Chatter: Science Fiction and International Relations with Stephen Dyson

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Jul 27, 2023

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Stephen Dyson

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INSIGHT

Speculative Worlds Inform Real Politics

Science fiction imagines worlds with alternate realities to deduce insights about our own world.
International relations theory similarly creates models to understand real-world power dynamics.

ANECDOTE

Using Game of Thrones to Teach IR

Teaching international politics in China revealed cultural and historical barriers in understanding Western-centric IR concepts.
Using popular shows like Game of Thrones helped bridge gaps with Chinese students by leveraging familiar speculative fiction.

INSIGHT

Sci-Fi Reveals Political Realities

Science fiction reveals decision makers' true motivations better than real-world politics can.
It can address controversial issues by depicting them in otherworldly settings, enabling deeper understanding.

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Creators of science fiction movies and television shows often build worlds with at least some attention to governance systems and international (or interplanetary) political interactions. Sometimes, they develop central plot points out of national security matters, even if they play out in entirely different galaxies or dimensions. So it's not surprising that political scientist and author Stephen Dyson has spent years looking closely at how the genre influences--and, in turn, is influenced by--international relations theory and practice.

David Priess hosted Stephen for a conversation about the definitions of science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction; teaching international politics in China; how science fiction helps us to understand international relations and how IR inform our viewing of science fiction; politics in the Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars universes; and much more.

Among the works mentioned in this episode:

The book Otherworldly Politics by Stephen Benedict Dyson
The books Imagining Politics, The Blair Identity and Leaders in Conflict by Stephen Benedict Dyson
The book Metamorphoses of Science Fiction by Darko Suvin
The YouTube channel UConnPopCast
The TV shows Star Trek (The Original Series), Star Trek: The Next Generation, Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009), Battlestar Galactica (1978-1979), and Game of Thrones
The movies Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope and Rogue One
The article "Images of International Politics in Chinese Science Fiction: Liu Cixin's Three-Body Problem," in New Political Science (2019), by Stephen Benedict Dyson
The book Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The book Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

Chatter is a production of Lawfare and Goat Rodeo. This episode was produced and edited by Isabelle Kerby-McGowan and Cara Shillenn of Goat Rodeo. Podcast theme by David Priess, featuring music created using Groovepad.

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