Science Fiction in the German Classroom

Applications are sought for the GSA Seminar "Science Fiction in the German Classroom" at the 49th Annual German Studies Association Conference in Arlington, VA, September 25-28, 2025.

The deadline for submissions is February 19, 2025, at 11:59pm PST (please note the time zone).

Seminar description: Science fiction (SF) as a genre—with tropes like AI takeover, environmental apocalypse, or dystopian surveillance—is gaining new traction globally. Many German writers and artists such as Maria Schrader, Frank Schӓtzing, Raphaela Edelbauer, or Kevin Rittberger have taken on the genre to explore how technology and science affect human interactions. In 2023, TU Dresden hosted the SF Research Association, proving a growing academic interest in Germany. We are interested in the use of SF in the German classroom. How might SF foster discussions about, e.g., the environment, political utopias, or posthumanism? How can SF instigate critical reflections on science and technology? Can we employ SF to teach tech-oriented German classes? We define SF broadly so as to address a variety of topics, such as climate change and the application of technology in human’s everyday lives. Our aim is to establish a repository of relevant artworks and shared teaching frameworks.

More information at networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20057862/cfp-gsa-seminar-science-fiction-german-classroom.