When Undead Worlds Collide

Special Joint Section: SFF & Vampires at PCA 2026

We are excited to announce a Special Joint Section at the 2026 Popular Culture Association Conference, bringing together the Science Fiction and Fantasy Area (SFF) and the Vampire Studies Area for an unprecedented collaborative conversation.

This joint section invites papers, panels, and roundtables that explore the intersections of speculative futures and the undead—from science fiction’s cosmic vampires to gothic tales reimagined through futurism and technology. Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

• Space-faring vampires and alien bloodsuckers
• Technological immortality and vampirism in cyberpunk or Afrofuturism
• Cross-genre narratives where science meets the supernatural
• The persistence of gothic tropes in futuristic settings
• Theorizing immortality, monstrosity, and the post-human

By combining forces, this section opens up fresh opportunities for dialogue across genres, media, and theoretical approaches. We welcome submissions from all disciplinary backgrounds and encourage both traditional papers and experimental formats.

Deadline for submissions: November 30, 2025

Submit via the PCA submission portal: https://pcaaca.org/page/submissionguidelines

Papers can be submitted to either the SFF or Vampire area.  Please note within your submission that you are submitted for the joint session.  If you have an questions you can contact us at pcavampires@gmail.com or pcasff@gmail.com.