Fee waiver available for students and others with financial need. Join us!

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sturgeon-symposium-stars-in-our-pockets-celebrating-samuel-r-delany-tickets-938673286067
More information here, including updates to schedule: https://sfcenter.ku.edu/2024-sturgeon-symposium

Exciting news! 🚀 Our 3rd Annual Sturgeon Symposium has a new date! 🗓️ Please mark your calendars for October 24-25, 2024.
🌟 Don't forget to note the date change! This year, we're celebrating Samuel R. Delany under the theme "Stars in Our Pockets."
📚 Join us for a memorable event featuring panels, discussions, and a special appearance by Delany himself! ✨ Submit your proposals by May 31. More details on our website.

🚀 Missed the residency at KU with the AfroRithm Futures Group, featuring Dr. Lonny Brooks, Ahmed Best, and Jade Fabello? You can still contribute to envisioning the future! Submit your proposals for the "Imagining Our Futures Artifact Collection" at Lawrence Arts Center in collaboration with KU. Deadline: May 24, 2024. Details in bio!

Join us on Friday, May 10th at 12pm CT for our final virtual book club of the academic year!

For May's book club we will be discussing "The Empress of Salt and Fortune" by Nghi Vo.

The link to register for May's virtual book club can be found at the link in our bio. We hope to see you there!

Tonight! Open to all!

Join us on April 25th, 2024 at the next KU Common Book Lecture [VIRTUAL]: An Evening with N.K. Jemisin!

The KU Common Book program is coordinated by the KU Libraries, the Hall Center for the Humanities, and the Division of Academic Success. The Common Book for the 2023-24 school year is Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. Butler, who died in 2006, was influential to the career of N.K. Jemisin, a fellow science fiction writer, and Jemisin also wrote the forward to the most recent edition of Parable of the Sower.

Signup Link in Bio!

Join us on April 25th, 2024 at the next KU Common Book Lecture [VIRTUAL]: An Evening with N.K. Jemisin!

The KU Common Book program is coordinated by the KU Libraries, the Hall Center for the Humanities, and the Division of Academic Success. The Common Book for the 2023-24 school year is Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. Butler, who died in 2006, was influential to the career of N.K. Jemisin, a fellow science fiction writer, and Jemisin also wrote the forward to the most recent edition of Parable of the Sower.

Signup Link in Bio!

Join Hall Center for the Humanities Resident Fellow Speaker Series tomorrow, April 10 @ 12pm for "Evoking Earthseed: A Future Informed Present" by Deja Beamon.

Resident Fellows Speaker Series Resident Fellows Speaker Series The Hall Center's Resident Fellows give lunchtime talks about their works-in-progress. These events are public and open to all in the Hall Center's Conference Hall. Lunch is provided, and RSVP is required. Trace, Vestige, Ruin: Following Footsteps with Ancient Roman P...

Join us Friday, April 26th at 12pm CT for our virtual book club!

This months selections are "Bloodchild" a novella by Octavia Butler and "Walking Awake" a short story by N.K. Jemisin, published in Lightspeed Magazine.

Register for April's book club through the linktree in our bio, we hope to see you all there!

2024 Sturgeon Symposium Call for Papers!

The J. Wayne and Elsie M. Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction is pleased to announce our 3rd Annual Sturgeon Symposium, to be held October 24-25, 2024. We are delighted that Samuel R. Delany has accepted our invitation to speak at the symposium.

We invite papers, panel proposals, and roundtable discussions that engage with Delany's work and influence. For more info hit the CFP link in our bio!

Alterity: Incomprehensible Evil or the Limit of One’s Power in Ukrainian Science Fiction

Join us on April 1st, 2024 @ 12:30PM Central Time for a special lecture from Dr. Serhii Tereshchenko!

Zoom Link in Bio!

The Journal of Science Fiction, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of William Gibson’s Neuromancer and the 25th of The Matrix, will have a special issue dedicated to Virtual Reality and Cyberspace. The Journal seeks abstracts on topics concerning, but not limited to:

• Virtual realities in the fiction of Isaac Asimov, William Gibson, Pat Cadigan, Walter Mosley, Neal Stephenson, and others
• Cyberspace and digital space in tv/film: The Matrix, Black Mirror, Akira, M3GAN, Ex Machina, AI Love You, Digimon, Ghost in the Shell, etc.
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning
• Cyberpunk and cyberfunk aesthetics, in film, music, and other media
• Telexistence, embodiment, especially with consideration to race, gender, disability, memory, and other discourses
• Video games, gaming
• Post and trans-humanisms
• Capitalism, cryptocurrency, and web economies
• VR and simulation application, especially in (sf) pedagogy, public programming, engaged humanities

For this issue, articles are expected to be 4000 to 6000 words. Short essays and book reviews of 1000 to 1500 words on similar topics are also invited.

