ACFM ACFM Microdose: Sci-Fi
Sep 28, 2025
Joining the discussion is Keir Milburn, a political theorist and cultural critic specializing in futurity and science fiction. Keir and Jem dive into whether sci-fi is inherently progressive and its connection to critical theory. They explore the rise of sci-fi in popular culture, the influence of tech elites, and the political nuances in classics from Wells and Clarke. Dystopian narratives are examined alongside feminist and diverse voices like Le Guin and Delany. The pair debates the constraints blocking utopian visions in modern media.
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Cognitive Estrangement Defines SF
- Darko Suvin defines SF as 'cognitive estrangement' with an imaginative framework alternative to the author's empirical environment.
- That frames SF as distinct from realist fiction and fantasy by insisting on rational continuity with the actual.
SF Mirrors Critical Theory
- Carl Freedman's view links SF to critical theory via historical mutability and utopian possibility.
- This suggests SF's form can open political imagination by estranging the present.
Childhood Books Shaped Sci‑Fi Taste
- Jeremy Gilbert describes growing up with Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke on his parents' shelves.
- Those books shaped his early interest in science fiction into late adolescence.