XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien, alt.books.inklings
Starships, Stewards, and Storytellers:
How Imaginary Worlds Teach Us to Care for This One
http://texmoot.org/call-for-papers
DEADLINE: March 1, 2022
Image by JamesDeMers from Pixabay
In 2022, Signum University’s Annual Texas Language and Literature
Symposium (TexMoot) invites you to join us as we consider the ethical
turn in speculative fiction: How do imaginary worlds teach us to care
for this one?
From ecological concerns to social commentary, science fiction and
fantasy offer readers a mirror through which to view our own world.
For example, the struggles of a terraforming planet may remind us how
precious and fragile is the one we live on. The real-world conflict
between nature and technology comes to life on the page when trees
march to war. We may find insights into how to interact with people
around us by spending time with characters in a fellowship—or on a
starship.
At TexMoot 2022, you will explore questions like: How do we relate to
the Other—the “monsters” and “aliens” beyond the bulkhead door? What roles can technology play in preserving nature or reinforcing what
makes us human? Do humans change the nonhuman environment, or are they inevitably changed by it? Is there really a clear line between the
human and the nonhuman, anyway? And whose responsibility is it to
preserve “civilization” and transmit its legacy to future generations?
TexMoot 2022 will also investigate the ways authors convey these
commentaries. What literary techniques best serve the message; at what
point does a work cross the line into propaganda? When does the
message serve the story, and when does the story serve the message?
The TexMoot Team is looking for both traditional academic papers (of
about 15 minutes) and shorter discussion prompts in which the
presenter talks for 5 minutes and ends with a provocative question to
start a roundtable discussion. Presentations and discussion topics can
be more academic or popular, according to your preference and
experience.
This year, TexMoot will be open to both onsite and offsite attendees
and presenters. Please submit your proposal using the form below. If
you would like to submit multiple ideas, please fill out the form
separately for each one.
You can rind the form and more information here:
http://texmoot.org/call-for-papers
--
Stephen Hayes, Author of The Year of the Dragon
Sample or purchase The Year of the Dragon:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/907935
Web site:
http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog:
http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail:
shayes@dunelm.org.uk
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