For inclusion in this special issue, submit an article abstract of 500 words or essay pitch to the Managing Editor by email ([email protected]) with the subject line indicating the special issue title. First review of abstracts will take place by May 1st, 2024 with notification to authors during the summer.

Join us Friday, March 29th at 12pm CT for our virtual book club!
This months selections are the stories "Darkrose and Diamond" and "On the High Marsh" from Ursula Le Guin's "Tales from Earthsea".

Register for March's bookclub through the linktree in our bio. We hope to see you there.

Join us for the 2024 Richard W. Gunn Memorial Lecture!

What is the relationship between ancient epic poetry and the contemporary genre known as epic fantasy? This talk offers five answers to that question, from the perspective of a speculative fiction writer.

Sofia Samatar is the author of six books, including the memoir The White Mosque, a PEN/Jean Stein Award finalist. Her works range from the award-winning epic fantasy A Stranger in Olondria to Tone, a collaborative study of literary tone with Kate Zambreno.

Register via QR code or here: https://kansas.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9ptFOof6Qq-uaQGpWOJJRw #/registration

This week, the Gunn Centers Interim Director Katie Conrad was featured in The New York Times in an article about A.I. We are beyond proud of her work and encourage everyone to check out this article. What an amazing accomplishment, congrats Katie!

We Asked A.I. to Create the Joker. It Generated a Copyrighted Image. Artists and researchers are exposing copyrighted material hidden within A.I. tools, raising fresh legal questions.

Join us Friday, February 23rd at 12pm CT for our virtual book club!
This months selection is "Riot Baby" by Tochi Onyebuchi.

"Ella has a Thing. She sees a classmate grow up to become a caring nurse. A neighbor's son murdered in a drive-by shooting. Things that haven't happened yet. Kev, born while Los Angeles burned around them, wants to protect his sister from a power that could destroy her. But when Kev is incarcerated, Ella must decide what it means to watch her brother suffer while holding the ability to wreck cities in her hands.

Rooted in the hope that can live in anger, Riot Baby is as much an intimate family story as a global dystopian narrative. It burns fearlessly toward revolution and has quietly devastating things to say about love, fury, and the black American experience," (GoodReads, 2020).

Register for February's book club through the linktree in our bio, we hope to see you all there!

Join us this Friday!

Join us Friday, January 26th at 12pm CT for our virtual book club! This months selection is "The Book of Lost Saints" by Daniel José Older. You can register through the link in our bio or by visiting our website https://sfcenter.ku.edu/. The Zoom link and password can also be found in our bio. Anyone interested is welcome to join!
 
The Book of Lost Saints follows Ramón, whose vanished aunt's spirit guides him through a quest to uncover their family's hidden past, shaped by the Cuban Revolution. As he investigates, he discovers lost saints, falls in love, and confronts dangerous adversaries, all while unearthing long-buried family secrets.

Join us Friday, January 26th at 12pm CT for our virtual book club! This months selection is "The Book of Lost Saints" by Daniel José Older. You can register through the link in our bio or by visiting our website https://sfcenter.ku.edu/. The Zoom link and password can also be found in our bio. Anyone interested is welcome to join!
 
The Book of Lost Saints follows Ramón, whose vanished aunt's spirit guides him through a quest to uncover their family's hidden past, shaped by the Cuban Revolution. As he investigates, he discovers lost saints, falls in love, and confronts dangerous adversaries, all while unearthing long-buried family secrets.

Join us for our December Virtual Book Club where we will be discussing "The Four Profound Weaves" by R.B Lemberg. Anyone is welcome to join, even if you haven't read or finished the book! Be sure to register at the link in our bio, we hope to see you there.

"The Four Profound Weaves" follows two transgender elders who must learn to weave from Death in order to defeat an evil ruler—in the debut full-length work set in R. B. Lemberg’s award-winning fantasy Birdverse universe.

The Spencer Museum of Art is hosting a marathon reading of this year's common book, “Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler. This event will take place in the HBW “Black Writing Exhibit” on November 29, 2023, from 10 am to 5 pm and November 30, 2023, from 10 am to 3 pm. It's an unforgettable experience you won't want to miss!

Sign up for this event via the link: https://buff.ly/40ur5iK



Image Description: The background of this image is dark blue with multicolored lines and star detailing. In the center of the image, there's a picture of the book, 'Parable of the Sower.' The image also includes details about the event.

Tomorrow!

Join us Friday, November 17th at 12pm CT for our virtual book club! This months selection is "Son of a Trickster" by Eden Robinson. You can register through the Linktree in our bio or by visiting our website https://sfcenter.ku.edu/. The Zoom link and password can also be found in our bio. Anyone interested is welcome to join!

