London Science Fiction Research Community

In the future all SF researchers will be joined into one great AI dedicated to the reading and critical analysis of science fiction. For this time, in the metropolis of London, this’ll have to do.

LSFRC is a research community, a place for people to share research ideas, explore new texts and perspectives on Science Fiction in a friendly and welcoming environment, regardless of background, institutional affiliation or educational status.

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We actively support and encourage diversity in Science Fiction studies and fandom, not only in the range of approaches to the genre (including looking at the genre through the lenses of race, class, gender, sexuality, disability etc), but also in our commitment to providing a welcoming space for the intellectual engagement with Science Fiction for people of all backgrounds and experience. 

Our Activities

Monthly Reading Group

Regular sessions bringing the community together

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  • Informal discussions about the month’s selected SF texts (short stories, novels, articles, essays, films)
  • No prior experience or knowledge required – welcome to all
  • Online via Zoom, usually 7-8:30pm UK time
  • Video link delivered by our newsletter and Facebook group

Events

Sharing new perspectives in SF through participatory activities throughout the year

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  • Events beyond our Monthly Reading Group and Annual Conference offer activities to think more expansively about the annual theme and dive deeper into its subtopics
  • Interdisciplinary and in multiple formats, we organise workshops and work-in-progress seminars for researchers, creatives and more

Annual Conference

A celebration of global and intersectional SF responding to our annual theme

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  • Culminating our year’s projects and collaborations, the LSFRC Annual Conference is a 2-day virtual, global event that demonstrates the plurality of critical and inspiring work being shaped with SF for more just futures. With contributions from fans, scholars, activist organisers, artists and more through:
    • Keynote speakers
    • Panel presentations
    • Workshops
    • Performances / screenings

LSFRC News

  • March Reading Group: Tales of Nevèrÿon

    The March installment of this year’s reading group will be on Samuel R. Delany’s Tales of Nevèrÿon (1978). The session will take place online on jitsi.meet between 7 and 8.30 […]

  • Activism & Resistance Reading Group Bibliographies

    In our December reading group session from last year, we explored Kathy Acker’s Empire of the Senseless. Below are bibliographies from the discussions: Parable of the Sower, Novel by Octavia […]

  • Statement condemning the UK Government’s stance on critical theories in education

    This is also a central tenet of the freedoms of thought, speech and expression – all goals that the right-wing ideology of the Government claims to protect. To be very […]

  • Activism and Resistance: LSFRC Reading List 2020/2021

    Here is the full list of texts that we will be reading this year! As always, reading group sessions are usually held on the first Monday of the month (unless […]

  • Work in Progress #3 Schedule

    The schedule for our third Work in Progress event has now been finalised. In addition to an exciting array of presentations across disciplines and media, we are proud to be […]

  • Activism & Resistance Reading Group Bibliographies

    Below are partial bibliographies from the discussions in our first two reading group sessions of the academic year. Unfortunately, the records from the first session were lost, hence the delay […]

  • Beyond Borders: Post-Conference Documents

    The “Beyond Borders: Empires, Bodies, Science Fictions” conference brought together over two hundred delegates (including over sixty speakers) from a wide swathe of continents and timezones. While we were not […]

  • Reading Group Report: Sultana’s Dream & The Distance From Here

    On 2 November 2020, we had the second reading group for the new academic year on the theme of “Activism and Resistance”. We read the 1905 short story Sultana’s Dream […]

  • LSFRC Work in Progress 3 Announcement

    Hello everyone! We can now announce that our next Work In Progress session will be completely virtual and will be held on 28th November from around 11am-5pm – times may […]

  • New Texts Poll & November Reading Group

    After a slew of excellent suggestions from our community, we have assembled a poll for people to vote for their preferred texts for this year’s reading group. You can find […]

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