popular culture

“Happy are those ages when the starry sky is the map of all possible paths—ages whose paths are illuminated by the light of the stars. Everything in such ages is new and yet familiar, full of adventure and yet their own.” Georg Lukács wrote those words in his Theory of the Novel in developing the point that art is no longer merely a copy of the world, but rather, an imagined totality. Though he favored realism, we can, perhaps borrow his point to explain the value of science fiction in today’s world. Few other genres exceed science fiction’s ability to portray the expansive space of the imaginary.

Unmasking Masculinity:

Superheroes and Defeating the Power of Patriarchy

Call for Book Chapters for Proposed Edited Collection

CFP for Essay Collection: Frontiers: Cosmos, Curiosity, Creativity Cultures approach religious questions in ways informed by their cosmologies and vice versa. Traditions considered religious therefore interact closely with speculations about “the heavens,” the stars, and outer space in the imaginative work of world-building.

We invite presentation proposals for The Fifties and Pop/Visual Culture: Film, Television and Beyond Conference, to be held at Texas Christian University (Fort Worth, Texas) November 9-10, 2018.

The conference organizers are seeking historically and theoretically intriguing contributions that explore any noteworthy aspect(s) of popular and/or visual culture during the 1950s, whether in the United States or elsewhere, in relation to cinematic, televisual, and other types of media offerings.

On 28 June, IASH is hosting Just Speculating, a one-day symposium reflecting on intersections of finance, data, and culture. As part of the event, we welcome proposals for a panel on economics and speculative fiction. Please send a title, a short proposal (about 100 words) or query, together with a bio or a link to online information about your research, to j.walton@bathspa.ac.uk.