International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts

CFP ASLE 2017: Comics, Graphic Novels, and the Environment (June 20-24 2017, Detroit)

deadline for submissions:
November 25, 2016

full name / name of organization:
Juan Meneses, UNC Charlotte

contact email:
juan.meneses@uncc.edu

This panel for the next ASLE conference seeks to offer a range of explorations of environmental and ecological themes in comics and graphic novels. Whereas the conference’s “Rust/Resistance” special topic (http://www.asle.org/wp-content/uploads/ASLE-2017-CFP.pdf) should provide cohesion to the panel, papers that expand the study of comics and graphic novels from any environmental lens are also welcome. Among others, the panel will be concerned with several questions, such as: What particular forms of visualization do comics and graphic novels offer us as conduits to imagine the environment? What specific narrative forms in the medium such as the sequence, the gutter, or the panel must be explored in considering the ways in which we can tackle environmental issues? In what specific ways can the “worlding” capacities of comics and graphic novels be understood in environmental terms? What approaches to comics might be most relevant to environmental studies and, conversely, what environmental approaches might be most productive for the study of comics? How are agendas of environmental resistance specifically articulated in the medium of comics and graphic novels?

Papers that explore these and related questions while focusing on particular works will be given priority.

Submissions are invited to explore a range of topics including, though not limited to, the following:

Environmental justice and social movements
Industrialization and modernity
Comparative and planetary reflections
Environmental and natural disasters
Climate change
Inhabitance
Energy
Material culture
Pollution
Modernity and technological advancements
The Anthropocene
Bioregionalism
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic narratives
Animal studies
Food
The weather
Graphic journalism
Science fiction
Eco-terrorism
Poverty
Agriculture
Landscapes
Water studies
Resources and infrastructures
Biopolitics
Geographical developments
Post-humanism
New media

Please send a 300-word abstract and short bio to juan.meneses@uncc.edu by November 25, 2016.

The World of Harry Potter (Popular Culture and the Deep Past 2017)

deadline for submissions:
November 15, 2016

full name / name of organization:
The Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at The Ohio State University

contact email:
cmrs_gaa@osu.edu

The Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies invites you to join us on February 24-25, 2017, for our fourth ‘Popular Culture and the Deep Past’ extravaganza at The Ohio State University, devoted this year to the theme of Harry Potter on the 20th anniversary of the publication of J.K. Rowling’s first Potter novel.

As in past years, this event will feature a scholarly conference (featuring papers, round tables, and other academic events) nested within a Renaissance-faire-like carnival (featuring exhibits, gaming, contests, and activities of all kinds). We invite presentations on any topic related to the Potter phenomenon, ranging from literary and cinematic analyses to historical and cultural investigations, and including explorations of fantasy, magic, witchcraft, gaming, and other popular, artistic, or sociological dimensions of that phenomenon. In keeping with the CMRS mandate, we shall aim to explore historical and cultural strands that tie the Potter world to its medieval and early-modern antecedents; at the same time, we are interested in exploring the interface between the past and the present, and in paying attention to 21st-century manifestations in their own right. While the Potter world is the main focus, presentations may involve other topics that relate strongly to its literary or cultural themes. Conference presentations will generally be limited to 20 minutes’ duration, followed by 10 minutes of discussion; they will be organized thematically into sessions of three or four papers each. Other presentations, including music, dance, art, gaming, readings, and other activities or displays, will be accommodated more freely according to our resources of space and scheduling.

Please send your presentation ideas to cmrs_gaa@osu.edu, including a title, abstract (i.e., description), and contact information. Abstracts should be no more than 300 words and attached as either a Word document or PDF. We shall begin evaluating proposals after November 15, 2016; submissions after that date will be happily received up til the time of the event, but their inclusion will depend on remaining openings in the schedule.

Crossroads. A Journal of English Studies is looking for submissions for a theme issue dedicated to the study of Polish science fiction and fantasy literature.

