[ecrea] Call for Papers - Writing Worlds : Models of World and Space in the Fantastic

Call for Papers

Writing Worlds : Models of World and Space in the Fantastic

Fourth annual conference of the Gesellschaft für Fantastikforschung e.V. 
[Association for Research in the Fantastic] at the

Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen

26th-29th of September, 2013

Writing Worlds and Writing Worlds – one of the main characteristics of 
the Fantastic is its
ability to create multiple possible worlds in its divers medial 
expressions such as literature,
film, games or the visual arts. In these worlds, the representation of 
space serves as much as
genre indicator as does the set of characters. The fourth annual 
conference of the
Gesellschaft für Fantastikforschung e.V. [Association for Research in 
the Fantastic] will be
focused on world/space constructions and their relevance for the 
Fantastic. This implicates
dealing with the whole spectrum of theory and analysis of fantastic 
world models and the
relation and semantics of fantastic spaces.
Beside genre definitions like Tzvetan Todorov’s ‘uncertainty’ or Uwe 
Durst’s ‘infraction of
natural laws’, it seems that fantastic world constructions are likewise 
suitable to categorize
the steadily growing and developing amount of fantastic texts: Medieval 
worlds, alien
planets with their own natural laws or fantastic spaces hidden 
underneath, behind or within
the present show in how many ways the Fantastic may conceptualize 
‘space’ and ‘world’ and
how difficult it is to make global statements about ‘the Fantastic’ as 
such. In imitation of
Nietzsche, one might ask in view of the ‘Possible-Worlds Theory’, ‘So 
many worlds, and how
many new ones are still possible!’
Apart from the representations of fictional worlds as a potential basis 
for genre definitions,
there will be room to discuss the cultural implications of space which, 
in the Fantastic, is
often linked to the topos of the hero’s journey. Beside Niels Werber’s 
geopolitical approach
and Yuri Lotman’s considerations of the border as topological cultural 
model, the Fantastic
supplies literary research with a testing ground for terms like 
globalization, transnationality,
or multiculturalism.
In addition, some fantastic world constructions are characterized by 
their specific references
to reality and have a considerable potential for social criticism. 
Especially by using the
semantics of world and space, Utopias and Dystopias may initiate or 
contribute to
discussions about current issues. Even gender studies cannot ignore the 
impact of gendered
spaces in the Fantastic for the construction of gender roles. Another 
aspect of the
conference might be the changing relationship between the underworld and 
the world
above, when the dead or the undead attend ordinary high schools, work in 
ordinary jobs and
are to be met at the local pub in their spare time. Thus, the question 
remains open whether
death still has or even needs a space beyond a ‘final frontier’ that is 
reserved especially for
this taboo topic.
The approaches proposed here are only a fraction of the questions that 
may be discussed at
the conference, or even starting points for new theories – again 
imitating Nietzsche, ‘And
how many new questions are still possible!”
If we have raised your interest, please feel welcome to send us a 
350-words abstract of your
projected 20-minute paper in German or English, including your contact 
details and some
short biographical information via E-Mail ((gff2013 /at/ ggk.uni-giessen.de)) 
by December 31st,
2012. There is an open track option.

Organization of the conference:
Annette Simonis, Laura Muth, Pascal Klenke, Klaudia Seibel, in 
cooperation with the Section
10 – Phantastische Welten of the Gießener Graduiertenzentrum 
Kulturwissenschaften and
the Phantastische Bibliothek Wetzlar.

Contact:
Pascal Klenke, Laura Muth, Klaudia Seibel
Speakers of Sektion 10 – Phantastische Welten
Gießener Graduiertenzentrum Kulturwissenschaften
Alter Steinbacher Weg 38
D-35394 Gießen
(gff2013 /at/ ggk.uni-giessen.de)


----------------------
Gesellschaft für Fantastikforschung
1. Vorsitzender
Universität Hamburg, IAA
Lars Schmeink
Von Melle Park 6
20146 Hamburg

Email: (gff /at/ fantastikforschung.de)
Tel. +49 / 40 / 428 38 2689


----------------
ECREA-Mailing list
----------------
This mailing list is a free service from ECREA.
---
To unsubscribe, please visit http://www.ecrea.eu/mailinglist
---
ECREA - European Communication Research and Education Association
Postal address:
ECREA
Universit�ibre de Bruxelles
c/o Dept. of Information and Communication Sciences
CP123, avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, b-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
Email: (info /at/ ecrea.eu)
URL: http://www.ecrea.eu
----------------