Son of a Trickster is a 2017 coming of age novel by Indigenous Canadian author Eden Robinson. The first novel in The Trickster trilogy, it follows 16-year-old Jared, who wades through the complications of a broken family, social pressure, drugs, alcohol, and poverty.

Join us Friday, November 17th at 12pm CT for our virtual book club! This months selection is "Son of a Trickster" by Eden Robinson. You can register through the Linktree in our bio or by visiting our website https://sfcenter.ku.edu/. The Zoom link and password can also be found in our bio. Anyone interested is welcome to join!

Son of a Trickster is a 2017 coming of age novel by Indigenous Canadian author Eden Robinson. The first novel in The Trickster trilogy, it follows 16-year-old Jared, who wades through the complications of a broken family, social pressure, drugs, alcohol, and poverty.

Tomorrow!

Join us for our October Virtual Book Club where we will be discussing "Fledgling" by Octavia Butler. Even if you haven't had the chance to read the entire book, you're still more than welcome to attend. Be sure to register at the link in our bio, we hope to see you there!

The novel tells the story of Shori Matthews, a young Black vampire who awakens injured and alone with no memory. Shori must decipher clues about who and what she is in order to stop the people who are trying to kill her. Eventually, she learns that her pursuers’ reasons for wanting her dead may have more to do with her race than her species.

Tomorrow (Friday, Oct 27)! Zoom passcode 3040, https://kansas.zoom.us/j/91515090843

Join us for our October Virtual Book Club where we will be discussing "Fledgling" by Octavia Butler. Even if you haven't had the chance to read the entire book, you're still more than welcome to attend. Be sure to register at the link in our bio, we hope to see you there!

The novel tells the story of Shori Matthews, a young Black vampire who awakens injured and alone with no memory. Shori must decipher clues about who and what she is in order to stop the people who are trying to kill her. Eventually, she learns that her pursuers’ reasons for wanting her dead may have more to do with her race than her species.

Director of the Gunn Center for Science Fiction, Giselle Anatol - who also happens to be an expert on vampire lore - will join Lawrence Public Libraries in the fabulous Microcinema for a viewing and discussion of this cult classic. Registration required.

Join us for our October Virtual Book Club where we will be discussing "Fledgling" by Octavia Butler. Even if you haven't had the chance to read the entire book, you're still more than welcome to attend. Be sure to register at the link in our bio, we hope to see you there!

The novel tells the story of Shori Matthews, a young Black vampire who awakens injured and alone with no memory. Shori must decipher clues about who and what she is in order to stop the people who are trying to kill her. Eventually, she learns that her pursuers’ reasons for wanting her dead may have more to do with her race than her species.

For those who like the spookier side of SFF, check this out!

Save the date, friends!

In Lawrence's heart, a tale unfolds,
A night of stories, as the darkness holds,
The Hall Center beckons, come one, come all,
To Haunting Humanities, where legends enthral.

On the eve of October's eerie embrace,
Gather 'round, let shadows erase,
The mundane world, as scholars descend,
To share their knowledge, to souls they'll attend.

Halloween's magic, a timeless affair,
Unearths repressed histories, secrets laid bare,
Memories and fears, they rise from the past,
As we celebrate mortality, in shadows we're cast.

In Lawrence, Kansas, beneath the moon's gleam,
A gathering of minds, a spectral dream,
Serious research in the night's chilling air,
Nightmarish stories, factoids to bear.

The Hall Center whispers, a haunted invite,
To explore what's hidden, in the pale moonlight,
Spooky tales and legends, they'll weave and entwine,
As Haunting Humanities brings history alive.

So mark the date, on this eve so profound,
Oct. 25, 2023, in Lawrence's hallowed ground,
Come join us, dear mortal, as we embrace the night,
At Haunting Humanities, where knowledge takes flight.

https://hallcenter.ku.edu/haunting-humanities

Coming this week!

"Pushing Boundaries with Science and Fiction" a new collaborative exhibit in the Haricombe Gallery is set to debut with a reception and talk from Physics and Astronomy (University of Kansas) Ian Crossfield.

“The Haricombe Gallery strives to connect the work of scholars and community partners in surprising and interesting ways. Science fiction is the perfect medium for making daring, imaginative connections, and we hope to showcase that spirit of possibility in this year’s exhibit.” 🎙️Samantha Bishop Simmons, Humanities Librarian and Haricombe Gallery Assistant Coordinator

🗓️Thursday, Oct. 5
📍Watson Library, Third Floor West
⏰5:30 p.m.

🗞️ https://lib.ku.edu/pushing-boundaries-preview

BOOK CLUBS ARE BACK!!

Here is our 2023-2024 Virtual Book Club Schedule!

WHERE: ZOOM (link in bio)
WHEN: 12:00PM CST on the dates listed!

DM for more information!

click the link in our bio for the ZOOM link at the time of the meeting to join!