While science fiction and fantasy are inarguably international genres, they have not developed in a uniform manner across the globe. The literary output of any nation is always shaped by many factors, including the country’s history, politics, and culture. This is certainly true as far as Polish science fiction and fantasy literature are concerned, since their present condition—though, undoubtedly, determined also by the achievements of foreign writers (but to what extent?)—has been affected by the nation’s difficult yet rich past, which has been reflected in the writers’ attempts at re-creating the country’s history, in the multiple references to its socio-political reality, and in the return to Slavic mythology and traditions. However, beyond the borders of Poland few of the country’s science fiction and fantasy writers have gained literary and scholarly recognition (which is, of course, due to the number of available translations). While foreign readers might be acquainted with the works of Stanisław Lem and Andrzej Sapkowski, they might know little about other noteworthy Polish writers. Which is not surprising, since not many critical publications on Polish sf and fantasy are available in English. Our work will, hopefully, satisfy that demand.

While papers dealing with the works of Lem and Sapkowski are welcome, we strongly encourage scholars to submit works related to any of the following topics:

historical development of sf and fantasy in Poland,
critical assessment of the present condition of Polish sf and fantasy,
past and present trends in Polish sf and fantasy,
success and failure of Polish sf and fantasy,
the role of fandom and popular magazines in the development of Polish sf and fantasy,
Polish sf and fantasy in translation,
comparative analysis of Polish and American/English sf and fantasy,
reception of American/English sf and fantasy in Poland,
reception of American/English literary criticism on sf and fantasy in Poland,
religious, gender, racial, social, political, etc. dimensions of Polish sf and fantasy,
critical analysis of the works of Jacek Dukaj, Elżbieta Cherezińska, Janusz A. Zajdel, Jerzy Żuławski, Marek Oramus, Marek S. Huberath, Maja Lidia Kossakowska, Andrzej Pilipiuk, Jacek Piekara, Robert M. Wegner, Anna Kańtoch, Anna Brzezińska, and other Polish writers of sf and fantasy.
Schedule

January 15, 2017 – deadline for submitting abstracts (200-300 words)
January 30, 2017 – notice of acceptance
April 30, 2017 – deadline for submitting full papers (guidelines for authors will be provided)

After the papers receive a positive review, we will proceed with editing, proofreading, and publishing.

Please send your questions and submission to:

crossroads.sfandfantasy@gmail.com

The theme issue will be guest-edited by Weronika Łaszkiewicz, Mariusz M. Leś, and Sylwia Borowska-Szerszun who are part of the research team “Wymiary Fantastyki” established at the University of Białystok. You can visit them at: http://fantastyka.uwb.edu.pl/

Crossroads. A Journal of English Studies is a peer-reviewed electronic quarterly published by the Department of English at the University of Białystok. The journal welcomes contributions on all aspects of literary and cultural studies (including recent developments in cyberculture), linguistics (both theoretical and applied), and intercultural communication. The aim of the journal is to provide a forum for interdisciplinary research, inquiry and debate within the area of English studies through the exchange, crisscrossing and intersecting of opinions and diverse views. The electronic version of Crossroads. A Journal of English Studies is its primary (referential) version. The journal has received 6 points in the listing of scholarly journals issued by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

For more information, please visit http://www.crossroads.uwb.edu.pl/call-for-papers-a-theme-issue-on-polish-science-fiction-and-fantasy-literature/.

Monsters with a Thousand Faces: Adaptations of Literary Horrors

deadline for submissions:
January 13, 2017

full name / name of organization:
Joseph J. Darowski and John Darowski

contact email:
monsteradaptations@gmail.com

The editors of Monsters with a Thousand Faces: Adaptations of Literary Horrors are seeking abstracts for essays that could be included in the upcoming collection. This collection will feature essays focused on adaptations of characters that first appeared in a traditional novel or short stories. The adaptations can be in any other form of media (film, television, radio drama, comic books, stage play, etc.) or even be an appropriation of the original character into a new novel.

Among the monsters we are hoping to see included in the collection are:

-Dracula

-Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

-The Invisible Man

-Grendel

-Monsters from mythology

-Monsters from Fairy Tales

Note: The editors already have several essay on Frankenstein and it is unlikely that any new essays on adaptations of this text will be accepted.

Essays can explore themes related to adaptation theory or another angle, such as a New Historicist reading associated with when the adaptation was produced.

