CFP: Visions of Humanity in Cyberculture, Cyberspace and Science Fiction

4th Global Conference - Visions of Humanity in Cyberculture, Cyberspace and Science Fiction

Monday 6th July - Wednesday 8th July 2009 - Mansfield College, Oxford

Call for Papers

This inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary project aims to explore what it is to be human and the nature of human community in cyberculture, cyberspace and science fiction. In particular, the project will explore the possibilities offered by these contexts for creative thinking about persons and the challenges posed to the nature and future of national, international, and global communities.

Papers, short papers, and workshops are invited on issues related to any of the following themes:

• the relationship between cyberculture, cyberspace, science fiction
• cyberculture, cyberpunk and the near future: utopias vs. dystopias
• science fiction and cyberpunk as a medium for exploring the nature of persons
• humans and cyborgs; the synergy of humans and technology; changing views of the body
• human and post-human concepts in cyber arts and cinema
• bodies in cyberculture; from apes to androids - electronic evolution; biotechnical advances and the impact of life, death, and social existence; the impact on individuality
• gender and cyberspace: new feminisms, new masculinities
• electronic persons, community and identity; cyberspace,
• cybercommunities, virtual worlds
• digital culture and interactive storytelling
• old messages, new medium: cyberspace and mass communication
• nature, enhancing nature, and artificial intelligence; artificial life, life and information systems, networked living
• human and post-human politics; cyborg citizenship and rights; influence of political technologies
• cyberpolitics, cyberdemocracy, cyberterror; old conflicts, new spaces: elections, protest and war in cyberspace; nationality and nationalism in cyberculture; the state and cyberspace: repression vs. resistance
• cybercultures: the transnational and the local
• boundaries, frontiers and taboos in cyberculture
• religion and spirituality in cyberculture, science fiction and cyberpunk
• technology vs. the natural? cyberculture and the green movement.

Papers will be considered on any related theme. 300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 6th February 2009. If your paper is accepted for presentation at the conference, an 8 page draft paper should be submitted by Friday 5th June 2009.

300 word abstracts should be submitted to both Organising Chairs; abstracts may be in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF formats, following this order:

author(s), affiliation, email address, title of abstract, body of abstract

The organisers acknowledge receipt and answer to all paper proposals submitted.

Joint Organising Chairs
Dr Daniel Riha
Charles University
Prague,
Czech Republic
E-mail

Dr Rob Fisher
Inter-Disciplinary.Net
Priory House, Wroslyn Road
Freeland, Oxfordshire OX29 8HR
E-mail

The conference is part of the ‘At the Interface’ series of research projects run by ID.Net. It aims to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore various discussions which are innovative and challenging. All papers accepted for and presented at the conference will be published in an ISBN eBook. Selected papers may be invited to go forward for development into 20-25 page chapters for publication in a themed dialogic ISBN hard copy volume.

For further details about the project please visit the website.

For further details about the conference please visit the website.