*RESCHEDULED* 3rd August 2023
18.30- 21.00
Join us to celebrate the release of Stephen Oram’s new near-future fiction collection, Extracting Humanity and Other Stories.
Stephen will be reading from the collection and talking about some of the social and ethical issues his stories explore. Oram and Aicardi will discuss how science fiction can be used as a tool to interrogate research and bring theory to new audiences. There will be plenty of time for audience questions.
This event will be recorded for distribution as a bonus episode of the FUTURES Podcast.
Extracting Humanity Synopsis:
In this remarkably perceptive collection, Stephen Oram blends cutting-edge science and tech with everyday emotions and values to create 20 thought experiments with heart.
Extracting Humanity is a skilful exploration of smart currencies, memorials, medical care, treatment of refugees, social networks, data monitoring, and justice systems. Always without prescription or reprimand, these stories are simply the beginning of the conversation.
From an eerie haptic suit that Tommy must call Father, to a protective, nutritious bubble that allows Feng Mian to survive on a colonised Moon; from tattoos that will earn their wearers a mini-break in a sensory chamber, to Harrie anxiously awaiting AI feedback on her unborn child… These startling, diverse narratives map all-too-real possibilities for our future and the things that might ultimately divide or unite us
Stephen Oram writes near-future science fiction. His short story collections have been praised by publications as diverse as The Morning Star and The Financial Times. He is published in many anthologies and has two published novels. He also works with scientists and technologists to explore possible futures through short stories, and has co-edited three anthologies along these lines. He is a writer for sci-fi prototypers SciFutures and a founding curator for near-future fiction at Virtual Futures.
Dr Christine Aicardi is a Senior Research Fellow in Science and Technology Studies at King’s College London, having originally trained as an engineer working in the ICT industry. She has extensive experience collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to facilitate responsible research and innovation practices in computational neuroscience, brain-inspired computing and neurotechnology projects. Her research interests are the sciences and technologies of brain and mind; the study of interdisciplinary practices and collaborations; futures studies, notably the use of speculative science fiction for participatory foresight work.
Luke Robert Mason is a futures theorist who studies the technological developments that will alter what it means to be human. Throughout his career he has interviewed hundreds of the world’s most influential thinkers on their vision for the future. These insights have informed his collaborations with innovators in the fields of advanced science, emerging technology and the arts and have provided him with a unique perspective on the world of tomorrow. Mason is the host of the FUTURES Podcast where he explores the topics of artificial intelligence, human enhancement, space travel and virtual reality.