The completed essays should be approximately 15-20 double-spaced pages.

Abstracts (100-500 words) and CVs should be submitted by Friday, January 13, 2017.

Please submit via email to monsteradaptations@gmail.com.

Call for Papers

Glasgow International Fantasy Conference

Fantasy at the Crossroads: Intersections, Identities, and Liminality

29th-31st March 2017

1st Keynote Speaker: Julie Bertagna,
in conversation with Dr Maureen Farrell

2nd Keynote Speaker: Professor Louise Welsh, giving a talk on her
latest novel and the genre of speculative fantasy

What is fantasy? This is a question that the University of Glasgow’s MLitt in Fantasy has explored throughout its first year. While this may seem an unanswerable question, for many of us, fantasy is where reality and the impossible meet. Fantasy inspires a sprawling collection of worlds that stem from a myriad of identities, experiences, and influences. From traditional epics to genre-melding, fantasy branches out into every style imaginable. Cross-sections of genre and identity create cracks in traditional forms, opening in-between spaces from which bloom new ideas and stories.

With a focus on intersections (academic and creative writing, film, art, and games) we aim for GIFCON’s inaugural conference to be a crossroads at which these communities can meet and come into conversation.

Examples of intersections in fantasy can be found in:

– Julie Bertagna’s Exodus trilogy, which explores environmentalism within the context of fantasy and science fiction

– Arianne “Tex” Thompson’s Children of the Drought series, which focuses on subversions of race and gender

– China Miéville’s The City and the City, which fuses the detective novel with the fantastic

– Eowyn Ivey’s The Snow Child, which uses fairy tale inspirations to create a magical realist setting and narrative

– Netflix’s Stranger Things, which melds horror with Dungeons and Dragons via a coming of age science fiction story

– The Elder Scrolls video game series, which intersects narrative, music, and visual arts

– Frank Beddor’s Looking Glass Wars series, which combines science fiction and fantasy to explore unique, genre-melded world-building

We ask for 300-word abstracts for 20 minute papers, presentations and/or creative/experimental projects. All mediums and forms are welcome. We are particularly interested in submissions from early career researchers, and we will offer workshops in creative writing for those interested in exploring the creative process.

Suggested topics include:

-Intersections between cultures, genres, identities (gender, race, sexuality, sexual identity, neurodiversity, disability, faith and religion, and subversions of representation)

-Liminal Spaces: the bringing together of ‘real’ and ‘fairy’ or ‘magical’ spaces (as in folklore, fairy tale/myth, magical realism, or ‘third’ spaces in urban fantastic); genre-melding (as in weird fiction or “postcolonial gothic”)

-Transitions from one medium to another: adaptations of literature from/to graphic novels, film and TV, radio, etc.

-Responses to disaster/ looking to the future: dystopia and the choices/events that lead to that future situation; and how communities pick up after devastation

-Tensions between the individual’s and the community’s journey (for example, the use of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth in contemporary fantastical works)

-Reading/engaging fantasy as a community activity (whether academic study, book groups, fandoms, collaborative storytelling via RPGs, etc.)

-Crossovers and divides between fantasy, science fiction, and other speculative fiction

-Where fantasy meets pedagogy in young adult fiction

-Medieval/High/Traditional fantasy in a technocratic age

-Fantastical elements in graphic novels/comic books

-Works that exist outside of typical genre or thematic boxes

Conference fee: £50 for students, £65 for non-students (includes registration, merchandise, and daily lunches).

Please submit a 300-word abstract, along with a 100-word biography (in DOC or RTF format) to submissions.gifconference@gmail.com by Monday, 12th December 2016

Early Career Researchers, please note: If you are struggling with fees, please contact your university to inquire about conference-specific funding opportunities.

https://gifcon.org/

CALL FOR PAPERS for THE NEW RAY BRADBURY REVIEW SPECIAL ISSUE

Call for Papers: Ray Bradbury And Horror Fiction: The New Ray Bradbury Review Special Issue

Categories: Genre & Form, Narratology, Interdisciplinary, Cultural Studies, Film, TV, & Media, History, Philosophy, Literary Theory, Pedagogy, Horror, Fantasy

