Annual Sturgeon Symposium
At CSSF, we celebrate the diverse community of students, scholars, creators, and fans who engage with speculative modes, challenging our conceptions of what is possible. As Octavia Butler writes in Parable of the Sower, "All that you touch, / You Change. / All that you Change / Changes you." Butler's work reminds us of the transformative power of speculative fiction and its ability to inspire change and community in the face of the unknown.
We welcome all individual papers, fully formed panels, and roundtables exploring "Fantastic Worlds, Fraught Futures," particularly those prioritizing collaboration and dialogue across communities, and creative work from Indian Nations, such as the Kaw, Osage, and others whose homelands KU stands. Please note that, while we will make the Symposium available virtually, virtual presenters will be grouped together; unlike 2022, we will not be organizing panels that mix virtual and in-person presentations.
Questions? Contact sfcenter@ku.edu.
Sponsors
In 2023, we are grateful for contributions by these generous sponsors:
- Cindy Reiss-Clark
- KU Office of Research
- The Hall Center for the Humanities
and the following Departments, Programs, and Centers:
- English
- Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity
- Jewish Studies
- Slavic, German, and Eurasian Studies
- SciFlix, Edwards Campus
- Spencer Museum of Art
- Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS)
2022 Symposium Videos
Visit the links below to watch video from our 2022 Sturgeon Symposium.
"Teaching SF in the Current Age" (Vimeo)
Password: JamesGunn!
"The Current State of SF" (Vimeo)
Password: JamesGunn!
"Indigenous Writers of Speculative Fiction" Creative Writing Reading & Roundtable (CrowdCast)