What Does Sci-Fi Teach Us about the EU?
JMCE Conference Reflection
In November 2020, researchers gathered from the EU and the US to present and discuss work on female and ethnic minority authors and directors using fantasy to engage with environmental issues, and the impact of human society on environment. Conference panel themes include: “Rebuilding in a Post-apocalyptic Era,” “Race, Class and Future Inequalities”, “Ethics and Living with Environmental Challenges”, and “Pedagogical Approaches to Sci-fi and Intersectionality”.
JMCE fellow Edana Kleinhans reflects on the key theems of the conference.
Sci-Fi’s Intersections with Race, Colonialism, & Othering
The conference emphasized how science fiction can provide a powerful lens for interrogating relationships between humans. Because sci-fi works are so often centered on the dichotomy between human and non-human being, such as with aliens, robots, and post-humans, it allows us to symbolize our mixed emotions of fear and desire when it comes to interacting with entities vastly different from ourselves. One profound aspect of the conference was the attention it paid to the development of this fascination with the “other,” and its connection to historical processes of racialization and colonialism.
The researchers’ insights also showcased how science fiction mirrors contemporary anxieties about immigration, cultural dilution, and racial distinctions, offering thought-provoking parallels to real-world concerns. Similarly, their investigations of the gendered portrayal of AI in science fiction — emphasizing the prevalence of female names and voices among AI assistants — tapped into real-world concerns of how emerging technologies are informed by the biases of the societies and individuals who create them.
The Environment & Biopolitics
Conference discussions also highlighted the environmental consequences of human actions, such as deforestation, and their portrayal in science fiction as a reflection of real-world ecological concerns. At the same time, sci-fi also draws attention to the sometimes arbitrary divisions between nature and human.
Participants also discussed the concept of biopolitics and governance tied to the management of a population’s physical bodies. Science fiction often explores issues like health, mortality, and societal control through this lens, which is largely informed by the symbolic and real historical site of the concentration camp. Perhaps influenced by the group’s collective experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, participants emphasized the concept of necropolitics, or the role of death within biopolitical practices, prompting contemplation of how some individuals or groups may be deemed expendable for the wellbeing of the state.
The Impact of Science Fiction on Society
In short, Sherryl Vint’s keynote underscored how science fiction has evolved from being seen as mere entertainment to becoming a genre that addresses critical societal issues and provides imaginative solutions to complex problems. From imagining the separation of mind and body to recording the gendered experiences of robots, sci-fi offers insights into the challenges of reconciling individual experiences with representative governance structures, such as those found in the EU and the US.
The European Commission’s support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