Location: Publication

Organization: Center for Ray Bradbury Studies, Indiana University School of Liberal Arts (IUPUI)

CFP: “Ray Bradbury And Horror Fiction”

The New Ray Bradbury Review special issue
(Guest Editor: Jeffrey Kahan: Vortiger@hotmail.com)

The problem of genre is especially complicated when it comes to Ray Bradbury. The author of The Martian Chronicles, Dandelion Wine, The Halloween Tree, Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Illustrated Man, Fahrenheit 451, and innumerable poems, comic books, short stories, radio, TV, and movie scripts alchemically combined elements as diverse as rockets and hauntings, uncanny phenomena and freak shows, the Cthulhu mythos and common serial killers. The New Ray Bradbury Review seeks essays for a special issue dedicated to Ray Bradbury’s unique brand of horror fiction.

Bradbury began his writing career with a homemade pulp, Futuria Fantasia, modeled on Farnsworth Wright’s Weird Tales. Many of his early stories were based on Poe, including “The Pendulum” (1939) and “Carnival of Madness” (1950, revised as “Usher II” in The Martian Chronicles). Poe also is at the center of “The Mad Wizards of Mars” (1949, best known as “The Exiles” in The Illustrated Man, 1951), a story that is also populated by many of the horror and dark fantasy writers of the last two hundred years. Lovecraft’s influence is traceable as well: “Luana the Living” (a fanzine piece from 1940) and “The Watchers” (1945), a tale that centers on a Lovecraftian horror of unseen forces bent on destroying anyone who discovers their presence beneath the surface of everyday life. Concurrently, Bradbury explored aspects of the American Gothic (see, for example, his carnie tales in Dark Carnival [1947], The Illustrated Man [1951], and The October Country [1955]). His later career saw a return to gothic fantasy elements, now playfully blended with other genres in such novels as Death is a Lonely Business (1985) and A Graveyard for Lunatics (1990). Some of his early gothic fantasy was revisited in his late career with the novelized story-cycle From the Dust Returned (2001).

The New Ray Bradbury Review, produced since 2008 by the Center for Ray Bradbury Studies at Indiana University and published by Kent State University Press, seeks articles on topics including (but not limited to):

• Bradbury and the pulps
• Bradbury and the American Gothic (including circus and freak show stories)
• Bradbury and mythology
• Bradbury and the problem of genre (ways literary historians have catalogued or miscatalogued his work)
• Bradbury’s literary reputation (and similar problems faced by writers as diverse as Carson McCullers and Stephen King)
• Bradbury and the Lovecraft Circle, including Robert Bloch, August Derleth, and Frank Belknap Long
• Bradbury and the Southern California circle, including Richard Matheson, Charles Beaumont, William F. Nolan, George Clayton Johnson
• Bradbury and related short story writers, such as Roald Dahl, Nigel Kneale, Theodore Sturgeon, Fritz Leiber, Harlan Ellison, Neil Gaiman
• Unproduced works or adaptations, for example Bloch’s Merry-Go-Round for MGM (based on Ray Bradbury’s story “Black Ferris”)
• The Halloween Tree (novel, screenplay, and/or animated adaption), Something Wicked This Way Comes (novel, stage play, and/or Disney film), The October Country or the collection Bloch and Bradbury: Whispers from Beyond
• Bradbury and literary agent/comic book editor Julius Schwartz
• Bradbury’s stories for the radio programs such as Dimension X and Suspense, TV series such as The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, or horror tales adapted for EC Comics or other outlets
• Bradbury’s own adaptations for the TV series The Ray Bradbury Theater.
• The art of the animated Halloween Tree and later films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas

Proposals of up to 500 words should be submitted by May 1, 2017, to guest editor Jeffrey Kahan (vortiger@hotmail.com). Authors of selected abstracts will be notified by July 1, 2017. Full drafts (5,000 to 7,000 words) will be due by December 1, 2017. The issue is provisionally scheduled for spring 2019.

For more information please visit: http://bradbury.iupui.edu/news/call-papers-new-ray-bradbury-review-special-issue